On day 12 of my first trip to Japan in 2006, I woke up very early in the morning, and walked from my hotel at Kyoto Station up to Kiyomizudera Temple, where I arrived around 6:30 AM. There weren’t a lot of other visitors yet, and the morning sun helped to accentuate some delicate details such as the smoke coming out of an incense burner.

An incense burner at Kiyomizudera Temple in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Having arrived at this first sightseeing spot so early in the morning, I had ample time on my hands - so I started to slowly head further north in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto. My next stop was at Kodaiji Temple, which features a beautiful Karesansui (dry garden).

Karesansui (dry garden) at Kodaiji Temple in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

I headed further to a few more sights in this district of Kyoto - Maruyama Park, Chion-in Temple and Shorenin Temple. Afterwards, it was time for lunch and a big cup of coffee.

In the afternoon, I took the subway to Keage Station, from where I emerged right onto the Keage Incline. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and many people were out to enjoy this setting.

Cherry blossom season around the Keage Incline in eastern Kyoto, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

From here, it was just a short walk to Nanzenji Temple. The distinctive feature on its premises - besides beautiful old wooden halls and gates - is an aqueduct. It was fun and interesting to watch other visitors going about their activities there.

Two women in kimono are taking photos of each other underneath the aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

All photos shot with Nikon digital SLRs, edited in Adobe Lightroom 5.7 / LR Classic.

写真の撮影場所：京都