Kiyomizu-dera

The head shrine of Inari worship located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. Famous worldwide for its approximately 2,900 vermillion torii gates covering Inari Mountain. Founded in 711, it is among Japan's oldest shrines. Attracting approximately 2.7 million visitors annually, it is one of Japan's premier tourist destinations.

Head temple of the Kita Hosso sect in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, established in 1798. Its stage-like main hall perched on a high overlook commanding views of Kyoto has long attracted pilgrims. Famous as the origin of the phrase 'jump from Kiyomizu's stage' (taking bold action), it's designated a National Treasure. Attracting approximately 2 million visitors annually, it represents Kyoto globally.

A structure at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture. A cypress-wood stage 13 meters high overlooking Kyoto's landscape. Rebuilt in 1633, it is a masterpiece of traditional architecture using no nails. The origin of the phrase 'taking a leap from the Kiyomizu stage' (taking a bold decision). Attracting over 2 million visitors annually, it symbolizes Kyoto's representative temple.

A Hosso school temple located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. Known for its stage-like main hall using unique cantilever construction without pillars. With over 1,200 years of history since its founding in 778, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.' One of Kyoto's largest attractions, it receives about 2 million visitors annually.

A Zen Buddhist temple of the Rinzai sect in Higashiyama, Kyoto, built in the late 15th century by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Though never decorated with silver leaf as its name suggests, it epitomizes Japanese aesthetic principles through its white walls and dry landscape garden reflecting wabi-sabi beauty. Designated a National Treasure in 2001, it embodies the essence of Japanese culture and architectural philosophy.

A Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward. Built in 1489, this two-story pavilion was intended to be covered in silver leaf but remains uncoated, embodying the beauty of wabi-sabi alongside its moss-covered garden. It exemplifies the aesthetic refinement of the Muromachi period and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

A Zen temple in Kyoto's Sakyoku Ward, formally known as Jisho-ji. Built in the late 15th century, its silver pavilion expresses wabi-sabi aesthetics distinct from Kinkaku-ji. Its refined simplicity and zen garden rock garden are considered the pinnacle of Japanese aesthetics, attracting approximately 2 million visitors annually.