Northwest Kyoto

Ryōan-ji is home to one of Japan’s most famous rock gardens, a cultural heritage site that attracts visitors from all around the world every day. Originally the temple was an aristocrat’s villa during the Heian Period, but it was converted into a Zen temple in 1450 by Hosokawa Katsumoto, who was a top-ranking warlord in the Ashikaga Shogunate.  Although the rock garden at Ryōan-ji takes the spotlight, the temple offers other beautiful gems such as the Kyōyōchi Pond in its residential-style leisure garden, as well as the beautiful paintings and artifacts in the Abbot's Quarters. In 1994, this temple was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.See more

Dedicated to Tenjin, the god of learning, Kitano Tenmangū is a popular destination for those wishing to pray for success in scholarship and studies. Tenjin was once a man named Sugawara no Michizane who was an accomplished statesmen, poet, and scholar before he fell out of favor and was banished from the capital, dying in obscurity. When disasters began to strike Kyoto after his death it was determined that his wrathful spirit was the cause and he was deified in order to pacify his anger.  Kitano Tenmangū serves as the head shrine for the various Tenjin shrines throughout the country, and is definitely worth the visit - even more so if you have an aspiring scholar among you.  Cattle are considered the messengers of Tenjin, and statues of them dot the shrine grounds.  The main gate is a beautiful construct, and within the grounds are famous groves of plum trees, said to be Michizane’s favorite.  The central inner gate and main hall of the shrine are decorated with wood carvings and golden lanterns, and it is especially busy around exam time and plum blossom season in late winter.  Be sure to check it out when you’re in the area or in need of some help on a test or scholastic pursuit!See more

A shrine with a thousand year history, Imamiya Shrine has a reputation when it comes to prayers for good health and recovery from illness.  Located in northwestern Kyoto, this Shinto shrine is famous for hosting the Yasurai Festival in April and the Imamiya Festival in May, prayers for good health, and its purportedly magical stone that can predict if your wishes will come true or not. 

The path to the shrine’s magnificent two-story gate is lined with ginkgo trees that turn a brilliant yellow in the autumn, and the grounds contain numerous interesting features just waiting to be discovered.  True to the history of shrines as gathering places for the community, Imamiya Shrine is very much involved in the lives of the locals who live around it.

A small temple located in northwest Kyoto, Genkō-an is a Soto Zen temple that is famous for its rather strikingly original windows.  People come from all over Kyoto and abroad to sit in front of the “Window of Confusion” and the “Window of Enlightenment” in quiet contemplation.  With a history spanning centuries, a somewhat macabre draw of the temple are its so-called “bloody ceilings”, which are made from the floorboards at the site of a mass ritual suicide.  Beyond its architectural and historical features, the temple is also home to a charming garden and various pieces of art.See more

Hōrin-ji is a small Buddhist temple of the Rinzai Zen Myōshin-ji school, located in a quiet neighborhood in the northwest of Kyoto. Better known by the name of Daruma-dera, this temple’s major attraction is its incredible collection of about 8,000 donated daruma dolls, which represent the Zen patriarch Bodhidharma (“Bodai Daruma” in Japanese). In addition to all the dolls, ranging from tiny to nearly human height, the devotion to Bodhidharma is evident in the numerous paintings, wood carvings, stone statues, and even the architectural details of the temple complex itself. Visitors pray here for long life and happiness, as well as for protection from illnesses and misfortune. Hōrin-ji also has a small Zen garden, offering a peaceful haven away from the city bustle.See more