Kyoto City? Temples and Shrines List ?

Chionin Temple began in 1175 when the monk Honen built a hermitage there. It is now a huge temple and is the head temple of the Jodo sect. There are two Japanese national treasure buildings within the temple grounds. Services are held here every morning and you can attend.

Chionin Temple is the head temple of the Jodo sect. Morning services are held every morning from 6:30 am. No reservations are required and anyone can attend as long as they arrive at the start time. I was allowed to enter the inner sanctuary of the Mieido Hall, which is normally off-limits.

Kinkakuji is a temple famous for its Golden Pavilion, which is covered in genuine gold leaf. You can enjoy a variety of experiences, such as tossing a coin to make a wish, drinking matcha, copying sutras, and offering incense or candles. English-language fortune slips are also available.

Tojiin Temple was founded in 1341 and serves as the family temple of the Ashikaga shoguns. The strolling pond garden is said to have been created by the renowned garden designer Muso Kokushi. It feels very pleasant to walk slowly through this garden. I recommend enjoying some matcha while gazing at the garden.

Its official name is Rokuonji, but it is known as Kinkakuji because of the Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion) located on its grounds. The Golden Pavilion is a three-story structure; it is unique in that its upper two stories are covered with genuine gold leaf. There are various other highlights within the temple grounds as well.

At Kifune Shrine, you can enjoy a variety of experiences, such as prayers offered before the deity, free spring water, prayers for good fortune in relationships, matcha and Japanese sweets within the shrine grounds, and meals by the riverside.

This temple is located on Mount Kurama, which has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and is the head temple of the Kurama Kokyo sect. There is a legend that Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a 12th-century warlord, learned military strategy from a tengu (a mountain spirit with a long nose) when he was a child.

Horinji Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple founded in 1727. The temple enshrines Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, as its principal deity, and many Dharma doll statues are enshrined on the temple grounds. Inside the Dharma Hall, there are more than 8,000 Dharma dolls of various sizes enshrined.

Otani Hombyo is the mausoleum of Shinran , the founder of Jodo Shinshu. After Shinran passed away in 1262, his remains were reinterred several times before being moved to their current location in 1603. The Main Hall and the Meichodo Hall are located within the temple grounds.

Morning services are held daily at 6:00 a.m. in the main hall and Meichodo hall, and anyone is welcome to attend. Overall, at both halls, the arrangement allowed one to freely pay one's respects from the back while the monks chanted sutras. After listening to the sutra chanting for a while, I felt refreshed.