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Kiyomizudera

Is Kyoto really as crowded with foreign tourists as they say?

Assessing the state of overtourism firsthand reveals some surprising results. 

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No-bus Kyoto sightseeing! SoraNews24’s ultimate on-foot guide for Japan’s former capital【Part 2】

The strolling story continues as we leave Kiyomizudera Temple and head to Sannenzaka and Nene no Michi.

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No-bus Kyoto sightseeing! SoraNews24’s ultimate on-foot guide for Japan’s former capital【Part 1】

Maps and walking times for enjoying Kyoto’s beautiful historical sites while skipping its crazy-crowded buses.

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Sakura tree falls on man at Sannenzaka near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto 【Breaking News】

Busy tourist areas cordoned off following sudden incident.

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Japan’s Kanji of the Year for 2023 reveals the worries of Japanese society

A single character says a thousand words.

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Unusual guardians appear at Kyoto’s Kiyomizudera temple

A surprise twist on traditional Japan that includes a giant kokeshi doll. 

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How crowded is Kyoto now without international tourists?【Photos】

We visit the top tourist sites, and are surprised at what we discover.

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Japan announces Kanji of the Year for 2020

The top ten kanji characters reveal a lot about what life was like in Japan this year.

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Japan Travel: Mysterious rockstar Jizo statue found at Kiyomizudera temple

Mother Nature blesses a Buddhist statue with a full head of hair.

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“Disaster”: 2018 Kanji of the Year unveiled by Buddhist monk at Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto

Some people in Japan are lamenting the fact that another kanji from the top 20 list wasn’t chosen instead.

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Japanese stationery fans go crazy for memo pad that slowly reveals Kyoto temple as you use it

The unusual memo pad has become so popular it’s caused the maker’s online store to shut down.

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The Star Wars folding screens just unveiled at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple are amazing

These Star Wars folding screens, unveiled at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, are based on a traditional Japanese design…and they’re pretty awesome too!

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“Feel” and experience Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple from afar via Tumblr

Last month we were delighted to hear that one of Kyoto’s most famous sight-seeing spots, Kiyomizudera, has an Instagram account. The thing about Kiyomizudera though, is that it’s not really just a tourist spot, it is a functioning temple serving hundreds of people every day and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site’s grandeur expands past the temple itself, to the beautiful surrounding scenery and view of the Kyoto cityscape, which can be enjoyed from the temple’s location, perched atop Mt. Otowa. Even the everyday religious events around Kiyomizudera are worthy of appreciation.

With all of this in mind, the temple has come out with an official Tumblr website, which they hope will allow viewers to not only see the temple through pictures, but to really feel and embrace its atmosphere.

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Minecraft User Decides to Make Kinkakuji, Eventually Creates the Entire City of Kyoto

Oh, Minecraft.  You masterful time-suck!  How is it that I can spend thirty hours of my life playing you, but only land up with a shanty of a shack and a tunnel that continues into the ground because I got bored and decided to pickax it up (at least I found diamonds!).

For those of you unfamiliar with the game, Minecraft is basically the game that never ends (yes it goes on and on, my friend).  It’s an open world game with no specific goals and players are free to build and create anything they want by breaking and replacing blocks of different materials (dirt, stone, wood, etc) that can be found all over the virtually endless map.  It’s surprisingly addicting.

You do not “win” Minecraft. You either 1) play until you’ve exhausted all of your creativity and fall on the floor in a crumbled heap after realizing how much time you’ve wasted (like me) or 2) build an incredibly elaborate, visually stunning block world that is the envy of the poor suckers who landed in category 1.

A user who goes by the name, Gawara, has earned his rightful spot amongst the envied Minecrafters in category 2 by recreating the entire city of Kyoto out of Minecraft blocks.

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