THE GIST OF THIS ARTICLE

• Page 1    Introduction, Kiyomizudera, Kinkakuji
• Page 2　Eikando, Tenjuan, Nanzenji, Eikando night illumination, Kiyojmizudera Night illumination.

The following is the contents of this article

Introduction

In this post, I’ll show you an itinerary to enjoy the autumn leaves in iconic places: Kiyomizudera, Kinkakuji, Eikando, Nanzenji, Tenjuan, and the night illumination of Eikando and Kiyomizudera.

ICONIC PLACES

たけちよ

We visit famous places and this itinerary would be behind schedule. I can’t guarantee you can visit all the places.

Kyoto sta. bus stop @ 05:31 京都駅発　5時31分

たけちよ

This itinerary begins at Kyoto sta. bus stop. In case you don’t start at Kyoto sta., be Niohmon gate of Kiyomizudera around 06:00.

At Kyoto sta. D2 bus stop (the red circles), take no. 206 for Gion via Kiyomizu-dera temple. 

シカさん

No. 206 is a loop line. There are 206s depart at A3 for the opposite direction. Don’t take them. TAKE 206 AT D2 BUS STOP.

七里ヶ浜親方

Be on time. We visit Kiyomizudera before it gets crowded with tourists.

Kiyomizu michi bus stop @ 05:43 清水道バス停　5時43分着

The nearest bus stop is Kiyomizu Michi bus stop. It takes about 20 minutes to Kiyomizu-dera.

たけちよ

Check this out.

Kyoto station to Kiyomizudera by bus: To avoid busy route

Kiyomizudera temple is the most popular destination for tourist in Kyoto. From Kyoto station, the route 206 bus is always crowded. In this post, I'll show you the other ways to avoid that busy route. 

kyotokankoyagi.com

2023.01.17

Kiyomizudera is one of the most famous places to visit in Kyoto. Actually, it is always crowded with many tourists.

We can enjoy the extraordinary autumn leaves on the iconic stage.

たけちよ

Check out the video. The renovation was finished on the day before. Enjoy them on the brand-new stage, BAAAAH!!!!!

There are many Momiji trees near the stage and we can admire them on the stage of Okuno-in.

七里ヶ浜親方

Kiyomizudera has many facilities. We are on the stage of Okuno-in around 10:00. Check the video out.

KIYOMIZUDERA temple guide: Deities, stage, renovation, mainhall, must-sees 清水寺につき英語で説明

The absolute guide of Kiyomizudera temple. Deities, stage, renovation, main hall and othre must-sees, all the things available.

kyotokankoyagi.com

2018.08.14

シカさん

There are many things to see there.

Gion bus stop @ 07:40 祇園バス停　7時40分頃

Be at Gion bus stop B around 07:40. It takes about 30 minutes from Kiyomizudera temple. Take no.12 for Kinkakuji at 07:50 (weekdays) or 07:49 (weekends and holidays).

We’ll gat to Kinkakuji michi bus stop around 08:30.

シカさん

There are 3 Gion bus stops and bus stop B is located in front of Japan Kanji Museum and Library. You’ll find this gate on the right.

Kinkakuji @ 08:45 金閣寺着　8時45分頃

There are 3 Kinkkauji michi bus stops. No. 12 arrives at the red one. The red alien is the entrance of Kinkakuji temple.

シカさん

Walk in the same direction the bus you were on goes. Turn right at the second traffic light (indicated as 金閣寺前/ Kinkakujimae) and you’ll find the entrance.

Kinkakuji opens up the gate at 09:00. In the autumn leaves seasons, we usually wait in line to enter.

たけちよ

I would takes hours to enter. I waited about 2 hours couples of years ago. Kinkakuji is a large place and it takes about 1 hour to get through to the exit. So, I planed to leave there around 11:00.

Kinkakuji temple 金閣寺

About Kinkakuji temple 金閣寺について

Kinkakuji is also a famous place to visit in Kyoto and crowded especially in the autumn leaves season. It has many faculties in a large garden.

七里ヶ浜親方

The red octopus is the entrance and the yellow one is the exit. It takes about 1 hour to reach the exit in this season.

At the red octopus, we can see the golden pavilion. Kinkakuji is designed to enjoy on boat and there are few Momijis to be enjoyed with it.

The garden under the strong influence of  is a beautiful one with many autumn leaves.

シカさん

About Kinkakuji？

Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple/Pavilion 金閣寺英語で説明

 Kinkakuji temple a.k.a. as the golden pavilion in Kyoto is one of the best place to see in Kyoto. Let us learn about what to see like the golden, dry garden, and its history.

kyotokankoyagi.com

2017.10.09

Leave Kinkakuji around 11:00 金閣寺発　11時半

Take no.12, 102, 204, or 205 for Kitaoji Bus Terminal at bus stop C.

We head for Kyoto shiyakusho-mae sta. as following:

THE GIST OF THIS ARTICLE

• Page 1  Introduction, About Kinkakuji, the golden pavilion (Shariden), the 1st floor.
• Page 2  The 2nd floor, the 3rd floor, the way to admire Sahriden
• Page 3  The prolific garden, night illumination on post card
• Page 4  Other Must-sees
• Page 5  Autume leaves and snow, access, etc.

The following is the contents of this article.

Introduction

In this post, I’ll show you what the Golden Pavilion (Shariden) is with a inside view, the meaning of the garden and other must-sees. 合掌

What is Kinkakuji (金閣寺)?

