Explore by Area - Kyoto

Nijo Castle

Entrance on Horikawa Dori at Nijo Dori
+81 (0)75 841 0096
Open daily 8:45am-5pm; closed Tues Dec-Jan & Jul-Aug, and Dec 26-Jan 4

A World Cultural Heritage site, this castle was constructed in 1603 as the residence of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It's known for its unusually ornate interiors and "nightingale floors," designed to squeak when walked on and warn of intruders.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

1 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 551 1234
Open daily 6am-6pm

This temple complex, established in 778, contains buildings from the 15th-17th centuries. Pilgrims have climbed the slope to drink from its sacred springs for over 1,000 years. The main hall offers magnificent views of the city below.

Jishu Shrine
+81 (0)75 541 2097
Closes at 5pm

The Shinto shrine behind Kiyomizu's main hall is considered the dwelling place of the god of love and matchmaking.

Yasaka Shrine

625 Gion-machi, Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 561 6155
Open 24 hours

This popular shrine hosts the annual Gion Matsuri, Kyoto's main festival, in July, as well as the traditional Japanese New Year celebrations.

Ishibe-Koji Lane

Nowhere is the peaceful spirit of old Kyoto more evident than this charming lane, lined with exquisite wooden buildings, discreet teahouses, and tiny gardens.

Kyoto National Museum

527 Chayamachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 541 1151
Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5pm (to 8pm Fri). Closed Mon & winter holiday period. When Monday is a national holiday, the museum is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday. The Collections Hall is currently closed for renovation; scheduled to reopen in 2014.

Notable exhibits include Buddhist ink paintings, pictorial textiles and Heian-period sculptures.

Gion Corner

Yasaka Hall, Hanamikoji Dori, Shijo-sagaru, Gion, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 561 1119
Performances Mid Mar-Nov, 7 & 8pm daily; Dec till mid-Mar, Fri, Sat, Sun and holidays only. Closed Jul 16, Aug 16, Dec 29-Jan 3

Catering to tourists, Gion Corner offers special variety programs in the ancient cultural arts. You'll see short demonstrations of the tea ceremony, ikebana (flower arranging), koto (Japanese harp) music, gagaku (ancient court music and dance), kyogen (Noh comic play), kyomai (Kyoto-style dance) performed by Maiko, and bunraku (puppetry). A 30-minute tea ceremony follows each performance.

Nanzen-ji Temple

Open daily Mar-Nov 8:40am-5pm, Dec-Feb 8:40am-4:30pm

One of Japan’s biggest and most important Zen temples, with a massive main gate erected in 1628. Before entering, be sure to visit the Konchi-in sub-temple to see a beautiful dry garden by renowned Edo-period architect Kobori Enshu. Within the main compound, the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters) holds a number of treasures including a series of painted fusama (sliding doors) depicting tigers in gold leaf, and the “Leaping Tiger” dry garden, also attributed to Enshu.

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)

Office of Jisho-ji (Ginkaku-ji)
2 Ginakuji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 771 5725 (Japanese only)
Open daily Mar 15-Nov 8:30am-5pm; Dec-Mar 14 9am-4:30pm

The so-called Silver Pavilion never received its namesake plating – nonetheless, it's duly famous as a center of Japanese culture, where arts such as flower arranging and the tea ceremony were perfected. It's also revered as a masterpiece of garden design.

Heian-jingu Shrine

97 Nishitenno-cho Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 761 0221
Open daily Mar 1-14; Sep 1-10 6am-5:30pm Mar 15-Aug 31 6am-6pm; Nov-Feb 6am-5pm The surrounding gardens open at 8:30am and close 1/2 hour before the shrine.

This shrine was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto. The main building is designed to recreate the Imperial Palace on a 3/4 scale, while the traditional gate at the front is one of Japan's largest.

