The smell of incense everywhere confirmed that yes, hubby and I made it safe to Kyoto. The former capital of Japan and widely known as the center of Japanese spiritual culture, Kyoto is visited by millions every year to pray, to ask for good fortune and simply to see its lovely sights. The city is one of the most picturesque places I have been to. While autumn is said to be the best time to visit Kyoto where temples and shrines stand out in a fall foliage background, it was still breathtaking even in the heat of summer.
Our first day of discovering Kyoto brought us to Kiyomizu-dera temple. It is a historic temple established in a vantage point overlooking a scenic Kyoto City in 778, even before Kyoto became the capital of Japan. The temple has burned down many times and most buildings are now rebuilt in the early Edo period. All the buildings in the Kiyomizu-dera Temple precincts are now designated as Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Check on Google Street View below for additional information and perspective on Ginkaku-ji:
i am uniquely and wonderfully made. 