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| Chion-in |
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| Fushimi Inari |
Kyoto
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| Gion street |
Kyoto was the capital of Japan for nearly one thousand years, from 794 until 1868 when the government officially moved to Tokyo (Edo). There are countless temples and shrines Kyoto, and centuries-old neighborhoods. Hanami-koji south of the main east-west street Shijo-dori is an historic neighborhood with quaint houses and shops, as is Kiri-doshi which runs north of Shijo-dori. The Shimbashi canal runs diagonally from Kiri-doshi, at that intersection is the tiny Tatsumi Shrine. The Shimbashi neighborhood is home to many of Kyoto’s finest restaurants, and the views along the canal are beautiful. The Gion neighborhood is just south of Shimbashi and has a small enclave of streets lined with traditional wooden houses just south of Shijo-dori.
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| Ponto-cho |
We stayed at the Gate Hotel [link] , which lies along a canal on tree-lined Kiyamachi-dori. Running parallel is Ponto-cho, which is a tiny alley lined with restaurants. The Gate Hotel is in a beautiful building along the canal, and has great amenities in a perfect location (including easy access to subway and major bus routes). A few blocks away is the famous Nishiki Market, stretching four blocks under an arcade.
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| Eiken-do Temple |
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| Ginkaku-ji Temple |
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| Nanzen-ji Temple |
We spent a long day exploring Eastern Kyoto – this trip could easily be split into two days. We started with the Philosopher’s Walk (details HERE), which was established in the early twentieth centuries to connect centuries-old temples and shrines that lie along a canal. It was modeled after the similarly named path in Heidelberg, and provides a beautiful tour through this hillside neighborhood. Fodor’s Essential Japan has a nice walk that we followed, starting at Ginkaku-ji Temple with its beautiful garden. We toured each of the temples, but found Ginkaku-ji and the final two the most interesting: Eiken-do Temple is huge, and the main shrine room (I would call it an altar room) was gorgeous, the most beautiful we’ve seen in Japan; Nanzen-ji Temple is even larger.
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| Chion-in Temple |
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| Yasaka Shrine Gate |
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| Yasaka Shrine |
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| Chion-in bridge |
Just south of Philosopher’s Path is Chion-in Temple, with a massive gate (torii), main hall, and the largest bell in Japan which is rung every New Year's and televised across the country. Lying just west of Chion-in Temple is Yasaka Shrine, the most important shrine in Kyoto which draws lots of locals and tourists, many dressed in kimono. The white lanterns sport the names of companies and individuals who have contributed to the shrine, in the hopes of earning favor from the spirits. It was at this point that “temple fatigue” set in.
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| Ishibe-Koji Lane |
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| Kiyumizu-dori |
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| Kiyumizu-dera Temple |
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| Temple in Sannen-zaka |
Heading south from Chion-in, you pass through beautiful Maruyama Park; look for tiny Ishibe-Koji Lane to the right. Farther along is the imposing Yasaka Pagoda, then the street leads into an incredible maze of streets that make up this historic preservation district. Ichinen-zaka, Ninen-zaka, Sannen-zaka are stoned-paved streets of traditional wooden buildings, lined with shops and cafes (caution: it is particularly crowded on the weekend). At the top of Kiyumizu-dori (the street) is Nio-man gate, which leads to Kiyumizu-dera Temple.
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| Imperial Palace gate |
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Imperial Palace temple
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| Imperial Palace garden |
On our third day, we visited three great sites in central and western Kyoto. The Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle, and Kinkaku-ji Temple. The Imperial Palace is located in the large Kyoto Gyoen National Garden (I would call it a park not a garden by Japanese standards). The palace grounds have been home to the rulers of Japan from 794 to 1867, when the capital was moved to Edo (Tokyo) by Meiji. The palace burned many times over the centuries, most recently in 1855, so the existing buildings were reconstructed after that fire. The audio guide [link] tour is very good, and easy to follow. The walk is entirely outdoors, since the buildings are still used by the imperial family and closed to the public.
