There are many reasons why Kyoto is the travel capital of Japan, not only for foreign tourists but domestic travelers as well. The atmosphere of the city and the preserved look of the ancient times is the fast and easy way to escape from the modern world and transport into the times past: imagine what life must have been like, what people ate or how they lived.
However, it all comes with a price. The most popular places can be quite crowded, sometimes it may be difficult to take that perfect shot of the place or queues might be long as well. However, there are certain hidden gems in Kyoto that most people don’t know about or choose to leave out of their busy itineraries.
One of those places is the Sanzen-in Temple. Deciding to go there during the rainy season on a random Tuesday (as I often used to do while I was teaching and could take the day off any day of the week) seemed like an odd choice to my friends, but it ended up being the best one as it felt like we had the whole temple to ourselves. The halls were quiet and serene, the garden was completely empty, all you could hear were raindrops that accompanied this tranquil setting perfectly.
Maybe because the rainy season was longer than usual that year, or because there was nothing else to distract us from fully appreciating the experience, the moss was greener than ever before so the famous stone statues that the temple is known for, seemed as if they were just one step away from becoming alive. If you ever find yourself in Kyoto on a rainy day, definitely head to the Sanzen-in Temple first!
About the author:
Hi, I’m Dragana and I’m from Serbia. I came to Japan in 2010 and I spent 7 wonderful years in the city of Kobe before moving to Tokyo. I’ve been with Gaba Corporation for the past 7 years, first as an instructor, and now working as a recruiter. I enjoy taking photos of all the amazing places I got the chance to visit in Japan, and all the food I got to try, too.