(Day 10) The Ancient Capital

The ancient city of Kyoto is a place filled with wonder. It is the foremost place in Japan where I realize that I am no longer in familiar surroundings and yet it is entirely non-threatening. Time seems to almost stand still here, and allows the rest of us outsiders a brief glimpse into history. I’ll show you…

The morning began with our usual walk to Kyoto station but this time, it was to board a bus. Kyoto is one of the few cities better seen by bus as the train system is not extremely well developed here – I’m guessing it is due to preservation initiatives. No matter, we boarded the bus with the hoards of other tourists (most Japanese girls) and off we whisked to our first destination in northeast Kyoto, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, also known as the Kinkakuji.





The first time I visited the Kinkakuji it was cloudy and this time was no different…boo! I’m really waiting for one of those times when it will gleam in the sunlight for me, but it is still a sight to uphold nonetheless. Apparently we weren’t the only ones with tourist fever:



I can’t blame them, but I do want to escape them. We wandered the grounds and observed the impromptu shrines and the lush greenery before sampling some of the yatsuhashi (rice dumpling filled with flavoured red beans or a hard cinnamon stick) on our way out.





Our next stop was the nearby Ryoanji Temple (or Temple of the Peaceful Dragon) which houses a zen garden built in the early 1400’s. I believe this to be one of the most famous, if not the most famous zen garden, in Japan. Let’s get zen!







Hush…There are 15 stones in the garden and it is said that you cannot see all 15 stones from any angle. If you spot the fifteenth stone, you will achieve some kind of enlightenment. I sat there for a while, but I didn’t feel anything. So we left – just like that!


A hazy blue pond.


Rooms…of enlightenment?


A literal replica of my tattoo.

Upwards and onwards fellow travelers! Our next stop was the pleasure quarter of Kyoto, Gion.



Last time I was in Kyoto, I had Jen to guide me on the grand tour; this time, it was my turn to show Mother Kyoto’s most famous sights…seeing I had only spent two real days in Kyoto, I pushed my memory to the limit and warily we pushed on. We picked up lunch at Lawson’s on Gion Corner and headed in towards to Maruyama Park to eat.


Some rickshaw guys at Gion corner. Action shot!


Into Yasaka Shrine we go!




We weren’t the only ones with this idea, but thankfully there were plenty of benches (!!) for all. After eating, we continued to walk through the park encountering many lovely sights, passing by the Chorakuji Temple on our way to the Higashi-Otani mausoleum.









We made it!



This has to be one of the best sights in Kyoto simply because of the vast amount of plots and the view overlooking the city. I know Mother had been really looking forward to seeing this place and I didn’t want to let her down. I’m just glad I found it.

We continued our Gion walk, taking in the sights now towards our next destination, the Kiyomizudera Temple. The first place I saw was my garden! And by “my” garden, I mean the secret garden Jen and I discovered on our last visit.



It lost a bit of the colour since last time I was here. You can see the previous picture here. We ran into some interesting characters who I found entirely picure-worthy.








Walkway to the Kodaiji Temple.



The streets of ninenzaka and sannenzaka are narrow alleyways with various shops and restaurants on either side. These are the most authentic in appearance and the alleys are often full of tourists.




I call this one “Waiting” – by the Kodaiji Temple.


Not an unusual sight – a monk near the temple, requesting funds.


Kiyomizudera Temple




Kyoto from the Jishu Shrine.


I believe this is Seikanji’s pagoda in the forest.


Kiyomizudera Temple lookout.


The great Yasaka pagoda.

Wandering around Gion, you are never quite certain what you will see, besides, of course, loads of tourists. While I didn’t expect that we would see a full-fledged geisha, we did see some fake maiko (apprentice geisha) wandering around.


They spot us.


They stop to have a conversation about what they are going to do today.


Their friend arrives via rickshaw: “What are you guys talking about?”


They scurry over to their friend to discuss where they are going to walk today to get maximum tourist exposure and ensure their faces are plastered in tour photo albums the world over. This is most-likely not an exaggeration.


I realize now…I am not in Canada. Neat-o.

We wander out of the clustered streets to find ourselves once again at the corner of Yasaka shrine and it is, of course, time for more Lawsons!




Yes, that is a girl in a kimono in a convenience store. I get a kick out of this kind of stuff.

Our journey not yet complete, I decide we will walk through the rest of Gion that will bring us down by the Kamo River for a nice stroll before exploring the downtown shopping arcades of Teramachi.





After shopping, the dinner choice was not open for negotiation – we were going to Capricciosa, the same restaurant I visited with Chris and Jen on my last excursion to Kyoto. This was my tribute to them since it was their favorite. Wish they could have been there to enjoy it!





After dinner, I wanted to take an evening stroll down Pontocho alley – this is a traditional nightlife area in downtown Kyoto. Japan-Guide.com describes the allure of Pontocho best: “Pontocho is one of Kyoto's traditional nightlife districts where you might be able to spot a geisha apprentice at night. In the evenings, the narrow street offers a great atmosphere and lots of restaurants and teahouses, ranging from inexpensive yakitori stores to highly exclusive establishments which require the right connections and a fat wallet.” Cool, right?







Some of the restaurants looked absolutely stunning…I never imagined a restaurant could look so much like a piece of artwork. There was even one restaurant-host-man-boy who bowed to us and wished us a good evening with a wide smile. Yay! I wish him one right back with a smile. Am I finally scratching the surface?

Tired, we grabbed the next bus back to the station and continued the journey home to our waiting ryokan beds.



Tomorrow we depart Kyoto for the further west city of Hiroshima…could things possibly get more surreal?