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Kyoto UNESCO world heritage sites

Kyoto north

Enryakuji at 4220 Sakamotohonmachi, Otsu
The temple was founded in 788 by Saicho, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism to Japan from China. At its peak in the 10th century, Enryaku-ji was a huge complex of as many as 3,000 sub-temples and a powerful army of warrior monks. The warlord Oda Nobunaga ended this Buddhist militancy in 1571 by attacking Enryaku-ji, leveling the buildings and slaughtering monks. The current structures date from the late 16th century to early 17th century and reflect Edo period details, but the main building (the Konponchudo, a National Treasure) was built in 887.

Shimogamo-Jinja Shrine (Kamomiso-jinja Shrine) at 59 Shimogamo Izumigawacho, Sakyo Ward
The Shimogamo Shrine buildings themselves are a lovely example of the classic white and vermilion colored architecture of Shinto, with a particularly striking two-storied gate and highly arched taikobashi bridge.

Kamowakeikazuchi (Kamigamo) Shrine at 339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita
One of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, one of the two Kamo-jinja, the traditionally linked Kamo shrines of Kyoto. The Kamo-jinja serve the function of protecting Kyoto from malign influences. The shrine is dedicated to the veneration of Kamo Wake-ikazuchi, the kami of thunder.

Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji) at 1 Kinkakujicho, Kita
Originally built in the Kamakura Period as an aristocrat's country estate, Rokuon-ji became a Buddhist temple in 1422. It is known especially for the Kinkaku (or "Golden Pavilion"), with its second and third floors entirely gilded with gold, epitomizing the so-called "Kitayama culture" of the period. The building was burned to the ground in 1950 by a monk later ruled mentally ill, and rebuilt 1955. The temple is also known for its beautiful gardens and pond, designed to incorporate nearby Mt. Kinugasayama into its scenery.

Ryoan-ji at 13 Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho, Ukyo-ku
Ryoan-ji's garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. Originally an aristocrat's country villa, Ryoan-ji became a Zen temple in 1450. When its buildings were destroyed by fire in 1797, the Hojo of the Seigen-in, built in 1606, was relocated to Ryoan-ji and became the main hall of the temple.

Ninna-ji Temple at 33 Omuroouchi, Ukyo-ku
The temple is especially famous for its Omuro Sakura cherry trees which are the latest blooming cherries in the whole of Kyoto.

Kosanji Temple at 8 Umegahata Toganoocho, Ukyo-ku
The temple was founded by the Shingon scholar and monk Myōe (1173 – 1232) and is renowned for its numerous national treasures and important cultural properties. The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga, a group of ink paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries, are among the most important treasures of Kōzan-ji.

Kyoto south

Saiho-ji at 56 Matsuojingatanicho, Nishikyo Ward
The famous moss garden of Saiho-ji is situated in the eastern temple grounds. Located in a grove, the garden is arranged as a circular promenade centered on Golden Pond. The pond is shaped like the Chinese character for "heart" or "mind" and contains three small islands. The area around the pond is said to be covered with more than 120 varieties of moss, believed to have started growing after the flooding of the temple grounds in the Edo Period.

Nijo Castle at 541 Nijojocho, Nakagyo Ward
The ornately decorated complex served as the Kyoto residence and reception hall for the Tokugawa Shoguns until 1867, when the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, used its Ninomaru Palace to declare the end of the shogunate and return authority to the Imperial Court. The castle became an Imperial detached palace until it was donated to the city of Kyoto in 1939.

Nishihongwan-ji at Horikawa Nagaya, Shimogyo Ward
On the precincts of Hongwanji are the Amidado (Hall of Amida Buddha), Goeido (Founder's Hall), Karamon, Shoin, Hiunkaku and other structures, many of which have been designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Assets of Japan.

Kiyomizu-dera at 294 Kiyomizu 1-chome, Higashiyama Ward
Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of color in spring and fall, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. The main hall, which together with the stage was built without the use of nails, houses the temple's primary object of worship, a small statue of the eleven faced, thousand armed Kannon.

Kyoogokoku-ji (Toji) at 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward
A Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect, it once had a partner, Sai-ji (West Temple) and, together, they stood alongside the Rashomon, gate to the Heian capital. It was formally known as Kyo-o-gokoku-ji (The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines), which indicates that it previously functioned as a temple providing protection for the nation. The temple dates from 796, two years after the capital moved to Heian-kyō. Together with its partner Sai-ji, and the temple Shingon-in (located in the Heian Palace), it was one of only three Buddhist temples allowed in the capital at the time, and is the only of the three to survive to the present.

Daigoji at 22 Daigohigashiojicho, Fushimi-ku
Daigo-ji comprises two main areas: the upper portion (atop Mt. Daigo) and the lower, on the western slope. Six of the structures, including the main hall (Kondō) and its five-storied pagoda (Gojūnotō, completed in 952), are National Treasures. The temple possesses 12 other designated National Treasures, and the temple holds several dozen important cultural assets. The Sanbō-in Teien (garden), remodelled by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598, is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.

Ujigami Shrine at Yamada-59, Uji
The honden of the Ujigami Shrine is known as the oldest example of nagare-zukuri style of shrine architecture in Japan. In this style of architecture the three inner shrine structures are built side-by-side, with the structure in the middle being larger than those to the left and right. The honden dates to the late Heian period (794 – 1185). The haiden is built in the shinden-zukuri style, and its roof in the sugaruhafu style. The haiden dates to the Kamakura period (1185 – 1333). The Kasuga Shrine, also within the shrine precinct, dates to the same period. The shrine is noted for its freshwater spring.

Byodoin at Renge-116, Uji
The main hall of Byodo-in Temple was built to emulate Buddha's palace in paradise, and the temple is indeed otherworldly. Its graceful lines and warm colors give the building the appearance of a majestic bird spreading its wings.