Visit Kyoto

The second major stop on most tourists' Japanese itinerary is Kyoto. Where Tokyo brings manga and cosplay to many people's minds, Kyoto means temples and geisha. I don't know Kyoto as well as Tokyo but here are some of my traditional Japanese highlights:

Geishas of Gion

The geisha is a Japanese icon. Before going to Gion in Kyoto many people never think they'll see one in the flesh. By the time you leave Gion, you'll almost sick of the sight of them.  Geisha  - or geiko in Kyoto dialect - and maiko (apprentice geisha) can be seen everywhere in Gion going to appointments or events. The geisha still give performances to businessmen  or tourists with deep pockets. The only place for everyone else to see them in action is Gion Corner, a theatre where they put on daily musical performances. Although many find this show the cultural experience of their holiday, I must admit to nodding off for a while in the middle of it.  I do find the geisha phenomenon a little bit creepy and odd - that's just me.

Golden Pavillion - Kinkakuji

 The story goes that after a monk burned down this temple in the 1950s it was rebuilt even golder. It's a bit of a visual marvel on a clear day when the shape is reflected in the water. There's also a silver temple in Kyoto called Ginkakuji,but gold always beats silver.
  

 

Stay in a Ryokan 

It would be a shame to go to Kyoto and not stay in a ryokan - a traditional Japanese inn. They usually feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths and other areas where you can lounge around in a robe called a yukata. Despite the luxury it's worth keeping in mind that many are also family homes. The owner of the ryokan I stayed in with friends wasn't best pleased when we came in from a nightclub in the early hours and woke him up. Luckily, there was also a Chinese hotel critic staying there and he was all smiles in front of her when we checked out late the next morning.

Fishimi Inari Shrine

Red or orange torii gates are the most striking of Japanese structures. They mark the entrance to a Shinto shrine and the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto has a walking path formed of thousands of them. Another amazing torii gate I'd recommend , if you like that sort of thing, is in the sea at Miyajima island, which is a nice day trip from Hiroshima. Just watch out for the poor starving deer who chase tourists for food. I had to climb up a statue with an ice cream to escape the attack of the Bambi clones.

Ryoan-ji

Ryoan-ji  is a Buddhist temple with a famous Zen rock garden. The meaning of it is unclear but it was designed so, from any vantage point, one of the 15 rocks is always obscured from view. Although hugely popular, this temple has got mixed reviews - one person's spiritual experience is another's square of stones. 

Nishiki Market 

It's fitting that a list of Japanese highlights finishes with a food market. Nishiki has been called Kyoto's kitchen. A narrow shopping street lined with food stalls, there are too many delicacies to taste in one visit.

Hope that's given a brief taster about what Kyoto has to offer.