Autumn in Kyoto
Although I've been to Kyoto several times, I've never been during Koyo (colorful leaves) season so I was happy to have the chance to do so today.
First things were first, however. To-ji in Kyoto has a wonderful flea market on the first Sunday of every month so I stopped there before venturing out to see the autumn leaves.
I always have fun when I go to the To-ji flea market and this time was no exception. I ended up buying a small abacus (¥500), five glass balls (¥2000), an old milk delivery box (¥2000), and a set of enamel ware soup spoons (¥500). I can't wait to bring my newfound treasures home. 
After getting my fill of browsing and bargaining, I headed to Tofuku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera which are Buddhist temples in Kyoto famous for viewing their autumn leaves. The temples were swarming with tourists so moving around was slow, but the inconvenience was more than made up for by the beauty of the vibrant colors. My favorite part was the view of the leaves from the bridges over the ravines at Tofuku-ji.
North American maple trees in the fall are beautiful but there is something especially lovely about the tiny, delicate leaves of the Japanese maples.
If you are interested, check out the rest of my December 2011 Japan Trip here: Visiting Hieizan Enryaku-ji, Kobe: Luminarie + Beef, Favorite Eats in Toyota-shi, Centrair Airport Bath
Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 8:51AM | Posted by Lisa | 1 Comment | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article 
Reader Comments (1)
Autumn in Kyoto is a lovely season, with a stunning display of the leaves changing color. Shinto priests and subsequently Buddhist monks have collected special species over thousands of years, nurturing and grafting them into special mixtures to create surreal woods surrounding numerous shrines and temples with colors and leaf forms that are astonishingly varied. Kyoto is the hub of this particular art genre. Some of the trees in this area have amazing neon colors that change color with the position of the sun.
During this period, the city's temples and shrines provide particularly Japanese settings that combine to provide wonderful experiences. On top of Kiyomizu-hill, Dera's great hall offers a panoramic view of Kyoto's autumnal hues. Autumn makes Kyoto's famed shrines and temples, which are usually serene, lustrous locations, some of which light up their fall foliage to add to the interesting mood. If you need travel accessories for having the best travel experience, get them from TrueGether, the best eBay alternative.