Daigo-ji (Daigo Temple) is already famous in its own right, with its five-story pagoda being the oldest structure in Kyoto. But as the temple is located in the Fushimi district of Kyoto, it means that many tourists making a whirlwind trip through the city will miss it.

Well known for its fall foliage, Daigo-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in the early Heian Period (794-1185).

These wonderful pictures appeared on Twitter in early January 2015, showing a side of the temple that doesn’t make an appearance very often.

Since snow is so rare in the Kyoto area, you can’t plan your next picture-taking trip to coincide with some flurries, but maybe sometime this winter you will be lucky enough yourself to take pictures such as these. In the meantime, you can marvel at these photos and thank your warm fingers that you weren’t the one trying to keep your hands steady in the cold.

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