Kyoto Birthday Trip
I went to Kyoto for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. This was my first trip since Japan has opened up to foreign tourists again. Usually I travel by slower, cheaper, local trains. With covid cases on the rise in Japan (again), I don't feel comfortable taking the slow/crowded/local trains, so I opted for the shinkansen, which was very fast.
I'll give you all the details in the days ahead, but here is a brief bit on my trip.
I arrived in Kyoto at 8:00 am and went first to Fushimi Inari Shrine because I thought it would get more crowded as the day went on. It did, so I was happy I got there early.
Next, I visited Fushimi Momoyama Castle.
Then I went to Ryukoku Museum.
I wanted to visit the Costume Museum, but found out it is closed December 1 to February 3. Too bad!
After that, I went to Honganwaji Temple.
On Day Two, I left my hotel and started walking. I happened upon the Fushimi Inari Taisha Otabisho and stopped to look.
I passed by the Witch's House, but didn't stop.
Next, I went to Toji Temple with the five story pagoda.
Near Toji, I visited some other temples and places.
As I was getting ready to leave this area, I was looking at google maps on my gadget and a Japanese woman on a bicycle stopped and was happy to give me directions in English. She also gave me a bookmark she made from kimono fabric.
Santa and his helpers were giving the reindeer a rest.
My next stop was Higashi Honganji. I didn't recognize the name, but when I got there I realized I visited a few years ago!
After that, I went to Shosei-en Garden, another place I had been to before. It was very pretty the first time, but the autumn colors this time were striking.
This was in front of a hotel near the Kyoto Tower.
Many students visit Kyoto for school trips.
Finally, it was time to go home. Here is Kyoto Tower, taken from Kyoto Station.
It was a nice weekend trip, but felt much different than previous trips. I chose not to take the crowded city buses or subways, as I had previous trips, so I did a lot of walking. There were too many tourists in crowded places not wearing masks.
I'll have more photos and details in the days ahead.
5 comments:
What a great trip. The colours of the trees are stunning. xx
Autumn leaves in Kyoto are wonderful. If I went in November, it wonderful have been bingo.
But at that time, there are too many people, so you can't go sightseeing slowly.
Most of the time I went to Kyoto was the same as you. End of November to mid-December. A little less people. So personally, I think you went to Kyoto at a good time. And good route.
It's also correct that I didn't stop by the witch’s house. Perhaps.
I look forward to your next report.
I'll look forward to your detailed posts, but the overview was wonderful!
We only had a day, maybe less than that, in Kyoto years ago and saw some things but I don't remember many specifically so it's extra fun to see your photos. I'll look forward to more from your birthday trip.
Kyoto is such a lovely city. I recognized a couple places from these pictures, so I'm looking forward to reading more about your trip!
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