Ukimi do over the lake

 Ukimido is the temple which has a hall over the lake.

It looks like a floating hall.  The official name is Mangetsu ji temple. 

 The view is one of the eight lakescapes of Lake Biwa.

 The noted poets and artists visited here and created poems or paintings.

The history dates back to Heian era, but the hall itself was rebuilt or renovated a couple of time. The view is said to be same as before except tall building we can see far behind.

I was impressed by gorgeous pine trees in the precinct.  They are said to be 700 years old.

The access 

From Kyoto station

 JR Kosei line.  the nearest station is Katada 
 Take a local bus to Demachi, and 7 min walk.

Entrance fee 300 yen

Shirahige shrine in Shiga.

 Shiga pref. is a nice place which has many sightseeing spots. However, not many people don't know its charm.

I would like to introduce some spots to tell you how interesting and nice they are.

Shirahige means white beard. So direct translation is a shrine of white beard

The main shinto kami ( diety ) enshrined here is Sarutahiko, who is the kami to lead and tell the way. The one enshrined in the shrine is said to be an old one with white beard. So especially he is specialized to give us a benefits of long life too.

By the way, the shrine is well-known for the different reason.

That is....... Instagram!
The torii gate stands in the lake and if the timing is good, you can take a very beautiful picture of the gate with the sun.

But recently, many people come to take pictures crossing the road with heavy traffic.

Now crossing the road is prohibited 

I tried to take a nice pic. but this is what I could do,,

I visited the shrine on Saturday and came across the little girls worshipping here.

Can you see little girls in beautiful kimono?

Access

The nearest train station is  Oumi Takashima station of Kosei line from Kyoto station.

However, from the station, there is no transportation to the shrine

Over 30 min walk is required.

Autumn foliage 14/ Koshoji temple in Uji

 Let’s go to Uji. When it comes to Uji, tea, and Byodoin temple come to our mind first.

On the other side of the Uji river, there is a zen temple, Koshoji. The beginning of the temple dates back to when Dogen brought zen from China. The temple started in a different place in the south of Kyoto and later it was moved here.

The temple began as a zen training place. Still now, it works as so.

The slope to the temple has many maple trees on both sides.

It is not a famous place among tourists.

So even in Autumn, it keeps the air as a zen temple

Koshoji temple in Uji

Access 

JR Kyoto station, Nara line to Uji   and 15 min walk

Keihan line Uji station, and 10 min walk

Entrance fee 500 yen

Autumn foliage 13 / Imagumano Kannon temple

 This temple is located very close to Sennyuji temple, which is known as Mitera, Imperial related temple.

 As you can see from the name of this temple, the main statue enshrined here is Kannon statue.

On the way to the temple from Sennyuji temple, and in the precinct, there are many maple trees.

What  I like here is small cute statues of an old lady.　This is for preventing us from getting senile. I understand the prayer of the people who don't want to get senile when they get older. 

Imagumano kannon 

access,  city bus 208, 207, 202 ( all lope bus ) but not from Kyoto station.
From Kyoto station, by taxi, 5 min.

Autumn foliage 12/ Bishamondo

 Bishamon -do is a temple related to the Imperial family, which is called Monseki jiin.

The main building used to be the one in the palace.

The steps leading to the main hall have maples and in Autumn, the branches with red maple leaves come over the visitors. Very beautiful.

What I like here is a painting on the wall. That is a carp. What is interesting is the eyes of the carp follow you when you move.

Behind the buidling, there is a garden with maples too.

When you walk on the steps. it is like this.

Bishamon do

Access : from JR Kyoto station, Biwako line ( or Kosei line ) 

             Yamashina. ( one stop from Kyoto)

             10 min walk.

entrance fee 500 yen 

Autumn foliage 11 / GIoji

 I like this temple.

 It shows different faces to us depending on seasons.

I love green maple season too. Along with green moss on the ground, it is very beautiful in summer time too.

In Autumn, this temple changes its color

Later, all the leaves fall down onto the ground and ground changes the color like having a red carpet.

The temple leaves the maple leaves on the ground for a while to let us enjoy the scene we can see for a short time of the year.

This temple has a sad love story of a dancer known as shirabyoshi in late 12th century. If you know the story, the beautiful scenery may soak into your mind.

Gioji 

From JR Kyoto station

JR Sanin-line, the nearest station " Saga Arashiyama"  and 15 min walk

Or from Shijo Omiya, Randen line to " Arashiyama" and 15 min walk

City bus and Kyoto bus also take you there, but it takes more time.