Fushimi Inari Taishi

68 Yabunouchi-chō, Fukakusa Fushimi-ku
Open dawn-dusk

This spectacular shrine is the main shrine of the Inari cult, devoted to the god of rice and sake. It’s famous for its maze of over 10,000 vermillion torii gates that form a meandering series of paths up the hillside. Here and there are sub-shrines containing miniature torii and stone foxes wearing red scarves (the fox is considered a messenger of the rice gods and a symbol of business). Surreal and mesmerizing.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

1 Kinkakuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
+81 (0)75 461 0013 (Japanese only)
Open aily 9am-5pm

Aptly known as the Golden Pavilion, this graceful three-story temple is entirely covered in gold leaf. Built in 1397, the temple was rebuilt to its original glory in 1955 after a devastating fire, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saiho-ji (also known as Kokedera, or “Moss Temple”)

56 Jingatani-cho, Matsuo, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City, 615-8286
+81 (0)75 391 3631
Advance application required. To make a reservation, send a request by postal mail to the above address with your name, the number of people in your group, the name and address of your group representative (if any) and the proposed date of your visit, along with a self-addressed, stamped postcard. The request must reach the temple at least seven days before your intended visit, but more time is recommended (especially if sending from abroad). Within Japan, a special return postcard called an ofuku hagaki is available from the post office for these purposes.

Himeji Castle

68 Honmachi, Himeji-shi, Hyogo
+81 (0)792 85 1146
Open Apr 27-Aug 31 9am-6pm daily, Sept-May 9am-5pm daily; Closed Dec 29-31.

The grandest of Japan's 12 remaining feudal castles, this great compound has never been damaged by warfare, earthquakes or fires. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its robust fortifications and graceful design, it's considered by many to be the ultimate samurai castle – renowned filmmaker Akira Kurasawa used it as a backdrop for his film Ran.

This town 35km south of Kyoto was Japan’s first permanent capital, and a major center of art and culture during the 7th and 8th centuries. The town is filled with historic treasures, most found within a fairly compact area. The center of town is dominated by Nara Park, home to Todai-ji Temple and some 1,200 semi-wild sika deer, once considered sacred. Stands throughout the park sell special crackers for feeding the deer, but be warned that they can be rather aggressive.

Todai-ji Temple

406-1 Zoshi-cho, Nara-shi, Nara
Open daily 8am-5pm

Nara’s most famous temple was founded in 745 by Emperor Shomu to ward off epidemics. The main hall (Daibutsu-den, or Great Buddha Hall) is the world’s largest wooden building – which makes the fact that the original building was 1/3 larger even more impressive. Within is Japan’s largest bronze statue, rising 50 feet in height.

Kasuga Taisha

160 Kasugano-cho, Nara-shi, Nara
Open daily 6am-6pm Apr-Sep, 6:30am-5:30pm Oct-Mar

Founded in 768, this was the tutelary shine of the Fujiwara family, the most powerful clan during the Nara period. The shrine is famous for its many beautifully crafted bronze lanterns, donated by worshipers, and for the nearly two thousand stone lanterns which line its pathway. The lanterns are lit to spectacular effect during the Mantoro (ten-thousand lanterns) festivals on Feb 3 and Aug 14-15.

Horyu-ji

1-1 Hōryū-ji Sannai, Ikaruga-chō, Ikoma-gun, Nara Prefecture
Open daily 8am-5pm (8am-4:30pm early Nov-late Feb)

Dating from 607 AD, this temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the Five-Story Pagoda, Japan’s oldest five-tier pagoda, and the Kon-do (Golden Hall), the world’s oldest surviving wooden structure. Within the Kon-do are a number of priceless treasures, including several ancient Buddha statues and four heavenly guardians carved of camphor wood.

Approx 1 hr drive from Kyoto. Or, from Kyoto Station, take the JR Tokaido Line to Ishiyama Station (15 min) and the Teisan bus from the station to the museum (50 mins)

Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (admission until 4pm). Closed Mondays. Closed mid-Dec to early March and several weeks in June/July and Aug/Sep – check website for exact dates