Kyoto, Japan: Kiyomizu-dera Temple and shopping along Sannenzaka - part 3 of 5

Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Japan, is the most popular temple in all of Kyoto and it's usually crowded - often with lots of tour groups.
This video was photographed in the off-season which was the first week of December and even then it was fairly busy -- comfortable, nice to have some other people around, so no problem, but if you're here in the peak season during the summer in the middle of the day there will be so many people you'll have a hard time getting to the railing to enjoy a clear view of the beautiful scenery.
The main hall is the most spectacular single item here. It’s up on large wooden stilts and designated as a national treasure.
Large verandas and main halls like this were constructed at many popular sites in the past to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims.
And then we have the views looking out across from the main hall into downtown.
Looking up towards the temple which is up on the hillside.
The temple is actually so old that it predates Kyoto itself. It dates back to the 700s, before Kyoto was founded as a city. Of course the structures have been rebuilt numerous times since then. There are some 30 buildings here and most were constructed in the early Edo period, in the early 1630s.
Then we take a walk on the Sannenzaka shopping lane. You'll find the vendors are quite friendly and many of them speak a little English. You can pick from a variety of Japan-made goods, there's fans and bags and wallets, ceramics, lacquer dishes.
This is part of our series on the temples and gardens of Eastern Kyoto, the Higashiyama district, and also we’ll take you downtown in some of our other videos.
see more Kyoto here:
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