10 Nov 2023 - Kyoto Day 1: UNESCO World Heritage To-ji Temple (东寺)

The first place we explored was the nearby To-ji Temple.  It's just a 7-8 mins walk from our accommodation.  Toji Temple (東寺, Tōji), literally "East Temple", was founded at the beginning of the Heian Period just after the capital was moved to Kyoto in the late 700s.  It is one of Kyoto's many UNESCO world heritage sites.

As we entered the temple ground, we noticed the colours of the leaves had only started to turn orange.  We thought we would be able to see the fall foliage at its peak but due to somewhat high temperatures across Japan, red and yellow foliage will peak a little later than in a typical year.

When we first arrived in Kyoto, the sky was very gloomy and weather forecast indicated a wet weather today.  True enough, it started drizzling not long after we entered To-ji Temple.  We opened up our umbrellas and continued walking around the temple.

One of the most prominent structures of To-ji Temple is its Five-Storied Pagoda.  It was originally erected by Kobo Daishi in 826. It stands 57 meters tall, making it the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan, and has become a symbol of both the temple and Kyoto as it can be seen from many places across the city.

As the rain started to get heavier, we did not enter the inner ground which requires an admission fee.

After exploring the outer ground in the rain for sometimes, we decided to go somewhere indoor and hopefully the rain would lighten later.

As we were walking towards a shopping mall, we saw a cute little garage across the street. 

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