Japan Part 2: Kyoto's temples

Continuing my weekly Japan travel series, I’ll take you down west to one of Japan’s most-visited tourist spots. Kyoto was Japan's capital from 794 to 1868, before it was relocated to Tokyo. I last visited Japan's ancient capital in 2023, and this was my second time visiting it, as part of my school's study tour.

Inside Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Entrance to the temple

Established in the year 778, many of the temple’s present buildings were built in 1633. The name “Kiyomizu” means “pure water”, and a waterfall which flows in the nearby hills is where the temple took its name. The Otowa no Taki Falls is found below the main stage, where there are three streams that flow from it. Legend has it that when you drink one of those, your wishes may be granted specifically in academic success, success in love, or good health. However, if you drink from all three of them, this may bring misfortune to you.

The main stage of Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera's waterfall, Otowanotaki Falls

There’s a phrase in Japanese, “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu”, which corresponds to “to take the plunge”, in which this 17th-century tradition holds that if one survives a 13-meter jump from the main stage, one’s wish would be granted. More than 200 attempted to literally jump, of which 85.4 percent survived. In 1872, authorities prohibited this practice.

Immediately before the temple is an alley of stores and restaurants, with the structures built in traditional Japanese designs.

Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)

This Buddhist temple dates back to 1397, with the original believed to be constructed in 1399. It has a gold appearance since it purified negative thoughts and feelings towards death, among others. The pavilion was burned down in 1950 by a monk who tried to take his own life. It was subsequently restored in 1955.

Take a look at some pictures:

These two are not the only temples or shrines in Kyoto that you can find. In fact, there are many of them. But these two are the only ones we visited during my school's study tour.

The next blog of this multi-part series is about Osaka and the World Expo. See it here.

For more updates, visit my blog site and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Enzo's Travel Journals!

Comments

View my other blogs!

Jeju Air: Affordable, but worth the price?

Back in September 2024, my mom, who, by the way, filmed this flight due to my school classes, booked a short weekend trip to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, a popular tourist hotspot in East Asia. Although I have featured Cebu Pacific and AirAsia more frequently in my blogs, this is the first time that I featured a low-cost carrier that some of you never heard of: Jeju Air . Jeju Air is South Korea’s first and largest low-cost airline. Operating an exclusive fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, it flies to forty-one destinations around the Asia-Pacific region from its hubs at Gimpo International Airport and Incheon International Airport in Seoul, as well as Busan and Daegu. In the Philippines, it flies to Clark in Pampanga, as well as Manila, Cebu, and Bohol. Notes: This is a personal blog on our travel experience and is neither promoted nor endorsed by Jeju Air. The author of this blog did not board this flight. Rather, my mom represented me due to my school classes.

A morning flight to Tokyo-Narita on Philippine Airlines

For the third time, I traveled to Japan, but for the second consecutive time, I flew with our flag carrier, Philippine Airlines . It has been almost a year since I last flew with them to Nagoya in July 2024. Have they improved their service? Let's find out in this flight to Narita. Philippine Airlines is the flag carrier of the Philippines and also Asia's first and oldest airline (its long history dates back to 1941 and continues to shrine through until today!). Note: This is a personal blog on our travel experience and is neither promoted nor endorsed by Philippine Airlines.

Flying Cebu Pacific's Big Juan to Japan

On June 30, 2023, I flew on Cebu Pacific's Airbus A330 for the first time. Although my past low-cost flights are in narrow-body aircraft (like the A320/A321 to be exact, because I also flew with CEB in the past and AirAsia more recently ), this is the first time I flew no-frills on a wide-body—the A330. Note: This is a personal blog on our travel experience and is neither promoted nor endorsed by Cebu Pacific.

Panunulúyan: A harmonious play of Christmas

The Philippines is known for having the best (and longest) Christmas celebrations in the world. Our cherished traditions include Simbang Gabi and caroling of youth groups at neighborhoods. But did you know that we also have a unique Christmas tradition in this Southeast Asian archipelago? This is Panunulúyan , or Panulúyan in short, which is a dramatization of the events leading up to the first Christmas in Bethlehem, as well as the nativity scene itself. A lineup of the characters that led the Panunulúyan on the evening of Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024. Taken with permission. For this year, I traveled a hundred kilometers south of the capital Metro Manila to Ibaan , a small town in the province of Batangas , for our annual holiday visit with our family and some of my friends in the province. The Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. James the Greater , a Spanish colonial-era church founded in 1832, is the main focus of this blog...

Hosanna Filio David: Palm Sunday at the Manila Cathedral

At the beginning of Holy Week is Palm Sunday , in which the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is commemorated. Holy Week is one of the most important and significant events of the Church, along with Easter, which is being commemorated at the end of this sacred and solemn week. During this day, churchgoers buy palm fronds from vendors, which are blessed by priests at various parishes. The Philippines is home to a large population professing the Catholic faith. Holy Week forms part of our centuries-long devotion to the Catholic Church, with many traditions near and far. Around 78 percent of the 100-million populace are Catholics. This 2025, I visited the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros to attend the first of four Masses that would be celebrated at the "Mother Church of the Philippines". Note: This is part of my 2025 Lenten and Holy Week Pilgrimage from April 13 to 20, 2025 . This is the first of four parts; see these links for Part 2 , Part...

Good Friday in Ibaan, Batangas: Senakulo and Processions

Perhaps Good Friday is the most solemn and somber day of the year for Christians. On this day, we commemorate the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ . In the Philippines, we have our own tradition of Senákulo , dramatizing the events of the Passion using traditional scripts. Siete Palabras is a three-hour service reflecting on the Seven Last Words of Jesus. Finally, the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion starts at 3:00 p.m. In the evening some parishes conduct a procession, which culminates in the Rite of Burial. The Burial Procession on the evening of Good Friday For this year, I traveled a hundred kilometers south of the capital Metro Manila to Ibaan , a small town in the province of Batangas , for our annual Holy Week. The Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. James the Greater , a Spanish colonial-era church founded in 1832, is the main focus of this blog. Note: This is a continuation of my 2025 Lenten and Holy Week Pilgrimage fro...

Returning home on Philippine Airlines: Osaka-Kansai to Manila

After eight days in the Land of the Rising Sun, I flew on Philippine Airlines once again from Osaka in Western Japan back to the Philippines. This afternoon flight on an Airbus A321 was decent but read more to find out! Come and fly with me back home. Philippine Airlines is the flag carrier of the Philippines and also Asia's first and oldest airline (its long history dates back to 1941 and continues to shrine through until today!). Note: This is a personal blog on our travel experience and is neither promoted nor endorsed by Philippine Airlines.

Enzo's Travel Journals

Search This Blog