This is part three of our little Colour-Journey. The first leg too us to the all flashy and shiny places of Japan, where the second round managed to calm down our senses with a big dosage of nature.
Today we take a look around where the tourist guides would send us. So we go on another trip to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, where we make our way to the Kiyomizu-dera temple. As you will quickly notice, we jumped right back to autumn, I am somehow longing for this special time of the year.
Late autumn in Japan has its own special charm, and nature is the perfect partner in the play of shades and colors. The weather is usually still really pleasant and the sun is out quite a bit, while the temperatures also still reach double digits and make this season perfect for some sightseeing trips around the country. To be honest, I am all in for some trip all around the year. Whatever season it is, count me in!
Due to its size and location, Kiyomizu-dera Temple stands out among all other temples in Kyoto, a city that truly has no shortage of temples. And if you think you will have the temple to yourself, you will be disappointed. Kyoto is a tourist magnet at any time of the year. But if you manage not to visit on weekends, it won't be as crowded and you'll be able to hold your breath. But whether there are many or only few people scurrying around, the atmosphere has an impact in any case and quickly has you under its spell. Kyoto always attracts, no matter what time of day or season.
But you may want to see for yourself and join my little trip back into my autumn memories...
I love these little alleys which slowly lead me up the hill. All the stores, cafes and restaurants that offer everything that the traveler but also the local might need, or maybe better leave in the shelves.
Handmade or mass-produced Chinese souvenirs, whatever your heart desires, you will find it in the countless charming little traditional wooden houses lining the way up to the temple. And the many busy street vendors are pleasantly unobtrusive and very charming. No pushing or pulling you into their shops.
When you walk up and slowly get closer your goal, the whole atmosphere is so fantastic that the way to the temple has become an important part of my visits.
The closer you get, the more people are milling around in the alleys and if you look carefully, you can make out a certain excitement and enthusiasm in all the different faces. A truly inspiring place.
The temple buildings also look much more soothing and mystical in the light of late autumn than on other days, and the play of hues is even more interesting than usual. Autumn is somehow underrated, and many people are already kind of feeling blue and depressed by the approaching winter. But as long as the weather plays along, you can collect so many great impressions even in this time of the year.
From the upper temple balconies we could see all the beauty of this wonderful season. The Japanese call this Kouyou 紅葉 (the colored leaves), especially in this setting we had a simply amazing view, which of course we were sharing with a big crowd of excited people.
The lower and upper pagoda also unfolded a very special atmosphere at this time of the year and day. Perhaps even a bit eerie, but at the same time we were captured by a very extraordinary beauty, autumn is just unique. And even when it gets later and there is less light, it all feels truly enchanting. Hard to believe that the busy city life is not that far away, but I somehow always manage to fade it out.
Kiyumizu-dera in Kyoto is worth a visit at any time of year, with a very special charm to discover and absorb. I myself am very much looking forward to another visit, hopefully some day I can make it in winter, which is certainly impressive as well. If this temple is covered by snow, it will look simply stunning and stand out ind this already fabulous city.
But that's for another time, for today I still bask a little in the autumn impressions and my memories. Please stop by again soon for some more impressions of the land of the rising sun.
またね (Matane)
[//]:# (!pinmapple 35.010748 lat 135.773957 long Calming Autum Colors at Kiyumizu-dera in Kyoto d3scr)