Japan Trip – Kyoto
Kyoto was so charming! We arrived in the early afternoon by bullet train and quickly got a taxi. I enjoyed using my Google translate to chat with taxi drivers and locals. This cabbie had his own translator and we had a great conversation about his grandchildren and how he likes to stay home and watch Youtube. Our first site was Otagi Netbutsuji. This is a buddhist temple known for its 1200 quirky Rakan statues. The small stone figures represent the disciples of Buddha. Each one has a completely different facial expression or pose. We then walked down the hill to the Adashino Nenbutsuji temple and bamboo forest. There were approximately 8000 stone statues placed for souls who died without family to remember them. There was also a beautiful bamboo grove that was much quieter than the more famous Arashiyama Grove. We just missed the monkey park (it closed earlier than we knew), but we found some gelato and a free foot bath. I loved all the free foot baths filled with hot spring water all around Japan. We took the subway back into downtown and did a walking tour that night of the Gion and geisha district.
The next morning we needed a break from our fast pace and slept in. We found a yummy bakery down the street for breakfast and then started exploring. We walked through a local supermarket, found the colourful Yasaka Buddhist temple and walked the historic Ninnezaka and Sannenzaka streets. They are known for their preserved traditional wooden buildings and stone-paved paths. Lined with shops, teahouses, and restaurants and the pathway leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It was super busy up there, but an impressive place. We found a local ramen shop for lunch and then took the subway to Fushimi Inari (AKA 1000 Torii Gates)! A significant Shinto shrine famous for it’s thousands of vibrant vermilion gates leading up the sacred Mount Inari. The gates are donations from individuals and companies seeking good fortune, with the donor’s name and date inscribed on the back. It was pouring when we got there, but we pressed on. There were less people due to the rain and the higher we went the fewer people. It was beautiful.
