Five Nights In Kyoto

Date: 13/06/2018

Depart: Tokyo Station

Arrive: Kyoto Station 

All aboard the Shinkansen and we’re rocking and rolling. After a speedy train ride and a horrible bus journey that ended with James carrying both our big rucksacks we arrived at our next AirBnB. The sun was unexpectedly shining so we changed and went for a wonder around nearby areas of Kyoto. 

Before we left England we had done a little research about things to do and places to go but Tokyo was so constantly buzzing you could hop on a train, end up somewhere and find something to do or look at. We had read about all the famous parts of Kyoto but we didn’t really know what we were looking for or what to expect and it felt really weird not to be in the big city anymore. Our apartment was in the Gion area famous for its traditional keiseki restauarants and geishas so it was 
expensive but also full of history, temples and shrines. 

After our little wander to get our bearings we popped to the shop and got a cheap dinner to eat at home as we were pretty exhausted. 

The next day it was time for Japan’s largest tourist attraction; Fushimi Inari-taisha. The vermillion torii gates have graced everyone’s Instagram feed at some point of scrolling but of course we needed to go and see them for ourselves and add our own little moment captured in a square for others to scroll across. 

You arrive in a small town and the route towards the shrine is lined with souvenir shops and little street food places, all designed to draw you in. It’s crazy busy and there are people everywhere. When you arrive at the main entrance it’s absolutely nuts. Our advice: keep walking. When you see the first torii gates, keep going! Keep going for ages because all you will see for the first 30 minutes of walking are other people. This shrine covers a whole mountain - literally! Once you get further up the tourists who only came for a photo are long gone, still at the start probably, and it is peaceful and beautiful. You can actually appreciate it. If you take anything away from reading this please let it be that. Despite the insane volume of visitors, the shrine is truly spectacular and amazing to look at. As you walk up the pathway snakes up the mountain and every corner turned gives a whole new perspective. Each gate is donated by different business which is marked on every individual one in Japanese. 

We found a quiet place for lunch and gobbled down ramen, gyoza and fried chicken. Then we finished the day visiting the nearby Tofuku-ji temple but it was just before closing time so we didn’t manage to go into the actual grounds. 

James and myself both love Japanese cuisine and frequent many Japanese style restaurants at home but when you’re eating out for lunch and dinner every day there is only a certain amount of rice, noodles and fried meat you can handle. Kyoto is a lot bigger on its steak and more specifically Wagyu and Kobe. We couldn’t afford either of those, no matter how much we tried to justify it, so we searched for some good old regular steak. It took forever to find somewhere that wasn’t charging over £70 a head and it the end we saw this little place which had loads of options on the menu. We entered curiously and were met with stairs which is always a worry as then you have no idea what the place looks like, smells like or if there are even any other customers. The grill was on the top floor; I can’t explain the happiness I felt when I saw not only other diners but a rooftop terrace over looking the river. 

We shared a bottle of red wine called Le Passion, two steaks, creamed spinach with bacon, salad and chips. The whole meal was everything I knew I needed. The wasabi butter that came with the steak was everything I didn’t know I needed. 

After the bottle of red we were feeling a little more high spirited and adventures. The area we were in felt almost dirty at night as there were a lot of men about and a lot of women handing leaflets out only to men. There were also a lot of lounge bars which were not bars with sofas if that’s what your thinking. I so wish I remembered the name of the bar we ended up stumbling across but it was down an alley and just a black door. An older lady wearing a kimono invited us in. It was small and decorated in a dated but luxurious fashion, something I likened to what you would probably find on the Titanic. James ordered whiskey and I champagne - which came with gold flakes in! We were given nibbles and offered karaoke. The whole time we were there we were the only customers, it was strange but kind of enjoyable as she was the sweetest lady and the nibbles were really good. 

The next day we were tired - we blamed the mountain but let’s be honest, it was probably the red wine. On our list today was the Golden temple, also known as Kinkaku-ji. To get there we needed to catch the bus and upon walking to the bus stop we ended up in the much busier and metropolitan city centre of Kyoto which was great. Our bus journey ended on a wet and grey road and after a quick snack we huddled under the umbrella, got our tickets and went to see the Golden Temple. It was crazy busy when you first go in and it didn’t help that everyone was bashing brollies. The temple was very beautiful as it is literally covered in gold leaf. It stands isolated by a lake on one side and gardens the other. Even on that miserable day it still glistened and I can only imagine how amazing it would look lit up with sunbeams. 

