Tenryu-ji Temple

The Tenryu-ji (Temple of the Heavenly Dragon) is located in the town of Arashiyama, on the outskirts of the city of Kyoto and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Although there was a small temple here during the early Heian period (794-1185), it was not until 1256 that the priest Rankei designed and built the building you see today, initially to serve as a cottage for the emperor. This was later converted into a temple by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji, in 1339. The decorative garden outside the temple, designed by Muso Kokushi, maintains its original structure.

Tenryu-ji temple is a UNESCO heritage site and the gateway into the Arashiyama bamboo grove. It is a a large zen temple complex with a formal garden designed by Muso Soseki. The garden has received many accolades over the centuries, including being the first place to win designation by the Japanese Government as a Site of Special Historic and Scenic Importance, as well as being featured in the Illustrated Guide to the Famous Gardens and Scenic spots in the Capital in 1799. The bamboo forest was planted to protect the temple from evil spirits.

Avoid an Udon stall at the end of the bamboo forest walk. Got screamed, shouted and threatened by staff on Mandarin (yes... mandarin and not japanese) when our order was being delayed more than 30min with reason given being order form lost and staff started shouting when asked to make our order. Total spoiler for a place with nice scenery and a country with top niche customer service