I feel like no trip to Japan would be complete without a visit to explore Kyoto. That being said, we were going to have to hustle and do some planning to maximize our opportunities to see the area. Our closest port was Kobe, and the good news was we were in Kobe overnight. Also good news, Japan has an amazing bullet train system. We just had to figure it out (see the end of this post for my tips).
Arriving on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
After docking at 8 AM, we were two of the first four off the ship. The other couple, from Australia, were also heading to the train station, so we shared a cab and the adventure of finding the right train. Turned out to be pretty easy.
The bullet train between Kobe and Kyoto is the most efficient way to get there and takes around half an hour. The train does NOT get up to its full speed of 199 mph (320 km/h for my metric readers) on such a short route. But it does move so fast you can get a bit disoriented looking out the window.
A Good Guide is Worth Their Weight in Gold
Once in Kyoto, we met our guide Tomoko Ayukawa just outside the station. Tomo is amazing, and it was such good karma we found one another. Weeks before our trip, she helped me make plans, gave me solid advice, and even helped us make reservations for dinner (more on that later). My goal of covering a lot of ground in such a short time would not have been possible without advance planning with an understanding, accommodating, and really nice guide. Thank you, Tomo!
World Heritage Site – Nijo-jo Castle
Like all other interiors we’ve been to, it’s shoes off. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the Palace’s 33 rooms, which are arranged in a zig-zag pattern to better enjoy the garden views. Each room is void of furniture, just the silk-bordered tatami mats used at that time. The walls are covered with the most amazing murals, each with special meanings unique to the purpose of the room. Scenes range from intimidating tigers and leopards (which they thought were female tigers) to massive pruned pine trees, birds of prey, and delicate flower blossoms. These are the kinds of images I always associate with Japanese art – so beautiful.
Dating from 1603, this is the only surviving example of a fortified palace complex. It is famous for having “Nightingale floors” which make a pleasant sound as you walk down the corridors, reportedly to warn of intruders. I loved that “fact”, but it turns out to be just a story. The floors make noise because they are old.
Kinkaku-ji, The Golden Pavillion
We then jumped into a cab and traveled to the NW corner of the city and Kinkaku-ji, known as the Golden Pavilion. Built as a palace in 1397, it was at the center of politics and influence. When the Shogun passed away, he gave instructions for it to become a Temple. Now a Zen Buddhist Temple, the gold leaf on the top two floors is restored and is cleaned daily.
Everywhere we went was incredibly crowded. It was a Saturday, finally a warm, sunny day, the beginning of the year-end school break for Japanese children, and the reported full bloom of the cherry blossoms. Sadly, the Sakura forecasts have been wrong and many trees are just in bud, others in various stages of bloom.
A Stroll on the Philosopher’s Walk
We abandoned the thought of using the bus and took another cab past the Imperial Palace to the far eastern part of town and the famous Philosopher’s Walk, near Kyoto University. This delightful area was breezier and funkier. We had a quick bite to eat in one of the small cafes that dot the area, along with shops, street performers, cat fanciers, and more temples. Flowers were blooming, the water was clear, and you could see large carp swimming. We could hear the loud trilling sound of the small Japanese nightingale. We did not see any of the Japanese Monkeys that also inhabit the area. (Kyoto also has issues with wild boar and aggressive black bears). It was a nice contrast from our earlier activities.
Searching for Cherry Blossoms
After a stop to see the impressive Nanzen-ji Buddhist Temple, where Zen monks train, we headed back on the subway towards the more centrally located Gion District. We saw the Yasaka Shrine from the outside and then wandered into Maruyama Park. The Park is a very popular local spot, and there were dozens of food vendors, pop-up restaurant seating, and games. Trees in bloom were crowded photo spots, with everyone vying for Instagrammable shots.
I didn’t realize the Gion District was as large as it is, and we visited both the quieter and the more crowded areas. Historically, this was a Geisha (called Geikos here) District, now home to about 250. They follow much stricter rules than the group we met in Niigata. No smartphones and certainly no Netflix.
Wagyu Steak Cooked to Order – by Us!
We walked over to the Pontocho River for our Wagyu Beef dinner at Shin. This is a really interesting area, with narrow alleys, and enticing scents wafting from all the restaurants. We had a delicious, fun dinner, grilling the meat at our table, along with some kimchi and more garlic fried rice. These are small places, ours had just four tables, three for 4, and one larger. Reservations are a good idea. If the restaurant has a menu posted outside you can go in, if not it’s by invitation. If spots open up, they will put out a sign they have a table available.
After dinner, we took a slow stroll on the busy Kawaramachi Steet (rounding out our walking for the day to about 10 miles). It was like being in Times Square but with 5th Avenue shopping opportunities. There were throngs of young people here. We made our way to the Shijo Subway Station for a quick ride back to the Kyoto rail station at the South end of town. Our train left at 9:07 for Shin-Kobe, and, then, a cab ride back to the port and our ship, the Azamara Journey.
Whew – good night!
If you enjoyed this post, check out some of my others about Japan: https://maximizingluxurytravel.com/2024/03/25/blending-old-and-new-in-kanazawa/ https://maximizingluxurytravel.com/2024/03/26/matsue-heights/ https://maximizingluxurytravel.com/2024/03/18/24-hours-in-tokyo/
Tips for Taking the Bullet Train in Japan:
After reading a lot, I’ve tossed all the notes I made, and offer the following thoughts:
- Get your tickets ahead of time at a smaller station, as this saves time and avoids the potential of a sell-out during popular times. Good thing we did that because we heard the trains were booked.
- Bullet trains often have their own station – called Shin (for Shinkansen). Stations will generally be called “Shin-(name of city)”. So, for example, Kobe has 2 stations, one for the JR local routes, and one for Shin-Kobe bullet trains. In Kyoto, all trains are in one station – so is just called “Kyoto”.
- If you buy tickets online in advance be prepared to pay quite a premium. Reserved seat tickets for two cost us about $115, others paid about $200.
- Having a reserved seat cost a bit more, but made the experience more relaxing
- Larger stations (like Kobe and Kyoto) have good signage in English. English language ability can be very limited among staff, so be prepared to use Google Translate or write down your destination, in Japanese, in advance.
- Make sure you have your return location written in Japanese if you plan to take a cab back to an off-beat location, like a port. It’s easy to Google the site, translate online, and take a screenshot so you are ready.
- Trains are identified with a name, number, and destination. We saw no distinction between colors. I read that green cars are reserved, forget that, it was strictly by numbers. Most cars did seem to be reserved.
- Cars are comfortable and there is no smoking.
- People are polite, the woman in front of me actually asked me if she could recline her daughter’s seat (no problem – there’s plenty of room).
- Try not to fall asleep and miss your stop, getting off and on is a very quick process! You must be ready to exit before the train comes to a stop.
- Japanese trains are on time – all the time.