ABOUT KYOTO
Kyoto, officially
Kyoto City, is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture
in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island
of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin
metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. As of
2018, the city had a population of 1.47 million.
In 794, Kyoto (then known as Heian-kyo) was chosen
as the new seat of Japan's imperial court. The
Emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following
eleven centuries until 1869, when the court
relocated to Tokyo. The city was devastated during
the Ōnin War in the 15th century and went into an
extended period of decline, but gradually revived
under the Tokugawa shogunate (1600-1868) and
flourished as a major city in Japan. The modern
municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889. The
city was spared from large-scale destruction during
World War II and as a result, its prewar cultural
heritage has mostly been preserved.
Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan
and a major tourist destination. It is home to
numerous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces
and gardens, many of which are listed collectively
by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Prominent
landmarks include the Kyoto Imperial Palace,
Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and the
Katsura Imperial Villa. Kyoto is also a center of
higher learning, with Kyoto University being an
institution of international renown.
Here we just recommend some sightseeings to you, not
the final arrangement. The detailed arrangement will
be updated in the late of March 2021.
Arashiyama
Arashiyama is a pleasant, touristy district in the
western outskirts of Kyoto. The area has been a
popular destination since the Heian Period
(794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural
setting. Arashiyama is particularly popular during
the cherry blossom and fall color seasons.
The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama's well known,
central landmark. Many small shops, restaurants and
other attractions are found nearby, including
Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama's famous bamboo groves
and pleasure boats that are available for rent on
the river.
North of central Arashiyama the atmosphere becomes
less touristy and more rural, with several small
temples scattered along the base of the wooded
mountains. The area north of the Togetsukyo Bridge
is also known as Sagano, while the name "Arashiyama"
technically just refers to the mountains on the
southern bank of the river but is commonly used to
name the entire district.
TENRYUJI
Tenryuji is the most important temple in Kyoto's
Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the
city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered
as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head
temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect
of Japanese Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun
Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to
Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. The two
important historic figures used to be allies until
Takauji turned against the emperor in a struggle for
supremacy over Japan. By building the temple,
Takauji intended to appease the former emperor's
spirits.
KIYOMIZUDERA
Kiyomizudera is one of the most celebrated
temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site
of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of
Kyoto, and derives its name from the fall's pure
waters. The temple was originally associated with
the Hosso sect, one of the oldest schools within
Japanese Buddhism, but formed its own Kita Hosso
sect in 1965. In 1994, the temple was added to the
list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that
juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the
hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice
view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below
that erupt in a sea of color in spring and fall, as
well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. The
main hall, which together with the stage was built
without the use of nails, houses the temple's
primary object of worship, a small statue of the
eleven faced, thousand armed Kannon.
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