Kiyomizu-dera

So I actually just found out that this temple was one of the contenders, making it into the top 20, for the New 7 Wonders of the World.  First constructed in 798, the present buildings date from 1633—fire again being the catastrophic culprit.  Interestingly, the entire structure, including a large veranda supported by massive wooden pillars 50 feet high, is constructed without the use of a single nail.

Gratuitous group shot, in case you haven’t seen enough of us among the other sites.

At several of the temples we visited, including this one, you can ring the bell if you wish, for a small fee.

 

The pagoda may not be as tall as the one at To-ji, but it is more brightly painted.

The temple sits on a hill on the east side of Kyoto and is well-known for its spectacular views of the city.

Bonus shot of the city.

The main hall with its celebrated veranda.

Exploring the main hall.

From there, you look down on the temple’s namesake (Kiyomizu means “pure water”), a small waterfall divided into three separate streams.  Each stream is said to confer a different benefit upon those who drink from it (wisdom, longevity, and love), however, it is considered greedy to drink from all three and will bring misfortune.

The path down to the waterfall is lined with several smaller temples and shrines.  This image seemed to be getting a particular amount of attention/veneration—I believe it’s the Amida Buddha, but I’m not entirely certain.

Like most of the city, this temple is particularly spectacular (and particularly crowded) during both cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons.  Envision the tree limb in the foreground covered in cherry blossoms to give yourself an idea of the sublime beauty of this place.  By the way, the cherry blossoms ARE blooming here in Okinawa right now!  (They bloom much earlier here than in mainland Japan.)  I’ll get back to more Oki pictures eventually but until then, there’s still more Kyoto to show you!