KYOTO - MARCH 2024 - #4

On the second day of my mini-trip to Kyoto last March, I decided to explore the area around the Imperial Palace in more detail : were there any intersting temples or shrines there?

A quick bit of internet research said yes, and an itineray was cobbled together.

Day Two Itinerary, Part One.

I took the subway from the hotel up to Marutamachi station as on the day before (see bottom left corner of the above map), then headed east, skirting the outer wall of the Imperial Palace before heading north to my first destination, the tiny Rozan-ji Temple. A new discovery for me, this small Tendai Buddhist temple was originally founded in the tenth century, but later rebuilt in the eighteenth after being ravaged by fire. Small, but very pleasant with a veranda opening onto a raked stone garden, there were almost no visitors when I was there, despite it being associated with the author of Japan’s literary masterpiece the early novel ‘Tale of Genji ‘ (she was born an lived in a mansion located on the site).

Rozan-ji Temple, Kyoto

Next I continued north along the side of the Imperial Palace, before heading west and then north again into the tranquil and attractive grounds of Doshisha University, before coming to Shokokuji Temple, another new location for me.

I was surprised how big this place was, with a wealth of structures and plenty to focus the camera on. A friendly local chatted with me and told me that a special viewing of the interior of the buildings was happening tomorrow, when sadly I would no longer be in the city. I would have to forgo seeing a famous painting of a dragon within. Wandering around the outside was very enjoyable, nonetheless.

The temple was founded in the fourteenth century and belongs to the Rinzai brach of Zen.

Shokokuji Temple, Kyoto

Shokokuji Temple, Kyoto

Shokokuji Temple, Kyoto

Shokokuji Temple, Kyoto

From here I headed north again in search of a few more gems which I will talk about in my next post.