It’s time to wrap up my blogging spree on the glorious city that is Kyoto. It’s also an excuse to take a break from going through the tons of photos I took from my recent trip to South Korea. 🙂 In a nutshell, Kyoto is one of those places that can frustrate you. Because you thought you saw a lot of it already, only to realize you haven’t even scratched the surface. I tell ya, that type of frustration is something that makes me wish I can hop on the next available flight and go there again.
So I am going to speak about the things that I love about Kyoto (and what you should check out if you find yourself in Kyoto one of these days).
- The cultural and religious sites
Having grown up in a largely Christian (Roman Catholic) environment, I am always fascinated by other religions and how they practice it, particularly that of our Asian neighbors. One thing that struck me most was how everything has a certain degree of mysticism to it. Two of the many fitting words I could think of would be “rich” and “opulent”. If they do things, they don’t do it by half-measures.
- The preservation
More than the fact that these sites and the artifacts still exist, I was even more amazed that they are so well-preserved and cared for to this day. I was initially drawn to Japan because of its colorful (pop) culture, and then I found myself becoming increasingly fascinated with bits and pieces of its history, which was hugely responsible for shaping the culture as a whole. Granted, I only know probably only 5% of Japan’s history, and that is already enough to suck me in.
I mean, just check out how wearing kimono is something that is like a common sight around here! This was stolen while inside the bus.
During the time we were there, Kyoto Tower was celebrating its 50th year. There were lots of signs around the area stating that fact. We got to have a close look at Kyoto Tower every time we stepped out of JR Kyoto Station.
- Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market is always mentioned as a must-see for anyone venturing into this prefecture in Japan. It is basically a 5-block area consisting of food stalls, restaurants and novelty shops. Traditional food hunting? This is where you should go. If you’re up for some shopping for affordable to mid-range clothing, souvenirs and similar items, this is also the place to go. If you’re up for high-end and luxury brands, just cross the street and you’ll easily spot the large buildings with lit-up signs. It. Is. Overwhelming.
We only managed to catch some parts of Nishiki Market, because we got there when it was already close to 7pm, and many of the stalls were already closing up. What we saw, however, made us regret not having more time to spend checking out the goods. On the upside, I was pretty sure that I’d have been spending much of my already meager pocket-money if we were allowed more time here, haha!
Most of the food stalls were closing up already. We were lucky to stumble on this one, though. Green tea popcorn. 🙂
- The mix of today and yesterday
At first, I did not quite know what to make of Kyoto. On one hand, it looks modern, but on the other hand, you get the feeling that you are still in old Japan. In the end, I reconciled myself to the fact that it is a seamless mix of the past and present Japan. And one can only wonder how the future will take its place in that colorful tapestry.
Just check out the photo below. From here, you can see a glimpse of Yasaka Shrine (check out my blog post about our visit to that shrine) at the end of the street. On the left are souvenir shops selling traditional Japanese foods and gift items. On the right? Starbucks.
Spotted this tableau of two bears seated on a bench while fishing. This was along Tetsugaku no michi just before heading towards the Philosopher’s Path.
For some reason, as much as I truly appreciate the subway system used in Japan, I found the ones in Kyoto more complicated than the one in Tokyo. 🙂
Here are some more scenes from Kyoto that caught my interest.
Until I see you again, Kyoto. I look forward to it!! (Check out my various Kyoto-related posts by following the “Kyoto” tag.)
