Our 7 Month Travel Blog

• Travelling to Kyoto by bullet train
• Exploring Fushimi Inari Shrine, Ginkaku-ji Zen Temple and Philosophers Way
• Searching (and finding!) Geisha in Gion

Bullet train

It was time for us to make tracks for Kyoto, Shinkansen tracks!

But first we needed some delicious milk tea!

The bullet train from Odawara was very rapid and efficient!

Great space for the best (hand luggage) travel bags, not bad for 7 months!

Kyoto

On our first full day in Kyoto, we started by going to Fushimi Inari Shrine. This is one of Kyoto’s most popular sites and we’d read it would get very busy later in the day, so in order to beat the crowds, we got there around 7.50 AM! We had a packed itinerary to get through!

The shrine is particularly famous for its vermillion torii gates that form a scenic trail leading up Mount Inari. There are over 10,000 tori gates to walk through and almost as many steps to go up!

The gates line the path through the wooded forest, which makes it quite a surreal experience as you walk through.

The gates symbolise the transition from the human world to the sacred and the colour is believed to ward off evil spirits and disasters.

The walk up took around an hour and a half and as you get higher up the mountain, you can get some great photos!

The views from the top over Kyoto are also great!

Once we had walked back down we went on to our next stop, Ginkaku-ji or the ‘Silver Pavilion’.

The ‘silver’ refers to how the moonlight reflects giving a silver appearance. We’re not so sure…….but it is an unbelievable place!

The Zen Temple has a Karesansui dry sand garden, and a moss garden with winding paths and ponds.

As we left we saw this warning and thought it was quite funny…… we’re weren’t laughing later on….(keep reading)

After getting our dose of Zen, we decided to walk along Philosophers Path, a walking route along a canal named after Philosopher Kiatro Nishida, who walked there for meditation.

Along the route there were some small traditional shops. We went into one textile printing shop and met the local crafter who invited us for tea and gifted us a postcard.

We then stumbled upon this man doing art and decided to buy one of his small pieces.

And then….suddenly feeling a lot less Zen, this snake starting slithering by.

ChatGTP has reassured us it is only mildly venomous….

Gion district

In the afternoon, we went to the Gion district.

Gion is the Geisha district, famous for the mysterious hostesses who dedicate their lives to entertaining through classical music, dance and arts. From teenagers, they go through rigorous training and reside in set boarding houses, and perform at exclusive ochaya (teahouses).

They are known by their distinctive appearance, white-painted faces, elaborate hairstyles and bright kimonos.

Although we saw two of them, it is disrespectful to take and share pictures (hence the lack of)….