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Kyoto, 9th most populated city in Japan, and one of the oldest dating back to 794 when it was chosen to be the capital, and where the Emperor lived until he shifted to Tokyo in 1868. We didn’t get to either Tokyo’s or Kyoto’s Imperial Palaces, but the pics look like they are grand living quarters!
Instead, we
ventured up the Kyoto Tower to get our bearings and had a wander around what
ended up being a quieter part of the city.
Just down the road from the hotel was the Higashi Honganji temple which
is the mother temple of Shinshu Otani-ha (Shin Buddhism) and has one of the
largest Buddhist denominations in Japan.
Following
on from that peaceful afternoon, we arrived back to Kyoto to explore the crazy Nishiki Market. There was so much to
see, smell and listen to, we didn’t know where to look or go. Instead, we found a seat, our bearings and
ventured into the Gion district to find a bar for a cold beverage. The options for food and drink felt like they
were infinite so we decided to head back to the quieter district of Kyoto Tower
and its food hall where we could try a number of different yet still delicious
dishes for a cheaper price. Our
favourite so far is the tempura battered seafood and vegetables along with
fried chicken accompanied by a variety of sauces.
One last ride on the Hello Kitty Hakura bullet train to Kansai Airport near Osaka but instead of going on another hour trip on the train to visit the 2nd most populated city in Japan, did some retail therapy at nearby Rinku-Town where they had numerous retail shops with every brand imaginable! Not too much purchased though as we are finding that the Japanese clothing is considerably a bit smaller than what we require!
And so, we say sayonara to Japan, let’s sum it up in three words each…
Rosie –
polite, organised systems, friendly
Grant –
busy, enriching culture, safe
Steve –
sweaty, delicious food, hot (mid-high 30s). Too much for this Southern character!!
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