Nara

Autumn at Kinpusen-ji

Multi-colored beauty in the hills of Yoshino

Cathy Cawood Sep 10, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>A wooden half-barrel at one end of the verandah holds umbrellas</p>

<p>The temple is surrounded by mountains</p>

<p>A pagoda is one of many buildings in the temple complex</p>

<p>Echoing the hills and mountains in architecture</p>

<p>This guardian statue has bells on its apron  </p>

<p>Omikuji (fortune papers) tied to a berry bush  </p>

<p>A Shinto shrine to Inari on the temple grounds</p>

<p>Water basin formed from a large stone</p>

In November of 2012 I joined a bus tour for a rare opportunity to view the magnificent blue statues in Zao Hall of Kinpusen-ji. Although Yoshino is more famous for cherry blossom, the autumn colors and the blue hills made a beautiful setting for the ancient temple. Zao Hall is the second largest wooden building in Japan, and Kinpusen-ji is listed among the World Heritage sites of Yoshino.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...