Japan Photo Series: Finding traditional Japan in Kyoto

As part of my Japan Series, I will be sharing some highlights from our brief 3-days trip to Kyoto last year.. if you’d like to see.

Japan has got to have the most efficient transportation system in the world! We took the Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Kyoto and were extremely impressed by how clean, comfortable and punctual the train is.

Upon arriving, we immediately went to Gion, Kyoto’s most famous district, to get a glimpse of traditional Japan.

Many locals and tourists were seen wearing beautiful traditional kimonos in this historic neighborhood. Didn’t think I can pull this off so decided to take photos of others instead :p

There are plenty of temples in and around the area as well which add to the serenity of Gion.

We also spotted a real Geisha! Her dress is so stunning.

I wanted to take photos of every storefronts I see in Gion.

Stumbled across this unique looking shrine.

Beautiful Japanese lanterns from one of the temples.

One of the most photogenic landmark in Gion - Yasaka-no-to Pagoda.

The day won't be complete without ice-cream!

The one and only Japanese style Starbucks in Japan. It was too late and we were all tired from a day of walking so we didn't go inside but I heard there's tatami flooring!

On Christmas Eve, we asked our hotel concierge to book us a Kaiseki style dinner and ended up in this hidden gem. Every dish was presented amazingly and the service of the staff and the chef himself made the whole experience even more spectacular.

How cute was this Christmas themed dessert?! None of us wanted to touch it until we took enough photos.

The next day, we headed to Arashiyama for a day trip.

To start off, we went to % Arabica for our caffeine fix. Can I just say how jealous I am with these baristas working here because of the view they get to see everyday?

Also their coffee is so bomb. It quickly became my second favorite after Blue Bottle.

We ordered our coffee to go and enjoyed our walk towards the bamboo forest.

Found a shrine dedicated to improving/finding love.

Then we stayed around the area for some quick bite.

After lunch, we went to Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), this impressive structure was actually covered in gold foil.

The entry ticket also acts as a lucky charm!

Getting myself another piece of Omikuji for the year of 2019.

In the afternoon, we went to Kiyomizu-dera Temple but unfortunately part of its structure was still under construction.

We also paid a visit to the nearby Jisyu Shrine, a very famous shrine for love and marriage.

The most famous sacred object in this shrine is the love fortune stone which was believed to enhance your love luck. There are two of them located within a short distance of each other. The myth is that if you close your eyes and walk from one stone to the other without the help of others, you’ll find love.

This lady was accompanied by her boyfriend and he ended up proposing to her once she got to the other end and opened her eyes. How cute!

Zenzai + matcha = perfect for the cold Japanese weather.

On our last day, we woke up early to get to Fushimi Inari-taisha before the crowd arrived. I managed to snatch a couple of photos without anyone in it.

There’s a small street that sells local snack nearby the entrance. We definitely had waay too much for snack!

3 days in Kyoto was definitely not enough to explore this beautiful city but that just gave more more reasons to come back again next year. Thanks for reading!