Kyoto Stories and Tips

Quote: In my last Kyoto Journal, I covered how to get around the city using the buses. This time around, I figured out how to navigate the subway system, and it's not as scary as I had initially thought it to be! Here, I'll…

Quote: I took JR from Sumiyoshi station to Kyotanabe St. (Tosai Line) then walked to the temple. It was almost 15 minute walk. You can also take Keihan Kotsu Bus from Kyotanabe to the Ikkyuji-do stop. It takes only 5 min. though. If you use Kintetsu…

Quote: If you plan on visiting Kyoto during your first trip to Japan (or if you're unfamiliar with the Japanese bus systems), the thought of just hopping on a bus could send anyone panicking. Here, I'll explain the very easy process of getting to all…

Quote: Little shrine with rice cakes, of course... spring rain Kobayashi Issa, 1818In the Shinto religion, powerful spirits or kami abide in a multitude of natural objects such as mountains, waterfalls, and even exceptional people. There are innumerable kami, but the most important have shrines devoted…

Quote: Often when I return from a journey, it’s not the well-known places or famous sights that I recall most vividly, but some little-known spot that I came across quite by chance. And so it is with Gio-ji. I hadn’t planned to go there, but perhaps,…

Quote: Dipping into the Marmot's Mailbag we have this plaintive missive: Dear Marmot, I'm looking forward to my trip to Japan but am starting to worry. My problem... I'm allergic to shellfish. I guess I'll live on rice and noodles. But how to explain my problem?…

Quote: Kyoto has piles of temples and shrines, making it really difficult to decide where to start. We went to four. Two of them ended up being my favourites.Sanjusangen-do was incredible. We had to round a couple of corners of the enormously long, dark, dusty, 700-year-old…

Quote: Late one afternoon I make my away to Adashino Nembutsu-ji, the famous temple and cemetery on the outskirts of Kyoto. Along the way I ponder just what draws me to these places beyond mere historical and architectural interest. Is it the sheer novelty…

Quote: The trip was a short one--two days and one night over the weekend. It was enough to cover the main attractions in Kyoto. My start-off point was in Tokyo. I purchased the Shinkansen ticket three days in advance, and it cost me a bomb! Round-trip…

Quote: I flew from San Jose, CA, to Tokyo's Narita Airport and took a connecting flight from Narita to Osaka International Airport (also known as Itami). Itami is closer to Kyoto, the first destination of my Japan trip, than Kansai (the new international airport). Finally, I…