We started our day leaving Osaka and taking the Hankyu Railway up to Kyoto. We passed the time before our room was ready by going to the top of Kyoto Tower, stopping at another Mofusand store, and collecting a few more Starbucks mugs for the collection. Once our room was ready, we headed back out to see a temple that Ryan wanted to check out before getting dinner with two of Ryan’s friends from Georgia Tech who got engaged the same weekend and were also traveling to Japan at the same time! (Small world!)
The Sanjusangendo temple grounds offer a serene sanctuary where crystal-clear water features reflect the temple’s distinctive vermillion pillars and sweeping rooflines, while lush emerald foliage creates a striking backdrop that makes the warm orange and red buildings appear to glow against the landscape. Within the temple’s famous main hall stretches one of Japan’s most breathtaking spiritual sights: 1,001 golden statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, arranged in perfect rows that seem to extend infinitely into the dimly lit interior. Standing guard at the front are 28 guardian figures, serving as protectors of the Buddhist teachings and creating a powerful contrast to the serene golden Buddhas behind them. We weren’t allowed to take photos within the hall, so we took a picture of a poster outside the hall to show what it looked like inside. Seeing it in person is far better, and the photo we took of the poster doesn’t do it any justice. While inside the hall, we did get another temple stamp for our Goshuin book.