Kiyomizu-dera
A wooden stage hanging off a cliff, looking out over Kyoto
A fuller guide to this place, built from 6 sources, is written in Traditional Chinese.
Being there
Go in the late afternoon and watch the light fall over the city from the stage, then walk down the stone lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka.
The story
The stage in front of the main hall is held up over the cliff by massive zelkova pillars. In Japanese, "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" means to make a bold decision. In cherry-blossom season and in autumn, the whole hillside changes colour.
