Kyoto temples – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Seikanji – a Hidden Mountain Temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward

Susan Spann Blog August 13, 2021August 13, 2021hiking in Japan, Japan, Japanese history, Kyoto, Kyoto temples, samurai, samurai history, Seikanji, travel

While visiting Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera on July 6 (2021), I made a side trip to visit Seikanji–a mountain temple with beautiful views that most visitors don’t even realize is there.

Kiyomizu-dera: A Mountainside Kyoto Temple With a Sacred Waterfall

Susan Spann Blog August 9, 2021August 8, 2021Buddhism, Japan, Kannon, Kiyomizu-dera, kiyomizudera, Kyoto, Kyoto temples, temples

On July 6, 2021, I celebrated my 50th birthday with a trip to Kyoto’s Kiyomizudera–one of my favorite temples in the ancient capital (partially because it combines two of my other favorite things: mountains and waterfalls).

The Tō-ji Cherry Blossom Illumination in Kyoto (Tō-ji, Part 3 of 3)

Susan Spann Blog July 2, 2021June 27, 2021Japanese culture, Kyoto, Kyoto temples, sakura, Tō-ji, Tō-ji temple, Toji Temple

n April 2019, while finishing the 100 mountain climbs that became the basis for CLIMB, I visited Kyoto with my friend (and fellow author) Laura VanArendonk Baugh. By chance, our day in the ancient capital coincided with the final nights of the annual sakura (cherry blossom) illumination at Tō-ji, the UNESCO World Heritage temple that also happens to be one of Kyoto’s oldest sacred sites.