On the eleventh day, we visited Kyoto (京都), the former imperial capital of Japan. Kyoto has a population close to 1.5 million and it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.
We spend the majority of the time visiting various ancient shrines and other historical buildings. We did a lot of walking that day as a lot of these attractions are located in remote areas.
The first shrine we visited in the morning was the Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社). It is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines.
Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社)Rachel and I, still very fresh in the morningMajestic entranceThe first shrine we saw upon entrance to Fushimi Inari TaishaArea map of the shrineService countersOfferings for saleThe plates have pictures of bulls on themWishing sticksWishing sticks holderRing the bell for blessingsClose-up of one the shrine’s roofingA devotee prayingMore people prayingFox overlooking the devoteesThere were many Torii like this in the shrineLots of fox statues at this head shrineTwo fox statuesSomeone prayingMajestic fox statueWishes are written on a cloth and tied into knotsWalking through a long stretch of ToriiMe with ToriiRachel with ToriiAmulet for good healthAmulet for business prosperityShrine sandAmulet for safe travelsAmulet for romanceFox-shaped wishing platesThe place to hang the fox platesYou can ring the bell for blessing after hanging the platesSome people just draw funny stuff and hang them upStone pillarsEntrance on the left, exit on the rightEngravings on the Torii stating who donated them and the date donatedI think one of the scene in the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, was shot hereRachel pretending to be Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs of a GeishaClose-up of the lanterns that lit up the Torii
We headed to Arashiyama (嵐山) after that, a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto. Arashiyama was a scenic area with rivers and mountains. It’s a pity we came here during winter and the cherry blossoms which it is famous for was not in bloom.
At Arashiyama, we crossed the “Moon Crossing Bridge” (渡月橋) and also walked through the Sagano bamboo forest.
Spotted a taxi driver practising his golf moves while waiting for passengersUnique train station designWe like this Kirin milk teaYummy tofu coroquetteSome barbeque foodA shrine entranceSweet plum and green tea flavour soft-serveRachel enjoying a soft-serveThere are many stalls like this selling mochiRachel with the kimono mochi girlKyoto gift snacks that I bought for my auntShop selling traditional Japanese hand-made fansA roadside stall selling giant turnipsGood doggieŌi RiverMountain facing viewA shot showing more of the surrounding mountainsMoon Crossing BridgeRickshaws for hireOi RiverRachel and I on the bridgeGlittering water plainScreening retro Japanese moviesA rickshaw that zipped past usA family of little Buddha statuesThe street of ArashiyamaA tofu specialty stallBaked tapioca and assorted tofuSagano bamboo forestStolling in the bamboo forestRicksaw spotted in the bamboo forestGraveyard tucked in the bamboo forestA shrine located inside the bamboo forest
We then visited another shrine, Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) which we did not go in as it requires an entrance fee and seems to involve lots of up slope climbing.
Hungry from all the walking, we had lunch in a small traditional-looking Japanese restaurant in the area. The food was pretty good, but the squatting tatami seats were a pain.
Many tourists and Japanese alike were shrine visiting like usInteresting snack storeThe signboardConan biscuitsStall selling bunsScary masksNovelty condomsFunny joke glassesSushi-shaped candiesRestaurant interiorLunch time!Rachel’s lunch: a serving of three different types of soba (buckwheat noodle)Soba type 1Soba type 2Soba type 3My lunchClose-up of my udonClose-up of the rice, served with small salted fishRachel tucking into her lunchMark ordered a large set for himself while Meiyen just sit and watch him eatMark’s tempura soba set with riceThe restaurant has a nice little balcony filled with greensSignboard of the restaurant where we had lunchMeiyen bought a crepe from here for lunchMaking Meiyen’s crepeMeiyen with her crepeJapanese pancakesAnother pancake stallHand-made mochi with fillingThis shrine is very popularRachel aloneRachel and ILadies in kimono making their way up the shrinesRed shrinesDevotees cleansing themselves before prayingA signboardRachel enjoying the sceneryWe just took a peek at this shrine and did not venture furtherMouse plates for making wishesBlack sesame soft-serveRachel enjoying her second soft-serve for the dayA small pondThere were ducks like this wandering around the pondFull body view of the duckAnother duckView of the pond from another angleThe whole pond areaWe spotted limited sakura blossomsRachel with the white duckThe surrounding parkThe sky is starting to get dark. It’s going to rain soon.Fat crows
We went to more scenic sights and shrines after that. As it was drizzling, we did not pause much and were just briskly walking from one attraction to the next.
