The Kinkakuji Temple is one of the most famous, if not the most, in all of Kyoto. Sitting pond side, surrounded by this magnificent forest of trees, with koi floating around in the water, it is straight out of heaven. While it visually could take you to heaven, unfortunately the large amounts of tourists make it not as enjoyable. Get there early or stay late when it is about to close to avoid the crowds.
When you see this in person, you really don't realize how big this bend is. This photo is stitched together from 9 separate photos. Even with say a fisheye lens, you couldn't take all this in. And then you add in the unnatural bending that comes with a fisheye. Luckily there was no wind blowing these clouds quickly and everything stayed in place long enough for me to snap away.
Leading up to the Asakusa Temple is a menagerie of vendors, selling everything under the sun. From samurai swords to hand carved wood chopsticks to clothes, along with food vendors, this place had everything. Though it was somewhat diametrically opposed in the setting, the hustle bustle of this shopping area, and then off in the distance the calm peaceful temple.
