Kiyomizu-dera, with its sweeping view over the city of Kyoto, is arguably the tourist spot that represents Kyoto. If it is your first time in Kyoto, it goes without saying that you have to visit Kiyomizu-dera at least once. (Which is why you should never travel with someone on their first trip to Kyoto..) Sightseeing here takes about as much effort as crossing a mountain, and when the weather is hot on top of that, there is no way around it. Other than taking a taxi up, that is.

The scenery at Yasaka Shrine

My usual route up to Kiyomizu-dera goes through Yasaka Shrine, out into Maruyama Park, then up through the shopping streets, which are at least a little less crowded. If you exit on the opposite side of Yasaka Shrine, it leads to Nanzen-ji and on to the Philosopher’s Path. All in all it is a long, long sightseeing course of 10-odd kilometers.

La Pâtisserie des Rêves

It is said to be a cake shop flown in from France, and the atmosphere was wonderful. Inside there is a small Kyoto-style garden, and the desserts on their modern display were beautiful. I would have loved to have a cake and a cup of tea before heading up, but the theme of this trip was anti-gourmet, so I just had a look around and left.

On the way to Kodai-ji

So this is where a trace of Hideyoshi lives on. I skipped it for lack of time.

A giant Buddha spotted along the way

I cannot really remember whether this place was always here.

The shopping street around Kiyomizu-dera finally appears

I saw lots of students on school trips.

The entrance to Kiyomizu-dera

This is where it begins.

The view from Kiyomizu-dera

As befits a cultural heritage site that represents Kyoto, the scenery is superb. Credit where credit is due.

Worshippers at Kiyomizu-dera

Thanks to the kimono rental shops, there were tons of people in kimono.

Hydrangeas

It was the season. Rainy season..

Roughly this kind of view

Since I came to a tourist spot, I had to take a tourist-spot photo

To be honest I have been here quite a few times, including during the night-time openings. People like me who have been many times tend to stick to the routes with relatively fewer tourists. This time, sadly, I could not, since I was with a friend who was here for the first time.

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