Anything about Kyoto

[jtm6]

Consider approaching younger people for help with English, from grade school through college. You may see groups of students (probably on field trips) in Kyoto. Some might be eager to speak English with a real native English-speaking foreigner besides their English teacher. My best memories of Kyoto were the interactions with a few groups of kids like that. One group even walked with me for about ten blocks to make sure I got to the right bus stop.

Also, take a little notepad and pencil/pen. Little drawings go a long way to bridging language barriers.

Being a vegetarian can be a challenge. Fortunately a lot of dishes are simple, but "no meat" or even "no animal" is not the same as vegetarian. For example, in a small restaurant a block from Gion, we spent 30 minutes talking to a host as he ran back and forth between our table and the kitchen. They simply didn't understand the concept of vegetarianism. That was an instance where drawing pictures was crucial for both parties to communicate effectively.

 

[flip]

I live in Kobe and work in Osaka. I'm a non-meat-eater. Some brief thoughts:

Food - keep in mind that what constitutes meat is not a matter of international consensus. If you don't have a native JP speaker onboard, this may be tricky. At the very least ask "niku haiteinai desu ka?" or just tell them "niku dame" (no meat) at the outset of ordering food.

When - it's all about timing. If you were to travel today, Kyoto would be quite steamy. As fall and winter come on, I find Kyoto more appealing.

Himeji - Yup, castle's (still) in the tent. However, the moon viewing / 500 yen sake party is later this month. I lived there a year. The original Nanphu restaurant is near the station - the best okonomiyaki you're like to find. Mt. Shousha is nice if you happen to do a day in the area.

Kobe - a great, attractive, cosmopolitan place to spend a day or live. As everyone will tell you, we got the mountains and the sea.... Mt. Rokko should have some fall colors for a morning hiker.

Kyoto - Get the bus pass in front of the JR station. Shop in Kawaramachi (like Shinsaibashi in Osaka). East city is touristy. West is more natural-type sights. You cannot do both in one day. Pick 3 sights and enjoy them fully. Most close around 4-5pm unless there is a night event (seasonal, but a good topic of inquiry at the tourist center when you buy a bus pass). In addition to the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, I recommend the moss temple a few miles south of there for quiet matcha and relaxation. Nijo castly may be your best bet for that sort of thing right now. Around the end of November - start of December is IDEAL momiji (autumn leaves) timing. Expect commensurate crowds. Do the night bamboo trail walk. Go to an onsen. Definitely go to as many temples as possible near the philosopher's walk. Basically, you want to go everywhere from Nanzenji to Kodaiji temple in that area. Just gorgeous. Lots of night time light-ups. Also Tofukuji in the south is quite popular (bring a macro). Just keep an eye on the weather report which is never accurate beyond a day out. If the weather is good, the colors just blaze.... Arashiyama (bamboo, etc) is more of an afternoon - evening affair that time of year.

Osaka - try to visit a couple days after the rain if you're coming this time of year. The city can do with an occasional rinse. If you like street shooting, this is the place - particularly Namba towards evening. Find what you need in Yodobashi Camera in Umeda or Bic Camera in Namba. Avoid Osaka castle as it is one of those which has been gutted.

Best!

 

[Frontman]

Personally, I love Kyoto. I recommend staying near the Gion area of the city. The new Royal Park hotel is conveniently located, and not expensive. In this part of the city you can walk to many of the more famous temples, shrines, and gardens.

Kyoto is not nearly as large as Tokyo or Osaka, and the streets are laid out logically, so finding your way around is not difficult. The city buses run to the popular sights, and the bus sign boards are usually bilingual in English or Japanese, so the buses are easy to use.

As for food, there are a few places which serve "vegetarian" dishes, but many soups and such which contain no meat will often be made in a stock made with fish, or sometimes meat. The Japanese are not picky eaters, and the few vegetarians here are either strict Buddhists, or those simply trying to eat more healthy. But even they won't complain if they unexpectedly find a bit of meat in their meal.

The best used camera shops will be in Tokyo, with many being in the area around Shinjuku station. Some stores are way over-priced, while others often have many good deals. Places to see in Tokyo will be the new Skytree tower, and near the Skytree is Asakusa, which is probably the most touristy place in Tokyo. Near Asakusa is the Edo-Tokyo museum, and the big Sumo arena at Ryogoku. Sumo matches are much more fun to watch than you might think, and I recommend seeing one if a match is being held while you are in the city. Toward the center of the city you can visit Hamarikyu park, and the nearby Tsukiji fish market. Not far from Tsukiji is Tsukishima, which is also an interesting place to visit.