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| Nijo Castle inner gate |
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| Nijo Castle keep |
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| Nijo Castle moat |
The Nijo-jo Castle is about a thirty-minute walk southwest of the Imperial Palace, through a boring working-class neighborhood (take bus or taxi). We opted for the combination ticket which allows entry into the Ninomaru-goten Palace. The castle, constructed in 1603, and palace are really impressive, and the self-guided tour was informative and easy to follow.
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| Kinkaku-ji Temple |
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| Kinkaku-ji Temple |
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| Kinkaku-ji Temple |
The last stop of the day was Kinkaku-ji Temple, located in the far northwest of Kyoto, easy to access via bus. Fourteenth century Shogun Yoshimitsu built this temple as a retirement villa, having the entire structure covered in gold leaf as a sign of his wealth and power. The image of the golden temple reflecting in the water of the garden pond is stunning, it’s certainly one of the most beautiful sites in all of Japan. The current structure was rebuilt after a disgruntled monk set fire to the original in 1955.
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| Vermillion gates |
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| Fushimi Inari gates |
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| Fushimi Inari |
On our final day in Kyoto we headed south to perhaps the most famous image in Kyoto, the thousands of vermillion gates of Fushimi Inari Temple (train to Fushimi Inari station). The gates form a path that the visitor follows, which I assume creates a journey of peace and reflection, but that was difficult to achieve with thousands of tourists squeezed between the gates. I suppose everything worth seeing will be crowded – it was still worth the visit [link].
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| Tofuku-ji shrine |
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| Tofuku-ji Hall |
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| Tofuku-ji Sanmon Gate |
From Fushimi Inari, we visited Tofuku-ji with its immense Sanmon Gate, the largest and oldest gate in Japan. The temple is interesting, especially the main hall with an immense dragon painted on the ceiling overhead to protect those below [link].
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| Sanjusangen-do Hall |
The final stop of our Kyoto visit was the Sanjusangen-do Hall, an immense (400 foot long) structure that is 750 years old (rebuilt in 1266 after a fire)! Inside, there is a thousand-armed Kannon (enlightened being), flanked by one thousand life-size golden Buddhist statues, the largest collection of statuary in the world. The statues stretch as far as you can see – it is an incredible sight that I consider a Must Do when visiting Kyoto [link].
Lunch at Ikariya 523 Kyoto Bistro, a French bistro along Ponto-cho, which was excellent. Anzukko is a tiny Gyoza (dumpling) restaurant that seats 8 at the bar and two tables. The owner is really nice, and the food was excellent. The Iron Pan Gyoza and the Seafood Boiled Gyoza are both house specialties, and both were delicious. Bar Cordon Noir (KIyamachi Sanjyo 121 3rd floor) is a traditional whisky bar with an amazing selection of whiskeys from around the world in a refined atmosphere.
Kyoto transit: The Kyoto City Bus system is really easy, just follow the Google Maps directions. Enter the bus through the rear door, and pay 230 Yen on your way out the front door (they give change up to 1000 Yen bill). The bus stops are clearly marked with the route numbers and schedule. The Kyoto Subway system is also easy to use, but like Tokyo’s, it has multiple private companies running subways, so in some cases you must change stations/lines.
Kanazawa
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Japanese Alps from
train to Kanazawa |
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| Lunch at Fukuwaichi |
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| Higashi Chaya |
Kanazawa is 2.5 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo (see Shinkansen video HERE), and lies between the Japanese Alps and the Sea of Japan. It’s a mid-size city with two significant historical quarters: Higashi Chaya and Nagamichi Samurai.
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| Higashi Chaya |
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| Shima Ochaya teahouse |
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| Shima Ochaya teahouse |
Higashi Chaya is the former geisha district, with well-preserved teahouses that continue to function or have been converted to restaurants and shops. The Hakuza Hikarigura Gold Leaf store is historical and interesting to visit. The Shima Ochaya teahouse [link] is a museum that allows you to walk through the former teahouse where geishas (or Geiko as they call them in Kanazawa) performed; the rooms appear as they would have two hundred years ago.
