Five Great Temples Tour-Kyoto, Japan

[John Rinker]

Kyoto is a modern city built over, squeezed between, and overflowing from a rich and ancient history of streets, neighborhoods and temples. I took my bike to Kyoto a few weeks back to do two rides: A Midnight Meander and a 5 Great Temple Tour.

I'm no historian or a Buddhist scholar, but I did like the idea of riding the '5 mountains' of Kyoto. The '5 mountains' refers to a system of Buddhist temples that have held great significance politically and spiritually throughout Japan's history. There are corresponding 'mountains' in Kamakura, not far from where I live, that I'll make a tour of one day soon. 

While I did stroll through some of these temples to admire the architecture and craftsmanship that is so uniquely Japanese, to wander the exquisite gardens, and contemplate the karesansui  (the dry, stone gardens) during my week in Kyoto, this morning bicycle ride was more about passing through each of the 5 Great Temple grounds in the crisp, Spring morning air before streets filled with cars.

At each temple I took a photo of the sanmon gate and the dharma hall. 

Here are a few photos:

Here's a link to my gaiagps track with more photos for the keeners among you. 

Five Great Temples of Kyoto

Cheers, John

[Patrick Moore]

Lovely. Traditional Japanese architecture, and culture generally, is a high-point among Asian cultures, IMO.

Patrick "half Asian myself" Moore

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[David Person]

Great photos.  Beautiful destinations for a ride.

[Tim Baldwin]

• Looks so dreamy. A cycle tour in Japan  is on my bucket list.
  

[dane...@gmail.com]

Looks awesome!  I was supposed to take a bike trip out in Japan.  Got really cheap tickets about 5 months before covid hit.  Was supposed to go may 2020 and then everything got cancelled.  Hope to get the opportunity again.  Looks like a sick place to ride.  

-Dan

Jerz