Kyoto Walking Tour: Buddhism, Art and Gardens

You will first meet your guide at JR Kyoto Station, a futuristic marvel made of steel and plate glass. From there, you will head to the 15th floor, where you can enjoy excellent views of the city from a peaceful rooftop garden.

After the station, you will then head down one of Kyoto’s quieter alleys to Higashi Honganji Temple, one of two head temples of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism, the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan. At Higashi Honganji, you will visit, among other buildings, the impressive Goeido hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Consisting of towering high ceilings and gold fittings, it is a sight to be seen.

Next, you will arrive at Sanjusangen-do Temple (officially called “Rengo-in Temple”). Here, you can see a large gold statue of the “thousand-armed” Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of Mercy, flanked by 1,000 human-sized replicas — a breathtaking scene, unlike anywhere else in the world.

At Chishaku-in Temple, the last destination on this tour, you can see artworks painted by Hasegawa Tohaku and his pupils. Tohaku was one of the greatest Japanese painters of the 16th century, and the beautiful gold-leaf screens displayed here showcase the very best of his skills (three of them are even designated National Treasures). The temple is also known for its lush strolling garden, where visitors can appreciate a beautiful green landscape atop a man-made hill. The garden is centered around a pond and some highlights include its striking azalea area, which is vibrantly colorful in mid-spring.