Kyoto

After our too-short stay in Nara, we headed to the city of Kyoto, the capital of Kyoto Prefecture and a former capital of Japan from 794-1868. Compared to Tokyo one might be tempted to think of Kyoto, with a population of only 1.4 million, as a small town. But during its millennium as imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto amassed a plethora of cultural treasures and beautiful architecture that remain well preserved because the city escaped Allied bombing during WWII.

My little sketchy map of downtown Kyoto is woefully incomplete. Actually, the sights in Kyoto are so numerous and spread out that 2 days isn't nearly enough time to see them all. Since our time was limited, we had to make some tough choices. Ultimately, we ended up focusing on downtown Kyoto for eating and drinking, and Higashiyama, the area east of the Kamo River, for temple-hopping.

----- RESOURCES -----
Bento.com provides helpful restaurant reviews and maps, and organizes them by neighborhood, covering both the Tokyo and the Osaka/Kyoto areas. They even tell you which places are open on Sundays and late nights!
Wikitravel.com breaks Kyoto down into regions so you can plan your trip efficiently. And, you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a railway map of Kyoto that shows all the lines at once, so this one comes in handy.
Lonelyplanet.com has paid downloads of their Kyoto chapters on its Pick & Mix website. The Neighborhoods Chapter is the one with all the maps.
Jnto.go.jp is the Japan National Tourist Organization's site. As someone who occasionally geeks out about website interface design and usability, I just want to tell the developer of this site: Thank you! Check out the "Plan, Check and Go!" tab to figure out just which trains you need to take and how long it will take to get to your destination.
Kyoto Walks [PDF download] shows you some suggested walking and biking tours in Kyoto, courtesy of the Japan National Tourist Organization.

----- WE GOT AROUND -----
On bike
Kyoto is pretty flat, and many of the sights are located far from subway or rail lines, so a bike is an ideal way to go temple hopping. In fact, it seems that many, if not most, Kyotoites get around by bike, so you'll be in good company.
We noticed two bicycle rentals located just north of Sanjo Station (on the Keihan rail and the Tozai subway lines), making that an ideal starting point for exploring picturesque Higashiyama-gu, the temple-filled neighborhood east of the Kamo River. Some hotels also offer bike rental if you ask ahead.

On foot
In downtown Kyoto, where sites are more closely spaced, hoofing it is the most rewarding way to take in the sights and smells, especially if you intend on sampling snacks in Nishiki Market, spotting geishas along Pontocho, or souvenir shopping along the Teramachi Covered Arcade....You could probably walk the length of Nishiki Market in 10 minutes -- it's not that long -- but definitely plan on spending a little longer to try some different treats!

By subway or train
I think the subway and rail lines in Kyoto are pretty hard to sort out if you can't read Japanese (and possibly even if you do!) but after a day or so, we kind of got the hang of it. The ticket machines have English instructions on them -- just look at the station map to see how much it will cost to get from where you are to where you're going, punch in the amount, and out comes your ticket. Another option, if you're planning on using the subway a lot, are the one- and two- day sightseeing passes [link: Wikitravel].

----- WE STAYED -----
Hiiragiya Bekkan
One of the many things that excited me in planning our trip to Kyoto was the prospect of having a true kaiseki dinner. Kyoto is known for this form of Japanese haute cuisine, a multi-course meal sourced from local and seasonal ingredients in which each dish is prepared with utmost attention to taste, texture and appearance. In our hunt for an authentic kaiseki, we researched numerous ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) that serve the meal in your room, but found that the experience often comes at a hefty cost, ranging from $300 to $1000, per person! After our sticker shock we were about ready to give up on our search for a beautiful -- yet affordable -- ryokan. Then, I happened upon a link for Hiiragiya Bekkan, the annex location for luxe ryokan Hiiragiya, where Anthony Bourdain [link: Wikipedia] was entertained by geisha in his No Reservations Japan episode [link: YouTube]. We quickly booked one night in an 8-tatami mat room, with full kaiseki dinner and breakfast, for $378 inclusive.