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| Nagamachi canal |
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| Nagamachi Samurai street |
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| Nagamachi Samurai District |
The Nagamachi Samurai District surrounds a centuries-old canal that brought water to the residences, and contains entire streets with original buildings, some surrounded by mud walls. The Myouryuji Temple [link] is a former samurai residence, with intriguing secret passageways, trap doors, and a hidden tunnel connecting to the castle for escape – all defensive measures in case of attack. The tour is in Japanese, but visitors are provided an English booklet to explain each room. It’s definitely worth a visit. The nearby Nishi Chaya district is a small cluster of period homes, worth a stop on the walk back to the Samurai District.
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| Shinise Memorial Hall |
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| Shinise Memorial Hall |
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| Namura Residence garden |
The Namura Samurai Residence is a smaller home, but worth visiting to see the beautiful garden. The Takada Family House is the gatehouse where samurai gatekeepers and stable hands lived. The Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall [link] is a former pharmacy, originally built in 1579 but rebuilt after a fire in 1873, with a small museum attached. The lane leading up to the Kaburaki Pottery shops is really interesting and well-preserved, with mud walls surrounding each house, some have been turned into shops.
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| Kenroku Garden |
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| Kenroku Garden |
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| Kenroku Garden |
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| Castle West Gate |
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| Kanazawa Castle |
The Kanazawa Castle and Park are really impressive. The castle has been completed rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in the late 1800s. and is amazing to see. The accompanying Kenroku Gardens are perhaps the most beautiful we’ve seen anywhere. Water flows everywhere, and the trees and shrubs make a perfect, harmonious landscape. We were not able to get reservations to the Myashian tea house in the park, but I highly recommend doing so because of the beautiful setting. The park alone justifies a trip to Kanazawa. We had lunch at Fukuwaichi, which is a 120-year-old house converted into a restaurant. The atmosphere was great, as was the food and service (great Udon noodles, and inexpensive). The Oriental Brewing Company has several locations in Kanazawa, but the main operation is in Higashi Chaya. They have surprisingly good beers, especially the Yuwaku Yuzu Ale with local Kanazawa citrus, and the pizza is adequate. Dinner at Ekinukura on the third floor of the mall above Kanazawa Station was excellent. The food was very good (especially the black cod and the crispy tofu), great atmosphere, and inexpensive.
Takayama
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Japanese Alps
near Takayama |
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| Higashiyama Walking course |
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| Self-deprecating sign |
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| Sanmachi street |
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| Sanmachi street |
Takayama is famous for Sanmachi Suji District, streets lined with merchant houses and shops from the Edo period (1603-1868). The historic village is really quaint. The Onoya Soy Distillery has miso, and the Funasaka Sake Distillery is worth checking out.
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| Government House |
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| Government House |
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| Government House Garden |
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| "Interrogation" room |
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| "Interrogation" instructions |
The Takayama Jinya (historic Government House) is really impressive, with an easy self-guided tour. Don't miss the torture room used for gathering "testimony" before trial. If you only tour one building, make it the Jinya.
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| Nakabashi Bridge |
Nearby is the vermilion Nakabashi bridge - you can't miss it. A short hike up the hill leads to Shoren-ji Temple, built in 1504 reputedly from a single cedar tree. The Kusakabe Folk Museum is a former merchant home and warehouse. It's an impressive building, but the audio tour left much to be desired.
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| Hida beef milk bun |
There are two morning markets: a produce market near the Takayama Jinya, and a much more interesting market with food stalls near the Kusakabe Heritage House. There we tried the famous Hida Beef, roasted on a stick, and also a delicious milk bun with Hida beef inside.
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| Higashiyama gate |
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| Higashiyama temple |
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| Higashiyama bell tower |
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| Higashiyama gate |
A lesser-known attraction in Takayama is the Higashiyama Walking course [details] which connects over a dozen 17th century temples and shrines. Modeled after Kyoto's Higashiyama, it's a great experience, each temple is just a couple hundred yards from the next. You can get a detailed map at the TI just outside the train station.
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| Best ramen |
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| Menya Shirakawa |
Lunch at Menya Shirakawa was great, best ramen I've had. The owner Munehiro Shirakawa was very gracious and spoke to us for a while (and took our picture). They only sell one style of Ramen, your only choice is medium or large, and whether you want to add an egg. The staff is really friendly!
