7 Best Sights in Kyoto, Japan

The most unusual feature of this temple is its cemetery, where about 8,000 stone images stand, a solemn sea of silent mourners. The statues honor the many nameless dead who fell victim to the tumult of pre-Edo Japan and were abandoned in the outskirts of the city, burned here in mass pyres. On August 23 and 24, a ceremony called Sento-kuyo is held here, with more than 1,000 candles lighted for the peaceful repose of these spirits. Whatever time of year you visit, the quiet repose of the multitude of images will make a lasting impression. The temple's main hall, built in 1712, contains an arresting statue of Amida Buddha carved by the Kamakura-era sculptor Tankei.

Considered the epitome of beauty, culture, landscape, and architecture, the Imperial Villa is highly regarded here and abroad. The landscape architect Enshu Kobori (1579–1647) employed aesthetic gardening concepts founded on shin-gyo-so (formal, semiformal, informal) principles that imbue every pathway with a special beauty. Kobori incorporated horticultural references to famous Japanese literature, including The Tale of Genji, and natural sites.

Built in the 17th century for Prince Toshihito, brother of Emperor Go-yozei, Katsura is in southwestern Kyoto near the western bank of the Katsura River. Bridges constructed from earth, stone, and wood connect five islets in the pond, some moss-covered, softened by the ages yet as fresh as rain.

The villa is fairly remote from other historical sites. Allow several hours for a visit, for which you must secure permission from the Imperial Household Agency in Kyoto, by filling out and submitting a form on the agency's website, or by assembling at 11 am at the site to gain admission if space allows.

One of Kyoto's oldest temples, Koryu-ji was founded in AD 622 by Kawakatsu Hata in memory of Prince Shotoku (AD 572–621). Shotoku ruled during an era before the founding of Kyoto. When the capital was to be moved from Nara, the Hata clan was living in this area and invited the present emperor to build a new capital on their lands. Prince Shotoku was the first powerful advocate of Buddhism after it was introduced to Japan in AD 552 and based his government on its dictates.

In the Hatto (Lecture Hall) of the main temple stand three statues, each a National Treasure. The central statue, a seated Buddha, is flanked by the figures of the Thousand-armed Kannon and Fukukenjaku-Kannon. In the Taishi-do (Prince Hall) is a wooden statue of Prince Shotoku, thought to have been carved by him personally. Another statue of Shotoku here is believed to depict him at age 16, when it was carved.

The most famous of the Buddhist images in the Reiho-den (Treasure House) is the statue of Miroku Bosatsu, who, according to Buddhist belief, is destined to appear on Earth in the far-off future to save those unable to achieve enlightenment. Japan's first registered National Treasure, this exquisite wooden statue is thought to date from the 6th or 7th century. This may be the most captivating, ethereal Buddhist image in Kyoto. The epitome of serenity, the image's gentle face is one of the finest examples of 6th-century wooden carving in the world. Other images represent a progression of the carving techniques for which Japan is renowned.

Also known as Kokedera or the "Moss Temple," the monks who run this temple and garden complex require visitors to perform a task upon arrival to prepare them to appreciate fully the alternative realm they are entering. After sitting quietly, you're given an inkstone, a brush, and a sheet of tracing paper covering a shakyo, or sutra, you are encouraged to trace. The exercise complete, you may enter the grounds, with a calm and perhaps awakened spirit, and stroll at your leisure.

The inspiration for the temple's name becomes apparent as you observe the gently swirling greens and blues the 120 varieties of moss create throughout the garden. Designed by the monk Suso Soseki (1275–1351), the garden was a forerunner of later contemplative Zen gardens. This garden, designed on two levels surrounding a pond shaped like the Chinese character for heart, represents Jodo, the western paradise of Buddhism. Permission is required to visit Koinzan Saiho-ji. The simplest ways to arrange a visit are to ask your hotel's concierge, contact the Kyoto Tourist Information Center, or apply directly by mail. It's best to apply at least a month ahead, however, as the limited spaces fill up quickly.

Meaning "Temple of the Heavenly Dragon," this sacred spot is well named. In the 14th century, Emperor Go-Daigo, who had brought an end to the Kamakura shogunate, was forced from his throne by Takauji Ashikaga. After Go-Daigo died, Takauji had twinges of conscience. That's when Priest Muso Soseki had a dream in which a golden dragon rose from the nearby Oi-gawa. He told the shogun about his dream and interpreted it to mean the spirit of Go-Daigo was not at peace. Worried about this ill omen, Takauji completed Tenryu-ji in 1339 on the same spot where Go-Daigo had his favorite villa. Apparently the late emperor's spirit was appeased. Construction took several years and was partly financed by a trading mission to China, which brought back treasures of the Ming dynasty.

In the Hatto (Lecture Hall), where today's monks meditate, a huge "cloud dragon" is painted on the ceiling. The temple was often ravaged by fire, and the current buildings are as recent as 1900; the painting of the dragon was rendered by Shonen Suzuki, a 20th-century artist.

The Sogenchi garden, which dates from the 14th century, is one of Kyoto's most noteworthy gardens. Muso Soseki, an influential Zen monk and garden designer, created the garden to resemble Mt. Horai in China, the mythological home of the Immortals. It is famed for its arrangement of vertical stones embanking the large pond and as one of the first gardens to use "borrowed scenery," incorporating the mountains in the distance into the design of the garden. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the temple and its grounds are well attended by many admirers. There is also an excellent vegetarian Zen cuisine restaurant, Shigetsu, at the southern end of the temple grounds.

The tables are turned at this primate reserve where humans enter a cage-like hut while the resident monkeys roam free—except when clinging to the cage's fencing to grab peanuts offered by visitors. Outside the hut humans and monkeys are free to mingle, and there great views out over the city. Scientists at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute track the movement of these macaques, the most northern monkeys in the world. The hike to the hill-top hut takes 20 minutes up a steep paved path. Look for entrance at the southern end of the Togetsukyo Bridge.

A narrow path through dense patches of bamboo—thick, with straight, smooth green stems—gives most who pass through it a feeling of composure and tranquillity. The wind, clacking the stems and rustling the leaves, provides the sound track. Though bamboo has treelike qualities, it is actually a grass that grows throughout the country. Its springtime shoots are a culinary treat.