Part 10. Kyoto (continued)

A circle of Buddhist temples surrounds Kyoto. They are packed with precious Buddhist art - no other city has so much - but most of it is hidden in closed temples and treasuries. Some items have not been seen by human eyes for more than a thousand years, others can only be seen once or twice a year, but a lot of artwork is more or less accessible.

Statue in Nanzen-ji temple, Kyoto.

Inside Chion-in temple, Kyoto.

After visiting a lot of those temples, you begin to forget which was which. Sorry if some photos on this page are mislabeled. But they are all very beautiful and fun to explore.

Inside Kodai-ji temple, Kyoto.

Statue, Higashi-Otani temple, Kyoto.

Giant Buddha statue near Kodai-ji temple, Kyoto.

Statue, Chion-in temple, Kyoto.

Buddha statue at an ikebana school, Shoren-in Temple, Kyoto.

Most Buddhist temples don't allow cameras inside buildings. Unlike in Shinto shrines, this seems to be not because of religious beliefs, but out of fear that flashes would make colors fade. If you have a digital camera, ask if you can take a photo without flash.

Guardian statue, Ninna-ji temple, Kyoto.

1001 statues of 1000-armed Kannon, Sanjusangen-do temple, Kyoto.

Miroku Bosatsu statue, Koryi-ji temple, Kyoto.

Sanjusangen-do temple has the most interesting collection of statues. Guardian statue, Sanjusangen-do temple, Kyoto. I wish I had one more memory card there!

Kannon statue, Myoshin-ji temple, Kyoto.

Moss garden, Shoren-in temple, Kyoto.

Bamboo garden, Ginkaku-ji temple, Kyoto.

Zen garden, Ginkaku-ji temple, Kyoto.

Kyoto is famous for its gardens. Even in winter, they are so beautiful that you feel like spending a whole day in every one of them. Some are often overcrowded, but on winter morning you can be the only visitor.

Waterfall in the garden, Shoren-in temple, Kyoto.

People viewing the rock garden, Ryoan-ji temple, Kyoto.

Pavilion for garden viewing, Shoren-in temple, Kyoto.

Small river, Kyoto.

Actually, the eastern part of the city is more like a big garden, where you can walk from temple to temple, peeking into people's yards where time seems to have stopped.

Woman tending her garden, Kyoto.

The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji temple, Kyoto.

The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji temple, Kyoto.

Gardens are full of surprises. This perfect cone of white sand (right photo) is said to represent Mount Fuji. There are moss gardens, rock gardens, bamboo gardens, and so on.

The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji temple, Kyoto.

Inside the old Imperial Palace, Ninna-ji Temple.

Just doors. Imperial Palace, Ninna-ji temple, Kyoto.

Ninna-ji has a nice cherry garden and an old, tiny, almost forgotten Imperial Palace. For the first time in my life I caught myself envying other person's house.

Door detail. Imperial Palace, Ninna-ji temple, Kyoto.

Inside the old Imperial Palace, Ninna-ji Temple.

Heian-jingu shrine, Kyoto.

Kyoto has much fewer Shinto shrines than Buddhist temples. Heian-jingu is the largest and the most colorful.

Heian-jingu shrine, Kyoto.

View of Kyoto from Kiyomizu-dera.

Part 11: Nara

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