Kyoto Photo Gallery

Kurama Located in the northern outskirts of Kyoto, the plan was to hike the hillside temples and find the famous red-lamped staircase. To get there, it was an easy ride on this cute little train for about 30 minutes.
These trains weave through residential areas at street-level, passing by people's windows and patiently-waiting cars.
These staircases would lead to Kurama-dera Temple.
Temples dot the hillsides. An easy way to ascend is to take the funicular. With wet and slippery pavements on the way up, it was worthwhile to make this small investment.
The first part of the hike was nothing strenuous. There were a few staircases but the terrain was generally flat or slightly-sloping. Temples here and there would serve as a quick rest spot for a water break.
It snowed up here the night before? It wasn't so cold in Osaka the night before.
The latter part of the hike became far more challenging. The stone steps became less and less even and smooth. To make things worse, the previous day's precipitation had soaked the ground into a muddy composition with annoying puddles everywhere. But besides dirty shoes and pants, it was still a worthwhile hike.
All done!
Kifune Shrine The shrine honours the god of water, with an entrance staircase lined with beautiful red lamps.