The Kyoto translation would be "capital", which happened between the years 794 to 1868.
During the Second World War it was the only major Japanese city that was not bombarded by the US Air Force. For this reason, today it continues to be one of the important Japanese cities, with a rich historical, artistic and architectural heritage.
With a million and a half inhabitants and almost 2000 temples or sanctuaries, it is a tourist destination, with many of the typical images of Japan.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha 伏見稲荷大社
Fushimi Inari-Taisha is the main Shinto shrine, located at the base of a mountain also known as "Inari", which includes several roads, flanked by thousands of toris, which lead us to other smaller shrines. The complete circuit will take us from 2 to 4 hours, but it is not obligatory to do everything and it will depend on our physical condition and time that we have.
The majority of Tori or Torii, are donations from wealthy businessmen, in addition to those that surround the road there are small tori in the sanctuaries, which is said to exceed 30,000.
These tunnels of torii, became even more famous in the wake of the movie "memories of a geisha."
It is also convenient to make a night visit, it is open 24 hours, when all the way is illuminated by lanterns, giving it a different charm.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha
Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺
Kinkakuji or Golden Pavilion or the Golden Pavilion is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, whose two upper floors are covered in gold leaf.
Kinkakuji is surrounded by a large pond, and each of the 3 floors has a different architectural style
It is part of the set of Historical Monuments of ancient Kyoto declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. It is one of the iconic images of Japan.
It is convenient to do the visit in the early hours of the morning, because then it is full of tourists who have the best observation sites.
Kinkaku-ji
Bamboo forest 竹林
This bamboo forest is located just outside of Kyoto, in the Arashiyama district. It is not surprising that this is one of the most photographed landscapes in Japan, due to its unique environment.
Due to the increase of its popularity, even the bamboo forest usually gets crowded by the day. If you arrive early in the morning, you can enjoy the forest with some more tranquility and get good photos.
Bamboo forest
Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺
Kiyomizudera is one of the most famous temples in Japan. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
The Kiyomizudera main hall is covered from February 2017 until March 2020 for the renovation of its roof. Visitors can enter the main hall during renovations.
Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden terrace that protrudes from its main room, 13 meters above the mountain. The stage offers visitors a beautiful view of the city of Kyoto in the distance.
But the complex contains several temples and curiosities, which deserve a long visit.
Kiyomizu-dera
Higashiyama 東山区
The Higashiyama neighborhood is one of the best preserved historic districts of Kyoto. Especially the streets that go from the Yasaka Shrine and the Kiyomizudera, the wooden buildings and the traditional shops evoke that of the old capital. Despite being only about 2 kilometers, it can take us several hours, since we will surely find corners, shops or restaurants where to make a stop besides some temple.
During the Hanatoro in March the streets of Higashiyama are covered by thousands of lanterns, it is a show that lasts 1 week and that attracts many local visitors.
Higashiyama