Mark persistently wanted to look for an attraction called the Philosopher’s Walk (哲学の道) which was recommended by his colleagues as a must-see in Kyoto for it’s beauty. We got lost looking for this place. This made the other three of us very pissed at Mark as our feet were sore from all the walking plus the rain made us wet and cold, upping the grumpy factor.
Eventually when we finally managed to find the place, it was a big disappointment as it was just a narrow path beside a tiny drain. Apparently, after looking at online photos, the area is most beautiful when there’s cherry blossoms. However, we came here in the middle of winter and saw only empty branches and a washed out canal. None of us got inspired after walking the Philosopher’s Walk.
The Philosopher’s Walk concluded our walking tour of remote shrines and scenic spots. We took a bus back to Kyoto Station after that and spent the rest of the day shopping.
One of the many shrines we walked pastAnother large shrine we pastWe never go in, but can pose for pictureA house that specialises in making ghost masks and figurinesClose-up of one of the ghost figurinesCreepy old house that looks hauntedA statue seen outside a libraryShiny umbrellaGeishas getting dressedCheck out the retro-looking streetsThere were also lots of old houses like this in KyotoMore old housesClose-up of the tall buildingElcletic mix of new and oldHunting shopWe finally found the Philosopher’s WalkEntrance to Philosopher’s WalkStone house with mouse plate offeringsMini cherry blossoms at the Philosopher’s WalkThe canal for philosophers to gaze at when they need inspirationMore shrines! We did not venture further anymore as we were too tired
The modern architecture of Kyoto Station was a far cry from the rustic beauty of the sightseeing spots in this imperial city. We visited a Tezuka Osamu specialty shop in the area where I bought an Astroboy tin can candy and a handphone strap.
We had ramen for dinner. Black and white soy ramen to be precise – served with black and white soy sauce respectively. The posters were very visually arresting, but the taste was average. We proceed to the supermarket after that to buy near-closing-time discounted food for supper. Since Mark said Kyoto is famous for their tofu, we bought a few types of tofu to try.
This ended our day tour of Kyoto. 🙂
modernistic Kyoto StationKyoto Tower in the dayDirectional installation to Tezuka Osamu galleryTezuka Osamu gallery showcaseAstroboy welcomes allAstroboy bagMe being childishClose-up of the Astroboy figurineRachel and I fooling aroundAstroboy handkerchiefsAstroboy biscuitsVintage Astroboy toysBlackjack Valentine’s Day collectiblesAstroboy pancakesMore Astroboy snacksOriginal Tezuka Osamu artworksPaper AstroboyKimba the White LionVarious anime and manga by Tezuka OsamuAstroboy mochiAstroboy tin can sweets – I bought the one on the right in the endMural of Astroboy and his sisterAn interesting Astroboy cardThe cashierI bought this handphone strapMe with Tezuka Osamu created anime and manga characters as backdropThe backdrop without me blocking some of the charactersThe Kyoto Tower at nightCloser look at just the Kyoto TowerWe had ramen for dinner in this restaurantThe restaurant’s signboardThe ramen chefsOur dinner: Black and white soy ramenWe were drawn into this restaurant by their posterMark’s black soy ramen with extra char siew and an eggRachel bought a cream-filled pancakeThe pancake stall which Rachel bought fromStaff will stand by the window shutters as the shopping malls close for the nightOur supper
Links to my previous blog entries on my Japan trip:
I am extremely envious of your visit to the shop that is filled with all the Astorboy goodies!!!! Pls provide mw with more info of this particular city/area and how to get there!
I am a huge Astroboy fan!!!
p/s: And I can't wait for the movie to e released later this year, though I would say the anime version is better than the CG movie. Hehh. :p
what a comprehensive overview of kyoto, great pics & its really interesting seeing what you did, we have just got back & i am missing it & longing to be back, love the astro boy pics too as we bought a great poster there
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I am extremely envious of your visit to the shop that is filled with all the Astorboy goodies!!!! Pls provide mw with more info of this particular city/area and how to get there!
I am a huge Astroboy fan!!!
p/s: And I can't wait for the movie to e released later this year, though I would say the anime version is better than the CG movie. Hehh. :p
what a comprehensive overview of kyoto, great pics & its really interesting seeing what you did, we have just got back & i am missing it & longing to be back, love the astro boy pics too as we bought a great poster there
is the food same taste as singapore?