Hiroshima
The morning of August 6, 1945 was a typical warm summer day in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima. Businessmen were commuting to work, shops were opening, and over 8,400 school children were bused to the city center to clear debris and establish fire breaks in the event of an American firebombing (as had occurred in Tokyo just a couple months prior). At 8:15am, an atomic bomb detonated 1,900 above the city center. In less than one second, nearly every standing structure was destroyed across four square miles, and 80,000 people died instantly, including 6,400 of the children working in the city center that day. In the days and years that followed, 180,000 addition humans succumbed to their injuries, radiation poisoning, or diseases caused by radiation exposure such as leukemia. It was devastation beyond human comprehension and without precedent, until repeated three days later in Nagasaki.
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| Modern Hiroshima |
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| Hiroshima 1945 |
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| Clock stopped at 8:15am |
Hiroshima is a vibrant city, showing no evidence of its utter destruction. The Peace Park contains museums and memorials to the bombing and the victims. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum provides an immersion into the events of August 6, the devastation wrought, and the physical and mental damage inflicted, including the individual stories of survivors. It is an emotional experience walking through this museum.
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| A-Bomb Dome |
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| Peace Park |
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| Peace Park |
Outside the museum, the "Phoenix tree" is a Chinese Parasol tree that was scorched by the explosion, but miraculously sprouted new buds the following Spring - it is still alive today, and seedlings from it have been planted across Japan. The most iconic image of Hiroshima is the A-Bomb Dome, a building damaged but not destroyed, despite being just a couple hundred yards from the hypocenter of the explosion.
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| Shukkeien Garden |
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| Shukkeien Garden |
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| Shukkeien Garden bridge |
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| Shukkeien Garden in 1945 |
The Shukkeien Garden provides a pleasant respite from the sobering Peace Park and Museum. The gardens were constructed in 1620, and is known for its small bridges crossing ponds filled with Koi (carp), and tiny islands sprouting small pine trees.
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| Okonomiyaki Nagataya |
For lunch we ate Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki, which is cabbage and fillings between two crepe-like pancakes. It's tasty and filling, and popular, as the 45-minute wait at Nagata-ya testifies. Each table has a warming plate that keeps the Okonomiyaki warm as you eat. You can see the chefs preparing Okonomiyaki HERE.
Osaka
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| Boku no Banh Mi |
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| Boku no Banh Mi |
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| Tsutenkaka Tower |
We explored two iconic neighborhoods in Osaka: Shin Sekai and Dotonbori. Shin Sekai neighborhood was developed in 1912 to copy the small neighborhoods of Paris or New York, including a bastardized copy of the Eifel Tower called Tsutenkaka Tower. Candidly I didn’t see much similarity to Paris, but we did have a great lunch at Boku no Banh Mi & Akutagawa Coffee (the bistro under the PAX hostel), which served the best Bahn Mi we’ve ever had.
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| Isshin-ji Temple |
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| Isshin-ji Temple |
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| Keitaku-en Gardens |
In the nearby Tenno-ji Park area, there are several attractions, including the impressive Isshin-ji Temple, and the beautiful Keitaku-en Gardens.
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| Dotonbori |
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| Dotonbori River |
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| Ebisu Bridge, Running Man |
The most famous neighborhood in Osaka is Dotonbori, which surrounds the Dotonbori River. The streets are lined with restaurants and shops, with neon signs everywhere. From the Ebisu Bridge we got the iconic view of “Running Man”. See the famous animated crab from Dotonbori [link].
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| Osaka Castle moat |
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| Osaka Castle wall |
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| Osaka Castle wall |
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| Osaka Castle |
The final stop on our tour of Osaka was the huge Osaka Castle. It has a massive outer defense wall, with a moat separating the inner defensive wall. The castle itself is beautiful, perhaps the most impressive one we saw in Japan.
Dinner near our hotel at Basserie Boo Umeda, which specializes in the local pork. The pork roasted in red wine, the candied sweet potatoes with lemon, squid with shrimp and scallops, and the assorted bread were all great.
