Discover a Quiet and Peaceful side of Kyoto
Honen-in Temple is a Jodo sect mountain temple located along the Philosopher’s Path in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. It is a reconstruction of the hermitage where Honen Shonin and his disciples once performed the Six-Time Praise. The temple gate of Honen-in has a thatched roof and is surrounded by tranquil, lush greenery, creating a very picturesque atmosphere.
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Its official name is Shinsho Gokuraku-ji, and it is a Tendai sect temple with Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei as its head temple.
The spacious grounds are famous for their autumn foliage, but visitors can enjoy strolling through them throughout the year, with cherry blossoms and green maple leaves also in bloom. The temple houses numerous structures, including a three-story pagoda, as well as many Buddhist statues and cultural artifacts, including a standing statue of Amida Buddha.
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Shinsen-en Garden was built over 1,230 years ago, in 794 AD, when Emperor Kanmu constructed Heian-kyo (Kyoto). This area originally had many ponds and marshes, and was created as a garden for the emperor’s leisure activities, in line with the urban planning of Heian-kyo. In 812 AD, Emperor Saga visited the garden, and the first imperial cherry blossom viewing banquet in Japan took place there.
This representative garden of Heian-kyo can still be visited in the heart of the capital.
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Myoshin-ji Temple is located in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City. Its vast grounds contain 46 sub-temples, and it boasts 3,400 branch temples throughout Japan and around the world, making it the largest Zen temple in Japan.
Each sub-temple has its own unique history and beautiful gardens (such as Taizo-in and Keishun-in).
It also features the rare Akechi Bath, a bathhouse said to have been built to commemorate Akechi Mitsuhide.
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Imamiya Shrine is a shrine located in Murasakino Imamiya-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto City.
It is said that a shrine dedicated to the god of plague existed on the site even before the founding of Heian-kyo (Kyoto). In 994, a portable shrine was constructed and the Murasakino Goryo-e festival was held to pray for the eradication of plagues in the capital, which is considered the origin of Imamiya Shrine.
In front of the east gate, “Aburi Mochi,” a traditional gate-side confectionary that has been sold since the Heian period, is available.
“Ichiwa” is said to have been founded in the Heian period, around 1000 AD, and is considered one of the oldest Japanese confectionery shops.
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