For travelers from the West, a ryokan can offer an experience of traditional Japanese culture that a simple sight-seeing itinerary would not provide. For us -- after living in South Korea for 4 years -- removing one's shoes at the door, sitting and eating on the floor, and using a bathhouse were themselves not such novel experiences. Nevertheless, the beautiful surroundings and the careful attention to detail -- in aesthetics, pacing and service -- elevated these daily activities to a special level. In a way, your stay in a ryokan is a carefully scripted performance. The bathhouse rooms are not en suite, so you will need to schedule your bath in advance. As you bathe, your host prepares the dinner table in your room and, after your bath, serves the kaiseki dinner, course by course. Following dessert, the table is taken away and the host prepares your bedding. There is a time and a place for everything, nothing is rushed and everything savored. The resulting experience is one that might not suite some independent travelers who would rather not be bothered, nor told when to eat or bathe. But traveling is precisely the time to try on different ways of looking at the world! So I highly recommend the ryokan experience if you have time in your schedule. Some other high-end ryokan in Kyoto -- pricier, but very well regarded -- include: the main Hiiragiya, Yoshikawa, and Yoshida-sanso.

Hearton Hotel
Since our first night's accomodation was kind of expensive, we decided to book our second night at the cheapest place we could find on Expedia. This being Japan, the cheapest hotel that showed up in the search results was still $116/night. The Hearton Hotel won't win any design awards, but it was clean, comfortable and conveniently located a block from the Karasuma Oike subway station. They also offer bike rentals if you ask ahead. Yougendo, a ryokan/guesthouse, can be a cheaper option at $65 per night pp, if you're traveling alone.

----- WE SAW -----
Nishiki Market [link: Bento.com]
A 400-meter long shopping arcade running east-west between Karasuma and Kawaramachi stations, Nishiki Market contains hundreds of food shops specializing in local delicacies. Everything looks and smells so enticing, and much of it can be freely sampled, so bring an empty stomach! The ever-helpful Bento.com has a photo tour and a list of some recommended shops to get you started. But don't be afraid to explore with your other senses too, and let your taste buds be surprised when you pop a piece of vinegary pickled vegetable in your mouth!


1. Fushimi Inari Taisha, 2. Maple

Fushimi Inari Taisha [link: Wikipedia]
The Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine located a few stops south of central Kyoto on the Keihan rail line. Its countless orange torii gates and numerous statues of foxes (Inari's messengers) make it a stunning backdrop for photographs. Inari is the god of harvests and business, so make an offering here to give your company a little fiscal boost this year.

Gion [link: Wikipedia]
It seems that a lot of cities are on rivers and there always seems to be a "traditional" side and a new "modern" side. Kyoto is no different. On the eastern bank of Kamo-gawa, opposite bustling downtown Kyoto, is the Gion neighborhood, once a renowned geisha district and where townhouses (machiya), temples and shrines still define the landscape. We decided to explored Gion first on foot, the better to see all its picturesque views of the tree-lined canal, traditional tea houses and narrow alleyways. The day was warm and the sun was high in the sky, but the rushing water in the canal and the shady willows lining it purified the air and refreshed the soul. Then we rented bikes from a bike shop just north of Sanjo Station, and set off to the east to see some temples.


3. Altar, 4. Nanzenji

Chion-in [link: Wikipedia]
The Chion-in temple complex, originally built in 1234 and rebuilt after a fire in the mid-1600s, is the headquarters of the Pure Land Buddhism sect. It's notable for its very large sanmon (the distinctive 2-story, 3-door gate that leads up to the Buddha hall), which is on Japan's List of National Treasures.

Shoren-in [link: Shorenin.com]
From Chion-in, we headed north, skirting the base of Mt. Higashi. After a slight uphill pedal, we rested (umm... I'm really out of shape) at the beautiful garden of Shoren-in. From the shady confines of the covered wooden hallways you can enjoy the natural scenery from numerous vantage points without setting foot on the soil. The sliding doors inside have gorgeous paintings on their panels, making the interior view very pretty as well. And a refreshing crossbreeze make this a wonderful place to sit for a spell, review your guidebook and change a roll of film, as we did. If you're visiting Kyoto in the fall, the Shoren-in temple holds nighttime light shows.


