#Kyōto

We mostly already knew today’s programme from our first trip to Japan, but I guess that’s just how it goes with group tours. We did the obligatory tourist stuff for a visit to Kyōto and saw the Kinkaku-ji, the Ryōan-ji with its famous stone garden and Nijō Castle.

The Sanjūsangen-dō was new to us, though. Here, 1001 life-sized Buddha statues from the 12th and 13th centuries stand on a tiered platform in a long hall. An impressive sight. Unfortunately, taking photos in the hall was strictly forbidden.

Since we had a bit of free time left in the evening, we headed over to the Fushimi Inari with the group again, which actually wasn’t on the programme at all. As they say, two is better than one.

After a simple breakfast, we headed to Fushimi Inari. The shrine is dedicated to the fox deity Inari and is especially famous for its thousands of torii gates, which lead up the mountain like an avenue. Of course, we walked up the countless steps right to the top, where we were rewarded with a lovely view of Kyōto.

Next, we visited Kyomizu-dera. This temple is famous for its huge wooden terrace on long wooden stilts, another postcard-perfect scene. We took the bus there, which is an experience in itself. Once you arrive, you squeeze your way to the front and pay the driver. Ideally with exact change, because otherwise you have to break your money down at a change machine first, holding up the whole queue.

We strolled around Kyōto a bit more, tried some sake soft-serve ice cream and wound down the day in a small Zen garden. After that, it was sadly time to say goodbye to our Japanese friend.

Tomorrow the group part of the trip starts. So we moved to a different hotel first. Luckily with a much bigger room.

We’ve finally arrived in Japan.

The flight was exhausting. The interior of the Boeing 777 was a bit dated, plus it was cramped and loud on the plane.

But all that is forgotten now. We arrived in Ōsaka, where our friend was already waiting for us. Together we took the train to Kyōto, where we quickly sorted out a SIM card for mobile internet and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

We’re spending the night in a basic business hotel near the station. It’s always amazing how tiny a hotel room like this can be. But the bed is big enough, and it’s totally fine for one night. Tomorrow the three of us will check out Kyōto, before the actual programme starts the day after tomorrow with the tour group.

Today we were out and about on our own again. We walked along the Philosopher’s Path on the eastern outskirts of Kyoto. It starts near the Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. The picturesque path follows a stream. You can keep popping off it to visit a nearby temple or shrine.

After a detour to the Heian Shrine, we carried on through the Gion district with its old tea houses. If you’re lucky, you can spot a real geiko here (that’s what they call a geisha around here). Sadly, we weren’t in luck.

In the evening, the group went out for dinner together one last time. We went to a Japanese restaurant where we got to try our way through Japanese cuisine with lots of small courses.

And just like that, the last day of our trip is over. Our bags are all packed for the flight back. The bus is picking us up tomorrow morning to take us to the airport. We’d have loved to stay a bit longer.

We checked out the old Imperial Palace from back when Kyoto was still the capital of Japan. We made it inside the building just in time before a heavy thunderstorm. There was no artificial light inside, so it was pretty dark. Taking photos wouldn’t have been allowed anyway, though. A shame, because the old wall paintings are worth seeing. The wooden floor is pretty cool too – it squeaks when you walk on it to give away intruders.

With slightly better weather, we then checked out the Hojo-Teien, one of the most famous rock gardens in Japan. It’s on the grounds of the Ryōanji, which has a landscape garden that’s really worth a look.

Next stop was the Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion.

We had the afternoon off, so we had a look around Kyoto. The Higashi honganji temple is right in the middle of town. An outbuilding is currently being restored, but we managed to get a look inside. After that, we popped over to the main railway station. A massive building where escalators seem to go right up into the sky.

South of the station, there are even more temples and shrines. We had a quick look at the Kōshōji, but our aching feet put an early end to the evening.