The Backpack Adventures

Located around Umekoji Park and Kyoto Station , Kyoto-Umekoji Monument Street is a project that promotes walking around the park and the Kyoto Station areas. Kyoto-Umekoji Monument Street Kyoto Umekoji Monuments Street Details The Kyoto Umekoji Monuments Street is a part of the Kyoto Umekoji Minnaga Tsunagaru Project which started in February 2015 under the initiative of the Council for  Area Development and Management of Kyoto-Umekoji. Its main purpose is to create a vibrant atmosphere and improve the convenience of strolling around the Kyoto Umekoji Area.  As its name implies, Kyoto-Umekoji Monument Street is a series of mini-monuments scattered  around the walking route from Kyoto Station then through and around Umekoji Park , and then back to Kyoto Station again. Here are the monuments that we saw on our 2018 visit : Eco-chan - The city's environmental mascot South American Fur Seal W7 Series Shinkansen Chin-chin-densha (retro streetcar of Kyo

Located in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, in Kyoto Prefecture, Umekoji Park is a large park in the heart of Japan's historic city.  Umekoji Park Umekoji Park History Opened in 1995, Umekoji Park provides locals and tourists with a place to relax and explore for free. Well, unless they would buy from the nearby stores and Vendo machines or go inside the museum or aquarium inside the park.  Things to see in Umekoji Park One of the trolleys on display in the park Kyoto Aquarium Checking out some souvenirs at Kyoto Aquarium The path going to Inochi-no-Mori (Living Forest) You read that right, there is a museum and an aquarium in Umekoji Park...These are the Kyoto Railway Museum , located at the southwestern end of the park, and the Kyoto Aquarium on the northeastern end of the park. I would love to tell you more about these places but I'd probably reserve it in a different article.  Ella with one of the "monuments" in Umekoji Park Umekoji

Located in 1 Kujo-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture, Toji or Toji Temple  ( 東寺 ) is one of the 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites of Kyoto City.  Toji ( 東寺 ) Toji History Toji was founded in 796, two years after the capital was moved from Nara to Heian-kyo (old name of Kyoto). The temple was one of the two guardian temples that were built on the main entrances of the Imperial Capital. To-ji , which means " East Temple ", was the guardian temple of the East while its sister temple Sai-ji , which means " West Temple " was the guardian temple of the West. This temple stood alongside the Rashomon which is the gate to the Heian capital. Sadly, Sai-ji burnt down in 990, rebuilt, and was ravaged by fire again in 1233. It was never rebuilt after.  The Toji Kondo as seen from the Nandaimon (gate) I got to visit Toji during the Kobi-ichi (flea market) Check out the items you might want to bring home. Toji was formerly known as Kyo-o-gokaku-ji or