A strange city: its beige, plain-yet-scruffy blocks, hyper-crazy retail streets, and astonishing central train station all scream RUN-OF-THE-MILL city. It could be the Japanese version of Hamilton…
…if it wasn’t for the fact that Japan’s ancient history hides behind the walls (EVERY WALL, I swear!) of these nondescript building and flats. Temples, shrines and gardens — dating back to Kyoto’s heyday as the imperial capital - all on display, when you least expect it. Kyoto is certainly more than meets the eye.
THE SHINKANSEN (Bullet Train)
Exactly what it says on the tin: hyper-fast, ultra-comfortable, and mega-cool. If everyone in Ontario had a chance to ride this train, we’d all be demanding high-speed rail tomorrow!
FUSHIMI-INARI TAISHA
A shrine dedicated to the gods of rice and sake by the Hata family in the 8th century. One of Kyoto’s most popular shrines, it’s another combination of beautiful, hilly woodland, and gorgeous temple architecture.
KINKAKU-JI
A stunning reconstruction of a gold-leaf covered retirement villa, built for a Samurai in the 14th century. The grounds were easily the most tranquil I experienced during my entire Japanese adventure.
KYOTO TEXTILE CENTRE
Home to freshly-loomed cotton and silk kimonos (which our group rapaciously purchased), as well as regular fashion shows, highlighting the latest designs.
RANDOM KYOTO
A few tastes of the historical dichotomy of Kyoto: a city where beautiful, kimono-clad women still shop at high end department stores (or, as you will see below, purchase subway tickets without batting an eyelid); meanwhile, the modern-day Kyoto Tower dominates the night-time skyline.
COMING SOON: Osaka
