078 - Tour Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社 in Kyoto 京都市, Japan
078 - Kyoto, Japan 
Welcome to our new PodAsia crew member Stephanie Boegeman who is now our North Asia PodPilot! We travel with Stephanie and visit many areas of Kyoto including Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺, the Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社, Kiyomizudera 清水寺 and much more.
Podsafe music this week is "Osaka Rap" by Alex Brooke and "Tameguru" by Yuya Hashimoto.
Kyoto 京都市 in central Japan, is rarely empty of tourists and one could spend months exploring the myriad temples, gardens, and shrines. Where to start? Today we cover the most breathtaking and scenic tourist spots on the beaten track in Kyoto. If you are travelling to Kyoto for business or leisure, these sites are amongst the best and highly recommended by PodAsia.
Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺
Kinkaku-ji may be one of the most famous sites in Kyoto. 
This temple houses a pavilion covered entirely in gold, which sits, beautifully reflected, on a small lake. Other than an adjacent garden, there’s not much to see at this locale, but the spectacle is worth the trip. Kinkaku-ji has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Address:
1 Kinkakuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Hours and Admission:
9:30am to 5pm, 500 Yen
Access:
Kinkakuji can be reached most easily by bus 101 or 205 from Kyoto Station
Ryoan-ji 龍安寺
The main attraction at this temple is a zen garden, composed only of rocks, gravel and moss. Theoretically one can meditate here, although more realistically you will be enjoying the garden with hundreds of other people. This garden has 15 stones placed throughout it; if you can see all 15 stones at once, it means you have reached enlightenment. In addition to the zen garden, you can stroll around a small central lake, peruse side gardens, and visit a humble shrine located on an island in the middle of the lake.
Address:
13 Ryoanji-goryo-no-shita-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Hours and Admission:
Mar-Nov 8am-5pm
Dec-Feb 8:30am-4:30pm
500 Yen
Access:
Visitors can take city bus 50 from Kyoto Station to the Ritsumeikan daigaku-mae stop. From here, Ryoan-ji is a 7 minute walk. The temple is also within walking distance of Kinkaku-ji.
Heian Jingu 平安神宮
Join PodAsia at Heian Jingu as we describe how to pay your respects at a Japanese shrine. Heian Jingu is a vibrant orange and green shrine which boasts one of the largest gates, or torii, in Japan, at 24.2 meters in height. Four not-to-be-missed gardens surround the main shrine, where the cherry trees are an impressive sight in the spring.
Address:
97 Okazaki Nishi-Tennou-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Hours and Admission:
Shrine: 6am - 5:30pm, Free
Garden: 8:30am - 5pm, 600 Yen
Access:
Heian Jingu can be reached by Kyoto station by bus number 5 or 100. The site is also accessible by subway at station Higashiyama on the Tozai line.
Gion District 祇園
The Gion district is where the geishas come out at night to play. Wide graveled side streets light up in the evening with red paper lanterns, which indicate which establishments are official tea houses. The main streets bustle with modern commerce, including shopping, numerous restaurants, and flat temple facades tucked between buildings. At one end of this district is the Yasaka Shrine, where Kyoto’s biggest festival occurs every July. At night, the huge lattice of lanterns at the front of the shrine is lit up, making a spectacular scene.
Access:
The Gion District can be reached by bus (100 or 206) from Kyoto Station in about 20 minutes.
Yasaka Shrine
Address:
625 Kitagawa, Gion-machi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Hours and Admission:
Open and free to the public
Access:
Gion is located in the Higashiyama District of Kyoto. Take bus number 100 or 206 from Kyoto station, and ride for 20 minutes before getting off at the Gion stop.
Kiyomizudera 清水寺
Kiyomizudera is an impressive temple complex in Eastern Kyoto. The main structure is built onto a hill using tall wooden stilts, and no nails were used in the construction of the building. Visitors participate in several activities for luck, including drinking from a sacred stream of water within the complex. Other stalls within the temple provide numerous charms for good luck.
The uphill approach to the temple is especially atmospheric, as the streets are packed with people and lined with stalls and vendors. Kiyomizudera has also been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Address:
294 1-chome Kiyomizu Higashiyama-ku
Hours and Admission:
6am-6pm, 300 Yen
Access:
Kiyomizudera can be reached by bus from Kyoto Station in about 15 minutes . Take bus 100 or 206, and get off at Kiyomizu-mich or Gojo-zaka. The temple is another 10-15 walk from the bus stop.
HOW TO GET TO KYOTO. Kyoto does not have an international airport. The closet is Kansai International Airport (KIX) which is Japan’s second most important international airport. Located on a man-made island approximately 50 km south of Osaka, Kansai Airport was opened in 1994.
Kansai Airport has only one terminal building and various train and bus lines connect the airport with nearby cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and surrounding areas. All major carriers; Air Canada, Air China, All Nippon Airways, American, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai and United all have direct flights to Kansai.
Music in this episode is from the podsafemusicnetwork.com and features "Osaka Rap" by Alex Brooke and "Tameguru" by Yuya Hashimoto.
