Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [249]
The shrine is only a one-minute walk from Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop; take bus 205 from Kyoto Station.
KYOTO BOTANICAL GARDENS
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens (Map; 701-0141; Shimogamohangi-chō, Sakyō-ku; gardens adult ¥200, child ¥80-150, greenhouse ¥200, ¥80-150; 9am-5pm, closed new-year holidays), opened in 1914, occupy 240,000 sq metres and feature 12,000 plants, flowers and trees. It is pleasant to stroll through the rose, cherry and herb gardens or see the rows of camphor trees and the large tropical greenhouse. This is a good spot for a picnic or a bit of Frisbee throwing. The gardens are a two-minute walk from Kitayama subway station (Karasuma line). Enter by 4.30pm.
KAMIGAMO-JINJA
This shrine (Map; 781-0011; 339 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku; admission free; 8am-5.30pm) is one of Japan’s oldest shrines and predates the founding of Kyoto. Established in 679, it is dedicated to Raijin, the god of thunder, and is one of Kyoto’s 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites. The present buildings (over 40 in all), including the impressive Haiden hall, are exact reproductions of the originals, dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. The shrine is entered from a long approach through two torii (shrine gates). The two large conical white-sand mounds in front of Hosodono hall are said to represent mountains sculpted for gods to descend upon.
The shrine is a five-minute walk from Kamigamo-misonobashi bus stop; take bus 9 from Kyoto Station.
TŌ-JI
This temple (Map; 691-3325; 1 Kujō-chō, Minami-ku; admission to grounds free, Kondō & Treasure Hall ¥500; 8.30am-5.30pm, to 4.30pm 20 Sep-19 Mar) was established in 794 by imperial decree to protect the city. In 818 the emperor handed the temple over to Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. Many of the buildings were destroyed by fire or fighting during the 15th century; most of those that remain date from the 17th century.
The Kōdō (Lecture Hall) contains 21 images representing a Mikkyō (Esoteric Buddhism) mandala. The Kondō (Main Hall) contains statues depicting the Yakushi (Healing Buddha) trinity. In the southern part of the garden stands the five-storey pagoda, which burnt down five times, was rebuilt in 1643 and is now the highest pagoda in Japan, standing 57m tall.
The Kōbō-san market-fair is held here on the 21st of each month. The fairs held in December and January are particularly lively.
Tō-ji is a 15-minute walk southwest of Kyoto Station or a five-minute walk from Tōji Station on the Kintetsu line.
UMEKŌJI STEAM LOCOMOTIVE MUSEUM
A hit with steam-train buffs and kids, this museum (Map; 314-2996; Kannon-ji-chō, Shimogyō-ku; adult/child ¥400/100, train ride ¥200/100; 9.30am-5pm, admission by 4.30pm, closed Mon) features 18 vintage steam locomotives (dating from 1914 to 1948) and related displays. It’s in the former Nijō Station building, which was recently relocated here and carefully reconstructed. For an extra few yen, you can take a 10-minute ride on one of the fabulous old trains (departures at 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm).
From Kyoto Station, take bus 33, 205 or 208 to the Umekō-ji Kōen-mae stop (make sure you take a westbound bus).
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MANGA – JAPANESE COMICS
Despite the recent popularity of graphic novels in the West, it’s fair to say that comics occupy a fairly humble position in the Western literary world. In Japan, however, manga stand shoulder to shoulder with traditional text-based books. Indeed, hop on any morning train in Japan and you could be excused for thinking that the Japanese refuse to read anything that isn’t accompanied by eye-popping graphics, long-legged doe-eyed heroines, and the Japanese equivalents of words like ‘POW!’ and ‘BLAM!’
Manga, written with the Japanese characters for ‘random’ and ‘picture’, have their roots way back in Japanese history – some would say as early as the 12th century, when ink-brush painters drew humorous pictures of humans and animals (these pictures are known as chōjū jinbutsu giga). The direct antecedents of manga, however, are the ukiyo-e (wood-block prints)