Day 6 in Nara: New Miyako Hotel, A review - HEIAN JINGU SHRINE - Nanzenji temple and grounds - Nijojyo Castle - Golden Pavilion Temple

Can you hear the rustling of the leaves?
I paused...
The lush green leaves swayed gently in the afternoon breeze,
Silent and peaceful, yes... that was all that I could hear.

Today, was our last day in Japan. After being picked up by stardust, dot at 8 in the morning, we soon set off to tick the first place from our to-see list in Kyoto – The Heian Jingu Shrine and garden.

The Heian Jingu Shrine

Listed as one of the important cultural properties of Japan, Heian shrine is a relatively modern Shinto Shrine built in the year 1895. What sets it apart though, is it’s dramatic color composition and it's huge torrii at the entrance.
 
The huge torrii of the Heian jingu shrine, Kyoto in Japan
The huge torrii at the entrance

This enormous Torrii brightly washed in a coat of orange leads you to an open courtyard with shrine buildings painted in beautiful contrasts of orange, white and green making the entire composition look absolutely amazing!

The main hall and other buildings in the courtyard at the Heian Jingu shrine, Kyoto in Japan
The shrine grounds

However beautiful as it might have looked from the distance where we stood, we still gave it a fleeting glance and instead opted to spend some more time in the adjacent garden that are often found as a part of many shrines and temples in Japan.

The Heian Jingu Shrine Garden

Surrounding the shrine building is a typical Japanese garden – abounding in carefully manicured trees with artistically inclined branches, pond flowers in various stages of their bloom, fishes and turtles to feed to and a lot of beauty and harmony.

We walked on it’s pebbled paths under the thatched bamboo roofs beneath the vast expanse of the cluster of the trees above,

Cluster of trees at the Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan

We sat in the shade of elegance of one of the ancient buildings,

Old buildings at the Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan

We amazed at the complete artistry of it’s picture,

Pond at the Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan
Pond at the Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan

And then, we paused...

 Basking in it’s tranquility... soaking in the beauty of it’s views,

White Lotus in bloom, Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan
Lake at Heian Jingu shrine, Kyoto in Japan

And losing ourselves...

To, the rustling rhythm of the leaves...

Rustling leaves at Heian Jingu shrine garden, Kyoto in Japan

To, the melody of nature.

Previous Posts from the Japan Trip -

1. Planning for Japan: Visa, Flight Bookings, Hotel Reservations, etc.
2. Sunrise pictures from the flight to Japan
3. Entire Day 1 of Japan (includes Review of Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Tokyo, Expedia Japan Office Meet: An Afternoon to Remember)
4. Entire Day 2 of Japan (includes SensoJi temple: Asakusa - Tokyo, Nakamise Dori Shopping Arcade in Tokyo, Sumida River Cruise, Tokyo, A Stroll in the Hibiya Gardens, Imperial Palace and East Gardens, The Tokyo Tower, Japan)