Kyoto has an innumerable number of beautiful and important temples, making it one of the cultural meccas of Japan. A good number of them are concentrated along the "Path of Philosophy" in the eastern part of Kyoto. The path is along the Sosui Canal and is lined with cherry, maple and ginko trees. There is no vehicular traffic, but the days of a peaceful stroll seem like ancient history as the path is usually teeming with swarms of tourists and pilgrims. The following listings generally run from north to south along or near the path.
South of the Ginkaku-ji, which houses the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, is the Honen-in Temple, which usually has free admission.
The Heian Jingu Shrine, built in 1895, is one of the more popular of the "newer" temples. Located in Okazaki Park, it is a smaller and more modern interpretation of the original Kyoto Imperial Palace. Its fiery orange-red elements, especially its main torii gate, are very distinctive. The rear garden is also lovely.
The Eikan-do Temple, also known as the Zenrin-ji, is a 16th Century reconstruction of the original. A climb up the temple's pagoda is a treat here.
The Nanzen-ji Temple is the headquarters of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. The eclectic structures are part of a former villa. The San-mon (triple gate), dating from 1628, offers excellent top-level views of Kyoto.
The Chion-in Temple, the headquarters of the Jodo sect, is one of the largest temples in Japan. Dating from the year 1234, the complex has a giant west gate (built 1619-1641) with an appropriately scaled staircase. This San-mon gate has the height of 79 feet, one of the largest gates. In line with the scale of the project, it has the largest bell in a Japanese temple. It is said that it takes the collective strength of 17 monks to properly ring this bell!
The Yasaka Shrine is a popular shrine, mainly because it is open 24 hours and is located not far from the busy Gion district.