KYOTO - Kyoto's Heian Shrine's 'Shin-en,' adorned with approximately 2,000 iris flowers, waived its usual 600 yen admission fee for one day on June 7 to coincide with the blooming season.
Tourist: 'It's really beautiful. Since it's open for free, I thought I should take a look.'
Tourist: 'The weather is great, and having such a wonderful day makes me feel like I can live a long life. I feel very happy.'
While affordable sightseeing is delightful for everyone, Kyoto's famous tourist spots are currently grappling with admission fee hikes.
Ninna-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site established about 1,100 years ago, raised its adult admission fee by 300 yen to 800 yen three years ago.
Ninna-ji's Yoshimasa Kanazaki: 'To maintain and manage the temple for the next 100 years, we need to spend an average of 200 million yen annually. Ninna-ji covers these costs through admission fees.'
Ninna-ji, closely associated with the Imperial family, relies solely on admission fees as it has no parishioners. However, they have made admission free for high school students and younger, aiming to promote tourism.
Tourist: 'Considering the maintenance costs, I think it's unavoidable. But cheaper would be better.'
Last year, Ryōan-ji and Kinkaku-ji, also World Heritage sites connected to Ninna-ji via the "Kinukake no Michi" path, raised their admission fees due to the rising prices of goods and materials.
Source: YOMIURI
