After visiting Korea and Tokyo in May 2016, I went to Kyoto for a few days. Kyoto is a much smaller city than Tokyo, with a population of about 1.5 million, and is largely known for its temples and shrines.

 

On the evening I arrived, it was raining, so I headed to Nishiki Market:

 

 

 

 

 

And got some Japanese curry:

 

 

The next morning I headed up to Kyoto Tower. It's the tallest structure in Kyoto although the observation deck is only at 328 ft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Shinkansen high speed train passes through Kyoto:

 

 

Some wandering around the city:

 

 

 

I'm not sure if this was unique to Kyoto, but they had pink bike lanes and sharrows everywhere:

 

 

 

 

Some extremely narrow streets:

 

 

Crossing the Kamo River:

 

 

 

One of Kyoto's covered shopping streets:

 

 

 

 

Kyoto does have a very small subway system, with only 2 lines and less than 20 miles of track. But that's pretty impressive for a such a small city!

 

 

The Philosopher's Path or Philosopher's Walk is a walkway along a stream that connects many of the shrines on the east side of the city:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kinkaku-ji / Rokuon-ji temple:

 

 

Arashiyama, a neighborhood on the western side of Kyoto:

 

 

 

Bamboo forest:

 

 

Ended up taking this vintage tram back to the center of Kyoto:

 

 

Finally had some conveyor belt sushi! I think it worked out to about $1 per plate. You could either place special orders using a touch screen or pull anything you wanted off the conveyor belt, and they totaled up the number of plates at the end.

 

 

Then took the train to the airport and headed back home!

 

Love, love, love Kyoto. I was there during the Obon festival a few years ago and the whole city was abuzz with people in traditional dress going about to ceremonies and whatnot. The traditional hillside streets leading up to the temples were some of the coolest things about Japan - almost Zen-like if I can be trite for a moment. It's a little sad that most of the historic sites are reconstructions but it's still neat to see. Nara is a great day trip too, like a tiny Kyoto that's a bit less polished for the tourists.

 

Isn't it crazy that you can say "It's so much smaller than Tokyo" and still be in a city with a population that would be top 10 in the US?

Kyoto is deceptive as it feels like its own little realm even though it's at the edge of the larger Keihanshin metropolitan area (Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe) which has around 19.4 million people (basically, a larger Greater Los Angeles).  But it all...works.  Great shots.

very nice!

 

next time i would grab a bike to ride around arashiyama.

 

so no time for the golden temple, palace, pontocho, gion, nara or fushimi inari?

 

there is so much to explore around kyoto, its worth many visits, quite a wonderful place.

Osaka is worth a visit too, as its a bit gruffer and more flamboyant than the rest of Japan.  Feels slightly more American in a weird way.