Japan Trip: Day 6 Kyoto (Fushimi- Inari) part 1

Early morning at the ryokan to have a quick breakfast. Sakura Ryokan has a very nice lobby area where breakfast is served (at additional costs) and there are computers with free Internet access and if you have your own computer, you can as well connect from you room. They got WiFi!!! and we didn't know...hahahaha, there's even English newspapers and books about Japan and Kyoto..

The ryokan is popular with Westerners because the staff and owners are extremely proficient in English and helpful in giving directions and making recommendations. The Sakura Kaede also sells the all important one day bus pass at 500 J yen, since in Kyoto, travelling around is best done by bus and NOT trains.





One Day Bus Pass




And check out the surroundings... nice neighborhood. A 10-15 minute walk from the massive JR Kyoto Station (depending on how fast you walk), the Sakura Ryokan is located along a very quiet street lined with traditional low rise buildings.  We are ready to take Kyoto....

Sakura Kaede

Sakura Kaede's neighborhood

Kyoto, the Ancient Capital of Japan, is one of the must-go cities in Japan. Packed with countless world heritage temples, shrines and castles.


First stop, Fushimi-Inari....



How to get to Fushimi-Inari



Fushimi-Inari


Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line (5 minutes, 140 yen one way from Kyoto Station, not served by rapid trains but we are not paying coz we have the JR pass). The shrine can also be reached in a short walk from Fushimi Inari Station along the Keihan Main Line.

Fushimi Inari is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. It  is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds.

Fushimi-Inari

Fox Statue/Inari's messenger

While the primary reason most foreign visitors come to Fushimi Inari Shrine is to explore the mountain trails, the shrine buildings themselves are also attractive and worth a visit. At the shrine's entrance stands the Romon Gate, which was donated in 1589 by the famous leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Behind stands the shrine's main building (Honden) and various auxiliary buildings.

Romon Gate and The Honden Building

At the very back of the shrine's main grounds is the entrance to the torii gate covered hiking trail, which starts with two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii ("thousands of torii gates"). The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. The cost starts around 400,000 yen for a small sized gate and increases to over one million yen for a large gate.


I remember one movie was shoot on this location, The Memoirs of a Geisha starring Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe. Other locations were in Gion and Haian Shrine.

Torii Gates

The hike to the summit of the mountain and back takes about 2-3 hours, however we are not that of a hiker, so we turn back and head for our next destination.... We'll cut our day 6 here. And continue our day # 6 adventure on the next blog...  wait for part 2 of Japan trip Day #6....

Japan Trip: Day 5 Tokyo, Kamakura, Yokohama and Kyoto

Get up early to visit the Hachiko Statue in the morning and the Shibuya Crossing....

On Our Way to Shibuya Station



Hachiko Statue



Hachiko Exit/ Shibuya Station

Shibuya Crossing in the morning and its sorroundings

then back at the Hotel Villa Fontaine for breakfast... while having breakfast, another aftershock was felt, you can hear the glass window crackling..... I'm really really ready to leave Tokyo by this time.

ready to leave Tokyo

As we check-out and went to Shin-Yokohama Station, we leave our luggages at a coin locker, it cost us 400 JY to store our luggages, its pretty convinient, since the transfer streetcar is in the same station as the way to Kamakura, and trains toYokohama and later Kyoto.




coin lockers


Kamakura


Today, Kamakura is a small city and a very popular tourist destination. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments. It is a coastal town in Kanagawa Prefecture, less than an hour south of Tokyo.



To reach Hasedera Temple and The Great Buddha (Kamakura Daibutsu)it is about 5-10 minute walk from Hase Station, the third station from Kamakura along the Enoden railway line. The Enoden is a streetcar-like train that connects Kamakura with Enoshima and Fujisawa. Its terminal station in Kamakura is located just next of JR Kamakura Station.

