A Thousand People
Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan and, of course, the emperor had a palace. A visit to Kyoto Imperial Palace wasn't in our original plan because we were not able to book a tour online. When we were already in Kyoto, we heard that it was open to the public for the next two days. And so we went. And a thousand or more people went too.
The palace grounds is huge and there were many buildings (though none could be entered). Since there was no tour guide, we just went where the throng of people went. My regret for this tour is that we didn't have a guide who (or at least an audio guide that) could have told us the significance of each structure around the palace.
Okurumayose, entrance for dignitaries
Kenshun-mon (gate)
Shunko-den (sacred mirror hall)
Shishin-den (ceremonial hall)
Oikeniwa, pond and garden
Kyoto Imperial Palace
京都御所
9AM to 4PM (5PM from April to August)
Closed on Mondays
Free admission
Free English guided tours at 10AM and 2PM
Audio guide available for free
We visited Kyoto Imperial Palace on November 2015. Seven months later, on July 26, 2016, Kyoto Imperial Palace permanently opened its doors (or should I say gates?) to the public, no prior booking needed!
Directions to Kyoto Imperial Palace: Take the Karasuma subway line to Imadegawa Station (exit 6). Or take the bus to Karasuma-Imadegawa bus stop.
A Thousand Statues
1001 life-size gilded statues of the goddess of mercy, Kannon, with each statue having 42 arms! Can you say "Awesome"? Awesome indeed. This amazing assemblage is housed in a temple called Sanjusangendo. There are 33 intervals between the temple hall's columns, thus the name 三十三間堂 Sanjusangendo where 三十三 means 33, 間 means ken/gen which is a traditional unit of length, and 堂 means hall.
Sanjusangendo, the hall is 120 meters long and can't fit in the photo!
Taking photos inside the hall is not allowed. I grabbed this from fastjapan.com
Sanjusangendo
三十三間堂
8AM to 5PM (4PM from November 16 to March 31)
Admission fee: 600 yen
Directions to Sanjusangendo: Take the bus to Hakubutsukan-Sanjusangendo-mae bus stop. Or take the Keihan Line to Shichijo Station (5 minutes walk to Sanjusangendo).
A Thousand Torii
Before the trip, my brain upon hearing the word Kyoto would evoke two images: one dominated with red, the other with green.
First, red, and where else could it be but the thousand vermilion colored torii of Fushimi Inari Taisha.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is a shrine dedicated to Inari, the kami (Shinto god) of rice. Where other shrines have stone lions or dogs standing guard at the entrance, Inari shrines have stone foxes for they are believed to be Inari's messengers.
Before reaching Fushimi Inari Taisha's senbon torii, the iconic parallel tunnels of vermilion torii, we saw its majestic main gate (Romon), main shrine building (Honden), worship hall, and other smaller buildings. We decided to just walk until the end of the parallel torii tunnels though the trail marked by more torii continued to snake toward the summit of the mountain (it would take 2-3 hours to hike to the summit and back).
Torii and, behind it, Romon (main gate)
Worship hall
Foxes greet you at the entrance of the senbon torii
Fox-shaped ema (wooden plaques to write your prayer or wish on)
Each torii is engraved with the name of the donor
伏見稲荷大社
Open all day, every day
Free admission
Directions to Fushimi Inari Taisha: Take the JR Nara Line to Inari Station (Fushimi Inari Taisha is right next to the station). Or the Keihan Line to Fushimi-Inari Station (5 minutes walk to Fushimi Inari Taisha). Or take the bus to Inari Taisha-mae bus stop (7 minutes walk to Fushimi Inari Taisha).
A Thousand Bamboo
Next: green. We arrived in Arashiyama as the sun was setting and with every step towards Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, the sun inched lower. We reached the bamboo grove empty of people...and bathed in darkness! Haha! (I had to go back to the grove the following year to take a photo in the daylight.)
A year later, in the daylight
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a public path that is open all day, every day.
Directions to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: Take the JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama Station. Or take the Keifuku Arashiyama Line to Arashiyama Station. The bamboo grove is a 5-minute walk from either station.
This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.
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Tokyo: Memorable Tokyo Eats
Tokyo: Odaiba
Tokyo: Doing Touristy Things in Tokyo
Toyama: A Hamlet Called Ainokura
Kyoto Accommodation: K's House Hostel Kyoto
Kyoto, Japanecdote: Wisdom from the Road: On exits #2
Kyoto: By the Thousands (you're here!)
Kyoto, Japanecdote: Turning Japanese
Kyoto: Braving the Crowds at these UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji)
Hyogo, Japanecdote: If Only I Could Speak Nihongo
Hyogo: Day Trip to Himeji: Himeji Castle and Shoshazan Engyoji Temple
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Hiroshima: Strolling and Snacking in Miyajima
Hiroshima: Remembering the Past in Hiroshima
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Osaka: Osaka Castle and Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai
Osaka, Japanecdote: Learn From Your Mistakes
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