This is my first visit to Japan and I got so enamored with Japanese culture. They are very good at being moderate. The design of buildings and interiors are very calming, elegant, simple and feels effortless even though you know there was a lot of thought put into it. Nothing is splashy. They are very organized, polite and everything runs on time, to the minute!
Kyoto was our first and only stop on this trip and it conjures up the classic image of Japan: streets of traditional wooden houses, the click-clack of geta (traditional wooden sandals) on the paving stones, geisha passing by wearing brightly coloured silks, and temple pagodas. The vast amount of culture and history to explore in Kyoto is astounding.
We arrived in Kyoto via train from Osaka's airport and Kyoto's main train station is a modern cathedral-like place with underground shopping malls, a massive hotel, restaurants, etc....it's beyond stimulating and at the same time calm, quiet, and ordered. This would be the case in any very populated areas we visited. I loved the sense of sense of peace even in the midst of chaos.
SEE Here are some of the temples & other sites I recommend visiting– you will be templed-out after a couple of days in Kyoto J. We biked to every temple and it's a great way to get around Kyoto.
Nijō-jō [castle surrounded by double moats, massive walls and watchtowers] Kiyomizu-dera [has a wooden platform overhanging the valley and is one of Kyoto's defining sights] Nanzen-ji [is a large compound of temples Ginkaku-ji - also known as the Temple of the Silver Pavilion. It houses a simple building and its garden takes centre stage] Daitoku-ji [is one of Kyoto's largest Zen foundations, with over twenty sub-temples in its large, walled compound] Tenryuji [is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It's one of Kyoto's first great Zen temple and you should try the vegetarian lunch that Zen monks prepare there. This type of meal is called shojin ryorui where an effort is made to make the most out of relatively humble ingredients in order to express three Shingon key tenets of sin - sincerity, cleanliness, and presentation.] Sagano Bambu Forest [in the same area as Tenryuji, worth a walk through the forest] Kinkaku-ji [is the famous Temple of the Golden Pavilion; really beautiful but unfortunately pretty crowded] Ryōan-ji [is known for its famous dry garden.The garden consists of a long, walled rectangle of off-white gravel, in which fifteen stones of various sizes are arranged in five groups, some rising up from the raked sand and others almost completely lost. In fact, the stones are placed so that wherever you stand one of them is always hidden from view - a riddle, set by Zen masters to test their students] Saihō-ji [also known as Koke-dera (the "Moss Temple"). If you've got time to spare after the major sights, this temple is well worth visiting, not least because it's one of the few you can really enjoy in peace, thanks to the rather off-putting entry fee (termed a "donation") and the fact that you have to make an application. But in order to visit it you have to send them a request ahead of time - see instructions below: "To make a reservation, send a request by postal mail to the temple with your name, the number of people in your group, the name and address of your "group representative" and the proposed date of your visit, as well as a self-addressed, stamped return postcard. The request must reach the temple seven days before the date of your intended visit, but far more time is recommended. For visitors applying from inside Japan, a special return postcard called an ofuku hagaki is available from the post office for exactly these purposes. It comes in a set of two postcards, one of which is used by the receiving party to reply. Visitors applying from overseas can make use of an International Reply Coupon, available from most local post offices around the world. A reply indicating your reservation date and time will be sent to you by the temple on your self addressed return postcard. Reservations are not possible via internet or over the phone. The temple address is: Saihoji Temple, 56 Jingatani-cho, Matsuo, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8286, Japan. The admission fee of 3000 yen per person is paid at the time of the visit."] Maruyama Park [tranquil spot in Gion; be sure to see the hillside cemetery with a terraced maze of gravestones. The views from there are great] Miho Museum [stunning art museum designed by I.M. Pei is located on a rural, mountainous area outside of Kyoto and is only open for a few months every year – exact dates vary; to get there take the local train on the JR Biwako Line from JR Kyoto Station to JR Ishiyama Station. From there take a bus run by the Teisan Bus Company] Gion District [is the famous entertainment district traditionally associated with geisha and teahouses. It has retained a surprising number of narrow roads & wooden facades. Very photogenic] Fushimi Inari Shrine [famous for its thousands of vermilion torij gates which straddle a network of trails into a wooded forest]
SLEEP Yuzuya Ryokan [traditional ryokan and a fascinating experience. A bit on the pricey side but the rate includes a kaiseki dinner – elaborate multi-course meal typical of Kyoto – it was delicious and visually incredible. It also includes a kaiseki breakfast, amazing as well] Gion Maifukan [a slightly more modern ryokan but you will still sleep on a tatami]
EAT Honke Owariya [been around for 100s of years and serves primarily soba noodles] Elephant Factory Coffee [sweet coffee shop] Iyemon Salon Cafe [traditional tea house & restaurant in a modern space] OKU Gallery & Cafe [hip spot; the bottom floors is a bar/restaurant and the upper floor a cafe known for its sweets] Café Bibliotic Hello [beautifully designed cafe built into a library, super interesting] Nishiki-koji Market [a seven-block arcade packed with stalls selling anything you can imagine, from produce to seafood to special foods] Ristorante t.v.b [if you get tired of Japanese food, we stumbled across this Italian restaurant in Gion with fairly interesting pizzas and pastas] Okutan [Kyoto is the capital of tofu and this is one of the city’s most famous tofu restaurants. It is housed in a large, historic wooden hall, surrounded by very serene gardens. All you will eat here is tofu, but unlike any tofu you have ever had outside of Kyoto]
