Kyoto, Japan-City of 10,000 Shrines-Where To Start?

Kyoto is located in the central part of Honshu Island, Japan and was the imperial capital of the country for over a thousand years. It is also known as the City of Ten Thousand Shrines. It is an absolute must see on a visit to Japan. Because there are so many sites  I met my expat friend Niall Gibson, who is a guide and travel specialist living in Kyoto to get an expert opinion on what to see in a short time.

I first set off on foot near the Yasaka Shrine To get a feel for the city. Wait a minute what the hell is this? Hari Kirshnas? In Kyoto? Well it’s an international city so anything is possible but not my idea of traditional Japanese culture. So I moved on to the Heian Shrine. It is a top ranked shrine by the Association of Shinto Shrines. 

I made my way to Tenru ji-the head temple of the Tenru branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Construction was completed in 1345 but the temple has subsequently suffered through many fires and the buildings that currently stand here were reconstructed in the last half of the 19 and early 20th centuries. Tenru ji is surrounded by beautiful gardens and was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994. It’s North Gate is the entrance to the famous Sagano Bamboo Grove. It’s no coincidence that bamboo gardens or groves in Japan are usually situated near Shinto Shrines or Buddhist Temples. The bamboo represents strength, a symbol intended to ward off evil.

That’s it for this week’s Far East Adventure Travel Podcast. Don’t forget to like the Far East Adventure Travel page on Facebook and  visit fareastadventuretravel.com

Until next time this is John Saboe. Safe travels and Namaste!