Golden Week is a period of time in Japan where many public holidays fall in a very short space of time. Some companies close for this week. For most people, Golden Week (sometimes known as GW) is almost a week of holiday. Of course it goes without saying that this is the travel period! Flights, trains, hotels; everything will be fully booked (and expensive!). Make sure to book in advance!
I took this opportunity to go to Kyoto for a week. During that time, I managed to visit a lot of different places, and it remains one of my favourite holidays. I could write a very, very long entry about it all, but I think I will choose a few of the highlights.
It is very easy to get around Kyoto as a tourist. There are frequent buses that go throughout the city and stop at, or near, popular and historic sites. So, buying a day pass is great!
I took this opportunity to go to Kyoto for a week. During that time, I managed to visit a lot of different places, and it remains one of my favourite holidays. I could write a very, very long entry about it all, but I think I will choose a few of the highlights.
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| Tourist map I found using a web search. It shows the locations of the more popular spots. |
Kyoto
Kyoto (京都) is in the central part of the largest island of Japan (Honshu 本州). About 1.5 million people live there, making it the seventh largest city in Japan. It was formally the imperial capital city of Japan for over a thousand years, so there are many impressive buildings. Of course, this makes it a popular destination for tourists. Many people try to spot geisha in the Gion district. I also tried, but failed.It is very easy to get around Kyoto as a tourist. There are frequent buses that go throughout the city and stop at, or near, popular and historic sites. So, buying a day pass is great!
Kiyomizu Temple
Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizudera 清水寺, which means "pure water temple") is a Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a wooden stage which reaches our from the main hall, which is about 13 metres above the hillside. This is maybe one of the most well-known views in Kyoto. Also on the site, there is a small love shrine with two stones placed 18 metres apart. It is said that if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, then you can have good luck in love. Someone can help you walk between the stones, but it is then believed that someone will have to be an intermediary in your love life too.
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| My panorama of Kiyomizudera. |
There are also lots of things to see within the temple grounds. For example, there is the Otowa waterfall. At one point, the water is divided into three streams by a structure. Each represents something different: long life, academic success and love. Using a cup on a long stick, you can drink the water and receive good luck. But apparently, if you drink from more than one, you are considered to be greedy. I waited in line to do this. The line was long! I drank from the middle one. I'm still not entirely sure which type of fortune it represented, but I hope it was love.
Kiyomizudera has great views during cherry blossom season and also during autumn, where the leaves turn red.
Kinkaku-ji
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 Temple of the Golden Pavilion) also known as Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺 literally, "Deer Garden Temple") is a Zen Buddhist temple which is covered in gold leaf. This is one of the most visited sites in Japan. As soon as you enter the gardens, you can see the pavilion across a large pond. The gardens are also lovely to walk through. I really enjoy looking at nature and plants, so I found it very relaxing. At one point there was a bowl near some small statues, with people throwing money into it, trying to get good luck if you get your coin inside. I did it three times! There is also a tea garden, where you can try green tea (matcha 抹茶) which is a famous type of tea from Kyoto.
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| Kinkaku-ji and pond. |
Ginkaku-ji
Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺 Temple of the Silver Pavilion) is one of my favourite places. It is a Zen temple in the east of Kyoto. It has a garden which has a quiet atmosphere which includes a moss garden and ponds, and a unique dry sand garden. The trail also leads partially up a hill, so you are able to see across the grounds and a view of Kyoto city behind it. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the plants and gardens were beautiful. I really want to visit again and again (or, when I am rich in the future, I can create my own garden like it!)
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| Although it is called the "Silver Pavilion" it is not actually covered in silver. It is believed that the name came to make a contrast with Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion. |
Fushimi Inari Shrine
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| Looking down through some torii gates at Fushimi Inari. |
The Fushimi Inari Shrine, or Fushimi Inari Taisha (in Japanese, 伏見稲荷大社) is an important Shinto shrine which is famous for its rows upon rows of vermilion torii gates. These gates follow various trails which lead all across the mountainside, so it is a great place for a mini-hike. It doesn't take so long to get into the first part of the area, but if you want to follow the trails to the summit it can take a couple of hours or more (depending on how you are at walking steps!).
Inari is a Shinto god of rice, fertility, and also business and commerce. The red torii gates are actually donations to the shrine from individuals or companies. On each one, details of the donor are written. Foxes are thought to be the messenger of Inari, so there are also many fox statues found in the area (as indeed for any shrine dedicated to Inari). The word in Japanese for fox is kitsune きつね. According to beliefs, foxes are said to enjoy eating friend tofu. Seeing as there was a small place to eat on the mountain, I ate kitsune udon, which is thick what flour noodles topped with deep-fried tofu. Delicious!
To get here, you would have to go south of Kyoto City. You can get there by train (there are two trainlines) and then it is a short walk to the shrine.
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So, there you go. Those were some of my favourite places in Kyoto. This is definitely not an extensive list of things to do in Kyoto by any means. If you have any questions or want to know anything, let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading about Kyoto!
As a last note, I want to mention shrine books. They are called Shuin-cho (朱印帳) in Japanese. At most shrines and temples, you can get a stamp or seal (shuin 朱印) written into your book. It show the name of the temple or shrine and the date and often has red stamps symbolising the place or other things. It usually costs about 300 yen for a stamp, and you can see the priest or priestess writing the stamp with an ink brush. During my time in Japan I managed to complete at least 3 of these books! They make great souvenirs! If you are spending time in Japan and like visiting temples and shrines, I recommend getting a book!
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