The central part of the island of Honshu is Kyoto Prefecture. The sights of this historical region of Japan are concentrated in the central city of the same name. This is an ancient Japanese city, the former capital of the state for more than a millennium. Heian was the name of the main residence of the Japanese emperors in the old days.
Everyone can admire the sights available in Kyoto, photos of which serve as a worthy decoration for travelers' albums. These are both modern architectural wonders and ancient ones that keep the secrets of history. It is remarkable that all of them are a single whole with the natural landscape that surrounds them. The city is spread out among the hills, and its streets are lined up in a checkerboard pattern.
The most interesting ancient sights of Kyoto are its palaces and temples. More than 2,000 of them have survived in the city. In fact, this is the center of ancient architecture, art, religion, philosophy, and crafts. It can be safely called the treasury of Japan. Many of Kyoto's historical sites have been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Nijo Shogun Palace
In the citytwo palaces. One of them belonged to the Tokugawa shoguns, the second - the imperial palace. At the same time, the first one significantly exceeds the palace intended for the imperial family both in size and in luxury of decoration, which indicates who was the real master in the country.
Nijo is the name of a landmark in Kyoto that belonged to the military rulers of the Land of the Rising Sun. This palace, like others of a similar purpose, has nothing in common with similar architectural counterparts in Europe. Outwardly, there is nothing particularly attractive in it. The building is built entirely of cypress wood, but the interior decoration is replete with gold.
Paintings made using woodcarving technique can be admired for hours. The interior of the palace is also famous for its special floors. They are called singing, or nightingale. Their boards are laid in a special way and make sounds something like a melodic creaking. Such floors were made with the aim that no one could pass through the corridors of the Nijo Palace unnoticed.
The shoguns' palace is surrounded by a huge area, which has several gardens, skillfully designed. The picturesque pond is amazing - its shore is replete with stones arranged in a special order, matched in size and color. The gardens are planted with a lot of Japanese cherry trees of different varieties, so you can see cherry blossoms here at any time of the year. You want to wander here slowly and endlessly. This walk, by the way, is not cheap. You can enter the territory only by purchasing a ticket, which costs about 600 yen.
Gosho Imperial Palace
Gosho Imperial Palace looks much more modest. The fact is that the emperor in Japan is a sacred figure. He practically did not participate in the secular life of the country and had to pray for the sake of its prosperity, to be a symbol of purity and spirituality. So no frills were allowed in the castle.
It is completely wooden and has been subjected to many destructions and fires over the centuries. Last version built in 1946.
There is a park around the Gosho Palace. Trees of different species are selected in it so that their picturesque appearance delights the views of visitors walking in the park all year round.
In the city, as mentioned above, there are many temples. The Golden and Silver pavilions are especially popular. These sights of Kyoto were originally built as some kind of summer residences for the shogun. Currently, they are Buddhist temples. The pavilions themselves and the areas surrounding them are very picturesque.
Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion
The Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion is located in the Shokoku-ji temple complex. It was originally planned that its roof would be silver, but this plan did not materialize for unknown reasons. Nevertheless, the sun's rays, refracting on the roof of the temple, give it a silvery sheen. So the name "Silver" justifies itself.
The Silver Pavilion attracts many travelers with its Sandy Garden. lake of sand andthe pebbles are a work of art from the 16th century.
Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion
Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavilion, rises on the shore of the pond, reflected in its water with golden highlights. The picture is an absolutely fabulous view.
This is a golden-yellow three-tier structure with a bronze sphinx crowning its roof. The pavilion is framed by evergreen vegetation. Its original purpose was to serve for the rest of the shogun and his entourage, but later Kinkakuji turned into a Buddhist temple.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kyoto is a city whose sights can amaze many with their unusualness. And one of these places is the Fushimi Itari Shrine, built many centuries ago in honor of the god of rice Itari, who, according to legend, passed through these places. More precisely, this is a whole temple complex, the road to which runs from the foot of the hill of the same name to its top, crowned with the main temple.
You can walk the whole way in two hours. Part of the trail will pass through a bright red tory gate. The whole trail is very scenic. Such a long and marvelous road was supposed to lead the traveler to philosophical thoughts.
In the area surrounding the main Shinto shrine, you can find many sculptures of foxes. This is not a coincidence. According to legend, these animals are the messengers and companions of the god Inari.
It is wonderful that the entrance to the territory of the temple is free, unlike other similar cultfacilities.
Sagano - bamboo forest
Sangano Bamboo Forest is located a few kilometers from the outskirts of Kyoto in the town of Arashiyama. It is very popular among tourists. Caught in a thicket of bamboo feels like an inhabitant of another planet. Thick green stems go up to the sky. They all have approximately the same 20-meter height. Many paths for pedestrians have been made through these impenetrable thickets.
It should be noted that when visiting the sights of Kyoto (Japan), you need to take photos very carefully, that is, you need to shoot only in places where it is allowed, otherwise you will not end up in trouble. Both palaces are such restricted areas - indoor photography is prohibited. Such restrictions exist everywhere in Japan.
