Heian-jinja

Small, big, bigger...
(Otoya-jinja, Nanzen-ji, Heian-jinja)

Refreshed, I set out for Heian-jinja, one of Kyoto' s youngest and grandest shrines.
But this was easier said than done... Maps in Japan can be very tricky. Although my maps are in Romaji, this does not help much, most streets are nameless. Counting does not work either, sometimes smaller streets or lanes are just left out. Eventually I had to rely on any passer-by with enough English to put me right. At last I had only to lift my eyes to see the huge vermilion torii majestically towering the surrounding to know my direction.



It was too late in the afternoon to visit the famous gardens- instead I took a stroll around the spacious courtyard with its beautiful buildings of red posts and green tiles, and watched the shadows wandering...