Arashiyama

Last day in Kyoto. I wanted to share with you what my typical breakfast look like in Japan. It’s very simple and so cheap.

Onigiri (rice ball) and a green tea. You will find onigiri in conveniant stores that are everywhere in Japan. This will cost you around 1 euro. I took the edamame , barley and seaweed onigiri. You will find many different types. Regarding that this come from a convenient store it’s doesnt taste that bad.  The green tea is very often provided by hostel / hotel. Cheap and healthy breakfast on the go. This will save you time and money , ready for a new adventure.

For todays adventure i’m going to Arashiyama in the western district of Kyoto. I wanted to bicyle again but this takes about 1h20 to go there. My legs were pretty tired from yesterday I thought it will be smart to take a train instead. 2 euro and 15 min later i’m in Arashiyama district. A place surrounded by peaceful nature.

Located at the outskirt of the city. Arashiyama is quite remote and feels very rural. You are surrounded by green nature next to the river. A sweet getaway from bustling downtown.

Kyoto is definetly a “Matcha” destination , therefore you’ll find many uses of Matcha  particularly in sweets.

This is an “éclair au matcha”. A interesting French Japan fusion.

I went for another fusion food that looked tempting. This is “fondant au chocolat au matcha”. Very nice but maybe not the best things to eat in the morning ^^

Arashiyama district is popular amongs tourists therefore it can be crowded but because it’s an open space it’s feels okay.
You can see many life scenes if you look around you.

The river becomes a playgound. It was nice to observe these little scenes. I think thats what I love the most when I travel. To simply stop and look around me. How life expresses itself in different parts of the world. How people communicate. The smells around. The colors… You can learn so much just by watching.

It was time to burn those morning calories. There is a hiking trail that goes up to a “monkey park”. Perfect let’s do that . After 20 min of going up I’m reaching the top.

Say hello to our cousins !
The park had a great view of Kyoto and the monkeys were fun to watch. I love to see how humans can reconnect to their inner child in places like that. It always put a smile on my face 🙂 This was also the best view of Kyoto in my opinion.

Arashiyama has so much to offer. Let’s go on a temple safari now. Bye bye monkeys.

Back to the center you will find the Tenryuji temple and his garden.

Nice place. It’s also a way to reach the famous “Bamboo grooves”.

I enjoyed strolling down the path , surrounded by this forest of Bamboo. It’s something to experience in Arashiyama but be aware that this place can be pretty jam packed. I went during lunchtime so it was perfect.

After the Bamboo grooves you will find many temples and gardens. Some are pretty remote. I have to say the temples in this area had a cool vibe. All that green nature around gave a very organic feel.

Let’s explore the goergous Jojakkoji temple. This was probably one of my favorite.

In Jojakkoji you will find many scenic stairs. You will actually have the choice to take different route which felt like litlle adventures each time.

The temple in this areas may not be the most impressive at first but the sites are gorgeous. Nature feel so strong here.

I have found “Mickey Mouse” on the roof of Jojakkoji.

You can sit down in some places and just enjoy the views.
I have spend sometime in that spot. You can really feel nature acting on yourself. Just take the time , stop and listen. This is a therapy for the soul. I was next to buisiness man whom was also comtemplating the site. It was his favorite temple in Kyoto and would go here once a year.

This reminded me of “Zelda” for some reasons. All that moss around and thoses funky trees. Make sure you go to Jojakkoji temple during your stay in Kyoto. This place will blow your mind. You will come back from it with a sense of fullness.

Time for a lunch in the restaurant nearby which was cute.

Some places have magnetizing power. This felt like that here. I also met two really sweet indians. It’s always nice to share some moments with others , especially when you travel alone. Not sharing anything with others feels the worst to me . This is true when you travel alone but also in “normal life”. Connections is what keeps us alive. I’m also gratefull to share moments with perfect strangers. Somehow if you change your perceptions and open your heart you will come to realize that friends are everywhere. Namaste 🙂

Next temple th remote Gioji temple.

This one was small but the energy it has was so strong. Loved it.

Not far away you will find the “Saga toriimoto” preserved streets. A nice way to explore rural Kyoto in an old area.

This place was almost empty.  There is some shops and restaurants but not many people goes there. There is more temples to see but I couldn’t take more for the day. Time to go back to central Kyoto.

After a diner I headed toward the world famous site of Fushimi inari. A place that get so crowded that you can barely walk in it. I thought going at night will a smart move and it was.

Let’s go on a mystical walk in the tori tunnel.

This place had a different vibration. Walking in that tori tunnel felt powerful. It was quiet , not crowded and really nice. I would say going at Fushimi Inari at night is a good move. You probably wont get to appreciate the perceptive with the daylight but you will enjoy the tranquility of the site. It actually felt mystical at night. There were just a few lamps along the way. I enjoyed that immersion in this unknown world.

Kyoto was a wonderful experience. After 1 weeks here I got to feel the special energy of that city.  If you take the time to connect to thoses temples and gardens you will be reward by an unexplainable feeling of spaciousness and harmony. Maybe this is what Zen Buddhism is about. This is how it felt to my western vision anyway. Kyoto is a very livable city with countless cosy cafés and yummy restaurants. It’s bicycle friendly and despite is size , raw nature is never far away. Kyoto is a place where you can indulge life and share some beautiful moments.
I have only scratched the surface of Kyoto but what I have seen so far amazed me. I would love to stay longer but my journey is calling for new places to explore. Kyoto is a city that I know I will be back to.  Daisuki Kyoto.

Next destination , Nara.
Take care beautiful people.

A lot
Ippai いっぱい