Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is an ancient temple in Kyoto and was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. The veranda of the temple suspended over the moutain is a national treasure of Japan. It is surrounded by green trees and is full of cherry blossoms in spring. In autumn, the red maple leaves is another attraction. It is equivalent to Kinkaku-jiand Arashiyama, and is a famous historical site in Kyoto. The pilgrims or visiting tourists who come to worship year round come in non-stop.

Kinkaku-ji is an ancient Japanese temple in Kyoto. Completed in 1397, it originally served as the villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, but was later transformed into a Zen Buddhist temple. Originally named Rokuon-ji (literally "Deer Garden Temple"), it is also known as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion owing to the gold foil that the outside of the building is wrapped in. In addition to being a famous tourist attraction, Kinkaku-ji has also been designated as a National Treasure by the Japanese government and is a symbol of Kyoto.

Once the acting residence of the Tokugawa shoguns while in Kyoto, Nijo Castle is also serves as a symbol of the power of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The castle is surrounded by high walls and a moat, with the inside rooms connected by a corridor installed with the famous "nightingale floors". These floors were designed to make a chirping sound when walked upon so as to prevent intruding assassins at night. The castle opens in the evening during cherry blossom season, attracting flocks of visitors to view the magnificent cherry blossom trees.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto. People come to worship Inari Okami, the god harvest and commercial success. The Torii leading to the main shrine is a famous landscape of this shrine. This long and endless pathway is arranged from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. It is one of the representative landscapes of Kyoto and has appeared in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Because the fox is regarded as the messenger of the Inari Okami, the fox-faced shaped emas are a major feature here.