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Kiyomizu-dera (temple in Kyoto)
A Buddhist temple on the hillside of Higashiyama in eastern Kyoto, founded in the late eighth century and now a World Heritage site. It is famous for its main hall's great wooden veranda, 清水の舞台, built out over a steep slope.
Note the reading きよみず, not しみず, although 清水 is the usual reading of the word for spring water and of the family name.
Common expressions
- 清水の舞台から飛び降りる: to take the plunge, to make a bold decision
- 清水の舞台: the veranda of Kiyomizu-dera
- 今年の漢字: the Kanji of the Year, brushed each December by the temple's head priest
Cultural note
One of Kyoto's most visited sights, and a standard stop on school trips. The slopes leading up to it, lined with souvenir and pottery shops, are part of the experience.