Kyoto- Temples, Monkeys and Geisha

Morning at the Ryokan

I did not sleep well on a futon on the floor. I found it a bit too firm for me. At least I didn’t need to worry about falling out of bed.

The sun is shining brightly and we head down to the dining room of our ryokan for a traditional Japanese breakfast.

There are lots of things put out in front of us on many little dishes. Some things are meant to be mixed with others. There are big pieces of tofu in a broth (or water with cilantro). The hostess lights a flame under the tofu and tells us to wait till it is hot. There is a little bowl of soya sauce and a bowl beside it with finely chopped things (?) which are mixed into the soya sauce for flavourings. I also see a little bowl of the tiny dried bait fish. I am a bit confused with what I am eating but it is all good.

We head to the train station where we grab a train to Inari Station…using Google translate to figure out the tickets which we bought from the machine.

Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine

Once at Inari Station, we head directly to Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine. This is Kyoto’s most popular shrine and it’s vermilion tori gates are one of the locations featured in the movie “Memoires of a Geisha”. Basically there are over 10,000 tori gates leading through the forest to the shrine. Fushimi is on a mountain and it takes over an hour of climbing to get through the whole trail. Ok, we didn’t go the whole way.

There are also fox statues all over the area.

There is a section of smaller shrines with small tori.

Once again, I see many people in kimonos; both tourists and locals. You can tell the locals by how they move; an upright posture with a confident grace and serenity.

The higher you go up the tori gate path, the more the crowds dissipate.

Although the sun is strong, it is cool in the shade of the tori gates.

I can see why this is arguably Japan’s most popular site. It can’t be missed. It is simply spectacular.

We walk back to the train station past many small restaurants and tempting food stands. I am not hungry but still want to try everything.

A gentleman gives up his seat for me on the train. I can’t decide whether to be insulted or complimented. I am thankful though.

Arashiyama Monkey Park

Back at Kyoto Station we have a bit of confusion where to get tickets for the train to our next destination…Arashiyama. We figure it out. Japan has many different companies operating rail lines so it can be difficult to know which line you need to use. Many towns have multiple companies with their own stations serving the same town/city.

We finally make our way to Arashiyama. Our first stop is the Arashiyama Monkey Park. It is a 20+ minute walkup steps and inclines to the top. Argh….

It is worth the climb The views of the city are amazing and there are a lot of snow monkeys running around. Click here for a video of the snow monkeys.

I make the ill advised decision to take the very long children’s slide from the top…other adults; men and women were also doing it. Unfortunately, the slide got a bit narrower near the bottom and my hips got stuck.

We walk through the town. I have some octopus and green onion tempura.

Tenryuji Temple

We leave the Monkey Park, crossing the bridge. There are many tourists paddling in rental boats. A fun thing to do on this sunny October day.

We stop at Tenryuji Temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage sight. The gardens are beautiful. The leaves are just starting to change.

Bamboo Forest

 

We leave the temple grounds directly into the bamboo forest. They are so very tall. The trees softly swish to even the slightest whims of the breeze.

Saga Torimoto Preserved Street

We head over to Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street. It is one of the best preserved streets with traditional buildings.

Gioji Temple and Moss Garden

A short walk away is the Gioji Temple and it’s moss gardens. The temple is small and simple. The gardens are peaceful and serene with all their different shades of green.

We head back to the train station and catch the train back to Kyoto.

Gion Night Time Geisha Walking Tour

We grab a cab and reach the entertainment district of Gion at 5:30…just as the sun is setting for our Gion Night Time Geisha walking tour.

The tour lasts three hours, and we learn a lot about the true Geisha culture. We go through the Geisha areas and see many of the tea houses, Geisha academies and we are lucky to see a Maiko (Geisha in training) walking quickly through the street.

The government has blocked off a street popular with Geisha because they were being harassed by tourists. There is a 10,000 yen fine for trespassing.

Our guide says that taking photos of the faces of Geisha, or any Japanese persons face is considered rude. It’s ok to take a photo of a person in general, just not their face without permission. Taking a photo of a Geisha from behind is fine.

There are about 211 Geisha and Maiko who work in Kyoto. Geisha earn between $1000-5000 USD an hour and some of the best charge even more ($10,000 +).

We also visit Yasaka Shrine and see the Kabuki Theatre.

We walk back to our ryokan and call it a night.