Japan Diaries: Day 9

Day 9 December 27, 2014

A Day in Kyoto City

I had an awesome solo backpacking tour of Wakayama Prefecture yesterday. This time, I'll be going on a temple tour in Kyoto Prefecture. However, instead of going on another solo trip, I will be accompanied by my wife, daughter, and my Japanese family.

Yay Kyoto!

First stop: Fushimi Inari Taisha

Although traffic jams are nearly non-existent in the area of Osaka Prefecture that we stay in, we still left early in hopes of avoiding an influx of local and foreign tourists that might flock to Kyoto Prefecture today. (It's a Saturday today that's why).

I finally saw the famous torii gates of Fushimi Inari

We arrived at Fushimi-Inari Taisha at around 9AM. It was one of Mr. Toshi's hand-picked destinations in Kyoto Prefecture. The place is well known for the hundreds of torii gates that were donated by businessmen. You would also notice the importance of foxes to the shrine as depicted by the numerous statues and images of them in the shrine complex. 

The Naihaiden of Fushimi Inari Taisha

Can you guess what's written on the bandana?

As expected there were hundreds of tourists that visited the shrine that day despite the very cold temperature. We didn't stay long nor planned to hike up Mt. Inari because we brought my baby daughter along with us. We just took plenty of photos,  bought some 500 yen barbeques (which were very expensive), and some souvenirs like the "I am #1" and "Japan is  #1" bandanas before heading to our next destination.

Somebody got tired walking up to the next destination

Next destination: Kiyomizudera

Washed my hands and drank water from Otowa Falls

We drove several kilometers and were welcomed by a crowded street. We had to look for a parking space before walking at least 300 meters uphill to our next destination - Kiyomizudera. The temple is our very first UNESCO World Heritage Site destination. It is famously known as the temple with a veranda built on the side of a hill. Aside from that, the temple is also known as the temple that's built without the use of a single nail. 

The road to Higashiyama Street

Some souvenirs sold in Higashiyama Street

Last temple for today: Kinkakuji

After our tour of the temple complex, we had lunch at a restaurant in the nearby Higashiyama Street before going to our next destination. After our hearty lunch, our Japanese family brought us to the temple that I personally wished to see - Kinkakuji. It is famously known as the Golden Pavilion because of its golden facade. Sadly, my wife was not able to come with me because my daughter was fast asleep. My wife decided to stay in the car while my Japanese family and I toured around the temple complex. Like the two places that we previously visited, there were also numerous tourists in Kinkakuji. After several minutes of touring the complex, we decided to call it a day.

Check out the Golden Pavillion

My daughter with the Peko-Chan Mascot

However, before we drove home we stopped at Fujiya restaurant to have dinner. Akiko-san and her kids went there to meet us there too. She and one of her kids were celebrating their birthdays that day. Overall, our road trip today was a very memorable one. I just can't believe that we visited two UNESCO sites in one day. It was truly an amazing day. 

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Comments

  1. Such a peaceful place to roam around. Nice post!

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  2. Beautiful place. Nice writing too.

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  3. I love Japan and their food! I went to Japan twice last year and left with a happy heart and a full stomach HAHAH. Hopefully I get to go back again in the near future. :)

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    1. Wow! Twice in a year. That sounds fantastic. =) Hope I could do the same.

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  4. The pictures are so stunning and tale so interesting that your road trip had to be a great one!
    PS- your daughter is utterly cute!

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    1. Hi Sunshine. Thank you so much. =) You should check out my other diary entries for Japan.

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  5. Japan is so colorful, so extravagant. I am fascinated by its culture since a long long time. Your blog sparked the motivation to visit there in near future.

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    1. You should visit Japan Anshul. You would surely love it there.

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  6. This is so amazing. I would love to walk the torii gates of Fushimi Inari. They just always blow my mind when I see them. I love all the temples you went to but the Golden Pavillion & the Kiyomizu-dera are truly beautiful! That is truly amazing that the built that entire temple without nails. People are so amazing when they build things. This is all definitely on my bucket list!

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    1. These are but few of the temples in Kyoto. Given a chance, I'd return to this historical prefecture and explore it more.

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  7. This is one of the reasons why I want to visit Japan, beautiful architecture and parks. Seems you spent a great time with your family.

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    1. Hi UNTA, I did. I had a great time bonding with them in Kyoto. I hope to do it again soon.

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  8. I liked the way you write and would love to visit your previous blogs in the series. The Golden Pavilion temple is so beautiful. Great photographs. I will be glad to visit these places sometime in future on my trip to Japan.

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    1. Thank you so much Fairytale Studios. That made my day. Hope to see your adventures in Japan too.

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  9. A beautiful place, but the number of tourists worries me. Does the place not lose its charm when it is so crowded?

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    1. Hi Anna, sometimes it does. Spring and autumn brings in the most people. There are times that you would want to skip the famous temples as it is crowded. Try visiting during winter, there are less tourists during that time.

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  10. This place looks awesome. Love your pictures and all of the colorful themes.

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