The Kyoto Imperial Palace used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868. It is located in the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park, an attractive park in the centre of the city that also encompasses the Sento Imperial Palace and a few other attractions. The complex is enclosed by long walls and consists of several gates, halls and gardens.
Kiyomizudera, literally meaning "Pure Water Temple", is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. It was founded in 780 and is best known for the wooden stage that juts out from its main hall. The stage affords visitors on Japan tours a nice view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of colour in spring and fall. There are also panoramic views of the city from here.
Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains. In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple. The villa was converted into a Zen temple after his death. It consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. All of this can be enjoyed on a Japan vacation by walking along a circular route around its grounds from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.
Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. It is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond which reflects a mirror image of the temple. The gardens offer a few places of interest including a pond that is said to never dry up and statues that people throw coins at for luck.
Sanjusangendo is a temple in eastern Kyoto which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1164 and rebuilt a century later after the original structure had been destroyed in a fire. The statues are equipped with 11 heads to better witness the suffering of humans and with 1000 arms to better help them fight the suffering. Altogether this is an awesome sight on Japan tours.
The Heian Shrine dates back just over a hundred years and was built on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto dedicated to the spirits of the first and last emperors who reigned in the city. The shrine grounds are very spacious and the main buildings are a partial replica of the original Imperial Palace from the Heian Period. The garden's most striking feature is its many weeping cherry trees making the garden one of the best cherry blossom spots in Kyoto.
The Ryoanji Temple is the site of Japan's most famous rock garden which attracts hundreds of visitors on a Japanese vacation every day. Originally an aristocrat's villa during the Heian Period, the site was converted into a Zen temple in 1450. The garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by low earthen walls.
