Kyoto, Japan 京都
Kyoto, Japan is one of my absolute favorite cities! Full of history and culture, Kyoto is the former capital city of Imperial Japan, and is located three hours away from Tokyo by bullet train, in the Kansai region of the big island of Honshu.
Pick up a temple stamp book,
and visit these three top sites!
Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺
One of the first temples you should visit in Kyoto is Kiyomizu-dera, one of the city’s most popular places.
The entire temple complex is full of beautiful shrines, and there’s a lot to do. Get there early, because it can get very crowded!
Besides the pagoda itself, there’s a little tea house where you can participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, and a small market area where you can buy all sorts of gold stuff, including ice cream with gold leaf, and
sake with tiny flakes of gold floating in it.
Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺
Unfairly overlooked in favor of its golden brother, the Silver Pagoda is a quieter, more reverential zen temple. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to 1460 and was restored in 2008.
Fushimi Inari 伏見稲荷大社
Get up early and take the fifteen-minute commuter train from Kyoto Station to Fushimi Inari, a mountain shrine dedicated to the Shinto god of rice, money, and sake.
Along the way, you’ll pass many statues of foxes, the vehicle of the god Inari.
Eating
Nishiki Market 錦市場
Head to Nishiki Market for delicious fresh food and awesome Japanese snacks! From fresh sushi to matcha tea,
, Nishiki Market has it all!
Video: Beer and Ice Cream (Japan)
LB convert 