Kiyomizu-dera, or Temple of the Pure Water, is recognizable for its massive wooden stage that juts out over a steep hillside, supported by one hundred and thirty-nine towering pillars. Built without the use of a single nail, this structure…
Historic Higashiyama Walk
Walk the preserved, sloping wooden alleyways of Kyoto's most historic hillside neighborhood. You will wind past ancient wooden machiya houses, traditional sweet shops, and towering pagodas between Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine.
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1. Kiyomizu-dera
2. Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka is a narrow, stone-paved pedestrian path winding through the Higashiyama district of Kyoto. Characterized by its gentle curves and steps, the lane is lined with traditional wooden buildings that house tea shops, ceramic stores,…
3. Ninenzaka
Ninenzaka is a narrow, stone-paved slope in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, distinguished by its concentration of traditional wooden townhouses, or machiya. Built in eight hundred seven, it served as a pedestrian approach for pilgrims…
4. Hōkan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda)
The Yasaka Pagoda rises forty-six meters above the surrounding wooden row houses, its five tiers of dark, weathered wood and heavy tiled roofs standing as a vertical anchor in the Higashiyama district. Known formally as Hōkan-ji, this…
5. Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
Yasaka Kōshin-dō is a small temple in the Higashiyama district defined by clusters of vibrant, multi-colored cloth balls that hang in thick garlands around its grounds. These spheres, known as kukurizaru, are shaped like monkeys with their…
6. Ishibe kōji road
Ishibe Koji is a narrow, winding alleyway in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, distinguished by its stone-paved path and walls constructed from wood and stacked flat stones. The name translates to "stone moat," a nod to these weathered masonry…
7. Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine is easily recognized by its bright vermilion entrance gate that anchors the eastern end of Shijo Street. This site is the headquarters for over two thousand shrines across Japan dedicated to the deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto. While…