According to locals, this much snow only falls once every two years in Kyoto.
With so many unique and historic monuments, Kyoto has one of the world’s largest collections of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it one of the most fascinating and beautiful places to visit in all of Japan. While the ancient city has an alluring, atmospheric beauty at any time of the year, there’s one particular time when the temples and shrines here become even more exquisite, and that’s when the area is covered in a white sheet of soft powder snow.
This weekend, Kyoto received its coldest winter days yet, with heavy snowfall hitting the city in what locals say is a rare event that only occurs only once every two years. Despite the intense cold, photographers braved the snow to capture some of the area’s most iconic sites at their most beautiful, creating images that makes us feel like we’ve stepped back in time to the feudal era. Let’s take a look below at some of the gorgeous scenes from the wintry weekend.
The famous Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji, drew a large number of crowds who came to gaze at the glistening beauty of ice crystals contrasted against a shade of brilliant gold.
京都に移って6年目。夢だった雪化粧の金閣寺が見れた!!! pic.twitter.com/XIfyL5efL7
— じゃけん@絵里推し (@gokurakucyo) January 15, 2017
▼ Tourists and locals alike clamoured to catch a glimpse of Kinkakuji in the snow.
真実の雪の金閣寺 pic.twitter.com/ku5t6BbVou
— Shinya (@shinyamurata) January 15, 2017
The Silver Pavilion, Ginkakuji, known for its more subdued beauty, also looked beautiful under a thick covering of snow.
https://twitter.com/intel_inside_me/status/820470657855037440▼ Another iconic spot to draw crowds on the weekend was Kiyomizu-dera.
2017年1月15日。雪景の音羽山清水寺。雪がやみ、青空が見えた瞬間を切り取ることができました。
— 京都秘封探訪 (@k_rspkyoto) January 15, 2017
PENTAX K-1
SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 pic.twitter.com/qGzf0fPhej
The view of the snow-covered pagoda was one of the many sights that could be enjoyed in the well-known Higashiyama district.
おはようございます。
— トトロ (@michitotoro) January 14, 2017
京都東山は雪!
いい感じで積もってます。
さむい~~~
これから清水寺へ行ってきます(^^)/ pic.twitter.com/FUL9cUmfp0
Arashiyama, to the west of the city center, and its beautiful bamboo forest also became ethereal sites of beauty on the weekend…
今朝は嵐山に行ってきました。
— たけし (@tttks) January 15, 2017
水墨画のような佇まいは、まさに静謐という言葉が似合います。 pic.twitter.com/pJZMU2oW7u
『snow bamboo forest』
— しんご (@shingo_camera) January 15, 2017
京都に雪が降る、休日だ!といてもいられなくなり朝早くから1日京都巡りをしてきました。
まずは雪の小径から。
縦がメインなので二枚で。#京都 #嵐山 #竹林の小径 #雪景色 pic.twitter.com/RNDIIp35iq
…while this photographer stepped out in a blizzard to capture the beauty of Pontocho, a narrow street lined with secluded restaurants, in the snow.
https://twitter.com/sheepswalk/status/820529532830552064Kifune Jinja held a special free light-up event until 8:00 p.m. so visitors could enjoy the unique atmosphere on the grounds of their Shinto shrine in the evening.
貴船神社で積雪日のみ開催される「雪見ライトアップ」⛩☃️
— Ando Shoma | YEN 共同CEO | Web3専用アカウント| ベリロン猫#3 (@andoshoma_web3) January 15, 2017
○時間:夕暮れ〜20時まで
○場所:貴船神社 本宮
○入場料:無料
詳細は、
京都・貴船神社公式アカウント様@kifunejinja #kyotostyle #京都 #貴船神社 #雪 #写真好きな人と繋がりたい pic.twitter.com/oeL8vOVSDC
貴船神社雪見拝観 ライトアップされた境内
— suizouさんと他2022人 (@suizou) January 14, 2017
ロマンチックが止まりませんら pic.twitter.com/i58rC9kKbu
Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of vermillion torii gates, was another site that enthralled visitors.
雪の伏見稲荷は多分SSレアクラスじゃないかな。降ってる最中だとなおさら。 pic.twitter.com/nEsaljaU53
— ちゃちゃ (@chacha_nene_jp) November 9, 2016
While the snow drew many people outdoors to view the exquisite images of beauty around the city, for some, the snow was best viewed from the warmth of the indoors, like these happy cats from the Kyoto Machiya Cat Cafe.
▼ With so many felines huddled by the window, it appears that the cats of the city have an eye for beauty too!
雪…見過ぎ。 pic.twitter.com/F1jijl9Lsu
— キャットアパートメントコーヒー (@CatApartment) January 15, 2017
To see more views of Kyoto in the snow, you might want to check out these gorgeous images from last year and 2014. Whether it’s a light dusting or thick layers from a blizzard, traditional temples and shrines are always extra special when they’re covered in snow.
Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Twitter/@gokurakucyo
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