Long time ago, before the capital of Japan was moved to Kyoto, a monk named Enchin, who was mapping the area, discovered a pure spring waterfall, the today’s Otowa Waterfall. The place was still wild and it was one of the hunting grounds of the shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, who was hunting deer for his pregnant wife, since there was a belief that the deer blood was easing childbirth.

Being a Buddhist monk, Enchin was opposed to hunting, so he persuaded the shogun to repent by building next to the waterfall a temple, originally called Kannon-ji. Later, the name of the temple was changed to Kiyomizu-dera, the “Pure Water Temple", because the nearby waterfall…

Nio-mon Gate, Sai-mon Gate, Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building