Eastern Kyoto 2024: Kiyomizudera, Yasaka Shrine, Ryozen Kannon, Philosopher's Path, Ginkaku-ji.

Kyoto 2 – Eastern Kyoto.
We were in Kyoto in the first week of April 2024. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Visitors from all over the world came to celebrate. Lots of visitors as well as local Japanese dressed in traditional Japanese clothing like Kimono go to temples, parks to have photo taken.

We visited some well-known locations in Eastern Tokyo in this video.

- 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 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 World Heritage Sites. Unfortunately for us, we only made it to the Bell tower and the Three Story Pagoda. Didn't have a chance to visit the main hall.
- Yasaka Shrine (Yasaka Jinja), also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion and Higashiyama districts and is often visited by tourists walking between the two.
The shrine's main hall combines the honden (inner sanctuary) and haiden (offering hall) into a single building. In front of it stands a dance stage with hundreds of lanterns that get lit in the evenings. Each lantern bears the name of a local business in return for a donation.
- The Ryōzen Kannon is a war memorial commemorating the dead of the Pacific War located in Eastern Kyoto.[1] The concrete and steel statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Kannon) was built by Hirosuke Ishikawa (founder of Teisan Kanko Bus Co., Ltd.) and unveiled on 8 June 1955. The statue is 24 m (80 ft) high and weighs approximately 500 tons.
- The Philosopher's Path is approximately two kilometers long, the path begins around Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) and ends in the neighborhood of Nanzenji. The path got its name due to Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan's most famous philosophers, who was said to practice meditation while walking this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University.
The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. Usually in early April these trees explode with color, making this one of the city's most popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots.
- Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeled after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490.
Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.
- Nanzenin Temple is one of Nanzenji's subtemples that is open to visitors. It is located just behind the aqueduct on the former location of Emperor Kameyama's original retirement villa and includes a mausoleum of the emperor, a temple hall and a garden centered around a pond which becomes particularly attractive in autumn.