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“Daibutsu” New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together. Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties(“year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind. Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned. January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed to be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done. It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight. Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).

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The Tenryu-ji Temple Garden is said to have been built by the founder of the temple, Muso Soseki. The garden is arranged so that visitors can enjoy the changing scenery while walking around the Sogenchi Pond in its center. The scenery of two hills – Kame-yama and Arashi-yama – both of which are located outside the garden, form part of the composition. This technique of making use of the surrounding landscape in garden design is known as shakkei. Stonework on a hill at the back of the pond symbolizes a mountain stream cascading into the pond. There are also stones symbolizing carp. This idea stems from a traditional Chinese fable in which a carp swims up a waterfall to become the more superior dragon. Among the gardens designed by master gardener Muso Soseki, this garden is believed to be the least changed and is considered one of the most exquisite of all Japanese gardens.

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Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara (奈良). As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784. Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples. Throughout 2010 the city celebrated its 1300th anniversary. Overshadowed by its more famous neighbor Kyoto, Nara is omitted from many a time-pressed tourist's itinerary. However, Nara is home to many important scenic and historical sites. If you only have one day to spend in Nara, focus on Nara Park. Most of Nara's sights, including temples, shrines and famously mercenary deer, are concentrated in Nara Park (奈良公園 Nara-kōen), a wide, pleasant space of greenery. According to legend, the god of the Kasuga Taisha came riding a white deer in the old days, so the deer enjoy protected status as envoys of the god; however, based on their current behavior, either the deer have lost the job, or the god has taken an extremely passionate interest in biscuits from tourists (¥150), empty food wrappers and harassing shopkeepers.

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Tenryuji (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most important temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism. Tenryu-ji was established in 1339 by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) in memory of Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339), with the eminent Zen master Muso Soseki (1275-1351) appointed as founding abbot. Landed estates were donated to the new temple to help fund its construction, but as the resulting revenues proved insufficient Muso Soseki and Ashikaga Tadayoshi devised a plan to send two trading ships to China and use the resulting profits to complete Tenryu-ji's construction. This plan was a great success, and the temple was officially consecrated in 1345. It was designated first among Kyoto's Five Mountains (the city's five major Zen temples), a ranking it maintains to the present day. The main attraction of Tenryu-ji Temple is the Zen garden dating back to the 14th century. A triumph of design, the garden features a large pond which catches the reflection of the maple trees and large rough-cut rocks on the periphery. It also makes use of "borrowed scenery" from the nearby hills of Arashiyama, which appear to be the next tier of the garden. Many elements of this garden were prototypes for later gardens built elsewhere.

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After passing through the gate and ascending to the main precinct of the temple, you will come to the Honryu-tei (Running Dragon) Garden. As the name suggests, the garden calls to mind a dragon in flight. It’s rare to use words like “wild” or “exciting” to describe a Zen garden, but here they are warranted. With huge stones jutting skyward, this is one garden that will take your breath away. After you pass by this garden, you enter the main stroll garden of the temple. The maples here are famous for their vibrant colors. There is a lovely pond here, behind which there is a small bamboo forest. After strolling the garden, you can enjoy the adjoining hall and sit for a while to enjoy the view over the garden. And, on your way out, you will be treated to an eye-popping view over Kyoto, all the way to the Arashiyama Mountains.

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Enkoji Temple was founded in 1601 by Tokugawa Ieyasu in Fushimi, in the southern part of the city. Enkoji's stated mission was to promote learning and scholarship in Japan. As a result, both monks and laymen were allowed as students. The liberal and open atmosphere of the school fostered many scholars, painters and literary figures. This school influenced the development of Japanese culture. The temple, which is a legacy of that cultural contribution, stands silently in a corner of Rakuhoku area of Kyoto. Enkoji Temple was moved to its current location in 1667.

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Located at the foot of Mt Hiei, in the north eastern part of Kyoto, Enkoji Temple is one of the many temples that dot this part of town. Enkoji is a short walk form either Manshuin or Shisendo and should be seen on a visit to this delightful part of Kyoto.

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“Ichi” In collaboration with @nate_harper and @reddigitalcinema, we are proud to present “Ichi”, the first episode of a video series showcasing the best Japan has to offer. Follow us as we travel the magnificent Archipelago during the mesmerizing Autumn season. 

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“Sengetusen” Moving on, you will find the small waterfall, Sengetusen. There is also a spring named Ocha-no-ido. The word Ocha means tea, and the reason why the spring came to be named Ocha-no–ido is that Yoshimasa drank tea made from the water in the spring.

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Visitors throw coins into the water, imitating the similar custom seen at the famous Trevi Fountain, in Rome. The beauty of this temple and garden cannot be expressed merely through photographs. I urge you to visit and see them with your own eyes. The temple can be crowded at peak times, such as weekends, but it really is a must see for the visitor to Kyoto.

