RTW Trip Day #9: Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Temple Overload and Nijo Castle

andrewsco3
Oct 9
3 min read

Updated: Oct 11

7 October 2025

Steps: 24,187

Today was our biggest day yet (almost 25,000 steps), and while it was great to see so many amazing sights, we are all absolutely exhausted. Tomorrow we are just going to do a half day of sightseeing to try and recharge a bit, before heading down to Nara and Osaka, and then on to Hong Kong.

Hokan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda)

We decided to walk straight to the famous Yasaka Pagoda viewpoint from our hotel, as we got a Google alert telling it was 'less busy than usual' so we figured we'd try to make the most of it.

Considering how busy everywhere has been, it really didn’t seem too bad and we got some nice photos looking down the famous street towards the pagoda.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

We continued on through the old streets to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of Kyoto’s most famous landmarks, known for its massive wooden stage that juts out from the main hall and offers sweeping views over the city.

We learned that the name Kiyomizu-dera means “Pure Water Temple,” taken from the Otowa Waterfall that flows beneath it.

Even though it was busy, it was a great experience. We all took our shoes off to go inside the temple, the girls had a go at ringing the bell, and poured water over a small Buddha statue as part of a purification ritual.

Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka Shopping

We made our way back through the crowded shopping streets of Sannenzaka and Ninezaka, but we had great fun searching for gifts for the girls friends and it really wasn’t too bad price wise.

The girls stopped for an apple pie slice at the Apple Pie Lab and it was incredible!

Kodai-ji

As we walked along Ishibe Koji road, there are quite a few temples that we visited. The first was called Kodai-Ji which had a lovely Japanese garden and even had a small bamboo forest, which was a lot quieter than Arashiyama!

Kodai ji Bamboo Forest — Kodai-ji Bamboo Forest

Ryozen Cannon-ji

We actually hadn’t planned on visiting Ryozen Kannon-ji, but when we saw the huge Buddha statue in the distance, the girls wanted to take a closer look.

The temple is relatively recent and was built as a World War II memorial for the “unknown soldier.” We were each given an incense stick, which the girls placed in the incense burner. I’m really proud of how Jess in particular is embracing temple traditions.

Marayuma Park & Yasaka Shrine

We continued on to Maruyama Park and got an ice cream by the lovely pond with its iconic Japanese bridge.

In the park there is also Yasaka Shrine, a vibrant Shinto shrine famous for its bright vermilion gates and lantern-covered stage.

Nijo Castle

The last stop on our itinerary was Nijo Castle. Having grown up in England, we’ve visited plenty of castles, but Nijo Castle is very different from the stone ones we’re used to. Walking through it gave a real sense of the power and elegance of Japan’s shogunate era.

We went inside and each room is incredibly ornate, with paintings of tigers and other motifs, which we learned were meant to impress or intimidate visitors.

The girls loved the wooden “nightingale floors” designed so that the floorboards squeak like bird song and warn of intruders. We tried to walk quietly without the squeaking and it was impossible - a very clever design!

Outside, the gardens were beautifully landscaped and we even got some great views of the city from the top of the castle walls.

Teppenyaki and Okonomiayki Zetto Restaurant

I finally got to try some of the savoury Japanese pancakes called okonomiyaki, although we actually ordered modanyaki, which is basically the same okonomiyaki but with yaki soba noodles inside. You can self serve your pancakes with a special sauce, Japanese mayo, fish flakes and green onions.

The girls tried a Japanese omelet and they quite liked it, although it was much more buttery compared to ours in Canada. It was fun to have the food served on a hit plate in front of us.