Kiyomizudera

My father was in Japan fifteen years ago and I asked him what his favorite temples are in Kyoto. After looking it up to refresh his memory, he told me Kiyomizudera was his favorite. (If I can remember that name fifteen years from now, or even remember enough to find it on the internet, I will be impressed with myself, as I am with him!)

The last morning I ran to Kiyomizudera and took a cab back. I learned that morning that a wooden structure high on a hill at 7 a.m. on Monday, offers a more tranquil experience (to say the least) than the ostentatious Kinkakuji (“Golden Temple”), which is smack-dab in the middle of the tourist track.

On the way up (after seeing the first Japanese jogger I had seen, making me feel a teeny-bit less odd), I heard chanting. As I came closer the chanting of monks became more audible and the temple appeared. I couldn’t see the monks but I stopped running to lean my head against a large stone gate at the entrance and let the music soothe me…

…and back to Japanese pop on my Ipod. (Morning Musume, a group of 17 members with questionable talent, in case you want to download some J-pop.)

Uphill again. I must run toward the goal and work hard for it and then I will slow down once inside. They made us do it at Saihoji and it worked.

I was on my way down when I saw a small uphill pathway to my left. More hills? Well, is it worth it? What does the sign say? Nothing I can understand. Well, maybe there are plum blossoms there and I must work to get them. There were no plum blossoms but rather a wooden pagoda at the end of the pathway – perfectly stunning and well worth the trek.

And for dessert? A drink from the waterfall of pure water.

Background on Kiyomizudera:

The main hall of this wooden temple complex is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of wooden pillars.

It was built in 780 and still functions as a temple for the Hosso sect. The present buildings date back to 1633 and Kiyomizudera was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Visitors from the sacred water of Kiyomizudera, which is believed to bring health, longevity, good fortune, and success in studies. It has been said, since the Edo Period, that if one were to survive jumping from the terrace at Kiyomizudera, his wish would be granted. The lush vegetation below may cushion from the 13-meter fall, however, from the 234 jumps recorded during the Edo Period, 85% survived. The Japanese saying to “jump off the stage at Kiyomizu” is equivalent to the English to “take the plunge.”