nice stores and a footbath to finish at the station.
8 Ginkaku-ji Temple
The Silver(less) Pavilion
Kinkaku-ji’s unadorned cousin, Ginkaku-ji, has got the natural look down pat. The Silver Pavilion, as it’s often known in English (Gin means silver), was supposedly going to be covered in silver leaf when it was built as a shogun’s retirement villa during the 1480s, but for reasons nobody can decide on today that never happened.
It’s most likely that shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the man behind Ginkaku-ji’s construction (and the grandson of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who was responsible for the gilded Kinkaku-ji), simply ran out of money to fund the project, while others speculate that he never had any real intention of spending a fortune on all that silver. Whatever the reason, Ginkaku-ji, which became a Zen temple (officially called Jisho-ji) after Yoshimasa’s death, is fine just the way it is.
Yoshimasa was said to have been a great patron of the arts, promoting such pursuits as poetry and the tea ceremony, which he pursued in his retirement at Ginkaku-ji, and the temple’s understated beauty is certainly more representative of Japanese artistic sensibilities than the brashness of Kinkaku-ji. The view over Ginkaku-ji from the small wooded hill within the temple’s grounds is worthy of a haiku. The grounds are lush with moss and trees that contrast with the simple raked sand garden, where the raised ripples in the white sand are said to be designed to reflect the moon’s rays. The pond positioned in front of Ginkaku-ji sometimes ripples in the breeze, too, as its catches reflections of the two-story thatched temple. It all combines to make Ginkaku-ji uniquely special.
Opening Times Daily Mar.–Nov. 8.30 a.m.–5 p.m., Dec.–Feb. 9 a.m.–4.30 p.m. Getting There Take buses #5, #17 or #100 to the Ginkakuji-mae bus stop. Or look at Chapter 2, page 36, to see how Ginkaku-ji can be combined with a stroll along the nearby Philosopher’s Path. Contact www.shokoku-ji.jp Admission Fee ¥500. While in the area After Ginkaku-ji walk down the Philosopher’s Path as part of the day out detailed on page 36. The Philosopher’s Path has a few nice cafes and stores on and just off it including Yojiya, where you can sip tea on tatami accompanied by some lovely garden views (page 37).
9 Nishiki-koji Food Market
Kyoto’s oldest market is a sensory delight
To stroll along the approximately 500-meter (1,640-foot) covered street that makes up Nishiki-koji food market is to journey through the colors, aromas and flavors of Kyoto’s culinary heritage. Running parallel to Shijo Street, one block to the north, the vibrant Nishiki-koji began life in 1616 as a fish market, but over the centuries its scope has broadened to encapsulate an incredible range of regional specialties and traditional traders.
For visitors with a sweet tooth, you’ll find Swiss baumkauchen cake with a green tea flavored twist, colorful hard candies that look like ornate marbled glass, and traditional Japanese sweets such as dango (rice flour dumpling), warabi mochi (a thick, jelly-like sweet made with bracken starch) and manju (dough buns filled with red bean paste). In keeping with Nishiki’s seafood roots, there are also stores that specialize in river fish, dried fish and cured fish, while among the rest of Nishiki’s 126 stores you’ll also find tofu and yuba (tofu skin) variations, pickles that come in almost every conceivable color, a variety of hand-made noodles, not to mention simple greengrocers, and several cafes and eateries. There’s even cheap and cheerful b-kyu gurume (lit. b-grade gourmet) on hand in the shape of tako-yaki (octopus chunks deep-fried in batter), amongst other things.
When it’s too wet or too hot outside for temple hopping, an hour or two in the market should be at the top of your list of things to do. Whatever the weather, Nishiki-koji delivers a treat for the senses and an insight into Kyoto’s culinary traditions.
Opening Times Daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., although some stores have fixed days off. Getting There A several-minute walk from Shijo Station (Karasuma subway line), Karasuma Station (Hankyu Line) and Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Line). Also handily served by City Bus #5 via the Shijo Takakura bus stop. Contact www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp Admission Fee Free. While in the area Connected to Nishiki is the covered Teramachi arcade (page 33), a great place to browse craft shops, art galleries, book shops and many other places that off er things above and beyond typical tourist fare.
10 Byodo-in Temple
The historic “Phoenix Hall” and its priceless treasures
If you have a ¥10 coin handy, flip it over and you’ll see one of Japan’s most recognizable historic buildings—Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall spreading its wings as if about to take flight. Located south of Kyoto, in the town of Uji (page 44 for a day trip), the Phoenix Hall makes it onto modern-day currency for good reason. Not only is the design so striking, it’s the only structure at Byodo-in Temple that dates to the temple’s original construction in 1052–1053, when Fujiwara no Yorimichi, the son of the then emperor’s closest adviser, decided to convert an old aristocrat’s villa into a Buddhist temple.
While the outside of the Phoenix Hall leaves many visitors in a photographic frenzy, snapping away at the hall and its watery reflection, the inside of the hall is just as impressive thanks to a collection of exquisite historic artwork. Most notably that includes a seated statue of the Amitabha Tathagata Buddha sculpted by Heian-era (794–1185) master sculptor of Buddhist images Jocho, which was enshrined inside the hall in 1053 to celebrate its construction.
As a reminder that despite the temple’s beauty, brutality was never all that far away in classical Japan, look out for a fan-shaped marker on the temple’s grounds placed to mark the spot where prominent aristocrat and poet Minamoto no Yorimasa committed ritual suicide in the 12th century after losing control of Byodo-in Temple in battle against the Taira clan. The Minamoto clan would go on to win the resulting Genpei War against the Taira and with it rule Japan under the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333), although in his death poem Yorimasa must have feared all was lost: Like an old tree / From which we gather no blossoms / Sad has been my life / Fated to bear no fruit.
Opening Times Daily 8.30 a.m.–5.30 p.m. The Phoenix Hall viewing sessions (every 20 minutes; maximum of 50 people at a time) run from 9.10 a.m.–4.30 p.m. Getting There A ten-minute walk from Uji Station, which is 16 minutes from Kyoto on the JR Nara Line. Contact www.byodoin.or.jp Admission Fee ¥600, plus an additional ¥300 to go inside the Phoenix Hall. While in the area Uji is famed for tea and the streets that lead to Byodo-in Temple are lined with small stores that sell all manner of green tea inspired goods. On a hot day, try one of the slightly bitter green tea ice creams, or pick up an unusual souvenir like green tea liqueur or green tea noodles.
11 Nara’s Horyu-ji Temple
An early outpost of Japanese Buddhism
Deciding on just one ‘Don’t Miss’ to represent Nara is the kind of task that can leave a man awake at night. You could pick Todai-ji Temple (page 50), which is famous in part for its 15-meter (50-foot)-high bronze statue of Buddha, or maybe you could opt for Kofuki-ji Temple (page 48) because of its 600-year-old five-story pagoda, the original of which was moved to Nara from Kyoto in the 8th century. Then there is Horyu-ji Temple, which is home to not only an
