We first visited this shrine 25 or so years ago with Marc and Megan. Located about 2 blocks from our ryokan then, it had the most expansive and beautiful garden. Today we returned for the second time. This is our 4th straight day of rain. Soaked through and through with our collapsible umbrellas that leak. My Nike shoes are soaked through and need to dry out each night but not completely. We bus everywhere in the city. They have an amazing inter connected system. Every trip is $2 USD. All day pass is $5.50.

This typhoon spinoff we have experienced has been a wallapolluza. We are now watching Typhoon Maria. A category 5 with 150 mph winds. Will hit southern Japan, (Okinawa area) tomorrow. Then will move into China, Shanghai area. We fly Tuesday from Osaka to Shanghai to catch our flight to SFO. Who knows?

Anyway, back to Heian-jingu Shrine. These photos are of their stunning gardens, even good in the rain. Would love to see them in spring with azaleas in bloom. We were the only ones there. Costs $6.00 to enter the gardens. Tourists are cheap. The gardens deserve their own post.