Hibiya Park –  April 18, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto > Tokyo – Day 1
  • Walk:  Tokyo
  • Weather:  60-75°/ overcast, winds  10-15 mph 

OVERVIEW

WALK: 5m from Kyoto INN Gion the Second to Higashioji Street bus stop

BUS: 25m from bus stop on Higashioji Street on Bus 206 to Kyoto Train Station

TRAIN: 2h 30m @ 9:08 on Shinkansen Train / HIKARI 500 car 12 seat 13-E to Tokyo Train Station @ 11:42

WALK: 1/2 mi from Tokyo Train Station to Nihombashi Station enter via B7

TRAIN: from Nihombashi Station on G Ginza line for Asakusa / Platform 2 local / 7 stops, 11m to Tawaramachi Station / exit via 3

WALK: 8m / .3mi from Tawaramachi Station to Plat Hostel Keikyu Asakusa Station

Arriving at the Imperial Grounds and Garden only to find them closed, I salvage the afternoon by strolling through Hibiya Park. 

Japanese gardens and water features go together.
Tulips blooms.
Dogwood, a gift from the States, is in bloom.
Plum blossoms for my arrival. Wisteria blooms for my departure.

Gion

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 4
  • Walk:  Kyoto & Osaka
  • Weather:  60-75°/ sunshine, winds  5-10 mph 

Gion is Kyoto’s ideal district to stay. It’s the old section with most buildings only 2 or 3 stories high and is best associated with geishas. If you want to see geishas, don’t go where the tourist are swarming. I’ve had many chance encounters on deserted side streets. 

Geishas move unobtrusively through quiet streets. They simply blend in
Geisha.
Geisha
What will these young ladies riding the train decide to be when they’re grown ? The girls are playing a string game called “Cats in the Cradle” with their hats as blindfolds.
Yes, that’s a Rolls-Royce cruising the narrow geisha area

Now or Never –  April 17, 2025

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 4
  • Walk:  Kyoto & Osaka
  • Weather:  60-75°/ sunshine, winds  5-10 mph 

With a week left, it’s now or never.  A good meal is in order. Trip Advisor’s restaurant map lead me to a promising restaurant. Not surprisingly reservations were completely full. However, charming me was promised a seat at the bar shortly. The food, drink, and ambience was all I had hoped.

Miyako Restaurant.
The cook and server who was an exchange high school student in Maine.
Sushi, shrimp tempura, ginger-apple cocktail.
The bar is where you want to eat.

Bunraku –  April 17, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 4
  • Walk:  Kyoto & Osaka
  • Weather:  60-75°/ sunshine, winds  5-10 mph 

Bunraku National Theater is famous for its puppetry productions. Months before coming to Japan, Eddie and I surfed the web with great interest. I actually know someone majoring in puppetry at college. With last minute encouragement from Namiyo, I went!  This morning I snagged a ticket on line, traveled 1 1/2 hours on multiple trains to Osaka, and saw a four hour production.  I gasped when a nursemaid tries suicide by knife!  It takes three persons to operate puppet. Sesame Street was never like this.

Head puppeteer controls head and right arm plus dresses the puppet, another puppeteer controls left arm and body, third puppeteer controls legs and feet.
Puppet from play.
Stage model. (Of course no cameras inside theater.)
The restaurant Namiyo recommended was on this street.

Bamboo Forest –  April 16, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 3
  • Walk:  Kyoto
  • Weather:  50-65°/ sunshine and clouds mixed, winds  10-15 mph 

Having walked through natural bamboo forests on Shikoku, the cultivated Bamboo Garden was too orderly. Gone were all the small plants that thrive in a bamboo habitat. 

Bamboo forest. Tenryu-ji Garden.
Nothing but bamboo. Tenryu-ji Garden.
Bamboo Skyscrapers. Tenryu-ji Garden.
Great face…which one? Tenryu-ji Garden..

Street Walkers –  April 16, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 3
  • Walk:  Kyoto
  • Weather:  50-65°/ sunshine and clouds mixed, winds  10-15 mph 

The Gion District of Kyoto is one of the oldest and is associated with Geishas. Just blocks from my inn are the two streets most attached to Geishas. They slip along these streets with eyes cast straightforward looking at no one and seeking no attention. 

Eyes cast straight forward.
No cell phone in hand.
Looking neither right or left.
Red lanterns with white circles are associated with exclusive establishments in Gion District.

Electric Wheel –  April 16, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 3
  • Walk:  Kyoto
  • Weather:  50-65°/ sunshine and clouds mixed, winds  10-15 mph 

Using an electric wheel to make a bowl also made a beautiful memory. The truly talented person was my instructor who continuously refined my bowl. Transferring fingertip muscle memory used to shape pastry dough gave me a bit of an edge. 

Pushing out with the right fingertips to broaden the bowl.
How much fun is this!!!
Instructor and pupil.
In two months I’ll be receiving a wonderfully blue bowl with a bronzed ring.

Gauntlet –  April 15, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 2
  • Walk:  Kyoto
  • Weather:  50-60°/ patches of sun with afternoon shower, winds  10-25mph 

Why did I take so much time planning my morning outing using paper maps, GPS, and Google maps? All I needed to do was follow the gauntlet of tourists.

Yasaka Pagoda.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This orange color always demands attention.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Such great colors.

Last Meal –  April 14, 2025 

  • Location:  Kyoto – Day 1
  • Walk:  Kyoto
  • Weather:  50-60°/ sunny clear sky, light afternoon rain, winds  10-20 mph 

Namiyo wizzed through the grocery store gathering dinner that required no cooking in their guesthouse. Dinner was a makeshift affair with the best of company. Our last meal. 

Flip, Atsuyo, Elissa, Choni, and Namiyo having fun.
Makeshift dinner at guesthouse. Elissa, Namiyo, Flio, Atsuyo, Choni, and Saburo.
The clan at lunch. Chinese food!
The clan at Golden Temple. Saburo deserves an award for driving a minivan through the alleyways of Kyoto. There was a steady beep-beep of the minivan warning system “too close to obstacles.”