Koyasan, a secluded temple town in the mountains, has a quiet, charming sense of mystery. The centre of Shingon Buddhism, Kobo Daishi’s tomb, the surrounding cemetary, and the temple complexes are a lovely trip away from modern Japan.
Near the top of the mountain, we walked into a perfect view of Fushimi Inari’s torii gates. We turned a corner, and there it was waiting for us, with no tourists or anything. A long tunnel of vermillion was being illuminated by a perfectly angled sun, turning every gate a different shade of bright orange, … More Fushimi Inari, Kyoto’s Wonderful Torii Gate Mountain
With Kyoto’s 1600 Buddhist temples, and 400 Shinto shrines to choose from, the choice of where to visit seemed overwhelming. After some research, we narrowed our visit down to just a few standouts. Kinkaku-ji Small, but certainly not lacking in opulence is Kinkaju-ji, the temple on the water, painted entirely in brilliant gold. A second … More Which Temples to Visit in Kyoto? A List of Some Favourites
Kyoto’s eye-catching bamboo forest is called Arashiyama, and you’ve probably seen photos of it before. The forest is dense and tall, and wandering through it is a lovely, elemental experience, feeling completely enveloped by these hollow giants.
Kyoto is not really a busting supercity like Tokyo or Osaka. While there still are high rises and department stores, Kyoto is best known for its cultural treasures. Think of it as a place of culture; traditional houses, geishas in elegant kimonos, and amazing food. All these things are celebrated in a city that has … More Kyoto for First Timer Visitors
We were the last ones in the bus, sitting in the back seat with our backpacks still on. We craned our necks to find any kind of sign as to where we were, but night had already fallen, and there were no streetlamps on this zig-zagging mountain road. It reminded me very much of the … More Hiking the Magome – Tsumago Trail in Winter
Day 1 in Japan – It was time to use the most valuable weapon in our Japanese travel arsenal – our JR Japan Rail Passes! We ordered them online in Australia (they cannot be bought in Japan), and picked them up at Shinjuku station with all the required stamps and stickers. We found them to … More Is It Worth Getting The Japan JR Rail Pass?
The Tokyo subway system is the busiest underground network in the world. 3.1 billion people rode around the city in 2013. But it’s not all about massive numbers of people – this amazing network is full of charming quirks. Whether it’s special employees that push commuters into a packed train, incredible punctuality, or the cute … More Fun Facts About Tokyo’s Subway
Tokyo has a suburb with long lazy canals, rows of cherry blossoms, quiet streets and old buildings? Could this be a mini Amsterdam in Tokyo? Hmm…not exactly. This was still the mighty concrete jungle of Tokyo, so what Nakameguro canals actually looks like are high-walled, concrete stormwater channels stained green from algae. In the summer, … More The Nakameguro Winter Illuminations
Two of Tokyo’s hubs of pop culture, Akihabara and Harajuku, are fun microcosms to explore the culture of modern Japan. Akihabara for electronics, anime and video game toilets; Harajuku for fashion, sweet treats and cat costumes! Akihabara Akihabara earned its nickname ‘electric town’ several decades ago when this was the place the buy all kinds … More Exploring the Quirky Side of Tokyo – Akihabara and Harajuku
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