During my time here in Japan, I was lucky enough and had the great pleasure to be able to explore different corners of the country and to get to know different aspects of the island kingdom in the Far East. Modern cities, where life seems to take place in the fast lane, alternate with historical places, where you can still dive deep into the history of Japan and emerge in a completely different world. Of course, you can't always block out the world of today, but often the present and the past exist harmoniously with each other and complement each other.
This kidn of use can often be seen in Kyoto, the former long-time capital of Japan, which is full of history and stories that are preserved and presented to this day. In and around the city there are countless temples and shrines, some of which can date their roots and origins back several centuries. In addition, there is also a modern side of Kyoto, which is shown, for example, in the renowned Kyoto University. The city has always attracted many travelers and visitors who want to warm up to the charm of the city and be inspired by its history and culture. Even if you have been here before, there is always something new to discover. As soon as you expand your radius a little, you realize that the city has so much more to offer than you had previously thought.
I have had the honor of visiting the former Japanese capital several times. I have mainly explored the well-known and popular destinations, but what I was allowed to see there, had already inspired me. Kyoto has a very special atmosphere, which took not only me quickly under its spell. In previous articles, I had already featured some of the places I had looked around and raved about what I had seen. I had hoped that maybe I would make it to Kyoto again, but unfortunately it has not yet come to that again. So all I had left were my photos and my memories, which I always love to revel in. But since memories unfortunately tend to blur, it's better to hold on to them from time to time before they fade away completely.
And that's why we're looking around Kyoto today, at a place that's no big secret, but which many tourists then tend to rush past. Because most visitors simply don't have enough time for all the many sights. And then you have to choose and sift out, and so some remains left.
Like, for example, the To-ji, a temple not so far away from Kyoto's main station, to which I have already been drawn twice. Or rather, I was drawn, because fortunately each time I had very pleasant and wonderful travel companions who led me to this interesting place.
And today I would like to take you there. Let's take a small round and let's have look together....
If you walk south from Kyoto Station, you can reach Toji Temple quite quickly on foot. It was founded back at the beginning of the Heian period, shortly after the capital was moved to Kyoto in the late 700s. The temple formerly served as the guardian temple of the former capital and is now one of Kyoto's many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Toji is the main temple of the Tō-ji branch of the Shingon-shū and namesake for the Tōmitsu, an esoteric Buddhism practiced here. In addition to several temple buildings, the site also contains a shrine and a five-story pagoda.
The Toji Pagoda was originally built in 826. The pagoda was destroyed a total of four times and later rebuilt before reaching its current state. The current five-story pagoda dates from the Edo period. In 1643, it was rebuilt by order of the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu. In 1952, it was declared a Japanese national treasure.
It is 57 meters high and thus the highest wooden pagoda in Japan. From many angles of the temple you have a good view of the pagoda, even if it is sometimes somewhat hidden by trees. Since it can also be seen from many places in the city, it has now become an important symbol not only for the temple but also for Kyoto itself. At irregular intervals, the first floor of the pagoda can be visited, where four smaller Buddha statues are kept.
Another highlight of Toji is the flea market, which is always held on the 21st day of the month. This market is commonly called Kōbō-san, in honor of Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai), who died on the 21st of the third month of 835 AD according to the old Japanese lunar calendar. The Kōbō-san is very popular and on market days many vendors and visitors crowd the temple grounds and people inspect the goods on sale.
Among the goods on offer are not only clothing but also tools, sculptures, kimonos, antiques, pottery, toys, food and plants. Every first Sunday of the month, a smaller antiques market is also held on the tempel grounds.
How about some samurai armor or an old rifle? Or a few more or less historical vases and statues for your own home? Seek and you shall find - and that's probably exactly what applies to the Kōbō-san.
Especially in Kyoto you can still find many old antiques. The city was for centuries the cultural and also religious center of Japan and has survived the fights and destruction of World War 2 unscathed. It is precisely for this reason that many historical artifacts have been able to survive into the present day, even in private hands.
There is also some fun and enjoyment for the little ones. As usual at Japanese festivals, you can try your hand at kingyo-suku. Goldfish scooping is a traditional Japanese game where you use a small paper scoop to try to catch small goldfish from a pool. However, the paper scoop is often quickly soaked, so it becomes increasingly difficult to catch one of the slippery little fellows. But it seems to be fun.
Young and old and big and small seem to come together at this traditional flea market, trying to forget the stress of everyday life and the big city for a few hours. Even though Kyoto is still considered the historical, cultural and traditional center of Japan, it has slowly adapted to modernity and tries to keep up with current developments. That is why a little time out is always worthwhile.
On the temple grounds there is a garden and a pond where you can find turtles and kois. But one part of the pond was so densely covered with lotus flowers that you can only guess the water that is under the plants. This is a typical sight in the Japanese summer months, when shortly after the rainy season the plant life shows its fresh and green side.
But of course there were also some Kois to see. These ornamental carps, which are so typical for Japan, found their way to East Asia about 2000 years ago. For about 150 years koi have been status symbols in Japan and nowadays they are bred and kept not only in the Land of the Rising Sun, but all over the world. A colorful touch that has often brought a smile to my face as well.
If you ever make it to Kyoto, you will quickly discover that there are countless interesting places in the city, which are impossible to visit all together. But if you still have a little time after walking the most popular routes, I can highly recommend a side trip to Toji. Kyoto has so many wonderful places to offer, though, that in the end you can never visit everything and some of it will have to wait for a next visit.
Hopefully I will also make it to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, again some day. I have many plans, but in recent times, most of them are unfortunately difficult to realize. Nevertheless, I will continue to look around here in the Far East this year and gladly report to you. So check back soon for new pictures and impressions from my tours.
またね matane
[//]:# (!pinmapple 34.981405 lat 135.747427 long Tō-ji Temple 東寺, a wonderful sidetrip when visiting Kyoto 👹🍣🎎 Fascinating Japan d3scr)