Kinkaku-ji — Der Goldene Pavillon & Zen-Gärten im Nordwesten Kyotos
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 — the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, officially Rokuon-ji — the Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in the Kita ward of northern Kyoto, the three-storey golden pavilion (shakyo-do) reflected in the Mirror Pond (Kyōko-chi) — the most visited single site in Kyoto (approximately 5 million visitors per year) and the most internationally recognized image of traditional Japan): the pavilion is covered in gold leaf (the top two stories are entirely covered in gold leaf, approximately 20 kg of gold leaf applied in the 1987 restoration) and is reflected in the large pond garden surrounding it.
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Kinkaku-ji — Three Floors, Three Buddhist Traditions
Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion, Kita-ku, 1397, rebuilt after arson in 1955) represents three distinct architectural periods on three floors — the first floor (Heian aristocratic palace style, no gold leaf) contains the Hōō-dō (Shrine of the Phoenix); the second floor (Kamakura samurai architecture, covered in gold leaf on the outside) was a Buddhist Hall; the third floor (Zen Chinese style, gold leaf inside and outside) held relics of the Buddha; entry ¥500.
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Ryōan-ji Rock Garden — 15 Stones, Infinite Interpretations
Ryōan-ji's Zen rock garden (Ukyo-ku, 248 sq m, created late 15th century) contains 15 carefully placed stones in 5 groups on white raked gravel — no matter where you sit on the viewing platform, one stone is always hidden from view (this is intentional); the garden's meaning has been debated for 500 years: island landscape, tiger cubs crossing a river, Confucian virtue — no authoritative interpretation has ever been established; entry ¥500.
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Ninna-ji Temple — Imperial Palace Temple with Omuro Cherries
Ninna-ji (Omuro, 888 AD, the first Monzeki (imperial prince) temple in Japan) contains the Garan five-story pagoda (1637) and Japan's most famous late-blooming cherry trees (Omuro cherries, planted 1000+ years ago, bloom 2 weeks after regular Kyoto sakura, usually April 10–20) — the cherry grove (200+ trees, rarely more than 2m tall due to soil conditions) creates a low cloud of blossoms unusual in any sakura setting.
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Kōkedera — The Moss Garden That Requires a Letter
Saihō-ji (Kōkedera, 'Moss Temple', Matsuo, 1339) is one of Japan's most protected gardens — entry requires submitting a handwritten postcard request 3+ weeks in advance; 130 species of moss cover the ground, stone lanterns, and island-studded pond in luminous green; the upper garden contains a karesansui (dry rock garden) predating the more famous examples; visitor numbers are limited to 150/day; entry fee ¥3,000.
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Fushimi Inari Taisha — 10,000 Vermillion Gates
Fushimi Inari Taisha (Fushimi, 711 AD, 15 minutes from Kyoto Station by JR Nara Line) has an 4km mountain trail lined with 10,000 torii gates (each donated by a Japanese business, with the donor's name and date burned into the wood) leading to the summit of Mount Inari (233m) — the full circuit takes 2–3 hours; the inner mountain is almost deserted after the first 30 minutes' walk; no entry fee.
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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove — 10-Minute Walk, 30-Second Experience
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Sagano, 5 minutes from Arashiyama Station) is one of Japan's most iconic landscapes — a 10-minute paved path through giant moso bamboo (up to 24m tall); the grove is so well-known that crowding has become a problem; the surrounding area (Tenryu-ji temple garden, the Ōkōchi Sansō villa garden, and the Togetsukyo bridge over the Ōi River) is less crowded and arguably more rewarding; no entry fee for the grove.