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“Sea of Silver Sand” Ginkakuji Temple became the center of the Higashiyama Culture, a contemporary culture that didn't limit Japanese aesthetics to Kyoto’s aristocratic circles (in contrast to the Kitayama Culture during his grandfather’s times). With the new culture, the arts, which include the tea ceremony, theater and poetry, architecture, flower and garden design were developed and refined. Beside the Hondo (main hall) is perhaps the more distinctive feature of the Ginkaku-ji; a meticulously maintained dry sand garden, known as the "Sea of Silver Sand", with a massive sand cone named "Moon Viewing Platform". Apparently the dry garden is modeled after a celebrated lake near Hangzhou, China while the sand pyramid is the mirror-image of Mount Fuji. Both sand shapes are religious metaphors for enlightenment, with the moon and its reflection symbolizing an illumination of consciousness. The Ginshanden and Kogetsudai were probably created in the Edo period, much later than the pavilion. 

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Experiencing peak Fall foliage in Kyoto is a mesmerizing, unique experience. Colorful leaves (koyo) are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring. The viewing of autumn leaves has been a popular activity in Japan for centuries and today draws large numbers of travelers to famous koyo spots both in the mountains and in the cities. The leaves start changing in Kyoto sometime in October. The peak of fall foliage usually comes in mid-November. This year's autumn color season in western Japan has been about a week earlier compared to the average year. Temperatures have continued to get cooler and that has encouraged the colors to progress and improve faster towards their best. 

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The garden is surrounded by a bamboo forest and has many varieties of moss that glow with a strange green intensity. Japanese moss gardens are difficult to cultivate. It can take centuries to get the moss right. The temple has laid out samples of the different moss species with mysterious signs that once read "Very Important Moss”.

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The second most famous temple in Kyōto and little brother of Kinkaku-ji is Ginkaku-ji on the eastern hills of Kyōto. It was built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the grandson of the founder of Kinkaku-ji. While Kinkaku-ji sparkles brightly in its golden coating, Ginkaku-ji was planned to be covered completely in leaf silver. However, due to the Ōnin war (1477-87) and the shōguns pursuit of perfection, construction of the estate was postponed again and again and might be the reason that the silver coating was never applied. During renovation works in 2008 it was considered to coat the temple in silver just as it was intended to be, but after a long discussion, the temple's board came to the conclusion that the concept of Wabi-Sabi is conved better with a wooden temple. As his grandfather Yoshimitsu, Yoshimasa planned to live in this palace after his retirement, isolated from the everyday life outside. Yoshimasa is said to have spent several year planning the estate, even choosing the stones used for the pond garden himself.

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“Mirror Pond” The Golden Pavilion is set in a magnificent Japanese strolling garden (回遊式庭園 kaiyū-shiki-teien, lit. a landscape garden in the go-round style).The location implements the idea of borrowing of scenery (“shakkei”) that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, called Kyōko-chi (鏡湖池 Mirror Pond), that reflects the building. The pond contains 10 smaller islands. The zen typology is seen through the rock composition, the bridges, and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature. Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion. A small fishing deck (釣殿 tsuri-dono) is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it. The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth. The largest islet in the pond represents the Japanese islands. The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life in Chinese mythology. The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi garden design. The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design. The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period. It was a way to integrate the structure within the landscape in an artistic way. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and a distinct setting. A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design, by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.

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“Kinkaku-ji” Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, literally "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, literally "Deer Garden Temple"), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Kinkaku-ji is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape; Kinkaku-ji is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites. Kinkaku-ji's history dates to 1397, when the villa was purchased from the Saionji family by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex. When Yoshimitsu died, the building was converted into a Zen temple by his son, according to his wishes. The present pavilion structure dates from 1955, when it was rebuilt. The pavilion is three stories high, 12.5 meters (40 feet) in height. The reconstruction is said to be a copy close to the original, although some doubt such an extensive gold-leaf coating was used on the original structure. The name Kinkaku is derived from the gold leaf that the pavilion is covered in. Gold was an important addition to the pavilion because of its underlying meaning. The gold employed was to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings towards death. Other than the symbolic meaning behind the gold leaf, the Muromachi period heavily relied on visual excesses. With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, how the structure is mainly covered in that material, creates an impression that stands out because of the sunlight reflecting and the effect the reflection creates on the pond.

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"Land of the Rising Sun" in reference to its Japanese name, Japan is a stratovolcanic  archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, which make up about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area and often are referred to as home islands. The country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions, with Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one. Miyajima Island, one of the most scenic spots in Japan, has long been regarded as an Island of Gods on the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. It is a romantic and historical island where Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage site, is located. The centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) is the source of both the island's fame and its name. Formally named Itsukushima, the island is more popularly known as "Miyajima", literally "shrine island" in Japanese , thanks to its star attraction. The shrine is known worldwide for its iconic "floating" torii gate. The shrine and its Torii gate are unique for being built over water, seemingly floating in the sea during high tide.