Around south east Kyoto

The last morning in Kyoto I decided to see the temples nearest to my hotel, which was south east of Kyoto Station. I wandered around the neighborhood looking at things such as funny signs on cars, the entrances to people's homes, and the like.

Although I was enjoying visiting many temples, I was feeling a little fleeced financially. On any scenic walk there would be temples and gardens and for each, there was an admission fee. The admission worked out to about 7USD, but when I was seeing 8 or 9 of these per day, it added up.

The transportation card I bought was only good for buses and two out of five subway lines in the city. One day, I tried to see if I could save money by eating my breakfast in a restaurant one morning instead of eating the breakfast buffet in the hotel. Through being misunderstood, instead of receiving a side dish of chilled tofu, I received squid tentacles in a white sauce. I did not know what it was until I chewed on a very salty thing. The waiter was sorry for misunderstanding and did not charge me for the side dish. I resumed eating in the hotel buffet the remainder of my stay.

During my walk I found a small temple called Zuiko-ji Temple, restored in 1655. There was a cemetery near it which made me comment, "a lot of people take rest here." (yoga joke)

The resting place

Then I visited Hotoji Temple, originally constructed in 899. There were many children visiting it too.

These are houses located in the route of the temple's gates.

I liked how gates revealed intimate gardens at the entrances to the homes.

The two story pagoda was built before 1439 and is designated an important cultural asset.

This statue reminds me of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in Christianity, but this is a Buddhist temple.

The main temple dates from 1608.

The tombs of Soyu and his wife Myososho are at the entrance. He was a doctor who treated patients suffering from tuberculosis. The tomb is named, "the husband and wife mound," and attracts those who believe the temple offers relief from TB.