KYOTO - MARCH 2024 - #5

After leaving Shokokuji temple (just to the south of the above map), I headed north west to the first of three minor attractions in the neighbourhood.

First was Tenneji, which turned out to be a very small normal temple with no tourists and just local people going about their business. However, the design of this place makes it so that Hieizan, a large mountain to the north of Kyoto, is framed as part of the backdrop.

Tenneji temple with Mt Hieizan in the distance.

A little further north I found the small but very attractive Kanga-an temple, which seemed to include a very posh-looking restaurant and had an odd collection of Buddhist statues practically in the carpark….

Kanga-an Temple

Kanga-an Temple

Heading east and then south, I had one more place earmarked before going back to the hotel for a siesta, the Kamigoryo Shrine, a peaceful, attractive and leafy place with a friendly ginger cat and some weird modern statues.

Kamigoryo Shrine (with fake autumnal colours added to test out the Affinty Photo 2 software.

Kamigoryo Shrine : detail on wooden tori gate.

I came out for a walk again after my siesta but the two shrines I thought might be worth a look turned out to be very grey and functional places.

And so ended this mini-trip to Kyoto. Despite the inclement weather and my dodgy health, it was a great success in that I had found no less than four worthy temples and shrines I’d never been to before, as well as the giant and impressive Imperial Palace.

I already have an area of the city mapped out for my next visit…