Kiyomizudera temple and Jishu-jinja shrine

One of the must-visit places in Japan is the Kiyomizudera temple (yet another Unesco World Heritage) in Kyoto. We took a taxi and alighted at the small historic street through Ninen-zaka (二年坂), Sannen-zaka (三年坂) and Kiyomizu-zaka (清水坂), before finally reaching Kiyomizu-dera. On side note, we were amazed to encounter taxi drivers in their 90s during our two taxi rides in Kyoto. It was pretty unbelievable as the elderly drivers still looked very fit and healthy. Most elderly people in Japan chose work instead of retirement to keep their bodies, lifestyles and mind active. I had a lot of respect for their undying spirit. 

The distance was further than we expected and the beauty of the historic street was overshadowed by massive crowds. It will be best to avoid visiting during the weekends, spring breaks and the golden week.

Once we passed through the Nio-mon gate, the main gate at Kiyomizu-dera, we saw the beautiful and stunning triple scarlet tower. 

It's known as the Pagoda of Kiyomizu-dera.

Around the Pagoda, there were countless of perfect views to snap with our cameras.

Just before we went into the main hall, there was a popular Buddhist attraction that always draws large crowds.

At the Tainai-meguri (a Tour of the Womb), visitors can experience an unusual type of shrine visit that takes approximately five minutes and costs only ¥100. As it was overly crowded, we decided to skip this interesting shrine much to my regret. It is known as the shrine of rebirth as visitors will be taken underground below the hall into the womb of the Bosatsu (a female Bodhisattva with the ability to grant wishes) which is completely dark inside. Once inside, visitors can make a prayer and when reached above ground to see the sunlight again, it will give a feeling of being reborn.

Moving on to the main attraction, we are required to pay a small fee of 300 yen each to enter the Kiyomizu Temple. It was so crazily crowded that we didn't want to stay in the main hall for long but once we reached the platform at the point where it sticks out the most, through the mountains, we were able to see views of the town areas in Kyoto. 

As we walked further, we were able to take photos of the temple from the front.

What a beautiful breath taker...

There are places directly below the platform where we were able to gaze up to admire to this amazing structure. The splendid wooden framework that can be seen above the Kiyomizu platform has actually been constructed using a very special technique that does not use a single nail (/❛o❛\)!

After we have visited the amazing Kiyomizudera Temple, we found ourselves at the entrance of the Jishu-jinja shrine which is a very popular spot for those people wanting to make a wish for love and marriage or try a a bit of love fortune-telling.

I was surprised that we found quite a number of things to do in the Jishu-jinja shrine despite it being smaller in scale. 

Firstly, we did some fortune-telling...

I got a 吉 which means good fortune! 

I am in luck this year (∩˃o˂∩)♡.

My dear, however, wasn't so lucky. His fortune said that he would be very busy with work which was shockingly accurate as he had spent many nights working overtime before we went to Japan though I was very proud of his career progression and accomplishment. 

Still, it wasn't a good fortune thus he got to attach his fortune paper here to remove the bad luck.

Getting love charms is a MUST for me whenever we visit a love shrine in Japan. The pair of love charms displayed at the top right is for the blessing of deepening relationship (meant for couple) while the lucky coin at the left corner is to bring in wealth. The love charm at the bottom is for singles finding love which I got it for my friend. 

As we proceeded further into the shrine, we realized that there are several types of deities who we can pray to make our wishes come true. It is said that there are no wishes you can not make true if you pray here.

The most famous one would be the love stones. 

There are two big stones placed facing each other in the area of Jishu Jinja Shrine. Those two stones are called “Love fortune-telling stones“. They stand six meters apart. There is a myth that goes: if you can reach from one stone to another with your eyes shut, then you are going to find your true love. However, if someone help you, by shouting directions for instance, then you will find love only through the help of another. The challenge is popular so it's not uncommon to see locals and foreigners threading their way through the crowd blindly with arms outstretched. I didn't do the challenge since I have already found my prince charming (♡ >ω< ♡).

Right near the entrance of the Jishu Jinja Shrine, we spotted a small red building known as the  Kurimitsu Inari shrine. The deity, Kurimitsu Inari, solves your business and family problems. So, if you have any wish related to your job, please pray here.

Nade daikoku-san is a touchable deity. There are not many deities you can touch in Japan. So it is quite unique.  After tossing coins into the offering box, bowing and making a wish, visitors are supposed to rub the statue for extra boost of good luck *spam pats*. 

Okage Myōjin is the deity who protects women. It is also famous for being the deity who will make any of your wishes come true. So if you have one special wish, do pray here.

The Jishu-jinja shrine is also known for being the Cupid of Japan and it's not hard to see why. Whether you are finding love or not, it's a really interesting place to visit with many things to do. I don't see why anyone won't drop by a place that will make love and wishes come true.

♥ Ashley ♥