A 1200 year history of a former capital city is difficult to take in, nonetheless in a short period of time. But we did our best to see all that we could in Kyoto. It’s hard to believe, but we almost got tired of admiring temples and shrines after our time in Kyoto.
On our way to the train station, we stopped into a knife and sword shop. Jim inquired about purchasing one to take home, but the time, paperwork and cost did not fit our budget. However, we each got to hold a 700-year-old samurai sword inside the shop!
The Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji, appears as a shining island sitting in a calm and peaceful pond. Ginkaku-ji and Eikando are the bookends to a walk along the canal called the Philosopher’s’ Path. Nanzen-ji is one of the most impressive and natural-looking temples, made out of wood and surrounded by forest. Yasaka Shrine is bright and at the end of Shijo-dori, in the Gion district, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district. We finished off our 14-mile day with a walk through Nishiki market, where one can find everything food-related in Kyoto including Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood and sushi. And don’t forget the green tea ice cream!
Two great spots we got to have uniquely Kyoto experiences, as well as rewarding panoramic views over the city, are Iwatayama Monkey Park on the west side and Inari Fushimi shrine for a sunset view. The monkey park is a park that lets the troop of 170 Japanese macaque monkeys live in the wild but provides a protected area of their habitat. You can feed them from inside a cage, which is quite a great sight to see the humans on the inside and the animals on the outside!
Fushimi Inari-Taisha is the head shrine of the god of Inari. The main shrine was constructed in 1499 but other structures in this regarded area date back to 711. You see many foxes in Inari shrines, as they are believed to be the messengers. The highlight of Inari Fushimi is the rows of 10,000 torii, or gate posts, that line the path towards the top of the mountain and the trail that connects to smaller shrines on the hill. If you have to choose only one place to visit in Japan, choose Kyoto.
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