temples, shrines

a little shrine up at owakudani.

 

大谷本庙 in kyoto. which i hadn't intended to visit, but it was right at the junction of gojo dori and higashi oji dori. so i stepped in.

 

清水寺, or kiyomizu, in kyoto. this was after a long climb up many steps and seeing a vast area of family tombs on a hillside. didn't stay too long because i was attracted to the long stretch of shops selling touristy confections and souvenirs. then i find my kyoto kitkats here.

 

a walk towards kyoto station and i saw this, entrance to higashi honganji.

 

in search of the mos burger at shijo. from google maps i can only deduce this must be somewhere along ayanokoji dori. it's like a long stretch of shopping mall, and suddenly one shrine nestled along with the shop fronts. as though the shopping centre was built around it.

 

sensoji, at asakusa. with many gates, which all look like the temple itself. i don't even know which is which now. but the main temple has a beautiful ceiling with paintings. and outside in the temple courtyard, many gift shops and small food stalls.

 

meiji jingu, at harajuku. built to enshrine the emperor meiji's and empress shoken's divine spirit. it's really like a hidden treasure in the middle of a city area. check out the aerial view. although the city air may be super cold, once you step in the big wooden gate, the forestry enshrouds you, and you don't feel cold anymore.