While locals and architecture experts can easily tell the difference between Shinto and Buddhist temples, novices like me need telltale signs; here are two dead giveaways. First, at left is a torii, which all Shinto temples have. It's a ceremonial gateway marking the border of the temple grounds. This one is really unusual in that traffic is streaming through it. Second, at right, shinto temples have huge displays of sake (rice wine) barrels. They're actually just warehousing the sake to drink later, but they form a distinctive Shinto decorative touch. I think it also makes Shinto the only religion that flaunts the drinking habits of its priests.

Just when you thought all the temples were starting to look the same, along comes Heian Jingu. It's brand new in Kyoto terms, having been built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the city's founding. It's quite garish and hard to love, especially compared to the other temples we've been seeing. While it's a Shinto temple rather than Buddhist, that doesn't account for the difference, because as you'll see most Shinto temples are much more subdued. Mostly it's because it was really built as a piece of civic architecture rather than a religious building. Also, while it's still in Eastern Kyoto, it's built much closer to the city center than the other temples, and busy streets run through it as well.