The story of Kiyomizu-dera

When the Japanese say to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu, they mean to take the plunge. In the Edo period it was believed that if you survived a 13-meter jump from this stage, your wish would be granted. 234 jumps were recorded, and 85.4 per cent of the jumpers survived, until the practice was prohibited in 1872. The main hall's large veranda juts out over the hillside on tall pillars, and not a single nail is used in the entire structure.

Legend says that in 778 the monk Kenshin followed a dream to Mount Otowa, met an ascetic praying beneath a waterfall, and carved a statue of Kannon. That waterfall, Otowa Falls, still runs beneath the main hall in three channels, and visitors drink its water, believed to grant wishes. The temple burned many times; the current main hall was rebuilt in 1633 with a donation from Tokugawa Iemitsu.

At the Jishu Shrine, try walking between two love stones with your eyes closed.