Karesansui garden at Kennin-ji Temple © peacefoo / Shutterstock.com
Located just beside Gion, Kennin-ji Temple boasts one of the finest dry landscape (karesansui) gardens in Japan. It’s a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of Gion.
Every week a new Kyoto Photo is published here on Inside Kyoto. These beautiful, evocative photos are taken by either Jeffrey Friedl or Damien Douxchamps. You can follow the links to their respective sites to see more images by clicking on their image credit under each photo.
Riverside restaurants in Kyoto
Riverside restaurants in Kyoto © Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
The elegant restaurants of Pontocho Alley offer excellent views of the Kamo-gawa River. They form a magical picture when viewed from across the river.
Main gate of Chion-in Temple
Main gate of Chion-in Temple © Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock.com
The San-mon (main gate) of Chion-in Temple in Southern Higashiyama is the most impressive gate in the city. It’s illuminated in the evening – check it out!
Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle © Abhijeet Khedgikar / Shutterstock.com
Nijo Castle, or Nijo-jo in Japanese, is one of Kyoto’s most popular tourist sites. It’s a great place to get a feeling for the power of the Shoguns, but you must go early in the day or late in the evening in order to avoid the crowds.
Schoolgirls posing with “geishas for a day”
Schoolgirls posing with “geishas for a day” © FCG / Shutterstock.com
These girls have found something even more interesting than a real geisha: a trio of foreign women dressed up like geisha. It’s called “maiko henshin” and it’s a fun way to play “geisha for a day.” For information on real geisha, see our Kyoto Geisha page.