There are too many Temples and Shrines in Kyoto to list. Many are small and can be found just about anywhere when you least expect to see them, including right in the middle of a busy shopping district. Below are some of my favorites.
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Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen Temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named, Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later. Kinkakuji is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond, and is the only building left of Yoshimitsu's former retirement complex. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin war, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955.
Click on photographs to enlarge.
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Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490. As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture in contrast to the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather's times. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture had a broad impact on the entire country. The arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design and architecture. Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.
Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490. As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture in contrast to the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather's times. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture had a broad impact on the entire country. The arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design and architecture. Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.
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Ryozen Kannon is a temple that honors the fallen Japanese as well as the foreign national soldiers who died in World War II. It is located in Eastern kyoto in the foothills of the Higashiyama Mountains. The magnificent Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara (Kannon) was erected by Hirosuke Ishikawa.
This statue is made of concrete and is a model example of the Showa era art.
Ryozen Kannon is a temple that honors the fallen Japanese as well as the foreign national soldiers who died in World War II. It is located in Eastern kyoto in the foothills of the Higashiyama Mountains. The magnificent Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara (Kannon) was erected by Hirosuke Ishikawa.
This statue is made of concrete and is a model example of the Showa era art.
The dimensions of the Kannon are:
Height: 24 Meters (80 Feet)
Face: 6 Meters (20 feet)
Eyebrow: 110 Meters (3 feet, 6 inches)
Eye: 1 Meter (3 feet, 3 inches)
Nose: 106 centimeter (3 feet, 5 inches)
Mouth: 90 centimeter (3 feet)
Image of Buddha on top of the head: 90 centimeter (3 feet)
Weight: 500 tons (concrete with steel-rod frame work)
Height: 24 Meters (80 Feet)
Face: 6 Meters (20 feet)
Eyebrow: 110 Meters (3 feet, 6 inches)
Eye: 1 Meter (3 feet, 3 inches)
Nose: 106 centimeter (3 feet, 5 inches)
Mouth: 90 centimeter (3 feet)
Image of Buddha on top of the head: 90 centimeter (3 feet)
Weight: 500 tons (concrete with steel-rod frame work)
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Josho koji Temple in Keihoku located in the northern mountains of kyoto.
Josho koji Temple in Keihoku located in the northern mountains of kyoto.
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The following are random shots from various temples and shrines around Kyoto.
The following are random shots from various temples and shrines around Kyoto.