Entrance fee  300 yen

Autumn foliage 10/ Enkoji temple

 Near Manshuin temple, in a walking distance, there is another nice Autumn maple spot, which is Enkoji temple

When I visited there, it was a little out of its peak time. With fallen leaves on the ground, the maples are still beautiful.

Enkoji temple was a kind of school with its origin dating back to 1601. 

After it was moved  to different places a couple of times, it settled here in the north of the city.

You can walk in the garden

There is a bamboos too. 

Access : city bus   
              Please get off at " Ichijo sagarimatsu "  15min walk
entrance fee 500 yen

  during the Autumn season, a reservation is required.

Autumn foliage 9 / Kitano shrine

Today's topic is not Kitano shrine but so-called " Odoi" , earthen mound surrounding the city for protection in 16th century

The ruler samurai surround Kyoto with Odoi for guarding the capital.

Now most of the parts can not be seen in the city but a part of short mound still remains

Kitano Odoi is one of them.

But in Autumn, maples along Odoi is very beautiful.

Please proceed the precinct of Kitano shrine and on the left side, there is an entrance to Odoi
When you stand here, you will feel like you are in a different world.

Entrance fee 1000 yen with a tea ticket

access 

From Kyoto station city bus 50 or 101 
   or

Subway to Imadegawa and take a city bus 203  102  51

Please enjoy not only maple garden but also the shrine itself.

Autumn Foliage 8/ Okochi villa in Autumn

 I have already talked about Okochi villa before 

https://japankyotovisit.blogspot.com/2021/09/okochi-villa-in-arashiyama.html

Arashiyama is a popular spot in Autumn.

And maples there is , I think , change the colors the eraliest.

This is the maples seen from the first garden.

It consists of three main gardens. The first one is with a building where the movie actor Okochi Denjiro held the party.

Many noted actresses and actors as well as a film director might have seen the same maples from the verranda.

This is the scene in front of the tea house, which is my favorite garden here.

Of course, I love green maples in summer. 

But when I see the garden from the tea house side, naturally  I let out of a sigh because it is so beautiful...

Usually the maples changes the color here about a week earlier than the other place in Arashiyama. However, it is up to the year's climate.

So it is better to check the Autumn foliage information of the year.

Autumn foliage 7 / Manshuin

 

I like this picture. 
Honestly, we can enjoy maples more here outside of Manshuin temple than inside.

Manshuin temple is one of Monkseki temple whose head monks were sent from Imperial family.

I found the picture of when the brother of the Emperor visited here.

If you can come at the right time, you will see this.

It is located in the north of Kyoto

And near here some temples show the very beautiful colorful maples.

So hopping in each temple to spend a half day would be worth doing.
Of course, the garden in the temple is also very nice and please enjoy the temple itself, too.

Manshuin temple 

From Kyoto station, city bus No5,  the nearest bus stop; Ichijoji shimijucho.
from there 20 min walk

or

Take Eiden ( Eizan line ) to Ichijoji station, then 20 min walk.

Entrance fee 600 yen

Otsu- matsuri festival

 On Oct. 10th, today, Otsu festival is held in Otsu city

Otsu was the last station before arriving in Kyoto in samurai time. and was largely affected by the ancient city.

This festival reminds us of Gion festival in Kyoto.

This is the festival of Tenson shrine in Otsu city

The districts surrounding the shrine have floats.

A week before the festival, each float is assembled and disassembled the day after the festival.

Unfortunately, the float procession was canceled this year because of covid-19.

But local people come to see the float at the float museum. There on the day of festival, the music which was supposed to be played in the floats was played for the people and visitors.

The shops are decorated with speical festival curtain and create the atmosphere of the festival

The dolls which were supposed to be placed in the floats are shown in each district.

Although we can not see float procession, we can enjoy the parade without floats today!

The festival is held in October

The place : in Otsu city

 From Kyoto station, Biwako line   two stops. 10 min.

 From the station, 10min walk.

Autumn foliage 6/ Tofukuji

 I already have told about Tofukuji in the other place.
 But I can not skip Tofukuji when I talk about Autumn foliage.

 When I was young, I often visited there to enjoy a quiet atmosphere of the temple.

Especially, in Autumn, the maples under Tsutenkyo bridge is so beautiful. It is like  red maple clouds and the bridge is like floating over the cloudes.

Recently, because of SNS such as Instagram and the other trip related websites, more and more people came to know the beauty of this temple in Autumn.

As a result, in a high season, it is very crowded.

Many people want to stop and take such a beautiful picture. It causes, in a sense, traffic jam.. and it became very dangerous. The bridge wasn't made to endure holding so many people on.

Finally, it came to be forbidden to take pictures in a busy season.

