10/31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And transit Tokyo->Kyoto and 1st day Kyoto

 10/31/23 Weather:  72 degrees partly cloudy on train, sunny in Kyoto


Happy Halloween!




Even the street covers in Tokyo are cool!



Took train from Kichijoji to Tokyo station with all of the other commuters on a Tuesday morning.........


This is just part of the train system.  There is a whole subway system too.  I'm just in awe at how efficiently they move people in this country.  We have yet to stand in any line, anywhere.




Here is the Shinkansen train we took to Kyoto from Tokyo.  We were on the Green Car which is the 1st class car.  😁  The train goes upwards of 185mph and was so comfortable!




Too cloudy for Mt Fuji but we will see it this weekend 




Kyoto is fast becoming a landmark destination for many around the world for it's vibe, food and the number of buddhist temples and shrines you can visit here.  There are over 1600 temples and 400 shrines in Kyoto! 😲 

There is a temple literally a block from our hotel so we checked it out when we arrived.  This is just an outbuilding on the temple grounds




This is Kennin-ji temple - the oldest zen temple in all of Kyoto.  It was "founded" in the year 1202:

 Rock garden - middle rock represents the Buddha while the two smaller rocks represent two zen monks


 Smaller shrine
 Wind and Thunder Gods:
One of many screens we saw...


Some sort of chest....
 The main temple - simply amazing



Went for some shopping next and had to take a picture of this bread that looks like trees...

This is a street in Gion - where our hotel is

Some dessert snack we had - stuffed with cheese!


Nishiki Market - HUGE HUGE HUGE!  

Even a little shrine in the market....
 In a shrine, you are supposed to use the ladle to pour water in your left hand, pour that water into your right and then wash your hands and then pour more water in left hand and then rinse out the mouth.  Then you can "pray" if you so wish....
 
 Just a funny sign at the market...



Used kimonos are cheap!  Like $10.  Carrie tried one on but decided against it as you'd have to have a support person to put it on and I'm not that person!






Went for a quick beer and wanted this old Asahi beer poster so offered the restaurant 2000 yen (about $13) for it so they took it off the wall for us. 😂

Went for sushi in Gion - get to choose your own sake cup.  Guess who chose the bigger one!  Yep, Carrie.....

Mmmm, Sushi...


Sushi master....

So, at sushi - we met this super funny and super cool couple from India in Japan for their 2nd anniversary.  We had trouble getting into any decent restaurant and finally found this place online and went to the door and asked if they could fit two more.  They said yes.  Meanwhile, these people had waited two hours outside this restaurant last night and again two hours tonight for a standby seating - just to get in to this sushi place because it is so popular.  They were amazed at our luck.  Just walk right in.  Weber luck!




Happy Halloween!


2nd Geisha sighting of the day.  Yes, a real live Geisha girl going to/from her teahouse appointment.  For those that may be confused, geisha are not prostitutes.  They entertain guests through dancing, performing music, conversations, and other arts.  It is quite a sight to see a Geisha girl as you're strolling back to your hotel.

Kennin-ji temple at night. This is just part of what will be our normal path to/from hotel each day.  Crazy cool.


More temples and shrines tomorrow and of course more food and drink!












Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

11/3 Kyoto last day - Arishiyama

Image
 Weather:  82 degrees and sunny. Beautiful! Took train to Arishiyama area at the base of the Arishiyama Mountains 1st stop - Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji Temple   1200 of these little statues. Each one unique.  Stunning walk down the mountain by shops and restaurants….   Cocoon art and origami store.  Of course no picture of store but we bought some neat gifts there.  Found the tip to do Otagi and then this walk via Reddit. Best Japan tip yet.  Vending machines ALL OVER Japan. Like every block. Many sell cold beer. Very handy. Kanpai!🍻 Stumbled upon an amazing restaurant in our walk. Yummy yudofu (boiled tofu) and soba noodles. Now I understand why everyone says tofu you get in US is terrible comparatively.  Mmmmmm, dessert. Mitarashi dango…. Passed a few temples on our walk…..no time to stop! Random doll sitting in a tree in someone’s back yard.  Huge Lily pads! Bamboo forest….. Really quite amazing Random cemetery….. The Oigawa river….. …….Rush ...
Read more

11/2 Some Exercise at Fushimi Inari Shrine and then Osaka Day trip

Image
 11/2 Weather:  77 degrees and sunny.  Fushimi Inari Shrine was  founded in 711 by the Hata family, over 80 years before Kyoto became the capital of Japan, in 794 . The shrine's principal deity is Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto - a mythical figure who is the goddess of rice and food. Happened upon some monks doing some chanting. Quite peaceful sounding.  Caught a monk walking through the gates.  Over 10,000 torii gates! There was a famous scene in Memoirs of a Geisha filmed here.  Maybe not this exact spot but somewhere in this shrine.  Took a random side path to one of the many mini shrines and made an offering to this deity for Carrie’s back! Made it half way up the mountain. We did this for our morning exercise before big day to Osaka. Got the heart going! ❤️ Didn’t see any…… Took the bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka late morning.  Bike and park for trains. Just an insane number of bikes.  Que for the bike parking… Next Osaka Castle.  Man...
Read more

11/10 Travel day home

Image
 11/10. Weather: 64 degrees and showery. I would say we were very lucky on the weather.  Shopping day. Again?!  We had to buy another suitcase just to get all our gifts and souvenirs home.😬 Department stores here are so nice. Carrie has said this a few times and another random American mentioned it to me too, all Americans should be forced to visit Japan to learn how they do things here in all ways. Clean!  Respectful!  Happy!  Efficient!  Service!  Etc!  Amazing pork cutlet and tempura shrimp in a department store restaurant - we will MISS the quality of the food and service here.  Grind up your own sesame for your pork sauce… Just perfection Even technology in the pay lots…..go in reverse over this this thing and park….. Yellow thing pops up so you can’t leave until you pay.   One last manhole cover Tokyo has two major airports but one is nearly 100 kilometers from Ellen’s. That is Narita. We took the Narita Express train (not qu...
Read more