Our final stop was a visit to Osaka Castle [大阪城] before heading back to Taiwan. Like most vacations, the best weather we encountered was on our last day. It was a great day of hopping from train to train, taking a ton of pictures in the process, and getting to spend a beautiful afternoon visiting one of Osaka’s historic sites.

From the Japan National Tourist Information website:

The Osaka Castle was built in the end of the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a well-known warlord who brought the whole country under his rule in the late 16th century. It has been burned down in a series of battles in the 17th century, and reconstructed later. Once again it was destroyed by fire, its donjon only reduced to ashes this time, and was reconstructed at last early in the 20th century.

Display depicting the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka [大坂の陣]:

A trio of panoramas:

Our first is the Cherry Tree Gate [Sakuramon] which was built in 1626 during the Tokugawa period, burnt down during the 1868 civil war and reconstructed in 1887. The walls on both sides were restored in 1969:

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Panning the city skyline from Osaka Castle is challenging because of the security barrier around it. But if you can hold your camera out and not drop it you should do just fine:

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Held the camera vertically for this one, not sure I’m too wild about it:

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All information, unless otherwise noted, is from tourist information plaques and brochures.

Carrie of My Several Worlds [another Taiwan blogger] has also recently been posting pictures from her recent trip to Japan. Definitely check out her fish market post!

Ginkaku-ji [銀閣寺] was established in 1482 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth Muromachi Shogunate. Sitting on the roof is a golden bronze phoenix dedicated to Kannonbosatu [the Goddess of Mercy]. It faces east and protects Ginkaku-ji.

Display of the various mosses blanketing the area:

It is a beautiful area to stroll around and enjoy at your own pace, unlike the Kyoto Imperial Palace where the only way you’re getting in is with a guided tour.

The overcast day gave the forested walkway a wonderful mood.

Ginsyadan [銀沙灘] panorama, the white sand Kougetsudai [向月台] in the background is said to resemble Mt. Fuji:

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Kyoto Gosho [京都御所] served as the imperial palace of Japan during the Edo period. The Imperial Household Agency hosts English tours of the grounds several times per week.

Looking through Jomeimon Gate [承明門] we can see the most important building of the palace: the Shishinden [紫宸殿], which was used for important ceremonies of state such as enthronement ceremonies.

Kenshunmon Gate [建春門]

The Shunkoden [春興殿] was built to place the sacred mirror used during the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Taisho [大正天皇] in 1915.

The Seiryoden [清涼殿] was used as the Emperor’s residence before the Otsunegoten [御常御殿] was built. It is very similar to the Shishinden, however the floor is built much lower and the building has more internal partitions.

A wider-view of the Seiryoden and the connecting walkway:

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The Otsunegoten was used as the Emperor’s residence until the capital was transfered to Tokyo in 1869. Having 15 rooms, it is the largest structure on the grounds.

A few pictures of the Oikeniwa Garden [御池庭].

And a wider-view:

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Kiyomizu Temple [清水寺] in Eastern Kyoto was founded in 798 and is comprised of a series of Buddhist temples, it is named for the waterfall on the grounds [Japan Visitor].

The area is frequented by students wishing for aid by the deities in their studies.

When a rabbit gained what it wanted through deceiving others, it was forced to peel off its skin. Okuninushi, the sweet-tempered god of Jishu Shrine healed it and made it mend its ways.

In front of the main building of Jishu Shrine, there are two love stones about ten meters apart. If a person walks safely from one stone to the other with his or her eyes closed, that person’s love will be realized.

Drinking from the Otowa Spring is said to have therapeutic effects and fulfill your wishes:

As with any tourist destination, you always have to stay at least one step ahead of the school children visiting:

Panorama of the temple’s massive main hall, built in 1633 on pillars reaching out from the foot of the mountain. In the dead-center of the picture you can see Kyoto Tower:

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While exploring the area around our hotel, we stumbled on Ryukoku University [龍谷大学]. The university sits next to Nishi Hongan-ji Temple [西本願寺], which was disappointingly undergoing renovations when we visited.

We stood near the gate admiring the university’s impressive main building for awhile, not knowing if tourists were allowed to enter, when an older gentleman who was sitting in the security booth called out to to us, “Hello! Do you want to take pictures?” He motioned us to come closer and began with a delightful smile to tell us the university’s history.

Nishi Hongwan-ji was founded in 1272 by the nun Kakushin. She was the daughter of the monk Shinran, who is the founder of the Jodo Shinshu religion. The history of Ryukoku University commenced with the opening of Jodo Shinshu’s Gakuryo educational facility at Nishi Hongan-ji in 1639 [Kyoto & Shiga - Ryokoku University].

The main building’s construction began in January 1877, when Priest Myonyo took office as the 21st chief abbot of Hongan-ji Temple. It was completed in May, 1879.

The two-story wood-frame stone plastered building has a hipped roof and clay tiles. It was the first among important western-style buildings of the time in the Kansai region.

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The rain stopped by the time we got to Ninna-ji [仁和寺]. Our visit was delayed a bit because we got on the wrong bus after visiting Kinkaku-ji. The mistake on our part was wonderful because we found a spectacular restuarant at the stop we got off at after realizing our error.

Ninna-ji was founded by Emperor Uda in 888.  Serving as the residence for the ex-emperor, it was formerly called the Old Imperial Palace of Omura.  The temple is the headquarters of the Omuro School of Shingon Buddhism.

Many of the buildings were lost during the Onin War [1467-1477].  Most of those that stand today date from the early seventeenth century.

The area was much less busy than Kinkaku-ji.  So exploring the grounds was much more enjoyable.