The gardens surrounding it are quite small and only one path leads the way. I think it only took us about twenty minutes to walk around and that included stopping to take photographs. 

Then it was back on the bus and Starbucks was calling our names. Two caramel macchiatos later and some blueberry and chocolate scones and went for a walk around Higashiyama Street. 

Lined with extremely beautiful shops and the most beautiful Starbucks in the world, this was a very traditional walk that should be done at strolling place as to take in all the finer details. 

I didn’t feel very well that night so we stayed in and made chicken salads for dinner. That night I was up all hours not feeling good at all but I won’t paint anymore of the picture for you. 

We woke up the next morning and the sun was shining again! We headed to the Nishiki Market in the centre of the city area. It’s one extremely long market lined with the peculiar, the delicious and the down right terrifying. 

We started with a simple croquette which was warm and yummy. Then a traditional Japanese pancake which was stuffed with cabbage and drenched in a kind of oyster sauce. As we walked along we kept seeing these mini octopus on a stick and the more we saw the more we started umming and ahhing over whether we should try. What the heck?! The octopus itself has a sweetness to it and must have been marinated in something. The head is full with a hard boiled egg yolk. Why? 

To wash away that unforgettable experience we stopped for a quick drink. As James was paying the bill, a very friendly Japanese man hit on me! Nice to know I’ve still got it! 

Then we dined like the Tudors and shared a giant chicken leg. It was definitely chicken but I have no idea how big the chicken must have been to get a leg this size! 

To finish off our savoury round we had a onion and bacon fish ‘cake’ which was crispy on the outside and then soft and almost like a rubber/jelly texture on the inside. Not sure on that one. To finish our market meandering we demolished soy milk doughnuts! 

To work off our day of titbitting we headed north to the Imperial Palace gardens where we could enjoy the rest of the soon setting sun. 

During our walk we spotted a few good looking restaurants so after freshening up we ended up back around the same area for dinner. We ended up at Sole Daniel’s for Italian. The little path leading up was lined with trees are sparkling lights and then the whole restaurant was full with people and not a single tourist which is always a great sign. 

Man oh man, Japanese chefs do Italian food extremely well! We shared spicy pizza and tomato spaghetti topped with burrata and then our own portions (because sharing dessert is only appropriate in desperate times) of chocolate cake and ice cream. The only fault was that the chocolate cake should have been warmed up so it would become all gooey inside. The whole meal and every member of staff were incredible. It was like a great big hug. As we were leaving a waiter named Yohei followed us out and was extremely complimentary and thanked us for joining them that night. Their politeness and compassion for good manners, as a nation, is something I’ve never seen before but know should be adopted by so many more immediately. 

The next day it was a bumpy street train ride, quick fish buns and a visit to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The bamboo is beautiful and towering but it’s only a very small area and therefore extremely crowded. I suggest you look up to enjoy the bamboo and just keep walking as best you can. There is a temple attached with paid entry but we decided not to visit this one. Instead we took a walk through the lovely gardens and ended up discovering the Katsura-gawa River. This was a truly beautiful area that looked like somewhere far more tropical. We rented a little boat and James rowed us up and down for a good hour. The river was full of other people doing similar things but we didn’t realise the river was here or that you could do this so it was a wonderfully lovely addition to the afternoon. 

Then after a quick coffee we took the steep walk up to Monkey Park Iwatayama. The entry fee was pretty cheap and there are literally monkeys roaming about all over the place and there are beautiful views overlooking all other Kyoto. You can also go inside a giant cage and feed the monkeys who are free on the outside. The signs say not to feed them directly but after daily practise the monkeys know exactly what’s going on. They slot there arms through the cage and politely hold out their hand and wait eagerly for pieces of banana, peanuts or apple. 

That evening we went to Musashi Sushi bar for very cheap conveyor belt sushi and green tea. Nothing special but satisfying and filling for a low price. Then it was home to pack. 

Kyoto is a beautiful city rich with history and tradition on one side but diverse and modern on the other. Make sure you visit for a few days so you can take it all different aspects. There is so much more to do here than I’ve listed above, we just wanted to take our time and enjoy each moment. Plus it always gives an excuse to come back! I don’t think I’ve met anyone that dislikes Kyoto and that’s for good reason. 

Love, Rachael x

P.S. All pictures from Kyoto are in a separate post - Five Nights In Kyoto In Photos - because it’s really hard to put the text and photos together just on my phone - sorry!!