Trip To Japan: Kyoto. KiyomizuDera Shrine

• 26/06/2008 - 00:00
• Author: Yuki Sakuma
• Japan
• 0 Comments
• Read in IT

Here we are again with another new episode of our chronicles. Last time I left you the picture of the refreshing kakikori; The climb really tired us and made our clothes even worse. We absolutely needed to have a change of clothes so we began heading back to the hotel. Though, since our bags were still adrift, we had to look for a shop to get some. We searched a lot to find a good one.

We nicknamed it the "hunt & fishing shop". There we bought some shirts and slacks. To find pants and socks we went to a 24/24 minimarket that are very common in Japan. They're called "Family Markets" and they sell a bit of everything, from instant ramen to batteries, which is very pratical. There are three main chains: the Family Mart, the ampm and the  7eleven; the prices were really cheap. Against the general stereotypes, the food and the transportation are very good and cheap in Japan. It's the lodging fee that's incredibly expensive. Around 6 times the income of a medium family.

Here it is one of the 3 typical 24/24 shops, You can also find postcards and stamps, here.  You can buy some delicious hot Nikuman.

After the shopping we returned to the hotel and the receptionist informed us that our bags were found and that they would be there right in time for check-out (I also had to talk on the phone in Japanese to an employee of the lost and found office °_°) on the 24th August. The godly fox granted our wishes and our climb was worth the pain!! After some rest we went to eat. This time we chose a little family restaurant in the middle of the shopping street. We ate really good stuff. I finally ate a giant cup of white rice and roasted eel. Delicious!

Here you can see my dinner, on the left is the rice with eel, in the middle sweet & sour meatball, than the miso soup, the tofu an half boiled egg, fruit-salad and salad.

Afterwards, we returned to the hotel (our futon was already set) to choose our next destination. The Kiyomizu temple and again the Fushimi Inari to give thanks for the "luggage miracle" seemed like good ideas. We also wanted to take some other pictures. We fell asleep really early.

The morning after we began with another super huge breckfast: new strange food for us, too, this time!

The second day breakfast, everything was very good, but I couldn't eat some thin fried fishes. Maybe becouse they still had their eyes, they where watching me °_° . The white rice, miso soup and tea were great, though.

Since the first day we came to Japan we kept seeing news about a very big man. Every day, all channels, always the same pictures. Later, we eventually found out that he was a sumo wrestler! In the beginning we didn't notice it a lot, but after three days of the same news and discussions about him we began to be obsessed with him, too!! He was always there. He won the Japanese championship and that he was born in Mongolia, apparently. He was coming back there to get care for mental disorders °_°

Here it is the tv news, there was always the same scenes, him riceiving the cup, him walking at the airport, him plaing soccer and riding a (poor) horse, those disturbing pictures were with us all along the trip...

After the great wrestler scoop, we headed to the Kiyomizu Dera, a wonderfull temple in Kyoto. It's high balcony is well-renowned. It's said that since the balcony is a bit independent you have the sensation of falling. Though, we didn't really notice it. Maybe because there was a lot of people. The ticket to get in was pretty cheap, though.

We tried to reach on feet the temple using cards and street signals, too... and...  well, we got lost!!

The main door of another temple we found while looking for the Kiyomizu:

This one was certanly a wonderful temple too, but the Kyomizu was waiting for us. We were losing our hopes when we found our salvation in a parking lot! A TAXI!! Japanese taxis are peculiar since they are all laced on the inside and the passenger door is automated, it is a bit upsetting to see. So we took a ride to the Kiyomizu Dera and found that we were still far from it; the driver was very kind and explained us where we were and the names of the places we were moving through. The ride was not expensive, either. There is a fixed bill of about 650 Yen up to 2 km, after that there is an extra per km. The last section of street was walkable only.

We were on an uprising street filled with souvenir shops heading to the temple and at the end of it we were in front of the red and white temple door.

After the gate we founnd another stairway an the fountain. While rising we notice the bell that's used to announce the new yaer by hitting it 108 times.