5. Maple leaves and sunlight, 6. Slippers

Nanzen-ji [link: Wikipedia]
Built in 1264, Nanzenji was initially an imperial villa. After the Emperor became a student of Zen Buddhism, he dedicated his palace as a Zen temple in 1291. Destroyed by fire three times during its history, the current structures date from the late 1500s. Nanzenji's Hojo Garden is a well-known example of karesansui, or dry Japanese garden design. From Hojo Hall's covered corridors, you can enjoy different views of the carefully arranged stones and raked sand. Another beautiful spot on the Nanzenji temple grounds is the aqueduct. This arched brick structure has been bringing water down to the city from Lake Biwa since 1890. And just on the other side of the aqueduct are some smaller subtemples that, receiving less foot traffic from visitors, offer quiet retreats. There is a set of steps leading up to the top of the aqueduct, in case you want to have a look at the flowing water.

Tetsugaku no michi (The Path of Philosophy) [link: Japan-Guide.com]
After poking around Nanzenji, we rode north towards our next temple destination, Ginkakuji, on a path running alongside the old tree-lined Biwa Canal. The path is known as Tetsugaku no michi, the "Philospher's Path," because it was the favored walking route of a 20th-century philosopher, Nishida Kitaro. These days you'll more likely find cafes, photographers and dating couples rather than strolling philosophers. The route is a popular -- and crowded -- destination during cherry blossom season, when the trees lining the canal bloom in explosions of pink and white flowers.

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) [link: Wikipedia]
The original intent was for Ginkakuji's Kannon Hall to be covered with silver foil, but this plan was... er... foiled during the Onin War when construction was halted. Nevertheless, Ginkakuji is still known as the Silver Pavilion. Kannon is under renovation as of this writing, but the rest of the temple grounds are definitely worth exploring. Check out Kougetudai [link: Flickr photo], an abstract cone of white sand representing Mt. Fuji, and Ginsyadan [link: Flickr photo], a wide expanse of combed white sand representing the ocean. This geometric, and curiously modern-looking, dry landscape contrasts with the lush moss garden surrounding it.

7. Twilight, 8. Lantern

Kiyomizu-dera [link: Wikipedia]
As the sun started its descent, we biked back down to Southern Higashiyama and found ourselves at
Kiyomizudera, a large temple complex supported on a steep hillside by 139 15-meter-tall wooden pillars. While you're enjoying the view perched up here, consider that not a single nail is used in the construction of the entire temple. Then, you can go drink from the waterfall behind the main hall, where the three streams are said to give you wisdom, health, and longevity, if only you choose two of the three to drink from. We decided to forgo all three, and instead went back down the hill to explore the shopping streets north of the temple. The Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka [link: Japan Visitor Blog] souvenir shops are quaint, if a little cheesy, and if you spot women wearing kimono tottering around the neighborhood, rest assured that those aren't real live geisha but only other tourists who have paid to be photographed in traditional garb. You can try it too, but those wooden shoes look a little uncomfortable....

Pontocho [link: Wikipedia]
Pontocho is a narrow, cobbled alleyway running parallel to and directly west of the Kamo River in downtown Kyoto. Kabuki theater got its start here, and its been home to many geisha houses since the 1500s, so the area has a long history as an entertainment district. Quiet during the day, the street gets going after sundown, when lanterns blink on and restaurants open their doors for dinner. We finished off our evening with a stroll along the Teramachi Shopping Arcade [link: Wikipedia], which runs parallel to Pontocho a few blocks to the west.

Our 2 days in Kyoto weren't nearly enough to do it justice, and we were sad to miss out on so many intriguing sites. I mean, I can't believe we went to a city with a Monkey Park [link: Wikipedia], and we didn't even go see the monkeys! But the upside of our too-short trip? An excuse to return! During my trip research, I saw so many beautiful photos of brilliant fall foliage covered hillsides, temples nestled in blankets of pristine snow and explosions of springtime cherry blossoms. It's truly a place that has something to offer year-round, so I'm sure we'll be back...

I've got one more post on Kyoto (food!) coming up, so stay tuned....