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Tōei Uzumasa Movie Village
In the Uzumasa area, Tōei Uzumasa Movie Village is a notorious tourist trap. It does, however, have some recreations of Edo-period street scenes that give a decent idea of what Kyoto must have looked like before the advent of concrete.
The main conceit of the park is that real movies are actually filmed here.
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Tōfuku-Ji
Tōfuku-ji stands at the heart of a world of Zen temples and subtemples. It's one of our favourite temples in Kyoto and it's usually quite peaceful, except in the November autumn foliage season, when it becomes so crowded that we give it a miss.
Founded in 1236 by the priest Enni, Tōfuku-ji belongs to the Rinzai school. Since this temple was intended to compete with Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji in Nara, it was given a name combining characters in each of these.
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Togetsu-Kyō
This bridge is the dominant landmark in Arashiyama and is just a few minutes on foot from either the Keifuku line or Hankyū line Arashiyama Stations. The original crossing, constructed in 1606, was about 100m upriver from the present bridge.
On 13 April jūsan-mairi, an important rite of passage for local children aged 13, takes place here.
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Tsūen-jaya
The Tsūen-jaya, located just across from the station, is Japan's oldest surviving tea shop and has been in the Tsūen family for more than 830 years. The present building, near Uji-bashi, dates from 1672 and is full of interesting antiques. You can try fresh matcha (powdered green tea) and sweets for around ¥680 .
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Ujigami-Jinja Off
Ujigami-jinja holds the distinction of being Japan's oldest shrine. Despite its historical significance, the shrine is the least interesting of Kyoto's 17 Unesco World Heritage sites.
According to ancient records, Uji-no-waki-Iratsuko, a 5th-century prince, tragically sacrificed his own life to conclude the matter of whether he or his brother would succeed the imperial throne; needless to say his brother, Emperor Nintoku, won the dispute.
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Umekōji Steam Locomotive Museum
A hit with steam-train buffs and kids, this excellent museum features 18 vintage steam locomotives (dating from 1914 to 1948) and related displays. It is in the former JR Nijō Station building, which was recently relocated here and thoughtfully reconstructed. You can take a 10-minute ride on one of the smoke-spewing choo-choos (departures at , and ).
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Yasaka-Jinja
This colourful and spacious shrine is down the hill from Maruyama-kōen. It's considered the guardian shrine of Gion. The present buildings, with the exception of the older, two-storey west gate, date from 1654. The granite torii on the south side was erected in 1666 and stands 9.5m high, making it one of the tallest in Japan. The roof of the main shrine is covered with cypress shingles. Among the treasures here are a pair of carved wooden koma-inu attributed to the renowned sculptor Unkei.
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Zuihō-In
A subtemple of Daitoku-ji, Zuihō-in enshrines the 16th-century Christian daimyō (domain lord), Ōtomo Sōrin. In the early 1960s, a landscape architect named Shigemori Misuzu rearranged the stones in the back rock garden into the shape of a crucifix! More interesting is the main rock garden, which is raked into appealing patterns that remind one of water ripples. It's roughly in the middle of the complex; once again, you may have to ask for directions.
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