But you can walk under the maple trees now too

So please enjoy maples walking under the trees.
Besides on the bridge, it is allowed to take pictures. 

It is worth seeing !!!!

Tofukuji temple 

from JR Kyoto station, take Nara line to Tofukuji ( one stop )

walk 10 min.

Entrance fee,

　just Tsutenkyo bridge  600 yen
         garden                 500 yen

   combination ticket   1000 yen

cf ) the article of Tofukuji

      https://kyotoprivateguides.blogspot.com/2021/01/tofukuji-temple.html

      https://kyotoprivateguides.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-gardens-of-tofukuji-temple.html

Autumn foliage 5 Tenjuan

 This is my favorite temple. It is really beautiful in Autumn. 

It is a subtemple of Nanzenji temple. 
Nanzenji is also very known as a temple which is very beautiful in Autumn and very popular among tourists.

But Tenjuan is specially nice !

In front of the buidling Hojo, maple trees welcome you with red leaves.

When I visited, it was very fine day. The leaves reflected the sunshine and show the very red shiny colors to us.

The glass windows reflect the maples like a mirror.

You will forget every irritating thing in a daily life when you see this.

It has one more garden with a pond.

When you proceed here, you will feel different air even though it is in a same temple.

The temple is a sub temple. After the firest monk, Mukan Fumon passed away, ( he died in Tofukuji temple, not here ), the other monk founded here for him. 

It was re-founded in 17th century supported by a samurai lord.

Please just sit on the veranda viewing the maples and relax yourself

The peak time coms earlier than Nanzenji

Maybe, when the maples in Nanzenji are at a high time, the ones in Tenjuan is a little too late.

Tenjuan

 access : From Kyoto station, by subway,

   Karasuma line from Kyoto to Oike

  Tozairai line from Karasuma Oike to Keage

  walk about 10 min

  But No 5 from Kyoto station to Nanzenji Eikando mae 

  10 min walk. 

 entrance fee 500 yen

Best-known Tempura restaurant in Kyoto, Endo

 Today, I would like to introduce one of the best-known Tempura restaurants in Kyoto,

 Yasaka Endo. 

 It is located in a quiet area close to Gion.  
 The road in front of the restaurant leads you to Yasaka pagoda, which is also a well-known sightseeing spot.

The course begins with appetizer called sakiduke, and small portions of tempura are served one by one.

In front, there are three kinds of seasoning, salt with rice powder, maccha salt, and tempura dipping sauce.

The chef advise us what we should use for the served one.

Look !

It's like a swimming fish.

I have been there as a guide for a couple of time. One day I accompanied my guest who loves tempura.

She enjoyed everything served, and asked the chef what is the material for batter-coating. He answered it is just normal, water, wheat flour and egg.

Then she asked again why it is so crispy?

Then chef patted his arm, which means it comes from his skill.

The lunch ( and dinner )  goes to rice, you can choose one from the two or three, 

 1 Rice and kakiage

 2 kakiage don   ( kakiage on rice )

 or3  Tencha  Tempura on the rice in soup ( or tea )

Then dessert 

Yasaka Endo
http://www.gion-endo.com/sp_en/

Autumn foliage４ Ruriko-in temple

 This temple is not usually open to the public.

But twice a year, in spring and in Autumn, we can enjoy the beautiful scene here.

Especially the maples here show so beautiful colors to us

The visitors just sit and view the colorful maple leaves forgetting time passing.

 

It was  a villa of business owner at the beginning.  And after the owner changed some times, it became a temple. It was 2005. 

Ruri is a name of the blue color. In Buddhism, it means the stone or jewel from the mountain Shumisen, which is believed to be in the center of Buddhism world. It is one of seven Buddhism jewel or treasure.

Lapis Lazuli.

As for Ruriko-in

Please check this website

https://rurikoin.komyoji.com/lp/en/

Autumn foliage ３ Iwakura Jissoin temple

 Iwakura was a little away from Kyoto. Personally, I used to go to high school in Iwakura, and for me, it is not away. 

This temple is famous for so-called yuka-momiji ( floor reflecting maples) 
The floor is polished and reflect the maple leaves. It is beautiful.

Unfortunately, it is forbidden to take pictures. I can not show you the picture of reflection.  If you like to see, please visit this website
https://koyo.walkerplus.com/detail/ar0726e154665/

Besides the floor, you will enjoy some nice maple leaves

This temple is called Monseki jiin, which the person deeply related the Imperial family served as a head monk. 

