Kyoto sights

Kyoto is an enchanting city, with grand temples and shrines surrounded by narrow lanes lined with machiya (old wooden houses) that really transport you to another era in time. The emphasis on beauty and tranquility is evident in much of what the Japanese have built over the centuries.

Mel entering the hillside pathway at Fushimi-Inari Taisha, a shinto shrine in eastern Kyoto

The pathway winds its way for about four kilometres through tunnels of thousands of red torii - a spectacular sight

The torii seemed to ignite with colour against the early morning shadows

Some of the temples are illuminated at night, adding another dimension to these beautiful structures

A geisha trying to escape the midday sun

Traditional Japanese paper umbrella

Mel walks around the upper floor of Nanzen-ji, a temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama area

Kiyomizu-dera is a spectacular temple perched on a hillside with great views over the city

The moat and stone wall of Osaka castle, with the city highrises as a backdrop. Osaka is about an hour from Kyoto, but lacks the abundance of historical sites because of extensive bombing of the city during WWII.