▲ Kiyomizu-dera temple: One of Kyoto's representative UNESCO world heritage sites, renowned for its suspended "Kiyomizu stage". From here, visitors can overlook Kyoto's cityscape, and the pure waters of the Otowa waterfall within the temple grounds are believed to possess spiritual blessing powers.
▲ Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka: Stone-paved slopes connecting the area around Kiyomizu-dera temple, lined with traditional wooden machiya townhouses featuring teahouses, confectionery shops and craft stores. This classic walking route offers an authentic experience of Kyoto's historic streetscape and charm.
▲ Ishibe alley: A tranquil lane near Yasaka shrine, featuring stone-paved paths flanked by elegant traditional Japanese walls, offering a peaceful and quaint atmosphere to experience Kyoto's hidden beauty.
▲ Gion Hanamikoji-dori: Kyoto's famous flower district, lined with charming machiya townhouses. This is the heart of traditional geisha culture, where you might encounter geiko and maiko heading to tea houses in the evening.
▲ Yasaka shrine, located in Higashiyama ward of Kyoto, is a historic and renowned shrine. Its vermilion main hall architecture is particularly magnificent, and it also serves as the venue for one of Kyoto's three major festivals, the Gion festival.
▲ Fushimi Inari Taisha: The head shrine of all Inari shrines in Japan, dedicated to the deities of agriculture and commerce. Famous for its thousand torii gates tunnel stretching to the mountaintop, with layers of vermilion torii gates and fox statues found throughout the grounds.
▲ Senbon torii (thousand torii gates): Nearly 10,000 vermilion torii gates stretch along Mount Inari. Serving as the entrance to the sacred realm, these densely layered gates form an awe-inspiring tunnel, standing as a Kyoto landmark and the filming location for "Memoirs of a Geisha".
▲ Nara Park: A vast historical park housing ancient sites like Tōdai-ji and Kasugataisha Shrine. Over 1,200 sika deer, considered divine messengers, roam freely for close interactions, with enchanting cherry blossoms in spring and maple foliage in fall.
▲ Tōdai-ji: The head temple of the Kegon school established in 728. The great Buddha hall is a wooden ancient structure housing a 15 m tall bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha. The 8 m tall Kongōrikishi statues at the Nandaimon gate are majestic.