Kyoto – a city we knew so little of, but it managed to win our hearts in so many ways. A huge city but also quiet, modern and full of history, amiable but egotistic as it wants to keep you to itself.
We tried to share our experience in Kyoto with many photos and some comments on them. Enjoy!
Let’s start in chronological order – the first morning, the bright sun, a few minutes from the house we stayed in, we meet Nanzenji, one of the most important Zen Buddhism temples in Japan. We visited Kyoto in spring, but it could be equally beautiful in other seasons as well.
We were not the only curious people over there; it was full of curious Japanese students and pupils. Every 5 or 6 kids were accompanied by a teacher, who explained some things to them. We couldn’t get a single word. 🙂 Picturesque paths and stairways lead to different, smaller temples and shrines.
We passed a few more temples in the forests of Higashiyama mountain, but our goal was to walk the Philosopher’s Walk. This is a paved walking alley along a canal studded with cherry trees. During the blossom season, it becomes stunning. The name of the walk comes from the famous Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who meditated while walking to the university. The walk is about 2-kilometers long and starts from the Ginkakuji temple or the Silver Pavilion, and ends at the Nanzenji temple. We walked it the other way around – from Nanzenji to Ginkakuji. For the temple- and shrine-lovers – this is the right place for you! The tranquility was over as soon as we reached the entrance of the Silver Pavilion.
It is time for us to walk our way through the market part of the complex and continue exploring other parts of Kyoto. To complete the circle, we returned to our neighborhood ready for more experiences.
Time flies, and it’s already late afternoon. We arrive a few days before they open the restaurant terraces, overlooking the river. The alleys from both sides of it are full of enthusiastic bikers and walkers who are not afraid of the heat. We are wandering around the mecca of maiko and geiko – Gion Corner – hoping we can buy a ticket to some of their performances. What does maiko mean? It is a junior geiko (or geisha); maiko is a future geiko still practicing and being educated. It takes years for these young women to master different arts and languages. Their job is to entertain people with singing, dancing, playing instruments, and enthralling conversations.
It is getting dark, and all the restaurants and bars on the streets are fighting to win their customers. More and more people flow along the riverside. Streets are crowded – it is rush hour after work.
It was hard for us to rise and shine the next day after so many emotions. After all, we had the Nijo castle rising and shining for us. Together with all the students, we posed for pictures in front of the massive gates. The heat was catching up, so we rushed to walk around the gardens of the castle. Its inner part was painted by famous artists and showed reconstructions of Shogun tribal councils. And what an alarm system they invented hundreds of years ago! The wooden floor would creak even when the smallest foot was set on it. So even if the intruder tiptoes at night, everyone would hear them. Nowadays, those floors help create a symphony of sounds that can drive you crazy!
We headed to a big park in the center of Kyoto. Somewhere here we struck by the idea of “hold the doll” photos. A lot of people were photographing plush toys in front of landmarks, but we didn’t have toys. So we used ourselves as toys… Should we mention the big park was pretty empty…
We chose midday for the maiko performance. Saved from the sun! Before the show, we participated in a tea ceremony. We were more experienced this time, unlike in Matsumoto when we were at the beginning of our Japan trip. The show was about the four seasons. There were solo and group performances. Everything was played live. Beauty in sync and magically beautiful, but it was forbidden to take any photos or videos.
We went up to the Kyoto Tower. The place, where on clear days, you may see up to Osaka and at the same time observe the shinkansens and their run across the city. We found a very hospitable bar where they taught us what good sake is and did some bar-tending magic! And now some party and music on Friday night…
Read more: What you can do in Kyoto in winter | Must-sees in a three-week itinerary in Japan!
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