#japansam

Monday 9th October 2017. 16:00 Kyoto Japan.

I’ll be making the move to Osaka in a few weeks and one thing I’ll miss most about Kyoto is my old Japanese house and my bedroom I’ve called home for the last year. The golden hour light poured into my room and made me feel so content and happy. I was feeling quite reflective; as one chapters closes another opens (as the saying goes).

Monday 9th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

I took Jake on a tour around northern central Kyoto. All the sites we saw today kind of loop back around to my house so it made for a pleasant morning and afternoon of cycling and sightseeing. Last place on our list was a visit to Takaragaike Park. This was one of the first places I saw in Kyoto, such a wonderful space in the midst of city life. We watched the fish and turtles swimming in the lake and headed back to the house for a chill.

Monday 9th October 2017. 12:00 Kyoto Japan.

We then cycled to Kamigamo-jinja (上賀茂神社). It was such a beautiful day today and we were greeted by numerous wedding ceremonies taking place at the shrine which was interesting to see. We wandered around the grounds and up to the view point.

Monday 9th October 2017. 11:00 Kyoto Japan.

We visited The Garden of Fine Arts which is about a 20 minute cycle from my house, situated right next to the Botanical Gardens.

The project was conceived as a contemporary, volumetric version of a stroll garden. The open-air Fine Arts Museum is situated below ground level to keep the view from the adjacent Botanical Gardens towards the Higashiyama mountains intact.

The museum displays reproductions of famous masterpieces on ceramic plates with permanent, weatherproof properties. The scheme is open; large concrete beams on massive pillars, overlapping bridges and ramps, walls of cascading water and pools with paintings floating on the water surface.

Circulation is intersected by massive concrete walls, allowing views from different angles, and adding depth and variety to the exhibition spaces. The greenish glass railing, in contrast to the concrete and stone surfaces, interact with the water surface reflecting the different materials.

I’ve wanted to visit here for a while and at just 100yen entrance fee you can’t really complain. The actually space was really cool I just wasn’t too keen on the actual art works. 

Sunday 8th October 2017. 18:00 Kyoto Japan.

We decided to climb Daimonji to watch the sunset. We both can’t get enough of watching sunsets haha but we definitely made the right decision as tonight’s one was a banger! We got to the top with plenty of time to spare, it was lovely to relax and actually watch the sun go down. 

Sunday 8th October 2017. 13:30 Kyoto Japan.

I’ve decided to start making short videos to accompany my images. Nothing too fancy but I thought it would be a nice addition to my blog. Enjoy!

Sunday 8th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

We watched some traditional Japanese dancing whilst we strolled through the beautiful Arashiyama.

Sunday 8th October 2017. 12:30 Kyoto Japan.

Our cruise ended in Arashiyama. Once everyone had left the boat the guys allowed me and Nomu to stay on and they let us row across Arashiyama. They were all so kind and it was an awesome end to the rover boat experience. 

Sunday 8th October 2017. 11:00 Kyoto Japan.

Today me and Nomu went on the Hozugawa River Cruise. We have wanted to do this for a while and decided to go today as I only have a few more weekends left in Kyoto. We couldn’t have picked a better day the weather was glorious.

Hozugawa River Cruises (保津川下り, Hozugawa Kudari) are sightseeing boat rides down the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. The cruises utilize traditional style, flat bottomed boats piloted by boatmen who guide the craft with oars and bamboo poles. The boats take about two hours to leisurely make their way down the river and are a relaxing way to see the natural scenery of the largely undeveloped ravine. The river cruises are often combined with a ride on the Sagano Scenic Railway.

The Hozugawa River was originally employed to transport logs that were used to build many of Kyoto and Osaka’s famous temples and castles. During the Edo Period the river was cleared of obstructions so that boats carrying grain, firewood and other cargo could safely navigate it. Trains and trucks eventually made river transport obsolete, and operations ceased after several hundred years of use. However, the boats were brought back and eventually became popular as a sightseeing attraction.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 17:00 Kyoto Japan.

We climbed Daimonji to watch the sunset; this also happened to be Jake’s first time climbing a mountain! I’m so happy he did this in Japan and that it was Daimonji. He was blown away by the view, I don’t think he expected it to be so epic. I will never tire of this view, I’m always stunned when I climb up here, it’s just beautiful.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

Funaokayama Park 船岡山公園

A small mountain park in the centre of the city providing a peaceful viewing platform looking south towards downtown Kyoto.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 11:30 Kyoto Japan.

Kinkakuji Temple located on the west side of Kyoto. It’s been a while since I’d been here so it was nice to revisit with Jake. It was ridiculously busy but that didn’t deter from the beauty of the temple and it’s grounds. I’m absolutely loving the beginning of autumn here in Kyoto. This will be my first full autumn experience in Japan as I arrived here in November last year. I feel quite lucky that I will be able to experience the full season from start to finish, best time of the year for sure!

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.

The full moon and the accompanying traditional Japanese music and dancing was a pleasure to watch. When the clouds covered the moon it made for an even more beautiful scene, quite magical.

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 19:00 Kyoto Japan.

Me and Jake went to Shimogamo Jinja for Meigetsu Kangensai Festival - 名月管絃祭. A festival celebrating the full moon. We were lucky that it was a clear night, we waited about an hour or so for the moon to rise over the temple and grounds but it was definitely worth the wait. It looked magnificent.

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 18:00 Kyoto Japan.

Full moonrise over the Kamogawa this evening.

Tuesday 3rd October 2017. 16:00 Kyoto Japan.

Heian-jingu Shrine’s gardens will always be one of my favourite places in Kyoto. The leaves are starting to change colour and autumn is well and truly here. I’m excited to see my surroundings changing colour over the next few weeks, it already looks so beautiful, but it will only get better.

Tuesday 3rd October 2017. 15:30 Kyoto Japan.

We then cycled to Heian-jingu Shrine about 10/15 minutes from the previous temple. The weather was perfect so I thought it was a great idea to take Jake here and see a glimpse of traditional Japan.

Thursday 28th September 2017. 17:45 Kyoto Japan.

I was happy to be greeted by this wonderful sight as I cycled home from my last day at work. There has been some incredible sunsets recently, let’s hope it stays this way! Mt.Hieizan looking beautiful as per usual. This is what I will miss the most when I move to Osaka.

Thursday 28th September 2017. 14:00 Kyoto Japan.

I met Yoshiko at In The Green, a westernised Japanese restaurant, situated within Kyoto Botanical Gardens. This place was lovely, we sat outside on the terrace and ordered the biggest lunch; pizza and fish + chips, plus tea and cake lol. Today was my last day at Browns English so it only seemed right that I would spend it with Yoshiko. Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon!

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 14:30 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Part of the trail up the to peak of the mountain was closed due to fallen tress from the recent Typhoon, which was a shame, but no the end of the world. I felt satisfied in my visit to Kurama today, so so beautiful.