Kiyomizu-Dera Temple (Pure Water Shrine)

Bright and early Saturday morning we left for the Buddhist Pure Water Shrine on Mt. Otowa.  We had to park towards the bottom of a hill and then hike up to the temple's location.  We saw this guy setting up the lanterns on the outside of this restaurant:

This gate is called the Niomon and holds 2 diva kings:

This is called the Sanjunoto (3 storied pagoda):

Michael in front of another beautiful structure:

Looking up at the pagoda from the ground level:

Before you go in to the shrine you have to cleanse yourself - you pour the water over your left hand, then the right hand, and then you swish the water in your mouth and spit it into the basin.

This is one of the more intricate stone basins that we saw.  It was a combination of a whole bunch of animals (i.e. alligator, eagle, deer, snake, etc) that they believe Gods take the form of:

One of the shrines in the Hondo (main sanctuary):

You put your money in, grasped the hands and said a prayer:

This little girl was on the tour with us - she liked to pose for pictures after ringing the bell:

An area leading up to more shrines:

The view looking out from the balcony:

This is the fertility pagoda:

Another view of the city:

Looking down at the otowa no taki (water falls):

You head down the stone steps on the Eastern side of the Hondo and you come to the water falls widely known as the otowa no taki of pure water - which has been streaming down the mountain incessantly for thousands of years.  The name of the temple "Kiyomizu" literally means "pure water".

The fertility pagoda:

At each shrine people will place rocks as a symbol of their faith:

The fox has a significant history in the Japanese faith:

Michael drinking the pure water:

Me drinking the pure water:

Do I look Japanese!?

The shops along the road on the way down:

I liked this little old man cleaning the street:

We aren't even done with Saturday morning yet...