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Fatty tuna and pickled
daikon sushi roll |
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| Our Osaka friends |
We had an outstanding sushi dinner at Sushi Bar Sashisu, in the Basement (B2 level) of Kitte Osaka, just a couple hundred yards from Osaka Station (following the underground concourse). The specialty is fatty tuna and pickled daikon wrap, which is perfect! The eel was great, as was the black miso soup with clams. We struck up a conversation with the young couple next to us, and the gentleman introduced me to the fatty tuna and daikon roll – I am forever in his debt.
Nara
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| Todai-ji Inner Gate |
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| Todai-ji Temple |
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| Todai-ji Buddha |
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| Nara-koen deer |
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| Nara-koen deer |
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| Todai-ji outer gate |
On a daytrip to Nara from Osaka, we visited two UNESCO World Heritage sites. The first was Todai-ji Temple, although founded in 855 it was rebuilt after a fire in the sixteenth century. The Hall of the Great Buddha is massive, 157 feet high and 187 feet long, which is claimed to be the largest wooden structure in the world. Inside the Hall is an enormous (53 foot tall) Buddha constructed in 752 AD! The Great Southern Gate is immense, and dates from 1199. The Todai-ji site, as well as the entire Nara Koen (park) is populated by the famous Nara deer. They are domesticated, and actually a bit aggressive checking your hands and pockets for food. See one of the deer eating a tourist's map [link].
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| Horyu-ji Temple |
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| Horyu-ji Great Hall |
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| Horyu-ji Pagoda |
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| Lecture Hall |
The other UNESCO site we visited is about ten miles out of town. Horyu-ji Temple is a huge complex of multiple temples and shrines, enclosed by earthen walls. The buildings date from the seventh to tenth centuries, and are the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world. The Chumon (Central) Gate dates from 607, the five-story Pagoda is from 609, and the Lecture Hall behind the pagoda and Great Hall was reconstructed after a fire in 990 AD.
Kobe
Kobe is a quick ride from Osaka Umeda Station, and a perfect daytrip. The regional rail stops at Sannoiya Station, which is right downtown.
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| Mentaki Falls |
We started by visiting Nunobiki Falls, specifically the Mentaki lower falls. They are just a ten-minute walk up the hill behind Shin-Kobe station, just head under the station to the right of the main entrance. If you are going to start your trip to Kobe with the Nunobiki Falls, it’s much easier to arrive at Shin-Kobe Station.
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| Kitano-cho |
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| Kitano-cho |
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| Weathercock House |
From Shin-Kobe Station we walked west into the Kitano-cho neighborhood. This was popular with expats in the early twentieth century, and they built many western style mansions. These are now tourist destinations, and of great interest to the Japanese (you will see many tours occurring in Kitano-cho). The English House is quite famous; it’s a museum during the day and a pub at night. On the way to Weathercock House (a museum), we had ice cream at Kobe Rokko Farms, which was selected the best ice cream in Japan.
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| Higashimon Street |
We then went downhill on Kitanozaka street into the busy downtown of Kobe, then followed Higashimon Street to our lunch destination. We traveled to Kobe specifically for the Wagyu beef, and Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant Royal Mouriya has a great reputation for serving excellent A5 (highest grade) Kobe Wagyu beef. We had an outstanding meal, as the chef prepared our steak right in front of us, searing the meat in small batches of bite-sized portions (eating with chopsticks) so we were always eating the steak at the right temperature (see the chef preparing our beef HERE). The beef was beautiful, perfectly marbled, and delicious. The service was great, and the chef provided a lot of entertainment during our meal. |
| Royal Mouriya |
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| Kobe Wagyu A5 beef |
Our last stop in Kobe was to visit the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery and Museum. They have been distilling sake since the mid-eighteenth century. The museum was very interesting, with old equipment and videos displaying the sake making process. There is free tasting available afterwards. It’s just a ten-minute walk from a couple train stations, so an easy stop on your way back to Osaka from Kobe.
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| Hakutsuru Sake Brewery |
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| Hakutsuru Sake Brewery |
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| Hakutsuru Sake Brewery |
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