Unfortunately because of the financial burden, a part of the building has some props to support. 

access 
JR Kyoto station- city subway to Kokusaikaikan

Then take a city bus 24 to Iwakura Jissoin 
entrance fee    500 yen

Autumn foliage 2 Hozugawa boat trip

 Many Japanese tourists take this course.

To take a romantic train which runs along the river to Umahori, then move to Kameoka, take a boat trip from Kameoka to Arashiyama.

Or just enjoying a boat trip is also very nice!

It is a small boat, and 1 hour trip on the river.

Of course, how long the trip is depends on the situation of the river.

Three boatmen take care of one trip. They row a boat by turns.

One rows a boat, one navigate the boat, and the other is a narrator or a guide.

Sometimes the water splashes on you, But it is also fun.

In winter time, the heater is ready on the boat. 

In Autumn, please enjoy the maple leaves from the boat.

On the mountainside, there are a lot of maple trees.

And we can see the romantic train running.

It is funny but usually the passengers of the train and the boat wave each other naturally.

It is fun of the tour.

Access

 The boat trip only

 Take a JR Sanin line to Kameoka. 

The boat pier is near the station. If you go individually, no reservation is required

There is an increase in the number of boats in a high season.

From the pier in Arashiyama, there are nice spots  and keep enjoying sightseeing

In case you take a romantic train, Take JR to Saga Arashiyama.

In front of the station, there is another station for Romantic train.

But in Autumn and in Spring, the trains are fully booked. 

It is better to check in advance.

4100 yen /person

A spot of Autunm foliage １

 Japan has a four seasons, and it is said Autumn is the most beautiful due to Autumn foliage. In a sense, it is true.

However, Kyoto is very crowded with tourists who aim to see maples in the gardens.

I give you some recommendations.

Today's spot is " Rengeji "

Near here, there is another nice place, so it would be good to visit both at a time.

Just sit in front of the garden and enjoy the maples.

To compare with the other places in Kyoto, this temple doesn't have as many visitors as the others.

Rengeji

  400 yen for entrance fee

 Acess   Keifuku line from Demachiyanagi, and get off at 'MIyake hachiman" 

            10 min walk

           or 

           Kyoto bus Kamihashi  and 1 min walk

Suntory Whisky distillery

 Do you know that Japan has good whisky makers?
Suntory is well-known whisky maker in Japan. The distillery is near Kyoto.

They have some well known whisky, such as Yamazaki and Hibiki. They have been awarded the golden prizes at a couple of world contests. 

The founder of Suntory, Torii Shinjiro got eagerness to make whisky which goes well with the taste of Japanese people. And he challenged to make national whiskey which nobody had ever tried before. That was not easy.

He stuck to finding the place with good environment and good quality of water. And he decided to make the distillery in Yamazaki

Yamazaki has a good water which is one of the 100 best waters in Japan and good environment for whisky making with appropriate humidity thanks to the three rivers running nearby.

You can join the tour here to learn about Suntory whisky.

After the tour, let's have whisky tasting .

the one before being blended, after blended and so on.

https://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/?_ga=2.198108650.454801133.1633089037-498820646.1633089037

To visit, a reservation is required

However, because of this pandemic, please contact to make sure about whether they offer the tour or not.

Bamboo Bamboo Bamboo

 When it comes to Bamboo forest in Kyoto, the most famous one is the bamboo forest in Arashiyama.

If you like to take such a picture, you need to come here early in the morning or very off-sightseeing season.

But it is very beautiful.

Even I was originally a Kyoto citizen, I think it very beautiful without any people.

Unfortunately, it is very famous and in a high season, it is very crowded and you can not take a nice pircture

However, there are some other places which have nice bamboo trees.

Kodaiji temple in Higashiyama.

It has a little bamboo forest.

Jizo-in temple which is called Bamboo temple

Access to this temple can not be said good. So it is very quiet. I like this atmosphere.

One more picture of Jizo-in

One more temple has a nice bamboo forest, Adashino Nenbutudera temple

Unfortunately, I didn't take any bamboooictures  here. This temple is famous for little stone statues.

Please see this URL

https://bqspot.com/kansai/kyoto/80

Enko-ji temple

This temple is famous for Maples

But it has nice bamboo trees too

Acsess

Jizo-in temple 

Hankyu line --Kamikatsura station 12 min walk

                    or Kyoto bus 73 from Kyoto station. nearest bus stop -Kokedera 

Kodaiji temple  From Kyoto station, city bus 106, Yasui Konbiragu

Adashino Nenbutsudera temple  From Tenryuji mae  Kyoto bus for Kiyotaki,

       nearest stop -- Toriimoto

Enko-ji temple  city bus 5 to Ichijo Sagarimatsu