Kiyomizudera Temple is definitely one of the places you must see in Kyoto. It actually is in my top 3 recommendations for Kyoto. But before you go, I must warn you to be extra mindful of your children. We lost our son for nearly an hour during the tail end of our trip! And boy were we scared and worried for him. I was already looking for the closest police station to report a missing child. Good thing I saw him (after an hour of looking) before we found an officer.
Travel Tip: Before going to places with large crowds, talk to your children about staying close to you. Japan is generally very quiet but perhaps it pays to have a whistle for when your child thinks he or she is lost so you may locate each other at once.
Beyond that legitimate scare, Kiyomizu-dera Temple grounds was so scenic and serene. See our photos from that day =)
Taken from the vantage point of Mt. Ottowa on our downhills. Climb from Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Kiyomizu in English means “pure water”. People come here to do a water cleanse ritual. The line was long when we got to this point and didn’t think our kids would like the wait do I encourage you to go very early. The temple opens by 6:00 am so early risers will not have a problem with long queues.
Spooky fact: There are nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo at one of the gardens at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Jizo is the protector of unborn children or children who die very young. These stone statues are dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
1-294, Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 605-0862, Japan
Website https://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/en/
My Little Globetrotters 