This isn’t a run-of-the-mill Far East pagoda. I’ve been to a lot of Japanese cities, and all of them have had tiered towers pointing to heaven. However, none of them had one like this.
At 57 meters, the pagoda at Toji Temple (Eastern Temple) in Kyoto is the tallest in the nation. Regally, its five levels watch over the city and can even be seen from the bullet train. Lori and I were on a tight schedule trying to see as much as possible of historic Kyoto via rental bicycle when we stopped to peer at the noble structure.
It stands on the grounds of Toji Temple which was built at the same time Kyoto became Japan’s capital in 794. We enjoyed strolling the well-kept grounds, but didn’t enter the main building. Having already seen Kiyomizu Temple, Tofukuji Temple, and the Red Gates of Fushimi Inari, our interest in ancient Japanese architecture was beginning to wane. The 500 yen entry fee and fading daylight settled the matter. For free we were able to get sufficiently close to the pagoda, our target for this stop in our tour. Twenty minutes later, we were happy to mount our cycles again and head out for the prestigious Golden Pavilion.
Little did we know what a pedal we had ahead of us…
(oh yes I just did leave you with a weekend cliff hanger!!! See you on Monday ^_^)
Directions and more info on Toji Temple
I agree that after awhile all the temples and such can be a bit much. But the low entrance fees and the few picturesque shoots make it all worth while
Totally. Fortunately Kyoto station provides a nice dose of modern architecture when the temples get to be too much.
The nikon is back out in the field?
You got it! DSLR was too bulky for a bike trip, but generally is still my go to shooter.
You’ve got me interested!
Good! Thanks for stopping by!
Although we were pressed for time, I’m glad we stopped to see the pagoda since it’s such an icon in Kyoto =).
For sure! It was a great memory. ^_^