Kyoto, Japan

The Golden (Rokuon-ji) Temple, Kyoto

Konichiwa! Watashi wa Kara to John desu!

Well wishing torri gates, Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine

Family outing, Kyoto

We arrived into Japan late on a Saturday evening, after a compulsory foot clean in the quarantine and a few attempts at the most intimidating toilets (see photo below), we bought a range of prepackaged sushi and cozied in for the evening in the Kansai airport.　

Japan has an odd obsession with humongous and perfect fruit

When the sun rose (because really, who wants to be navigating trains at 3am?) and after a surprisingly restful and uninterrupted sleep we ventured on the express train from the airport to Kyoto.

Our first hours in Japan was a mixture of pleasant surprise, tiredness and excitement.

Japan is a sparkling clean, an orderly and efficient country and is quite the complete opposite to India in every way imaginable. Our first days in Kyoto were heaven. We sat on warm toilet seats that played music, we watched white gloved taxi drivers chauffeuring Japanese women adorned in Kimonos through the city. We ate small helpings of everything! We walked along immaculate streets and couldn't believe our eyes at the size of the fruit (which would rival the head of a 2yr old but costs an arm and a leg).

In Japan everything just happens, the trains and buses run perfectly to schedule. Pedestrians walk on the left, rubbish goes in the bin and it all happens with ease.

Kyoto is Japan's oldest surviving city and home to the famous geisha. It was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868. The main centre; Gion attracts hundreds of tourists each day looking for a geisha on her way to work. The centre itself is a tightly knitted network of small wooden houses and lane ways twisting and turning alongside the river and up to many of the hill shrines. Our hostel was located smack bang in the middle and only minutes walk to several of the oldest temples in Japan.

Locals browsing the shop wares

In Kyoto there are over 2000 shrines and temples. Japan's top attraction - the golden temple was just amazing! Built in 1397 by the Saionji family it remains one of Japanese oldest wooden structures. We also visited several shinto shrines and temples dating back further than 1260.

Kyoto was an amazing first stop in Japan and gave us an insight to traditional Japan.

Tot siens,
John and Kara

Make a prayer at the Temple

Flavoured milk at the supermarket 

Tuna sashimi experience!

All your toilet needs...

Enjoying the sunshine

John outside the entrance a traditional Japanese home

Oh dear! An interesting shop window.

Sunset on the kiyomizu-dera temple

Sunset over the Kyoto prefecture

A very over packed cemetery we stumbled over!