The Full Kyoto Experience

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Kyoto

Old Kyoto

Lunch in Kyoto

Back on the Indigo Trail

Masa and the sliding screens by his wife: Sarah

Sarah's Painting

Kaiseki at Giro Giro

Sashimi Course

Pork Course

Rice with Fish

This was a very full day of the Kyoto experience. We did a lot! Masa, our guide, met us at the hotel. It was raining so we taxied to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine wanting  to learning more about the Shinto Religion and visit the incredible Torri Gates. There are over 3500 gates at the Temple leading from the rear of the temple up a curved walkway to the summit of the mountain adjacent to the Temple.

I thought there would be no way we would enjoy the place, it was raining, and there would a multitude of people walking beneath the gates. It turns the rain stopped and there were plenty of times to take pictures. We did the Shinto Ritual before entering the Shrine: Wash Hands and Face, Ring Bell, Bow, Clap, Bow, Clap. For additional insurance I tossed some coins into the Shrine. Well, it stopped raining, the sky cleared, and the crowds disappeared, I got my pictures!

From the Shrine we took a local commuter line into the city. Masa walked us around showing us where we could return to shop. We then got into some serious shopping. This is really a great town for shopping. It has a craft tradition that has been revitalized and you find unusual things here.

For lunch on a rainy day in Kyoto, hot noodles! More shopping, and then as a real treat Masa invited us to his house for Tea. He lives a short distance from downtown Kyoto in a house he designed himself (he is an architect). It is very large and beautiful. The main house, is put together with NO nails. Everything is tongue and groove with wooden pegs holding up the beams together. It is amazing! Masa’s wife Sarah is a wonderful artist and her paintings are through out the house. She has a studio adjacent to the house and we viewed her painting in progress. We then taxied back to the Hotel (It is hard to get a taxi in the rain in Kyoto as it is in New York City).

Drinks at the bar, then a taxi to Giro Giro, a Kaiseki restaurant. Kaiseki dinners are dinners served of small portions, all seasonal - Kyoto is renown for this style of eating. The restaurant has a set price you simply sit down and they start serving you. Giro Giro is a hard restaurant to get into and we were looking forward to the meal. The problem was finding the damn place. We had directions, I am sure if we followed them to the letter we might have found the restaurant, but it didn’t work out that way. We told the cab driver where we were going (by showing him Kanji lettering that said: Drop us off at the intersection of two streets). We were then supposed to follow a map to find the restaurant down a narrow alley. Finally identifying the restaurant by its Kanji name. To us all of the Kanji looks the same or similar - especially after a Martini. The cab driver realized where we were going - thankfully the restaurant name was also written in Kanji. He parked his taxi, then he retrieved two umbrellas for us and walked us down the street then down an alley delivering us to the restaurant door. Could you picture anywhere else where that would happen? In Japan outside of the tourist spots (Hotels, high-end restaurants, etc.) English is NOT spoken. It is fun trying to communicate when the other party doesn't speak your language.

The dinner was great. Each course was a hit, the Sake made it all the better. We sat at a Sushi like counter as we watched each dish prepared in front of us. Because of the covered walkways, and the warm noodles for lunch, Kyoto is a great city to enjoy in the rain.