Now proceed to the main hall of Kiyomizu-dera.
Around you, you will see statues of Buddha which are said to have the power to dispel people’s sins. After observing the statues in the hall, go out onto the famous Kiyomizu-no-butai, the veranda of this temple.
The present veranda was built in 1633. The height of the veranda is equivalent to a four-storied building and juts right out over the edge of the cliff where the temple is built, so the view of Kyoto City from this spot is outstanding.
The veranda slopes down a little towards the edge, so as you walk towards the outer limits, you may feel almost as though you are going to fall over the cliff.
This veranda was built as a place to offer a variety of entertainments for the Buddha statues enshrined in the main hall, with traditional music, Noh, Kabuki dramas, and sumo all having been performed here.
As you stand on the veranda, try to imagine one of these entertainments being performed in this idyllic setting.
Surrounded by the trees and greenery of the mountains, this “open-air stage” makes an exquisite theater.
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