Kamakura Map

Hase Area

Hasedera Temple

Hasedera is a temple of the Jodo sect, that is most famous for its statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. It is built along the slope of a wooded hill. A pretty garden with ponds is found at the base of the slope just after entering. The temple's main buildings are built further up the slope, reached via stairs. Along the way stands the Jizo-do Hall with hundreds of small statues of the Jizo Bodhisattva who helps the souls of dead children to reach the paradise.

Hundred statues of Jizo Bodhisattva

Kannon-do Hall

Next to the Kannon-do Hall stands the Amida-do Hall, which exhibits an almost three meter tall golden statue of Amida Buddha. Nearby is also an observation deck with views over the coastal city of Kamakura.

Observation Deck / overlooking the coast line of Kamakura (Yuigahama Beach)

Next to the temple garden at the base of the slope stands the Benten-do, a small hall that contains a figure of Benten (also known as Benzaiten), a goddess of feminine beauty and wealth. Sculptures of Benten and other minor gods can be found in a small cave (Benten-kutsu) next to the Benten-do.

The Cave

The Great Buddha

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. (adventures at Nara in day 7)

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

Cherry Blossom in Kamakura

Cherry Blossom

By noontime, we went back to the same station and make our way to Yokohama....
About 30 minutes by JR Tokaido/Yokosuka Line  from Tokyo to Yokohama Station and about 10 to 15 mins by Shinkansen train from Tokyo toShin-Yokohama Station.

Routes going to Yokohama

Yokohama


Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan.




Getting around Yokohama




The JR Sakuragicho Station in Yokohama...

The Minato Mirai 21 harbourside. The highlights are the Landmark Tower which is the tallest building in Japan, Queen's Square Yokohama (a shopping mall) and the Cosmo Clock 21, which was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world when it was built in 1989 and which also doubles as "the world's biggest clock".

The Landmark Tower, Queen's Square, The Cosmo Clock 21, and the Minato Bridge

Yokohama's  Minato Bridge #2 Cherry Blossom. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and were particularly nice along the riverbanks that forms a line at the edge after the bridge.

Cherry Blossom in Yokohama

enjoying the scenery at the pathwalk near the bridge

Since its lunchtime, we setup our blue cover under one of the full bloom cherry tree to rest and relax while having a nice lunch..... one perfect day!!!!

We don't wanna leave, but its kinda late already, we have to be in Kyoto by night fall.



While travelling on our way to Kyoto, by chance, it got to see the Mount Fuji.... so i hurried to pick up my camera and snap a few shots.. LUCKY ME!!!  (its right after the Shin-Yokohama station toward Kyoto. So be ready.......Make sure you are seated at the right side of the Shinkansen.)

Mt. Fuji

Kyoto


After 2 and a half of travelling...........Welcome to KYOTO!!!!!


Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.

Kyoto Station

The Kyoto Tower

in front of the Kyoto Station

We were so exhausted from the days itinenary, we wanted to rest our busy feet and soulful minds, without thinking twice we took a cab from the station and head to The Sakura/ Ryokan Kaede. This Modern Ryokan is located in the center of Kyoto, about 800 meters of Kyoto Station, right next to the Ryokan Sakura. Ryokan Kaede has 10 rooms. All rooms have their own private kitchen and bathroom, which can be very convenient for long stays. There are 2 kinds of guest rooms: Japanese combine Western style room or Western style rooms. Ryokan Kaede does not serve dinner however breakfast can be reserved at check-in and at cost of course... Oh... , the cab cost us  around 640JY.

from top left: The Sakura Kaede Lobby, Zarah's at the Receiving Area , The Reception Counter

we stayed at the second floor... Room 205 to be exact... its a japanese-style room (ryokan).




The Japanese Style






Yukata Transform!!!



at last, dinner dinner.....

Toilet: as usual, CUTE.
Internet Connection: Check.....
Television: all Japanese Channels....hahahaha...
we even make our own beds.... nice and fluffy (futon)....

Me: tired......sleepy.


Good Night!!!!!!
See you in our day # 6 adventure.........