Gionkaku Tower, Higashiyama, Kyoto

In the Higashiyama ward of Kyoto, close to the Yasaka Pagoda, you can admire another beautiful tower, Gionkaku, located inside the Daiun-in Temple. Its unusual architecture was inspired by the floats (yamaboko) used at the famous Gion Festival.

The tower was built by Okura Kihachiro, an entrepreneur who also established the first private museum in Japan, and is dedicated to the renowned warlord Oda Nobunaga, who died in Kyoto, at the Honno-ji Temple.