One of the best parts about living in Osaka is how central it is to other wonderful places. Within an hour, I can make a day trip to cosmopolitan Kobe, peaceful Nara, or traditional Kyoto.
Kyoto is arguably the most visited tourist spot in Japan. One can take in the beautiful scenery, rent a kimono or yukata to wear for the day (or purchase one as a souvenir!), shop til you drop, explore a few (hundred) temples, eat at one of the many traditional restaurants, sign-up for a tea ceremony class, or give spotting a geisha your best shot. The possibilities are endless. They’re something for everyone to enjoy.
When it comes to exploring, Kyoto is large. One will need a handful of days to hit all of the main attractions. After researching some of the best leave viewing spots, I decided to focus on the Nanzenji area.
Tenjuan Garden
My first stop was the Tenjuan Garden. Not being able to see what scene was hiding behind the entrance gate, I took a gamble (based on what I’d read online) and paid the 500 yen fee. I’m so glad I did.
The garden wasn’t big, but every inch of it was lined with trees in all shades of pink and yellow imaginable.
In the center of the garden was the cutest little pond, mirroring the beauty back up for all to see.
- The most people I saw at once while in the garden. Not a big crowd at all.
Despite it being small, I lingered there for awhile, just to take everything in. Surprisingly there weren’t many people around, so I wanted to take full advantage of that rarity!
After I felt fully satisfied soaking in this gorgeous garden, I departed for my next stop: Eikando Temple. It was about a 20-minute walk from Tenjuan, so I snapped away as I went.
Eikando Temple
Eikando Temple was a completely different kind of beautiful. While Tenjuan was tucked away and expressed a soft, romantic beauty, the Eikando scenery immediately jumped out at you.
This! As soon as you get through the temple gate, BAM. You’re overwhelmed with color in every direction.
And this is before even paying to enter the actual temple grounds.
Eikando, being one of the more well-known viewing spots for the fall, was filled to the rim with locals and tourists alike. Luckily the temple grounds are huge, so despite the crowds, I could still get around easily and snagged some great shots. It costs 1,000 yen to enter, but I happily forked over the funds. I was already oogling over the sights above, so I was excited to see what else was in store.
I found two photography highlights to fawn over. Like Tenjuan, my first favorite included both trees and water. While Tenjuan was brighter, most of the leaves at Eikando were rustic colors.
The other irresistible view I found was the finale of my Eikando adventure. I spotted a family of trees sitting on a yellow, petal-filled ground. Whenever a gust of wind came through, it rained gold.
Here’s a video — Breathtaking!! (Watch in 1080 HD for better quality).
Shinnyo-do Temple
My third and final stop of the day was to Shinnyo-do Temple. To get here, I continued my walk north for about 30 more minutes or so. The last five minutes involve walking up a small hill, followed by maybe 50 stairs. So when you get to this point, know that you ARE going the right way, and as soon as you hit that final stair, you are congratulated with pure autumn.
Shinnyo-do gave off an older, traditional vibe. While Eikando was noisy and overrun with people, Shinnyo-do was peaceful. Maybe because it requires a little more effort to get to? The temple grounds extended in many directions, so I’m not sure how big or small of a place it was. While I explored, I saw quite a few couples enjoying a romantic stroll. There also seemed to be a fair amount of older people walking about. The fact that there weren’t many visitors combined with the enormity of space, I could easily snap away.
Here are some of my favorite trees.
After completing my third and final stop, I headed back toward the Kyoto center. I had nearly an hour walk ahead of me, but the nice weather, scenic views, and quiet sidewalks made for a perfect trek back to Gion-Shijo Station.
When You Wander 