On the Final Day of My Kyoto Trip, I Headed to Nanzen-ji
Within Walking Distance from the Hotel
After checking out of The Westin Miyako Kyoto, I headed to Nanzen-ji. It was close enough to walk there.
I went through the tunnel beneath the Keage Incline, commonly known as Nejiri Manpo.
A Vast Temple Grounds
After walking a little farther, I arrived at Nanzen-ji. It’s a huge temple, and even the gate is enormous…!
The Suirokaku Aqueduct Is Still in Use Today
As I made my way deeper in, I reached the Suirokaku Aqueduct, a spot often used for filming and hugely popular for Instagram photos as well.
This aqueduct within Nanzen-ji was built to carry water from Lake Biwa into Kyoto.
It’s still in use today, so if you climb the slope above it, you can see the water flowing abundantly. (Just be careful not to fall.)
Pirates of the Caribbean does not start here, haha. But it’s hard not to imagine it.
Beautiful Gardens
Since the temple grounds are so large, there are several places to visit, but the most popular and best-known is probably the Hojo Garden. There are several beautiful gardens there, and it’s a wonderful place.
I don’t know much about gardens at all, so I’ll spare you the details…
There’s also a tea room, and I would have liked to try it if I’d had more time, but I had somewhere else to be next, so I couldn’t this time. I’ll come back again.
Climbing the Gate
Since I was there, I decided to go inside the Sanmon Gate too. Almost as soon as you enter, you have to climb these steep stairs.
Photography is prohibited on the stairs because they’re dangerous. At the top, a wonderfully open view spreads out before you. Apparently, it’s one of Kyoto’s three great gates.
The climb was tough, but I’m really glad I did it…
And afterward, I ended up with sore muscles… (wry laugh)
Walking to the Next Destination
After this, I headed to the final stop of my Kyoto trip: the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.
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