#Daydream: Kiyomizudera, Kyoto, Japan
We know how it is. You’re stuck at your desk and the day seems to be going on forever. Your mind starts to wander — at first to “anywhere but here,” but then to exotic, faraway lands where your everyday problems and stress melt in the presence of true paradise. You want to go to there, and we want to go with you. Every day at 3 p.m. Eastern, we’ll send you a picture of the place we at Yahoo Travel are daydreaming about so we can all take that mental vacation together. Let’s go to…
Photo: Agustin Rafael Reyes/Flickr
…Kiyomizudera! Situated on top of Otowa Waterfall, Kiyomizudera – which translates to “pure water temple” – is one of the most iconic Buddhist temples in all of Japan. High in the hills east of Kyoto, the wooden stage off the main hall juts into the landscape offering breathtaking views of the surrounding maple and cherry trees, as well as the city skyline off in the distance. Beneath the main hall, the Otowa waterfall flows in three streams, which visitors can drink from to receive special blessings. Need a little luck in your love life? Be sure to stop by the Jishu Shrine, which is dedicated to the deity of love and “good matches.” Inside two “love stones” are placed six meters apart and, according to legend, if you can successfully walk from one to the other with your eyes closed, you will soon find your true love.
