More than 200 years before the capital of Japan was moved to Kyoto (then called Heian-kyō), Prince Shōtoku built in Higashiyama the first tower in the area, a five-storied pagoda.

The original pagoda was destroyed, but it was reconstructed in 1440 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. Considered by many people the symbol of Higashiyama, the Yasaka Pagoda and its surrounding area benefited in the recent years from a beautification project that led to the removal of the modern phone and electricity poles and wires…

Yasaka Pagoda, Higashiyama, Kyoto

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Old Nakamura-za kabuki theater replica building