The staiway to the main temple:

This is the bell that's used to announce the new year:

The temple was wide, mainly built in wood, with the big and renowned balcony. We bought the tickets and entered...
in the next photo you can see the right side of the temple entrance.

The middle side of the temple entrance

We looked at a big altar in the middle and found that it was filled of little statues (shinto and buddhist), the kiyomizu dera is indeed a multi-religious temple. Coming closer we noticed a statue of Daikoku, one of the 7 luck deities.

In the temple you can also find buddha statues with the relatives bodhisattva. Mostly those sculptures are placed in the most inner an darker place so the pictures are not perfect. Even so the beauty and the holyness of the buddha amida was obvious.

A classic rappresentaion of Buddha trinity among his bodhisattva. Each Buddha has bodhisattva; thay can be thought as some sort of saints 

The sight from the balcony of the temple. During the winter it shoud be clearer ^^

We took some pictures at the balcony and we moved to the torii we saw before hoping to find Inari. This is the Torii at Kiyomizu dera, the stairway leads to many little shinto altars.

We found here many souvenir and omamori sellers, but due to our loyalty to the Fushimi Inari Taisha we didn't buy anithing, the prices were also a little higher. We found the Fox!! It was there waiting for us, so we passed by to say hallo ^^ At the Inari altar at Kiyomizu dera (even if it was just a "branch" of the main temple) we prayed and made a little offering. Even so, we were going to return to the Fushimi Inari to thank the Fox for the "luggage miracle".

There were many other little temples. There was also a statue of Daikoku. If you touch it and ask for a wish, then the god will sooner or later make it true. We didn't do any praying to him to show our faith in the Fox ^^

Here it's the little altar of Daikoku, the one on the left is the statue that grants the wishes

Here you can see it in detail, obviously it's touched a lot since it's all smooth and shiny:

There was also a big stone with a shimenawa around it, It was the only and true love stone...

All you have to do is to touch the stone and then reach it's twin to the other side of the yard, without looking; If you make it you'll find your beloved one. If someone helps you, You'll have to be helped from this person also in finding your love. While walking around we saw a lone pagoda. The Pagoda wasn't that big, but was very fit for the place, it was almost it's natural place ^^

Along the road we could see the Kiyomizu from afar and in a more complete way, it's really spectacular. It was build in 798 dc and it's the most ancient in Kyoto, due to some problem with fire though it was re-built many times. The last one was in 1633, the Edo era. This temple is also recognised as a Humanity Treasure by the UNESCO.
Following some picture from afar, great huh?

Here you can see better another pagoda:

Another side of the balcony:

Along the street and among the trees there were a red torii with a statue of Inari.
It seems that Inari is really loved in Japan!

There are always two foxes facing each other, the only difference is what they have in their mouths. This is a close up picture of the belowed Fox!!

After a long walk around the temple we arrived in front of a little spring, it was crowded°°.
It was apparently the "eternal youth fountain" that grants long and healty life!!! It was too crowed and hot to wait around, though... U-U

Once out of the temple we ran back to the Fushimi Inari to buy some more omamori. The priestess learned to know us and was almost placing the red carpet for us :P
Once in hotel we refreshed ourselves and got ready for our last (but not the least!!!) dinner in Kyoto. This time we had Okonomiyaki. We found an underground restaurant that served them. There was a hub incorporated into the table where you could keep your okonomiyaky hot while choosing the dressings. Okonomiyaki are really "dense"!! Okonomiyaki are good, but heavy... on the table there was also the paddles to turn around your okonomiyaki.

Afterwards, we had a little walk and than we went to sleep. The day after,  our bags finally come back!!!
Well then... our experience in Kyoto finishes here!! Next time: Tokyo!!!  Bye!!
.::Yuki_Sakuma::.

Read more about our Travel to Japan

how-much does a trip to japan cost? | Kyoto | Japanese dinner | Japan Temple: Fushimi Inari Taisha | Japan Temple: Kiyomizudera | Japan travel in Kyoto | visiting Akihabara | Shibuya and Shinjuku | Ginza AppleStore | Tokyo Tower | Asakusa Sensoji Temple | Japanese Garden: Rikugien | Mandarake Manga store