I spent 6 days in Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto, though famous for it’s numerous shrines, temples and historical sites, had a much more metropolitan feel than I expected. Because there’s so much to explore in and around the city, it also draws a LOT of people, many of whom are very serious about getting their perfect photo moment. To be honest, I appreciated what there was to see, but I was quite ready to leave by the end of my 6 days there to get some space at a slower pace elsewhere.
Still, I have to say that spending time in Kyoto was an adventure of its own, especially given that I arrived with hardly any preparation. Here’s a log of what my first 3 days looked like with very little research and planning. Spoiler alert- they turned out pretty great.
Day 1
Arrived by train around 1pm. Dropped stuff off at hotel and walked around aimlessly for 2 hours. Used Google Maps to figure out where I was and also read signs/ translated them with my phone. Saw Gion area, Seigan-ji temple, the riverwalk, and walked around Nishiki market.
When it was time, I checked into the hotel, went to have delicious kamaage udon (where the noodles aren’t rinsed to maintain firmness then you dip them in broth before eating) then went to this matcha place that I had to stand in line to get a seat inside. This is common here. Trendy places will have like 8 seats and patrons wait outside until a seat is freed up and they’re welcomed in. I had a matcha latte. It was pretty good, but not worth the wait if you’ve got a busy schedule in my opinion.
Then I walked around til about 7pm. I was lucky to stumble upon a performance that was really cool to see. According to the sign in front of the large float the women were seated on, playing their percussion and vocalizing, “We are members of the Heisei Onnaboko Sayane Kai association…Twice a month, 25 of us practise with fervour so that Gods and people are happy”.
After walking a bit more, I was super tired so turned in for the night. The all women’s hotel I’m staying at is really quiet, clean and comfortable. Its one of those capsule hotels, a big room full of capsules where we have our own bed, curtain, our own lights with dimmers and wall plugs. They provide free towels and even free PJs. Its like being in a really really nice monastery, everyone shuffling around quietly in their issued PJs and slippers π.
Day 2
I woke up wanting more of those fluffy pancakes I had in Osaka, so found a spot down the street (Kuro Cafe). They were really good. The price was around 1000 yen and the breakfast set came with butter, whipped cream, blueberry compote and a drink (I had assam milk tea).
Then I walked over to the Ninja and Samurai museum. I did the basic experience which was really great. It included a guided tour which was awesome. Everything was so well explained and we even got to throw imitation shuriken (throwing stars). I really enjoyed this experience. Fun fact: ninjas were actually quite low in the caste system. They were farmers by day, secret assassins by night. In comparison, samurai were highly regarded and respected.
Next, I went back to the hotel to get my knee brace since my knee was starting to hurt and I knew I wanted to walk up to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden next. The walk to the garden was nice. I realized this might be the first country I’ve ever been to (including the US) where I’ve had no concerns about aimless wandering. Everywhere is clean, quiet and safe. There’s no trash or weird nasty stains on the ground. No rats or mice lounging in the streets during the day. Even every dog I’ve seen here has been adorable, well-groomed and on a leash. In general, the people aren’t as outwardly friendly as in Mexico. I’ve had one old man greet me on the street with a smile, a nod and a “good morning!”, but aside from that, people mostly keep to themselves.
Before leaving my neighborhood, I stopped in a local cafe and ordered an iced matcha latte to give me energy and keep me cool on my walk. I’d hoped to find a trash can at the national garden, but that was wishful thinking. I rinsed the cup in one of the (plentiful, clean and free) public restrooms and just put it in my backpack. I was surprised the garden wasn’t much of a garden. There was a wide gravel path and some tall trees, but the only flowers I remember seeing were some wild spider lilies. I also saw a very cool mushroom, which I think was a bolete, but I’m not sure. While I was crouched on the ground trying to get the perfect picture, a white man walked over and warned me not to eat the mushroom, told me “nice find!”, took his photo and left. Just. lol.
