The Hills of Kurodani Temple, Kyoto

A friend of mine says that Kurodani Temple is his favorite in all of Kyoto. I can see why. There is nothing spectacular about it, unless of course you like hills and cemeteries (I do!) There is a cemetery here that runs up the side of a hill overlooking the temple grounds and keeps going and going and going. This is a beautiful place to come for a walk and to explore. It is not over-produced like many temples in Kyoto are, and it's not crowded. I visited in the middle of the cherry blossom season, when the sakura was in full bloom, and there was hardly anyone here - mainly locals. And if you come in the early morning, you might be lucky enough to hear the monks chanting.