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Location: Higashiyama, Kyoto
Opens at: Opens 06:00
Goshuin: 3 Goshuin
Perched on the eastern hills of Kyoto, Kiyomizudera Temple has been a symbol of Buddhist devotion for over twelve centuries. Founded in 778 CE by the priest Enchin, this temple is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy, and is part of...
Why you should go
- Kiyomizu-dera's Main Hall features a wooden stage built entirely without nails, using an intricate framework of interlocked pillars. This design has supported the structure since its 1633 reconstruction under the Tokugawa shogunate.
- Visit the Otowa Waterfall where three streams flow into metal cups for ritual drinking, but choose only one stream as tradition holds that drinking from all three is considered greedy (each stream represents longevity, academic success, or love).
- Kiyomizu-dera is actually older than Kyoto itself, having been founded in 778, sixteen years before the city became Japan's imperial capital in 794.
