Tag: Kyoto
Ryozen Kannon Temple: One of Kyoto’s Best Kept Secrets
Kyoto’s Higashiyama district may be jam-packed with countless temples and shrines, but in terms of aesthetic difference, the Ryozen Kannon Temple is quite literally head and shoulders above the rest. Sharing a carpark with Kodaiji Temple—my intended destination—I mistakenly walked toward the...
Monkeying Around at Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
There can be no doubt that Arashiyama is one of Kyoto’s most popular day trip destinations for both locals and visitors alike. Featuring a scenic landscape, quaint shopping street, bamboo grove and various shrines and temples, it’s not hard to see why....
A Fancy Cocktail (Or Two) At Finlandia Bar, Kyoto
Tucked away in a quiet backstreet of Kyoto’s Gion district is the classy little bar Finlandia. A stalwart of the Kyoto bar scene, it has been open since 1982 and is well known for their range of Finnish vodka (hence the name)....
A Thousand Glittering Treasures at Kyoto’s Sanjusangendo Temple
Not far from Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha lies the temple famously home to 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Its name—Sanjusangendo— however, refers to an old method of measurement, literally translating to ‘hall with 33 spaces between columns’.Â
Dive Into Kyoto Tower’s Secret Bath House
Can your feet beat the streets of Kyoto no more? Or perhaps you’re killing time before your bullet train and looking to relax? I’ll let you in on a little secret...there’s a hot bath in Kyoto Tower with your name on it....
Bib Gourmand Zen Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine: Shigetsu in Arashiyama
As I swept aside Shigetsu’s entrance curtain an hour ahead of my reservation, stomach rumbling, I was truly hoping it wasn’t going to be one of those dainty Michelin meals. But firstly I was hoping they’d let me in early. While there...
A Tranquil Tea Ceremony at Uji’s Taihoan Tea House
For green tea fans, there’s really no going past Uji—a town with tea in its proverbial veins. Here, local growers employ a unique method of shading the leaves before hand picking, resulting in a rich, umami taste. Tea houses dot the town...
Kyoto’s Most Instagrammable Temple: Yasaka Koshindo
It’s easy to forget what century you’re in as you explore the cobbled, hilly streets of Higashiyama. This part of Kyoto is famous for its high concentration of beautiful and historic shrines, temples, tea houses and restaurants. As I wandered along, lost...
A Great Half-Day Hike Near Kyoto: the Kibune – Kurama Hike
Looking for a way to enjoy nature, soak up culture and get some exercise, all at the same time? Well, look no further than the Kibune – Kurama hike. This easy two hour hike covers almost 4 kilometers through the Kitayama mountains...
Backpacking Through Japan – An Overview
In the spring of 2019, my fiancée and I spent three weeks backpacking from Tokyo to Okinawa. Traveling over 2000 kilometers using a mix of almost two dozen local trains, five buses, and one boat, we managed to traverse more than half...
