Travel Information 観光情報

There are said to be about 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, loved by people of all ages. Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of them all. People pray here for good harvests, business success, family safety, and the fulfillment of their wishes. Many visitors come at New Year. You can walk the 4-km “Oyama […]

Tofukuji Temple is the head temple of the Tofukuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, founded in the Kamakura period, and is one of Japan’s leading Zen temples. Tsutenkyo Bridge, which spans the valley called Sengyokan within the temple grounds, is famous as a renowned spot for autumn foliage. Another highlight is the […]

Until May 30, 1868, this shrine was called “Kanshin-in” or “Gion-sha.” On that day, the government ordered the name to be changed to Yasaka Shrine. Many people in Kyoto still call it “Gion-san,” its old name. There are several stories about its beginning. It is said that the shrine stood here even before the capital […]

To-ji is the only remaining structure from Heian-kyo, the ancient capital. It was built about 1,200 years ago, when the capital moved to Kyoto, as a national temple. Emperor Saga, who became emperor after Emperor Kanmu, gave the temple to the monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai). Kukai had returned from China, where he had studied a […]

Nijo Castle is more than 400 years old. Tokugawa Ieyasu built it in the Edo period, and it stands in the center of Kyoto. It marks both the beginning and the end of the Edo period. The castle has two main parts: the Honmaru Palace (Important Cultural Property) and the grand Ninomaru Palace (National Treasure). […]

The name “Kiyomizu” means “pure water.” It comes from the spring on Mt. Otowa, which has flowed without stopping for centuries. The water now runs into the Otowa Waterfall. The temple grounds cover 130,000 square meters on the side of Mt. Otowa in the Higashiyama hills. More than 30 buildings stand here, including National Treasures […]

The Kyoto Imperial Palace keeps the old style of the Emperor’s residence. The current buildings were built in 1855. Until 1869, emperors lived here and held ceremonies and official duties. You can see how building styles changed from the Heian period onward. The main buildings include Shishinden, Seiryoden, Kogosho, Ogakumonjo, and Gotsunegoten. Together with the […]

Kitano Tenmangu is the head shrine of all Tenmangu shrines in Japan. It enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, and it is where Tenjin worship began. Local people call it “Kitano no Tenjin-sama.” Michizane is known as the “God of Learning.” Many students, especially those preparing for exams, come here to pray. The main hall is a […]