To-ji is one of the oldest temples in Kyoto. Founded in 796 when the capital was moved from Nara to Kyoto, it was one of two large "guardian" temples that were built east and west of the main southern gate of the city. To-ji was the eastern temple, hence its simple name of "East Temple" (東寺); the western temple (Sai-ji 西寺) burned in 990 and 1233 and was never rebuilt. The expansive grounds of To-ji contain several halls which enshrine many Buddhist statues. Many of them (statues and buildings) are Important Cultural Property or National Treasure of Japan. To-ji itself is one of the 17 UNESCO World Heritages of Kyoto.
As is common with most large temples in Kyoto, their grounds can be accessed freely but the interesting bits (gardens, buildings, etc) require a fee to be visited. In To-ji, these bits are the various halls, the Hyotan pond and, of course, the 5-storied pagoda. The pagoda, being the tallest one in Japan (55m), is a bit the symbol of To-ji. It was originally built in 826, but burned twice after being struck by lightning. The current pagoda was built in 1644. To-ji also well known among Kyoto residents for something completely different (tm): its flea market, called Kobo market, which is held on the 21st of each month. On the first Sunday of each month an antique-oriented market is also held at To-ji.
Although To-ji is large, it doesn't have many small sub-temples clustered around it. This is probably due to its original function of prestigious "guardian" temple. The only sub-temple, which can be only visited a couple of weeks per year, is Kanchi-in (観智院). It is located just out of the main northern wall. Recommended for: Access: Nearby: Rokunomiya-jinja 六孫王神社 (360m), Hiun-kaku 飛雲閣 (1.1km), Nishi Hongan-ji 西本願寺 (1.1km), Kyōto Station 京都駅 (1.1km), the Kyōto Tower 京都タワー (1.2km) External links: Website, ウィキペディア, Wikipedia, Wikipédia, Kyoto Navi, Trip Advisor, Kyoto Design, 京都風光, Inside Kyoto, Marutake, そうだ京都, Satellite view, Map Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, 下京, 中京, 上京, To-ji, temple, UNESCO world heritage, 寺院, 仏閣 Statistics: visited on 3 occasions, id 444, 15 photos (9 extra photos can be found in the archive). In Tō-ji:  Kanchi-in (観智院)
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