Blogs from Kyoto, Japan, Asia

Today we tightened up our laces and got some good walking in to a breakthrough bamboo forest and the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Both were in different directions, but we found them via public trains and busses. You'll see one of my pictures is if a pictorial in the toilet. Japan does toilets right! Seats are heated, but not in a way where you are feeling the ghost of the previous occupant, does go to the floor with no huge cracks, there's an option in most to turn on a running water noise so no one can hear what you're up to, and overall it's the best toilet experience in the planet. Ridiculous that I'm writing this? Yes. Am I sincere? Also yes. Japan is wonderful and I am so glad I came in December during the off ... read more

Today we utilized our Japan Rail Passes and boarded a train to Kyoto, luckily catching sight of Mt. Fuji on the way. Today we visited the Kyoto Tower and saw the entirety of the city while roasting alive. Seriously, everyone here is so tiny they ramp up the heat to meet the chill of December. One thing that's really surprised me is just how much time you can spend in the rail station- there's so many shops and places to eat, you really could spend days in them. The architecture you see in the photos today are from the Kyoto station- just an incredible site to appreciate in and of itself. It's been a busy day so it's lovely to turn in to a nice hotel room and relax. ... read more

25th March Night time Cherry Blossom - Kyoto #heygo http://www.heygo.com Gion Shirakawa is in the entertainment district with traditional wooden houses, restaurants and teahouses. The true magic of Kyoto comes out when dusk falls, transition into a magical nighttime town illuminated with paper lanterns mixed with argon lights. The illuminated cherry blossoms give off an ethereal glow, are called yozakura—cherry blossoms at night. Kinya our virtual guide took us for a night stroll along Shirakawa Street in Kyoto's Higashiyama Neighbourhood. Kinya explained how the cherry blossom was highly regarded by Japanese people from old times & shared the philosophical connotations behind the scenes of the Japanese cherry blossoms. We learnt about Geisha The profession of a geisha was officially recognized in the second half of the eighteenth... read more

Japan Trip with Grandaddy d and Grandma, Mummy and Daddy and Uncle Bobster.... read more

As we disembark from the bullet train after a remarkably comfortable and smooth 2 hour journey speeding across the 400km from Hakone, we finally set foot in Kyoto - our last stop in Japan. Kyoto used to be the old seat of Japan’s Imperial Court; it is home to ancient emperors, the mysterious world of the Geisha, numerous breathtakingly beautiful temples and shrines and is known as the cultural capital of Japan as well as an internationally renowned center for higher learning. We step into this dazzlingly historical and culturally rich city and into the beautiful sunshine... “Looks like Calais,” says Charlie. He sniffs. “Smells like it too.” As we strolled through the Kyoto streets and along the river Charlie was forced to admit that his first impressions were wrong, but it’s fair to say that ... read more