A word of warning to those traveling to Kyoto.. the city may look condensed and walkable when you look at a map, but the real story isn’t quite so convenient.

 

 

After walking for an hour from our hostel, we came across our first sub-shrine for Tofukuji, of which there are at least seven, all of which are of a respectable size. The temple is massive in scale.. so big I wasn’t able to capture a photo that represented its size well. I’ve found that photography doesn’t capture a lot of Japan very well. Due to scale issues or the ever present humidity I’ve found it to be an uphill battle. Not to mention there are many things I simply don’t take photos of (or I’m not allowed to) which really fill in the details.

 

In any case, the temple had a secluded feeling due to it being surrounded by all of its sub-temples, and old growth bamboo. There were displays of carefully tended nature throughout the grounds, with grass or sand or stone very carefully encouraged one place or another. It was subtle and peaceful. Unfortunately most of the buildings themselves are closed to the public, but the temple is a must see in Kyoto.