I walked until I reached the Kyoto Imperial Palace which is nestled inside the park. Frankly, I thought I would just walk past a big palace, be like, “hey, cool building”, take a few pictures and leave, but it was a really very cool experience to visit this site. It’s free to enter, they just inspect your bags for security and give you a numbered lanyard to wear. When you enter, there’s a big indoor resting room with air conditioning, free wifi and a couple of vendor stalls selling souvenirs. There were posters for a free audio tour app, which I downloaded and really really really enjoyed using as I walked around the grounds. I learned about the different types of gates used by guests to the emperor, the rooms they stayed in, and some interesting customs and history. Attention to detail in these buildings was incredible. I probably spent about an hour here.
After leaving the palace I headed back to my area to find dinner. I thought I’d cross the river and explore dining options in the Gion area, maybe I’d spot a Geisha. It was around 4:45pm, so I also thought I’d beat the dinner crowd and avoid some of those lines I’d seen and read about. Well, I had not-great luck finding a nice spot that was reasonably priced. I walked around for over 2 hours, honestly passing by a lot of options that might have been great but their menus were all in Japanese and I was too lazy to stop and translate. I stopped in one place that smelled amazing and it was very tasty but the serving was tiny and the price was quite high ($14) for an omakase sampler plate and a glass of plum wine. I ate my meager portion then back onto the street to walk and walk and walk and walk.
Well, I hit a new step record, but my feet and lower back were screeeeaming. Eventually I found a spot that looked like it had sushi bowls. I stood in line for like 5 minutes then got impatient and decided to keep walking. About 30 minutes later I had turned around and just went back to the sushi bowl place. The food was ok, but it was around $14 again. For breakfast and lunch, its really easy to find a great meal under $10, often around $5-6, so this dinner struggle came as a surprise. I noticed back by my hotel there were a lot more reasonable options, so maybe I stay within a 4-block radius of the hotel from here on out for dinner time. There were tons of people out everywhere. This city is extremely busy and crowded. After dinner and logging my new record of 32,810 steps, I was out like a light.
Day 3
After the dinner hunt from the previous night, I was pooped, so slept for about 10 hours. Slowly got up, organized my stuff and headed out for breakfast at a great spot I found online (not interested in going out hungry to wander aimlessly at the moment). I had the breakfast set- pancakes, eggs, yogurt, salad and orange juice for around $6. It was delicious. I’ll be back tomorrow.
After breakfast I walked around my area a little bit before deciding that today was the day I’d visit Fushimi Inari, a famous Shinto shrine with a large main hall and lots of little shrines sprinkled along a path going up a large hill. So I got on the metro and rode down. It was crowwwwded, as I knew it would be. Tons of people taking pictures and selfies. Some even dressed up in Geisha costumes, as I’d seen throughout town. I thought I’d find a tour guide at the front gate like I did in Nara, but no such luck. So I just stopped and translated the signs on my phone. I’ve got to read more about the place, it was really beautiful and peaceful if you remove the crowds. I’d planned to get up really early one morning to go, but well that didn’t happen. If you’re keen on beating the crowds, go early for sure. There’s a long path with thousands of torii gates and many shrines all along the way. The path goes up the mountain and the crowd thinned out significantly after the viewpoints of the city. It was a tranquil, sweaty ascent. I stopped at a few shrines. There were shops at random points along the path and I got myself a new umbrella, as it was the cheapest price I’ve seen. I probably spent a couple of hours there hiking, taking pictures, praying meditatively. It was nice.
Afterwards I walked to a local cafe called Charles 611 I’d seen people people recommend on reddit. I wove my way through the neighborhood to reach it. Once again, incredibly quiet, clean and peaceful. It was a traditional cafe where you leave your shoes at the door and the ambience was very relaxing. It was only Japanese women in there and the owner was friendly and accommodating. I enjoyed an absolutely delicious lunch of vegetable curry with rice + chocolate cake.
And that brings me to now. I just finished my lunch (it’s 4:50, is this still lunch?). I’m near the station that’s one stop south of Inari station, so hopefully I won’t need to deal with too many crowds and can get a seat on the train. [future Janee here- there were no crowds yay] I look forward to taking a shower at the hotel and changing into some dry clothes. Then I plan to go to a Tully’s (Seattle, represent!) that’s close by the hotel and looks like a great place to sit and focus on some work for a bit of time. Maybe for dinner I’ll just have some street food.
γθͺγΏγγγ γγγγγ¨γγγγγΎγγ
(“Thank you for reading”, according to Google translate)
