Higashi Honganji Kyoto

We had a very early start this morning as we needed to check out of our hotel in Tokyo and catch a local train to the station where the Shinkansen (bullet train) was leaving to head to Kyoto. But despite having made it to the local Yanamote line train on time we caught the normal train and not the express which meant we did not make it to our …

We arrived in Kyoto on 9th Sept and decided this would be our base for a few nights so that we could catch up with things. We stayed in K's House, lovely hostel with a great lounge area that included sofas! It was really nice to sit on something comfy for a change, we mostly had pillows on the floor with tatami matts.

Our first day we …

We arrived on time (of course: This is Japan after all!) at Kyoto station. Not knowing how to get to our hostel or where the nearest subway was, we got a taxi; even though they are expensive (like UK prices) We couldn't check in to our hostel until 9am; it being 7am at the time. But the hostel owner was there eating breakfast and told us to …

Everyone told me that Kyoto was the place to go. That is for sure. It's amazing the number of things there are to do. Every corner has another temple, or another shrine, or an old house, or people dressed up beautifully. At times it can be a bit overwhelming. There are some really beautiful things, but on the other side they are often packed with …

Getting from Osaka to Kyoto is less than an hour by train so we get a lie in. Once arriving in Kyoto, we can immediately notice a difference. It's much smaller, quieter and the buildings are traditional rather than commercial skyscrapers. The Khaosan hostel is great and one of the first places with couches and beanbags we have seen in Asia. We didn …

... room had rattan flooring and futon mattresses and a view across to the dramatic entrance way of the Higashi-Honganji Temple over the road. The central lounge-dining room was a fun place to sit and chat in the evenings ...

... to the Circle K and bought cup noodles and a beer to celebrate. 1-13 The next morning before lunch I walked down to the Higashi Honganji temple, currently under wraps until 2011. The smaller building (the Amida Hall) was open, but the Founders hall at ...

... atmosphere with locals buying their weekly food shop in a huge, buzzing street.  Recommended in the guidebook is the Higashi-Honganji Temple and we were not alone in visiting this large hall. Hundreds of worshippers in tourist groups were making ...

... apart. I didn't know which was which. They all look at the same after a while. It was then off to Higashi-Honganji Temple. In Kyoto they were celebrating the 750th anniversary of something so all of the temples had an event going on. At this particular ...

... . From wiki: "Nishi Honganji was established in 1602 by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu when he split the main Honganji in Kyoto in two (Higashi Honganji being the other) in order to diminish its power.[1]  Nishi Hongangi is located on Horikawa St. ...

... was colder! But, braved the weather to visit a couple of temples. They do make you gasp aloud.  The first one was Higashi Honganji and is the largest wooden building in the world. It is massive but inside had a wonderful atmosphere that just made ...

... morning, we moved to the 'super' hotel (ryokan - a traditional Japanese hotel) and the marathon started. We started at Higashi Honganji, a Buddhist temple, where they were having a service. Next Sanjusangen-in, also the temple with 1001 statues of Kannon ...

... ..! Also twin beds so we had a bit of space after sleeping in semi-double beds since we arrived. We then went to the Higashi-Honganji Temple, this was huge but unfortunately some of it was under construction so didn't get the whole effect. Shoes had to ...

... out if action. The walking continues on day 3, down to the Umekoji traditional market full of random handmade goods and the working Higashi Honganji temple. It's partially under construction so it's a bit of a let down. Then we head to Gion where Geisha ...

... heritage sites, and one was only a few blocks from our hotel, so we went to check it out. It was a huge temple called Higashi Honganji that was the chief temple of a certain sect of Buddhism. It was founded in the sixteenth century, but the main ...