Dream Weaver in the Woods

japan

14 Days in Japan | Day 6: Miyagi Zao Fox Village

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

akihabara

14 Days in Japan | Day 5: Tokyo Bound

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

food

14 Days in Japan | Day 4: Fushimi Inari Taisha and Gion

Monday, September 14, 2015

Even though my feet were killing me from the day before, I knew that I wanted to go to Fushimi Inari Taisha! It's always been on my list ever since I saw it in Memoirs of a Geisha and the stunning beauty in person has been a highlight of my trip so far!

Fushimi Inari Taisha

The shrine is just a short trip from Kyoto station either by bus or JR. The shrine is directly across from the station, which is a trend I've noticed with Kyoto. The gate to the shrine is nestled amidst a charming street, and impressive right off the bat! There were priest praying in some of the buildings, while people outside prayed. There were also some shrine maidens performing a ceremony to bless some travelers, but no photos allowed. After the main area is the long climb up the mountain. There are numerous paths to take, which leads in a loop around the mountain. Fushimi Inari is known for its amazing thousands of orange gates that line the path.

The steps were a mixture of smooth walkways, paved steps and steep stone stairways. It winds up and down the mountain, eventually coming to the top. It was fun to check each map on the way up and seeing that you had only traveled a small distance! The mountain is covered in lush forests and streams, including some bamboo which was very beautiful. There were also a lot of spiders along the route, so I stayed in the middle of the path when it wasn't crowded ha-ha.

Along the way there were many smaller shrines and souvenir shops. I also enjoyed going off the path to the quieter and older shrines. Some were forgotten while others had incense lit and food left for whoever resides there. Needless to say, my knees were shaking on the way down!

Gion District

After meeting a couple cats, we headed back home to pick up more people for Gion. Kyoto is probably best known for its Geisha district, so the old ryokan buildings were on my bucket list as well. So after grabbing a quick meal at Yoshinoya with the local businessmen, we hopped on the bus again.

Chion In Temple (We were too late for visiting hours)

Yasaka Taisha

We couldn't help visiting a couple more shrines and temples on the way, as many people were in kimono for a festival. A bunch of old ladies actually came up to Gage and I to tell us we were good looking and asking where we were from. It was a very flattering and surreal experience. I had heard its common for people to comment on your appearance in Japan, but to actually have a conversation with someone like that was unexpected for sure! They were very sweet.

After another cat (cat tour of Japan?), we went through the Geisha district and had delicious traditional Japanese sweets. I'm glad today was very cheap, as the shrine and Gion didn't cost anything to walk through. I was able to pick up a souvenir for my brother too!

We also stopped for some traditional Japanese sweets (dango) and matcha tea.

I hope my feet feel better for tomorrow since I've gotta pack up to go to TOKYO!!

food

14 Days in Japan | Day 3: Osaka

Sunday, September 13, 2015

food

14 Days in Japan | Day 2: Kinkakuji & Ramen

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Temples and shrines on my bucket list for Japan! I love the architecture and gardens that surround these places, so I was very excited to go to the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)!

Our house is really close to Kyoto station, so we were able to take the 205 bus all the way to the top of the city where the temple is. The ride was really pleasant and people were friendly as we tried organizing our 7 people group around them. My friend Sean and I made friends with this one kid sitting with us who was collecting acorns with his family. I got to practice my limited Japanese and I think the kid was impressed by Sean's size (he's a big guy)! When they got off, the dad told him to say goodbye and it was really nice seeing them all wave as a family.

The buses in Kyoto make a lot of sense, and I think they're really foreigner friendly! (Here's an awesome map we used to get around!)

How to use the Kyoto bus:

Get on the bus from the middle door. (Make sure to wait in line!)
Press the button for your stop. The stops are all displayed on the monitors at the front of the bus in both Kanji and English. An English announcer translates instructions and information for all major stops.
Pay 230円 at the front of the bus and exit.

Kinkakuji

When we got to our stop (it's called Kinkakuji so it's really easy to spot), there was a small souvenir shop. I grabbed some stuff for my parents and then we went up to the temple.

One thing I didn't realize was that you had to pay to get in. Nevertheless, it was a smal lfee that I was happy to pay! The ticket looks really neat.

The grounds were well kept, with enough space for everyone to take their photos. The building's on a lake, but you can still get pretty close! It's a popular site for both foreign and Japanese tourists.

There were also numerous shrines and stalls to buy charms! I didn't light any incense or pray, mostly because I believe spirituality shouldn't be a tourist-y thing but it was also really busy. Perhaps I'll try it later in the trip as an experience, but I don't want to offend anyone. Kinkakuji is a Buddhist site I think, but they even had a small Shinto shrine near the exit. There are also washrooms and a cute cafe on-site. Gage bought me a really delicious shaved ice, while he had the black sesame ice cream (delicious)!! There are also several of the common vending machines.

The place isn't very wheelchair friendly. You could probably get up to see the building, but all the stalls and other features of the site are only accessible by stairs. Just something to keepin mind!

After Kinkakuji, the group set off for a small shop that sells bento. It was in a really trendy part of town that had a giant outdoor mall that went on the whole street basically. As the sun went down, people really started to look fashionable! There was also a cool arcade that had a ton of cool games, and Purikura.

Ramen

We ate at a ramen bar called Sen no Kaze (1000 Winds) and was very delicious! Gage and I sat at the bar since the table didn't fit us, which suited me just fine since we had the cozy seats by the cooks. I love food so much and the prices have all been super reasonable!

And then we went home! I'm excited to do more amazing things tomorrow!

14 Days in Japan | Day 6: Miyagi Zao Fox Village

To get to the Fox Village from TOKYO:

14 Days in Japan | Day 5: Tokyo Bound

14 Days in Japan | Day 4: Fushimi Inari Taisha and Gion

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Gion District

14 Days in Japan | Day 3: Osaka

Aquarium

Dottonburi

Osaka Pokémon Center

14 Days in Japan | Day 2: Kinkakuji & Ramen

How to use the Kyoto bus:

Kinkakuji

Ramen

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