Have fun

 

[flip]

Personally, I love Kyoto. I recommend staying near the Gion area of the city. The new Royal Park hotel is conveniently located, and not expensive. In this part of the city you can walk to many of the more famous temples, shrines, and gardens.

2nd that. It puts you near Nanzenji, etc...

As for food, there are a few places which serve "vegetarian" dishes, but many soups and such which contain no meat will often be made in a stock made with fish, or sometimes meat. The Japanese are not picky eaters, and the few vegetarians here are either strict Buddhists, or those simply trying to eat more healthy. But even they won't complain if they unexpectedly find a bit of meat in their meal.

Put another way, whereas back home I would quietly choose the salad and move on with my life, a propensity to pepper everything with bacon, etc. (but not indicate such on the menu) is typical and annoying here. As a general rule, sales are final in Japan. The degree to which you can get a mulligan on your meal is case-by-case.* Given that your average vegetarian is acutely aware of meat-taint, it's best to ask ahead. Use crossed arms gestures to indicate "no" and clarify no "niku" and no "ekisu" if you don't want broth. Avoid menu items containing: 牛肉、鳥肉、ブタ肉、 or 魚.

* If you are in a foreigner-heavy city like Kobe, vegetarian fare is easier to come by as it has become chic in recent years. However, even in such cities, you can find yourself a waiter who will be confused at why we consider organ meat (ホルモン) to be meat.　😀（笑）

 

[Nick]

There's a Yodobashi and BIC Camera both near JR Kyoto (the main station). Allocate some time and enjoy browsing.

If you have time, visit Inarii and Nara. Inarii for the classic image of 10,000 red Torii gates that is an iconic image of Japan. Nara for the deer and Todaiji - one of the oldest buddhist (?) temples in Japan, and incredibly photogenic.


PB260063.JPG by jessiemonster, on Flickr


100901 Nara deers by Fob, on Flickr


Todaiji by aelfscine, on Flickr


Within Kyoto you also have some great Temples. No need to go overboard. I mainly recommend just visiting Kiyomizu-Dera - another iconic temple from the area.


Kiyomizu-dera by Sanctu, on Flickr

You will of course have to visit Gion, located conveniently next to Kiyomizu-dera. Gion is one of the last two places in Japan that train Geisha. Your wife could do the "Maiko experience" where she dresses up as a Maiko (white painted face). You can even walk around Gion in-costume outside the studio and either they can professionally, or you yourself can take photos. You can also dress up as a "samurai" -- lots of fun. These should be booked before you arrive.


Maikos in Kyoto by Ilko Allexandroff (a.k.a. sir_sky), on Flickr

Have heaps of fun. Kyoto is one of my favourite places and there is so much to do and explore.

 

[flip]

There's a Yodobashi and BIC Camera both near JR Kyoto (the main station). Allocate some time and enjoy browsing.

If you have time, visit Inarii and Nara. Inarii for the classic image of 10,000 red Torii gates that is an iconic image of Japan. Nara for the deer and Todaiji - one of the oldest buddhist (?) temples in Japan, and incredibly photogenic.

Considering that it is removed from most other sites, Fushimi inari pairs well with tofukuji. If the colors (at Tofukuji) are peaking at the time of your visit, it might make for a good half-day.

You can do a week on fall colors in Kyoto alone. Not all sites have this seasonal attraction. This is a good thing if you just want a sampler of the city. Fushimi inari is slim on colors, so the number of visitors may be diminished. Then again, more folks coming into the city overall.... Hard to tell.

You can check for what sites are having peak colors at the visitor center. There will be a lot of people, all taking pictures; a wide aperture may come in handy to exclude the clutter.

 

[skibeerr]

I am looking forward to all the prandial confusion. Personally I don't mind meat, I am a butcher and am currently employed at a Sicilian Butchers in Altona North, my wife eats fish so we will survive 😀

Did anyone of you hike around the area? I will be looking into this, maps, trails etc of course language...

I always found visiting a country on foot (or bycicle) to be very agreable and less stressful.

We have prolonged our stay after the congress to two weeks so we have more options now.

Cheers,

Wim

 

[flip]

Check into Koyasan.

Japan has little of what Westerners consider true hiking in that it's mostly relatively light trail hiking. That's not to take away from its beauty. You just have to travel a ways to find hikes that aren't geared for grandparents on the weekend. Given the locale, you might research Biwako / Shiga a bit.