A Buddhist temple known as Kinkakuji (金閣寺)is “Hokuzan Rokuonji (北山鹿苑寺)” with many facilities and one of them is “Shariden (舎利殿)” also known as “the Golden pavilion.”

Shariden was covered with sheets of gold actually. This is the reason we call it Kinkakuji. Kinkakuji means “a temple with golden pavilion.

Kinkakuji used to be a residence belonged to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third Shogun of Ashikaga Shogunate. After his death, the temple was named “Rokuonji” after his Buddhist name and became a temple of Rinzai school. Kinkakuji, its garden, and belongings represent so called “Kitayama period/culture.”

Rokuonji was designated as a World Heritage site in 1994.

A Short History of Kinkakuji

The place now Kinkakuji is located was called “Saionji temple” which belonged to the Saionji family, one of the most prosperous court noble clans in the Heian period(794-1185).

In the 13th century, Saionji Kinmune planned to invite the Emperor Godaigo to Saionji temple and to assassinate him in order to overthrow the status quo. Finally his plan failed and he was executed and his property, including Saionji temple, was confiscated.

After the incident, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bought Sainoji temple when his political career was at the zenith in the 14th century. He constructed “Kitayama-den” as his residence. This is the origin of Kinkakuji (Shariden). At that time, there was a pavilion called Tenkyo-kaku. It is believed there was a roofed wooden bridge connected these two pavilions.

He exercised his political power though he had gave up his “Shogun throne” to his son many years ago. Shariden also worked as “Kasiyo,” a place where people gather. Yoshimitsu invited people there for cultural enjoyments.

In the 15th century, “Ohnin-no ran,” the largest civil war in the middle ages in Japan was broke up. The war burned down the whole Kyoto city but Kinkakuji escaped narrowly these fires.

In the 19th century, the Meiji government ordered the separation of Shinto and Buddhism (In Japan, Shinto and Buddhism had been fused for centuries.) and Kinkakuji, as same as other temples,  lost the privileges they had.

七里ヶ浜親方

Shinbutsu Shugo? Check this out.

Sinbutsu Shugo :Shinto and Buddhism co-existence or fusion 神仏習合英語で説明

Shinbutsu Shogo (神仏習合) is a Shinto and Buddhism co-existence or fusion in Japan. It has over 1,600 years of history.

kyotokankoyagi.com

2021.09.02

Due to these incidents, Kinkakuji fell into decline. In 1950, a trainee monk set a fire on Shariden. The fire burned Shariden, including the Buddhist statues, down to ashes.

After the fire,  Shariden was reconstructed in 1952.

The construction of Syariden　舎利殿

We are not allowed to enter Shariden. The pictures of the inside of the pavilion are the photos of postcards I bought at a souvenir shop in Kinkakuji temple.

Shariden is a facility enshrined the ashes of Siddhartha Gautama. As I tell you later, it is on the third floor. The garden of Saihoji temple affected the land scape of Kinkakuji: It is the first garden has a pavilion at a pondside.

七里ヶ浜親方

Saihoji temple paved the way for a pavilion located at a pondside.

When it was reconstructed after the fire, the surface of the 2nd and 3rd floor was covered with sheets of gold.  About 45lbs. of solid gold made 200 thousand of sheets.

Unfortunately, in a decade, these sheets came off due to the sunbeam. A sheet of gold has a large number of small, invisible holes. Through them, the ultraviolet light destroyed the plaster under the sheets.

シカさん

But the pavilion didn’t look miserable. It rather looked “Shibui.”

In 1986, “the renovation of (the Imperial period) Showa” started. This time, the sheets are five times the thickness of those in 1950. About 400 lbs. of gold made 200 thousand of sheets. It cost 100 million JPY.

Hossui-in, the 1st floor 第一層　法水院

The 1st floor is called “Hosui-in”. The wall (It is a kind of door actually) of the floor reveals that it was built in the “Shinden-zukuri (寝殿造)’ fashion, the style of residence for the court nobles. The wall is called “Haji-tomi (半蔀)” (The picture above is the Haji-tomi of Daikakuji temple.).

In summer time we can take the lower part out of the pillars (It is installed into the ditches of the pillars), in spring and fall we can open only the upper part. On the other hand, in winter time, we put the lower part into pillars and close the upper part.

Haji-tomis are so thick and heavy that it needs servants to remove, install, and open them. They are suitable for the four seasons in Japan. This shows a good example about our idea on house. We, Japanese, do not tell the “outside” from the inside of house exactly.

You can see them in front of Shariden over the pond.

From left to right:

1. A statue of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the founder of Kinkakuji.
2. A statue of crowned Siddhartha Gautama (宝冠釈迦如来像).
3. A hand scroll. It reads, “開山夢窓国師 (A name of monk who established Kinkakuji),” “開祖達摩円覚大師 (The founder of Zen),” and “歴代祖師諸位禅師 (All Zen monks).”

たけちよ

A statue of Siddhartha Gautama doesn’t have a crown usually becaue he is an enlightened person who has no need to be ornamented. This statue wears crown. It tells us he is still on the way to the enlightenment.  I suppose it tells us the importance of the Buddhist training.

シカさん

There are two types of founder. One is a person (s) who makes financial contribution. The other is a monk(s) who establishes a facility as a temple.