The Backpack Adventures

Having explored Kyoto City numerous times, I have come up with several day tour itineraries that are aimed to maximize a day in Kyoto while still trying to spend the least amount of money. Kyoto City Budget Day Tour Itinerary #1 Disclaimer: 1. Transportation from your accommodation going to Kyoto Station is not included in this itinerary. 2. The itineraries would always start in Kyoto Station and end in Kyoto Station. 3. The accommodation budget is also not included. 4. The itineraries start at 8:30AM as most destinations open at 9AM.  5. The exploration time in a place is pegged at an hour per destination. However, you may opt to cut it shorter or stay longer.  6. It is also assumed that you are traveling light. Kyoto City Budget Day Tour Itinerary #1 Kyoto Station Walking Course 8:30AM   Arrival at Kyoto Station . Exit at the Karasuma Side of Kyoto Station. For those who are not familiar with Kyoto Station’s Karasuma Side, it is the one facing the Kyoto

Our third adventure in Japan might have been long over but its memories still linger. To summarize our adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun, here's the list (complete with links*) of places and events that we have visited and experienced : * Please click the links to read the articles. Day 0 - Arrival Day 1 - Osaka to Kyoto Day 2 - Exploring Kyoto 1 Day 3 - Exploring Nara Day 4 - Exploring Kyoto 2 Day 5 - Exploring Kyoto 3 Day 6 - Exploring Osaka Day 7 - Flight Home Tips Japan's 4G Sim Card VS 4G Pocket WIFI Others Japan's Awesome Manhole Covers A Guide to Collecting Eki Stamps Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City Kyoto Station Higashi Honganji Nijo Castle Tenryuji Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Kimono Forest Yasaka Jinja Shrine Maruyama Park Kyoto's Edo-style Starbucks Kodaiji Higashiyama Healing Buddhist Statues Ryozen Kannon Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka Preserved Districts Kyoto Tower Pokemon Center Kyoto Kyoto Station Illumination Fushimi Inari Shrine Mt. Inari Tofukuji He

Japan is undeniably a collector's paradise. As a matter of fact, there are a plethora of different things to collect here that are catered to every collector's unique taste and preference.  Anime fans have their usual toys, mangas, and memorabilia. Pokemon fans have numerous Pokemon Centers that sell an assortment of Pokemon merchandise. Kitkat collectors have more than 300 flavors of Kitkat to try out. Pilgrims have the temple stamps called goshuin which I wrote about last time. These are but some of the numerous possible things to collect in Japan . A Guide to Collecting Eki Stamps However, since I'm promoting budget travel, my article today talks about something that you can collect for FREE . Yup, you read that right. All you need to have is a clean notebook or tickler and an ever-watchful eye. A Guide to Collecting Eki Stamps Eki stamps , also called train station stamps, are rubber ink stamps that are typically found in most train stations in Japan. These stamps f