Kyoto

Snow at Tofukuji in Kyoto

Stark beauty so different from the colors of autumn

Cathy Cawood Jan 13, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Temple roof tops against a dull sky</p>

<p>Gracefully leaning pines still bearing a little snow</p>

<p>The pond was glazed with ice which held a few lumps of snow here and there</p>

<p>The thin covering of snow on the stone bridge was untouched</p>

<p>A little snow still rested in the hollows between the roof tiles</p>

<p>A gargoyle with a damaged face on a roof apex</p>

<p>Temple building rising above evergreen trees</p>

<p>One of the covered bridges that overlook the maple valley  </p>

<p>So different from autumn's blaze of glorious color!</p>

<p>A lone figure walking through the covered bridge  </p>

<p>Side view of one of the covered bridges</p>

Notice

Three buildings designated as National Important Cultural Properties are undergoing renovations. The planned construction area will be off-limits from Mid-May 2023 to October 2025. The Kaisando Hall will still be open to visitors.

Latest on Tofukuji Temple

This temple is probably most famous for its incredible maple valley in autumn, but when I visited in winter after a snowfall, I found a totally different ambience. It was almost empty of human life, but crows flapped overhead and cawed from the roof tiles. Snow blanketed the covered bridges at either end of the maple valley, and the trunks and branches of the bare trees contrasted starkly with the snow on the ground. Perhaps it was the crows, but it reminded me of the feeling I got reading Akutagawa's 'Rashomon' ... dark and vaguely gothic. I loved it!

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Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...