PICTURE YOURSELF IN…

Kyoto

BY BREKKE FLETCHER

What a long, strange, slow, sad, weird, miserable, painful pandemic it has been. Even as so much of the world is opening up and trying to move on, there are still places that remain closed to tourism. And the one that hurts the most is Japan.

My sources tell me we can be optimistic about reopening, and in that case it's time to start planning. But where to go first? This time, I let you choose, and the Japanese city that you are most curious about is Kyoto. So, I reached out to one of Lonely Planet's contributors to talk about what puts Kyoto so high on everyone's list of places to go.

Ashley Owens, a UK-based travel writer, thinks of Kyoto as a second home. She and her partner traveled there on holiday a few times, and they fell so in love that they moved there and stayed for two years. "If it hadn't been for visa issues," she says, "I would have stayed forever."

The pandemic has closed off Japan for as many years, but Ashley's attachment and admiration for Kyoto has not diminished.

Our conversation about her time in Kyoto was nostalgic, plaintive and sweet. It felt like the way one talks about a long lost friend who they know in their heart they'll see again and nothing will have changed. I, for one, can't wait for her to see her old friend again.

How do you describe Kyoto to people who haven't been?

It's such a beautiful city. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, but Kyoto is the real heart of the country. It is actually the old capitol, and you feel the ancient, ancient history when you're there.

There are very famous places, like Fushimi Inari-Taisha, with all the torii gates. But outside of that, if you just walk around, you'll come across a random little shrine that's not in the tourist guides.

Fushimi Inari-taisha of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto

What do people not usually realize?

How great the hiking is in and around Kyoto. I think it's something that people don't necessarily realize, because they think of it as a city, but actually it's very easy to get into nature.

You can go hiking up a mountain, and at the top, you will find this gorgeous shrine. It's very uniquely Kyoto. You get this nature mixed with history and culture. That's something quite special about the place.

And how would you characterize what is singular about Kyoto?

The juxtaposition of old and new. Like with Nishiki Market, you'll find a very old, traditional street food market. Then very close by, you've got this modern shopping street.

Similarly, there's Fushimio, an old sake-making district, but it also has a modern craft brewery.

Would you call Kyoto a walking city?

You can think of it as a series of neighborhoods. There's different parts of it that do have their own kind of vibe. In the center you've got the busy, built-up places. But if you go to Higashiyama and Gion, they're lovely to walk around. You come across all this ancient architecture, you may encounter a geisha.

It can get pretty busy, because these are very popular tourist areas, but these older districts are so lovely to walk around.

Are there ways to avoid those crowds?

You can go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, or you can push through and go deeper into these areas. If you go to Arashiyama to see the bamboo grove it will be crowded, but you can skip the busiest section by entering via the north exit of Tenryuji temple rather than from the main street.

What time of year is your favorite?

The spring cherry blossom season is the most beautiful time, hands-down, but if you go as a tourist, it's very busy and expensive. Visually, that's the most stunning time.

The autumn is also really nice; you get the changing leaves and you can go hiking in perfect weather.

We also found it quite nice to be there outside of the tourist season. New Year, for example, is a big holiday in Japan. Everything closes, but if you live there, you get to see New Year's in a different way than you do in the West. It's a much more spiritual holiday.

There are so many shrines in Kyoto. Is there a specific protocol for visiting?

It depends on which ones you go to. There are temples and shrines. Some are Buddhist and some are Shinto, but the experience of visiting them is similar.

The biggest shrines are the busiest and most famous. They're used to foreigners, so you needn't worry about doing the wrong thing. You will need to take off your shoes.

Is there a smaller shrine you remember?

There's this one that we randomly came across, Imamiya, and outside they have these two aburi-mochi shops, which is a traditional type of sweet. And they both sell this one type of mochi, and they've both been around for about 1000 years or something. They sell exactly the same thing for exactly the same price, so they're kind of rivals, but not at all because there's no real competition.

Imamiya Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Is the language barrier something visitors should consider?

In most of the major tourist areas, all the signage is bilingual. If you go out to slightly less-frequented spots, you might find it a bit more tricky. They do teach English in school, so someone will likely understand you.

One thing I did notice, but people really appreciate it if you make the effort to say basic things in Japanese, like "thank you," "please" and "hello."

The more you know Japanese, the more you will get out of the trip. There are certain aspects of the culture you won't fully appreciate without understanding the language.

But you can very much get by with absolutely no Japanese.

What's your favorite thing to eat?

The local sweets are really nice. Kyo-wagashi are so intricate, like tiny little pieces of art.

They're made with bean paste and are more like little rice cakes. They'll shape them into flowers or cherry blossoms or butterflies or autumn leaves. They go really nicely with green tea as a way to offset the bitterness.

They'll change the flavor and the presentation with the season. It's an example of how seasonal Kyoto is.

Eat! Drink! Kyoto!

Partaking of Kyoto's most famous flavors is one of the city's most profound pleasures: savor the ancient art of kaiseki, sip a bowl of matcha tea, sample some kyo-wagashi and wash it down with some spectacular sake.

Harapeko!

Best Recs

After two years living in and loving Kyoto, Ashley knows a thing or two about how best to spend your time, whether you're an outdoor enthusiast or a history buff. Or a vegan!

Some of the best hikes include Mount Hiei (which has Enryaku-ji temple at the top), Mount Atago (which has Atago-jinja shrine at the top), and the riverside route from Takao to Hozukyo). Grab a yaki-imo (baked sweet potato) to take with you!

See

The Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine has all the red torii gates, and make sure you just keep walking up further into the mountains.

Other big-name places that are worth visiting (in the morning or evening for smaller crowds) include Kinkaku-ji (the golden pavilion), Ginkaku-ji (the silver pavilion), Kiyomizu-dera temple and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.

Take a day trip to Nara. It's a beautiful and very historic city. It's super easy to walk around as all the major sites are located close together. The best things to do there are to wander around Nara Park and buy some shika senbei (deer crackers) to feed the 1200 friendly and adorable deer who live there, hike up Mount Wakakusa for a picnic, visit Tōdai-ji temple with its huge Buddha statue, see the five-story pagoda at Kōfuku-ji that dominates the skyline and explore the gorgeous Kasuga Taisha with its multitude of lanterns.

Eat

I'm a vegan, so I always recommend any veggie/vegan/carnivorous visitor go to Ain Soph Journey and order their vegan matcha pancakes with white chocolate.

Stay

The best accommodation option is Airbnb. If you want to be close to the sightseeing action, stay in Gion, Higashiyama or Downtown Kyoto. If you prefer a quieter and more local experience, look at the northern parts of the city.

Shop like a local

If you've come to Kyoto to spend some hard-earned yen, follow this walking tour from the Pocket Kyoto & Osaka Lonely Planet guide. Scour the ancient Nishiki Market for authentic flavors, score souvenirs from Takashimaya department store and take home some of Japan's top matcha.