In 1994 Ninna-ji was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

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We left for Kinkaku-ji [金閣寺] by bus on a rainy Monday morning. Even in the rain the Golden Pavilion is a very impressive site. Kinkaku-ji is the informal name for the main building for Rokuon-ji [鹿苑寺 (Deer Garden Temple)]. In the 1220s it was the villa of Kintsune Saionji, a central figure in the imperial court.

The rain prevented Kyōko-chi (Mirror Pond) from reflecting much

Three years after abdicating the throne in 1394, Yoshimitsu, the 3rd Shogun of Ashikaga began to build his own villa which he called Kitayamadono. The architecture and gardens of this complex focused around the Golden Pavilion. After Yoshimitsu’s death, the site was made into a Zen temple in accordance with his will.

Kinkaku-ji was reconstructed in its original form in 1955 after a monk set fire to the temple in 1950. The monk was arrested and confessed that he wanted to die in the flames. Mishima Yukio’s novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is loosely based on this event. The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Fudo-do, a hall dedicated to the God of Fire

Fortunes are available in English, Korean, and Chinese:

It wouldn’t be a World Cultural Heritage site without Coca-Cola and Häagen-Dazs vending machines:

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When traveling through Kyoto, be sure to start each day extra early, most of the temples seem to close at 4:30 or 5:00. The place where we rented our bicycles said they closed at 5:00 but insisted we bring our bikes back by 4:30, weird.

Seiryo-ji’s Main Hall – rebuilt in 1701

Construction of Seiryo-ji Temple [清涼寺] began around 895 by Chonen and was later completed by his apprentice Seisan. The temple is renown for its sandalwood image of Shaka.

From Tales of Genji:

In 985, the monk Chonen went to China on a pilgrimage and commissioned a copy of the legendary Udayana Buddha, said to be an actual likeness made by the Indian King Udayana during the Buddha’s lifetime. The Udayana Buddha was subsequently moved to China and eventually lost during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

Next time I’ll put the camera bag down

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We took a brief stroll around Gio-ji Temple [祇王寺], which was a nice quiet stop away from the more popular tourist attractions. Inside the temple is a statue of Dainichi Nyorai, the Buddha of Light.

Kyoto Travel Guide supplies a brief history of the temple’s name:

The temple is named for Gio, a dancer from long ago who fell in love with Taira-no-Kiyomori, the mighty commander of the Heike Clan. When he ended their relationship, Gio retreated to this temple to spend the rest of her life as a Buddhist priestess, along with her sister, mother and another of Kiyomori’s spurned lovers. Wooden statues of the women and Kiyomori are enshrined in the main hall.

The final leg of our journey brought us to Daikaku-ji Temple [大覚寺].

Looking out towards the Main Shrine of the Five Vidyarajas and the Gate of the Imperial Messenger

From the Daikaku-ji Temple official website:

The temple was once a detached palace belonging to Emperor Saga. In 876, his daughter Empress Seishi renovated the palace as Daikakuji temple and appointed her son, Imperial Prince Gojaku as the first chief priest. The temple inherited the doctrine of the monk Kukai, also known as Kobo-Daishi, whose faith Emperor Saga embraced.

Chokufu-Shingyo-den – built in 1925 in commemoration of the 600th-year anniversary of the retired Emperor Gouda and the 500th- year anniversary of Emperor Gokameyama.

Neither the Japanese brochure nor the website mentioned above label this gorgeous building.

Unfortunately, we had to move pretty quickly through Daikaku-ji Temple in order to return our bikes.

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Tenryu-ji [天龍寺] is part of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. This temple was founded in 1339 by Shogun Ashikaga Takauji in memory of emperor Go-Daigo [1288-1339], whom he sided with during the civil war which brought an end to the Kamakura Shogunate [1185-1333].

Earlier, the site had been occupied by the Danrin-ji Temple since the ninth century. Emperor Kameyama [1249-1305] built a villa on the property, where his grandson Go-Daigo was raised and educated. After Go-Daigo had passed away, a Buddhist priest dreamed of a dragon rising out of a nearby river as Go-Daigo’s uneasy spirit. Afterwards, Ashikaga Takauji ordered a temple built to appease Go-Daigo’s spirit [Japan Reference].

A few tress had only just begun to change colors. Next month, the leaves will create an absolutely spectacular sight.

Behind the Main Hall is the Sogenchi Garden, which retains the same form as when it was designed by Muso Soseki in the fourteenth century [Japan Reference]:

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Tenryu-ji has been ravaged by fires no less than 8 times since its founding [1864 being the most recent].

This butterfly waited about 30 seconds for me to get the shot I wanted:

After visiting the temple, on our way to lunch, we spotted this lovely couple:

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Our first full day in Kyoto was spent in Arashiyama [嵐山], a scenic district in Western Kyoto. The Panorama above shows the Katsura River [桂川], to the far left of the panorama is the Togetsukyo Bridge [渡月橋].

We explored the area on rented bicycles. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic around the area wasn’t too bad.

Our first stop was Hogonin Temple [宝厳院], a sub-temple of the Tenryu-ji Temple complex [天龍寺].

Hogonin was originally built in 1461 by Hosokawa Yoriyuki, an official of the Muromachi Shogun.

Hogonin was located on a large site in Kyoto’s Kamigyou-ku District.

After burning in the fires of the Onin War [1467-1477], it was reconstructed during the Tensho era [1573-1592].

During the Meiji period, it was moved to Tenryu-ji, where it became a sub-temple.

It was later relocated within Tenryu-ji to its present site.

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