Misty temple-viewing in Kyoto

Originally Published on: Jun 9, 2008 

The family at the Yamazaki Inn were very good to us. We were the only people staying on the second floor, so it seemed as if we had the place to ourselves. There was an ofuro (Japanese bath) we could use, but there was only one small bath at the inn, so we had to schedule the times we wanted to use it. We had a great meal in their restaurant our first night in Kyoto, and when it was raining the next morning, they gave us umbrellas to use while we visited several temples. We found it quite pleasant to be out in the light rain, as the crowds were smaller and it somehow seemed fitting to be visiting temples in the mist.

We visited Ryoan-ji Temple, with its famous rock garden.

Zen garden

While there, we also visited a cemetery. This is a typical gravesite.

Graves.

We also saw Ninna-ji Temple, with its famous five-story pagoda, dating from the 1630's.

Pagoda.

Then we went to the Myoshin-ji Temple complex. One of its 47 subtemples, Taizo-in, has this fabulous garden.

Here are some other photos of that day:

Jesse viewing one of the temples.

Jesse viewing a map of the complex.

Another temple.

Another garden.

Me with the garden in the background.

When we returned to the inn for our luggage, the Yamazakis presented us with gifts, and told us to take the umbrellas with us to the next place. This is a common custom in Japan...so there seems to be a continual communal exchange of umbrellas going on.