Kyoto, Japan - 23rd January 2023

Kiyomizu Dera Temple

Another day, another temple. This time we journeyed by a combination of city bus and train to reach Kiyomizu-Dera.

High above the city, the temple was first built in 798 but the present buildings are reconstructions dating from 1633. One of the city's most popular temples, there was a good crowd, even on a cold and dull winter's day.

The temple's name means 'pure water' and Covid or no Covid, we were sure to sample from the Otowa-no-taki spring, hoping the waters lived up to their claim of bestowing health and long life.

Kiyomizu Selfie

Kiyomizu Dera

View of Kyoto from Kiyomizu Dera

Sampling the spring waters hoping for the gift of health and long life.

At the temple and other places we visited we noticed many visitors dressed in traditional Japanese kimono and sandals, often accessorised with thick socks due to the January chill. Tourists were able to rent the outfits to compliment their selfies taken in front of famous Kyoto landmarks. Many of the other tourists we encountered were Korean, with Chinese visitors not yet being allowed entry to Japan.

Kimono Rental with typical Japanese tidiness and order.

We walked back downhill through the shopping streets of South Higashiyama to Gion, Kyoto's high-end entertainment district, famous for the Geisha.

On the way, we passed the Shinto shrine Yasui Konpira Gu. Here we found something resembling a shaggy dog plastered with sheets of paper. You could purchase a special slip of paper on which to write your name and wish. The shrine was alleged to bind good relationships more closely and to sever bad ones. To bind your good relationship, you crawled through the tunnel from front to back holding your paper. If you preferred to escape your current relationship you had to be sure to do the reverse before gluing your wish onto the shrine.

Gion 'Shoki' statue placed under the eaves of a home to protect from disaster and harm.

Gion with unofficial Geisha.

Having covered several miles on foot already we were peckish but didn't want to pay the high-end prices of Gion, so headed back to Sanjo Dori, Kyoto's main shopping street. Here we ate at the food court of a mall. Today's challenge was to eat omelette with chopsticks!

By the time we added a couple more miles to head home at the end of the day, we were ready to drop and after our usual routine of picking up some delicacy from our local supermarket, that is what we did - onto the tatami matting of our bedroom to enjoy some relaxing TV and the under-floor heating.

Omelette with chopsticks duly accomplished.

Unwinding with TV on the heated floor at the end of the day.