Kiyomizu Temple aka: Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera,音羽山清水寺

Great place, but if you’ve seen as many temples in Japan at I have, they tend to be not as special after 4 years. However it’s great that there are so many in such close walking distance, and the whole area has such a lovely traditional warm feeling to it. Lots of space too, so it doesn’t feel so crowded.

This past year I was an exchange student to Japan, and so I thought I had the whole Japanese temple thing down packed. But after I climbed the slope and reached the deck peering out about the city, I knew I had reached something special. Kiyomizu-dera is and probably will always be my favite place in Kyoto. It is beautiful, and even though there a bit too many tourists, it is spiritual. Try to go at night time in the fall and spring when they light up the whole structure. it was so magical for me, I even cried. It was also nominated to be one of the new world wonders. Alas, it did not win, but it still is a magnificant place

There was a big TV production going on, and it was especially crowded. They put a white screen around the TV personnel so the camera couldn’t see all the many tourists (mostly Japanese).
I also heard that when Japanese people tour Kyoto, Kiyomizudera is the first place they visit.
I liked it, but i don’t know if it was as amazing as all the other things I saw such as the fall leaves in Kamakura.

Kiyomizu dera temple is my best experience in Japan, hands down. Go in early April during the cherry blossom season, it was beau-ti-ful! That’s all I have to say, I’ll definitely vote it as one of the new 7 wonder of the world, www.new7wonders.com. :)

Don’t go in the winter. It’s more impressive during fall with the leaves changing colors or during the cherry blossom blooming time.

Tranquil and huge. Be prepared to climb lotsa stairs, which is part of the fun. Surrounded by quaint shops and nice forest. Its on a hill so you get a good view. You can dress up as a geisha if you want, look for the service among the shops.

The first time I went to Kiyomizudera, I heard that if you jumped from the stage and lived, you would have good luck. Naturally, they don’t allow such a thing anymore, but when they did, there was a surprisingly high survival rate, due to the fact that there were trees at the bottom. I was looking at the trees at the time, and for the life of me, I could not visualize how they would help.

There are three fountains at the temple. It was interesting, but out of the entire group of high school students, we all chose the one for wisdom.

Go on a Wednesday morning.

Traditional, breathtaking view. The streets that lead uphill to Kiyomizudera are lined with shops selling traditional food, gifts and toys. LOVE IT!

Somehow I was invited to do a blind Budhist bead walking mediation under this temple. Worth doing