Day 3: Gion District in Kyoto

After admiring Nijo Castle again in the morning light and marveling at the extraordinary wall paintings inside the magnificent castle, we took the subway to Gion.

Gion is the cultural heart of Kyoto. This district is overshadowed by the Buddhist temple Chion-in, with its huge wooden gate. Then we went to the shrine of the god Susanoo, where we were shown how to pray in the traditional Japanese way. It has a lot to do with small change.

For lunch, we had delicious ramen. Then we walked through the streets of Gion to Kiyomizu Temple, the temple of pure water.