After my amazing time seeing Mt Fuji, it was time to check out Kyoto! I first took a bus to Tokyo and then hopped on a super fast bullet train to Kyoto. Riding the bullet train is so much fun, the seats are comfortable and it’s amazing to watch the cities and countryside whiz by at high speed. Plus, it was air-conditioned!
Arriving in Kyoto
Overall the trip took about 2 hours and 40 minutes. I was in for a shock when I stepped off the train though. When I began my journey in the morning, it had been a reasonable 27°C. But in Kyoto, it was a shocking 39°C and very humid. It hit me like a wave and made my walk to the hotel quite uncomfortable. The hotel I stayed at was located right in the centre of Kyoto, very close to the Kamo river 鴨川. Walking to my hotel, the Kamo River is the first thing that stood out to me and every time I think of Kyoto, I think of this river.
Gion Matsuri
I planned most of my trip around seeing the Gion Matsuri. Gion Matsuri is said to be the most famous festival in Japan and events for it occur all throughout July. The main event is the grand procession of floats on July 17th and in the nights preceding this, the streets are closed to traffic and open to pedestrians who can stroll about and admire the floats. I didn’t realise until I arrived in Kyoto that you can also collect stamps from each float. For more information such as the history of the Gion Matsuri, I recommend you take a look at japan-guide.com.
There were so many people and I loved seeing many people wearing yukata, which is a cotton summer kimono usually worn to festivals. There were many lanterns lighting the way and lots of festival foods to choose from. I had some kakigori (shaved ice) and a sausage which were super yummy. The only downside to travelling solo is there is only so much food you can try. If you travel with a friend you can both get something different and share.
Gion Matsuri Grand Procession of Floats
The next day was the grand procession. But it was so hot. Thankfully my hotel was really close to the route the floats would take. I ended up having some french toast at a cafe with great air con. This is going to sound really…silly, but I ended up enjoying my meal and every time a float went by I ran outside, took my pictures and videos and then returned to the cafe. Now, I wouldn’t particularly recommend this, leaving your bag alone anywhere can be dangerous. But in Japan, it is relatively safe to do this (you should always keep things such as your smartphone, purse and passport on your person though).
After a while, I moved outside to watch the floats. Along my section of the street, the walkway was covered, so there was some shade. I saw another person sitting down and I shamelessly did the same. I enjoyed the remainder of the procession like this, only getting up to take pictures. The procession moves fairly slowly, as it takes a while for the floats to turn the corners. The floats themselves and the people moving them were very impressive and I highly recommend putting this festival on your bucket list!
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Most people have heard of this bamboo forest, it’s undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist spots in the Kyoto area! I’d heard that it can get very crowded and whilst there were other people there, it wasn’t overwhelming. The towering bamboo was really peaceful and it’s just a really beautiful area. I especially liked the park nearby. There was an observatory overlooking the river and it was just breathtaking. I also saw a praying mantis, which jumped at me when I tried to take a picture of him. So, leave the praying mantis alone if you see one! The surrounding shops have some really lovely accessories made of kimono fabric as well.
I took a bus back to my hotel, but we got stuck in some pretty bad traffic. It was so bad I decided to just get off and walk alongside the river. I realised the shrine for Gion Matsuri was being carried along the streets. I could see them later on from my hotel as well!
Walnut Kyoto: Local Yarn Store
What kind of knitter would I be if I didn’t check out the yarn and craft stores? I’d seen a store called Walnut Kyoto which looked really nice. It wasn’t too difficult to find and it was absolutely lovely. It was quite a small store, but they import many hand-dyed yarns and had a fantastic selection. I bought two skeins of some lovely Walk Collection Linea yarn, which later become a knitted tank top! On my way to this store, I also stumbled upon a fabric store. I bought some teal fabric with geishas on it, which I later made into a little pouch that I use for coins or medicine.
Nijo Castle
Shogunate history and Japanese architecture, sign me up! How many people can say they hit their head on the gates? Well, I can (it was an accident). It’s pretty solid. I went inside the Ninomaru Palace and it was beautiful. You aren’t allowed to take photos inside, so I just soaked it all in and enjoyed it. Afterwards, I walked around the gardens for a bit.
Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine
When you think of Japan, one of the things that probably comes to mind is the bright red Torii gates. This shrine is very famous due to its Torii gates that wind up along the mountain trail. Since it is such a popular tourist spot, I didn’t want to go during the day when it would be very crowded. So, I waited till about 5 pm before going there. The only downside to this was a lot of the local shops in the area close around this time. I had an amazing time walking through all the gates. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to walk all the way to the top, but I did. Just below the top is a really nice scenic view and I got back to that point just in time to see the sun setting. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
When I reached the bottom where the temple buildings are, the sky was a fiery orange hue. I really enjoyed it, my only tip is to make sure you use sunscreen and make sure you use insect repellent. The mosquitoes there are huge and they enjoyed my blood way too much (sleeping was a bit difficult due to all the itchy bites I had on my legs).
Foods in Kyoto
I ate a lot of delicious foods in Kyoto, not everything was authentic Japanese food though. Some of the foods I had were pasta, french toast, steak, matcha ice cream and the best salt ramen I have ever tasted. I’m still kicking myself for not taking note of the restaurant name, that ramen lives forever in my dreams.
That was my Kyoto adventure! It was really amazing seeing the Gion Matsuri, despite the heat. Whilst I saw many amazing places, I missed a ton as well. I’ve been to Kyoto again since then, but there are still so many places to see and things to experience. If you aren’t interested in the Gion Matsuri, then you should avoid going in summer though. Out of all the cities I visited, the heat was by far the worst there, to the point I had to spend most of the day inside because it was just unbearably hot. It does cool down around 5 pm though and if you’re near the river it feels cooler.
Next up, I went to Osaka and Nara! I hope you’re enjoying my posts about my first trip to Japan so far. It’s really nice to write it down like this. Would you go to Kyoto to see the Gion Matsuri? Let me know in the comments!
2 Comments
Great content and amazing pictures!
Thank you!