Amidaji was founded over 1,200 years ago as a guardian temple of childbirth by Empress Komoyo, consort to Shomu Tennon. Amidaji enshrines a statue of Amida Nyorai Buddha as a gesture of gratitude for a safe birth believed to have been brought about through the glory of Amida Nyorai Buddha. [...]
Read more
When visiting To-Ji temple, many may overlook its sub-temple, Kanchi-In. Located near the moat of Toji, Kanchi-In temple has been made famous thanks to its long history and beautiful gardens. Located in the temple is an ink painting drawn by the famous Miyamoto Musashi swordsman. [...]
Read more
Founded at the beginning of the Heian period right after the capital was moved in Kyoto, To-ji (Toji) temple or the East temple in English was built. Together with its now-defunct sister temple Saiji or West temple To-ji was among Kyoto's largest temples and served the capital's guardian temples. [...]
Read more
Heian shrine is located in Kyoto where Heian is actually Kyoto's former name. Sort of a "newcomer" in Kyoto, it was built in 1895 for the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation and dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Kammu and Komei. [...]
Read more
Nanzen-Ji temple is the main temple located near Tenju-An (Kyoto). It is the head temple of a school within the Rinzai sect. Destroyed during the civil wars of the late Muromachi Period, the history of Nanzen-ji temple dates back to the middle of the 13th century when the Emperor Kameyama [...]
Read more
Today’s video was shot over a year ago. It can’t really be described as your usual TokyoStreetView video. No, today’s video is some old raw footage from when I was testing a new cinema camera to find out the effect it could have on my future workflow. [...]
Read more
At the base of the Higashiyama mountains, near the very important zen temple of Nanzenji is Tenju-An temple. Tenju-An was erected in the early 17th century and is dedicated to the zen master who served Emperor Kameyama in his religious studies. [...]
Read more
Unganji is a Zen temple located in the mountains near Otawara City in Tochigi prefecture. Part of the Rinzai School, it was built around the Heian era during the Daiji years (1126 ~ 1131). [...]
Read more
Chomeji Temple was erected around the 4th century near the beautiful lake Biwako, Japan’s largest natural lake. It centers around the life story of Takenouchi no Sukune, a famous ancient politician who, according to the legend, lived for the next 300 years after carving a passage into a […]
Read more
Hotaru or firefly, are beloved in Japan. Often part of Japanese poems, songs, and stories they are unfortunately on their way to extinction due to the overzealous use of pesticides. Japanese streams are too often contaminated with pollutants, killing Hotaru and making them more and more difficult to find. [...]
Read more
Arashiyama, one of the world's most famous bamboo groves, is located in Kyoto. Composed of many different public and private areas of the Sagano bamboo forest, Arashiyama is however one of the most well-known sections of this huge bamboo grove. [...]
Read more
Kamo river has its source in the area of Mt. Sajikigatake. Its riverbanks are popular walking spots for both local residents and tourists alike. Beautiful and peaceful all year long, it is however during summer that the Kamo river in central Kyoto takes a livelier turn with many […]
Read more
