There are14temples in Kyoto, which are registered as
"World Cultural Legacies", and
they are as precious as other World Legacies
like the Pyramids in Egypt or the Great Walls
in China.
Kiyomizu Temple built in 798, is one of Kyoto's
most famous Buddist temples.
Its name, which means "Temple of Pure
Water" is derived from the fact that
there is a spring in the grounds.
The area around Kiyomizu Temple, Higashiyama
area, is a popular walking spot.
Also Yasaka-no-To Pagoda and Kodai-ji Temple
are also located here.
One of Kyoto's most beautiful sights, Ginkaku-ji
Temple was originally built by the Shogun
Yoshimasa Ashikaga as a place of refuge from
the burned-out wastelond that the city had
become after the Battle of Onin.
There he tried to create his own separate
world and escape from the devastation that
was going on around him.
The buildings and gardens of the temple represent
the crean of Muromachi art and craft.
This three-storied villa was built in 1397
by the shogun Asikaga Yoshimitsu.
It is constructed in a combination of Shinden,
Buke (Samurai), and Chinese Zen styles, with
the three styles drawn together harmoniously
by the delicate curves of the hogyo-style
roof.
The name Kinkaku (Gold Pavilion) deriues
from the gold leaf used to decorate the inside
and outside of the second and third stories.
A young priest set fire to the original building
in 1950, razing it to the ground, and the
present building was constracted in 1955.
This shrine was built later than Kamigamo
Shrine, probably in the middle of the 8th
century. Since the time it was built, it has been
closely connected with agriculture and has
always been of considerable importance.
The ancient Shin-den (forest where lies are
revealed) used as a place of purification,
convey an atmosphere of mystery.
Kamigamo Shrine and Simogamo Shrine are actually
the upper and lower halves of the some shrine,
both dedicated to the god Raijin.(the god
of thunder)
Kamigamo Shrine is one of Kyoto's oldest
shrines and is said to have existed since
the 7th century, before the Heian Era.
The 17th to 19th centuries, but they are
extremely interesting, since they are faithful
representations of the ancient style.
This temple was built in supplication for
national peace at the time Heiankyo was constructed,
and was located on the east side of the Rajyomon
Gate, the main gate of the city.
The temple on the west side, Sai-ji Temple,
was burnt down in 1233, but To-ji Temple
became a seminary for Mikkyo (Tantric Buddhism)
under Kukai and eventually developed into
the chief Buddhist temple in Japan and the
site of all services held to pray for the
peace and security of the country.
The Rock Garden of Ryoanji-Temple
Zen-influenced Japanese-style rock gardens,
or sekitei, a uniqne style of garden developed
in the Muromachi Era, employ rocks and white
sand to create abstract representations of
nature.
This style of garden is also called "kare-sansui".
One of the most famous of Japan's sekitei,
this garden consists of a 300㎡ area of
sand with 15 rocks arranged to represent
istands in the ocean.
Its high degree of abstracthess embodies
the ultimate development of the kare-sansui
style.
In 886 the emperor koko ordered the constraction
of the Omuro-gosho (Omuro Palace) but died
shortly before the palace was finished.
His son, Emperor Uda, ascended the throne
when he was 21, and in 888 he completed the
palace as a temple, the Ninna-ji, since his
father had wished it to become a temple after
his death.
Today, the Ninna-ji is visited both as a
temple and for its noted reconstructed Omuro
Palace.
In springtime, it is visited for its cherry
trees which have short, thick trunks and
multipetaled blossoms appearing from mid-to
late April in a normal season.
This began as the villa Emperor Kameyama.
Takauji Ashikaga, as a shogun of the Muromachi
period (1334-1568) transformed it into a
Zen temple dedicated to the welfave of the
Emperor Godaigo's soul (grandson of Kameyama).
A dramatic dragon is painted on the ceiling
of in the Hodo Hall.
The Sogenchi pond on the grounds is shaped
like the Chinese character for heart, which
means enlightened heart to Zen followers.
This castle was built in 1611 as the Kyoto
residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The honmaru (main court) was burnt down in
1788, and the only original part remainihg
is the ni-no-maru (second court).
The present hon-maru, built in 1827, is a
copy of the one that originally stood in
also famous for its many cultural freasures
from the Momoyama Era, such as the karamon
(Chinese Gate) and Ni-no-maru Garden.
It is, from the place where the 120 kinds thing moss are covering the grounds
completely, in another name ancient times called "a moss temple".
When it was Nara Period the Musokokusi restored it to spreads with open
of the line base and of the structure is wonderful 2 steps top and bottom,
there is value in seeing.
Nishi hongan-ji is the main temple of theJodo-shinsyuuHonganji sect.
It was founded in 1272 and moved to its present
site in 1591 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
It features five buildings designated as national
treasure besides a large number of beautiful
of the showy and gorgeous artistic style
of the Momoyama Era.
The grounds thing that the Myoe saint revived are designated in the historic
place of the country. The tea plantation of the Japan most ancient times
of such a legend where the Eisai Zen priest planted the brown seed is keeping
many temple treasures centering around the Kamakura eras the place and
took back from China is remaining even if now.
This temple established in 926, is one of
the main temples of the Shingon sect.
Built on the side of a mountain, it is separated
into two parts; Kami-Daigo at the summit
and Shimo-Daigo at the base; and comprises
more than 70 buildings.
Its beautiful cherry trees have been celebrated
since olden times, and the famous cherry-blossom
party "Daigo-no-Hanami", in which
Toyotomi Hideyoshi invested a small fortune,
took place here.
Cultural asset
Arashiyama
Photograph
Arashiyama
