Hakone -> Kyoto

After a traditional Japanese breakfast at the Ryokan, we packed up and headed out to a Mt. Fuji/ Mt. Hakone lookout spot. We had to take a bus -> train -> cable car -> gondola so it was quite the journey but worth it. On the gondola, we came over the first ridge and everyone went "WOAHHH" because we saw sulphur vents. It was Owakudani which is a volcanic valley with these active sulphuric vents and hot springs. We continued on and got to see the base of Mt. Fuji (there was cloud coverage at the top) and Lake Ashinoko. We wandered and grabbed lunch in town by the water and then took the shorter less scenic route home- only one bus. We grabbed our bags, took a train to a bigger station, and then boarded our first BULLET TRAIN! These trains are wild- ours moved at about 170mph, was super smooth, and extremely prompt. Before we boarded, we were on a platform when one flew through our station and made us all jump. A little faster than amtrak :)

We got into Kyoto around dinner time and were luckily staying right by the station, so we walked to the hotel, checked in, and then went to grab dinner at a nearby restaurant. After a yummy dinner where we had our own private room and a stove to heat up some of our dishes, we went to bed to prep for an early morning start.

We had booked another full-day tour of Kyoto because, like Tokyo, there is so much to see in such a short time. We had 6 main stops that our tour guide led us through.

1. Nijo Castle- Completed in 1626 to house the Shogun but was eventually donated to the Imperial family. We could take our shoes off and walk through the castle which had the most elaborate paintings and decor. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any pictures inside.

2. Kinkaku-ji Temple- This temple is covered in thin layers of pure gold and is just absolutely stunning. Most of the group voted that this was their favorite stop!

3. Kyoto Imperial Palace- This was the original Emperor’s residence until they moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo.

4. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine- this is where there are over 1000 Tori Gates that are back to back to create a pathway. It seems that they never end!

5. Sanjusangen-do Temple- World’s longest wooden structure that has over 1,000 Buddhist life size statues and deities. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in here either but it was crazy how many statues were perfectly lined up in order from end to end.

6. Kiyomizu-dera Temple- This temple has views of Kyoto as it is at the top of a hill. The walk on the way up is enjoyable with a ton of shops to look into on the way up or down. The temple itself is tucked into the side of a mountain and has trees all around.

After all of our stops, we met up with more of Kenta’s family. His aunt and uncle on his dad’s side live in Kyoto and have a shop near the last temple we visited. We met them there and then grabbed teas so that Kenta could catch up with them. We had dinner reservations so we eventually parted ways but they were so kind and it was lovely to meet more of his family. We arrived at dinner for a 10-course crab dinner. This restaurant is one of Kenta’s family favorites and was a decided must-do while we were in Kyoto. We came in, took our shoes off, and were led to our private room with tatami mats and pillows on the ground. The first courses were already sitting out- crab legs and crab sashimi so we could immediately start! One of the best meals I have personally ever had!! Headed home after a longgg day and then went to bed.

The next day we ventured out to Nishiki Market to shop and try local foods. We tried a bunch of different foods, including Gyoza from a shop on the Michelin star guide, Octopus with Quail Egg inside, Rice Crackers with Sea Lettuce flavoring, and Kobe Beef and Wagyu Skewers. The crew's favorite was definitely the skewers and the gyoza. We also did some thrift shopping, which is apparently something Kyoto is known for. It was funny to see a lot of vintage American logos in the store. When the clock struck 11, we headed to a place called Happy Pancake, which Tyler had been dying to go to since he landed in Japan. The process of making these fluffy pancakes takes about 4o minutes so we had to wait for a while but the pancakes were pretty tasty. We walked off the pancakes along the river and ended up at Matsui Sake Brewery for a tour and a tasting. Our guide was from NYC and had spent 3 decades in Investment Banking before retiring and moving to Japan with his wife, who was from Kyoto, to become a sake brewer. We got a lot from that tour- not just sake knowledge but also some great life advice. Went from there to walk around Kyoto University and then the Gion district. We grabbed some authentic sushi, including a meaty piece of Toro, from a small sushi shop. As the sun set, the river was gorgeous and there were lots of people out so we decided to get a beer and sit by the river. From there we ended up at a hole in the wall restaurant where one lady was running the whole show. We ordered a couple of plates to share and then headed back home.

The next day we woke up, packed up, and checked out. We had the hotel hold our bags for about an hour so we could try this famous ramen place that serves Wagyu ramen. We had tried to go there the night before but they were already full so we queued up in line around 10:45 am. They took our order while we were in line and then they seated us right at 11 am. It was an efficient operation and the ramen was soooo good- we all cleaned out our bowls. Clearly we are eating our way through Japan!

From there we headed to Kyoto station and headed out for our last stop of the trip.