The central part of Honshu Island is Kyoto Prefecture. 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 - the so-called main residence of Japanese emperors in the old days.
Everyone can admire the sights in Kyoto, the photos of which serve as a worthy decoration for the albums of travelers. These are both modern architectural miracles, and ancient, keeping secrets of history. It is remarkable that they all form a single whole with the natural landscape surrounding them. The city is spread among the hills, and its streets are staggered.
The most interesting ancient sights of Kyoto - these are his palaces and temples. There are more than 2,000 of them in the city. In fact, it is the center of ancient architecture, art, religion, philosophy, crafts. It can be safely called the treasury of Japan. Many historical sights of Kyoto are classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Nijo Shogun Palace
There are two palaces in the city. One of them belonged to Tokugawa shoguns, the second belonged to the imperial palace. At the same time, the first one significantly exceeds the palace intended for the imperial family both in size and luxury of decoration, which indicates who the real owner was in the country.
Nijo is the name of the Kyoto landmark that belonged to the military rulers of the Land of the Rising Sun. This palace, like others of similar purpose, has nothing to do with similar architectural counterparts in Europe. Outwardly, there is nothing particularly attractive in it. The building is entirely constructed of cypress wood, but the interior is replete with gold.
Wood carvings can be admired for hours. The inside of the palace is famous for its special floors. They are called singers, or nightingales. Their boards are laid in a special way and make sounds with something similar to melodic creaking. Such floors were made so that no one could pass through the corridors of the Nijo Palace unnoticed.
The shogun’s palace is surrounded by a vast territory, on which several gardens are artfully designed. The picturesque pond is amazing - its shore abounds in stones arranged in a special order, selected in size and color. In the gardens, a lot of Japanese cherries of different varieties are planted, so at any time of the year you can see sakura blossoms here. I want to wander around leisurely and indefinitely. This walk is worth, incidentally, not cheap. You can enter the territory only by purchasing a ticket, worth about 600 yen.
Imperial Palace of Gosyo
Gosyo 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 make prayers in the name of its prosperity, to be a symbol of purity and spirituality. So there were no excesses in the castle.
It is completely wooden and has undergone many destructions and fires over the centuries. The latest version was built in 1946.
Around the Gosyo Palace is a park. Trees of different species are selected in it so that their picturesque appearance sweetens the views of visitors walking in the park all year round.
In the city, as mentioned above, many temples. Golden and Silver pavilions are especially popular. These sights of Kyoto were originally built as a kind of summer residence of the shogun. Currently, they are located Buddhist temples. The pavilions themselves and the territories 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 his roof would be silver, but this plan was not implemented for unknown reasons. Nevertheless, the sun's rays, refracting on the roof of the temple, give it a silver tint. So the name "Silver" is fully justified.
The silver pavilion attracts many travelers with the Sand Garden located on the territory. A sand and pebble lake is a work of art of the 16th century.
Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion
Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavilion, rises on the banks of the pond, reflected in its water with golden highlights. The picture is a completely fabulous view.
This is a three-tier structure of golden yellow color, the roof of which is crowned with a bronze sphinx. The pavilion is framed by evergreen vegetation. Its original purpose is to serve as a resting place for the shogun and his associates, but later Kinkakuji turned into a Buddhist temple.
Fushimi Inari Temple
Kyoto is a city whose sights can amaze many with its unusualness. And one of such places is the Fushimi Itari Temple, erected 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 by the main temple.
You can go all the way in two hours. Part of the trail passes through the bright red tori gates. The whole trail is very picturesque. Such a long and marvelous road, according to the plan, was to prompt the traveler to philosophical thoughts.
On the territory surrounding the main Shinto temple, you can find many sculptural figures of foxes. This is not a coincidence. According to legend, these animals are messengers and companions of the god Inari.
It is remarkable that the entrance to the temple is free, unlike other similar religious buildings.
Sagano - Bamboo Forest
Sangano's bamboo forest is located a few kilometers from the outskirts of Kyoto in Arashiyama. It is very popular among tourists. Once in the thicket of bamboo, it feels like an inhabitant of another planet. Thick green stems go to the sky. They all have approximately the same 20-meter height. Through these impenetrable thickets, many paths for pedestrians have been made.
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 won’t get into trouble. Such forbidden areas include both palaces - indoor photography is prohibited. Such restrictions exist everywhere in Japan.