A Day in Kyoto

Jenna — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:11:59 +0000

It’s been a while since I was in Japan, but I still haven’t shared many of my photos. There’s a reason for that: My camera was broken on a Balinese beach about 10 days before, and we had to resort to taking photos on an old iPhone. On top of that, it was overcast the whole time we were there, so the light was terrible for taking photos. However, I decided to share some of photos from a day in Kyoy after having a little fun with photo editing apps.

These photos are from Kiyomizu-dera in the hills above Kyoto. We absolutely loved every minute of our time there, especially at this massive Buddhist temple complex.

We took a lot of photos at the entrance without even realizing that much more lay ahead.

Because this is a very old Buddhist temple, there were some big Buddhas:

And some little tiny ones (see the many rows of little statues behind me?):

The hills surrounding Kiyomizu-dera are said to be gorgeous in the spring when the cherry blossoms and Japanese maples show their colors. They were pretty amazing just in their summer green tones, too:

There were so many little details to be observed, like these girls buying something for luck:

And the hand-washing stations with clean, cold water from the springs below:

And this beautiful sculpture discreetly placed among bent over, staked trees along the paths as we exited.

We were blown away by our short stay in Japan and are really looking forward to returning one day, if Japan airfares are reasonable. Have you been to Japan?

A Travel Photo Treat: Kiyomizu-dera

JennaFrancisco — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:06:53 +0000

You know those times when you are traveling, and you come upon a place where you pick up “that feeling”? For me it’s often when I am in a place of incredible historical importance, and I feel like a tiny excerpt from the volumes of humanity. I imagine the people who have walked there before me and all the ways that the world has changed since then (and the ways it hasn’t).

I had that feeling at this place, the Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist Temple Complex in Kyoto, Japan. The experience was even better because I had no idea this place was even there; it was a total surprise! We went to Kyoto last summer as part of a quick 3-day stop in Japan on our way back to the U.S. from Indonesia, and we had no plan for while we were there. We did as much as we could in our limited time, and we were blown away by the beauty, history, culture, and modern buzz of Japan.

Kiyomizu-dera is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was one of the 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World. It was founded in 798 but now consists of over 30 gorgeous buildings, including pagodas and shrines, which date from 1633. I could go on and on about the hills and trees, natural springs, waterfalls, big and little Buddhas, and the wonderful views… If you’re interested in more information and beautiful pictures, try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera

Where have you had “that feeling”?

This Is My Happiness » Japan

A Day in Kyoto

A Travel Photo Treat: Kiyomizu-dera