Japan: First Discovery! (page 2 of 5)

Today we had two activities booked: We wanted to visit the Katsura Imperial Villa: the visit is done through a lottery.

If you're selected, you get an email. Not long ago, you had to send a letter to the site and wait for a response. This former princely residence, built in 1615, is worth the effort: the garden is magnificent.









The visit is very structured and led by a guide. Additionally, a guard monitors the group (10 people) to ensure no one strays from the paths. The park is very relaxing and timeless. Even though we're a bit early for the autumn colors, the site is amazing. After leaving the garden, we visit the very residential neighborhood where many crops are grown:

Then we take the bus, which drops us off at the station before heading to the famous Gion district, where we’ve booked our spots for a tea ceremony.

What a contrast—there are so many people here, including Asians in kimonos: their outfits are stunning!



Here too, we really enjoyed being in a small group, and the tea ceremony host was friendly and smiling. We chose a ceremony that wasn’t too long because we couldn’t imagine sitting cross-legged for 2 hours, and we didn’t regret our choice. However, we didn’t enjoy the bitterness of the very particular matcha tea. Luckily, a small pastry helped take the edge off... Afterward, we set off to explore the Buddhist temple Kiyomizu-dera, rebuilt in 1633. Here too, there were lots of tourists and Japanese people dressed in kimonos. As night fell, we headed back to our hotel, happy with our day after enjoying the sunset over the Hokan-ji pagoda.

If someone knows this dish, it was made with cabbage, seafood, and eggs...

It’s monjayaki. Similar to okonomiyaki, you can prepare it yourself, but servers tend (unfortunately? fortunately?) to do it for gaijin...

In our case, luckily, because we wouldn’t have known how to handle it otherwise😉

On Monday, November 4th, we decide to go for a stroll in Nara. It's the 4th former capital we've visited. We take a tourist train from Kyoto Station. In less than an hour, we arrive (10 €). We hop on a city bus that takes us to the Nara Museum, where we start our sightseeing. Everywhere, lots of deer come begging for food.



First, we visit Todai-ji, which houses an 18-meter-tall, 250-ton seated Buddha statue...





Next, we visit Isui-en Garden.

We loved this garden, so close to the crowds yet filled with calm and beauty.



After that, we head to the Kofuku-ji complex (note that the pagoda is under renovation until 2032).

The deer have found where to quench their thirst! Then we return to the station, where we discover shopping arcades and have lunch before heading back on a packed regional train. We end the day with a massage at a Kyoto shopping center, which does us a world of good.

On Tuesday, November 5th, we decided to visit the famous Fushimi Inari-taisha temple. This temple, built in 711, is famous for its 10,000 torii gates and is dedicated to the rice goddess Inari (represented by a fox). The place is very touristy, and it's almost impossible to avoid the crowds. We arrived around 10 AM and walked through the alleys lined with torii gates one after another...



However, the higher we climbed, the thinner the crowds became, and we enjoyed the site more.





It’s also interesting to step away from the torii alleys to better feel the site’s spirituality in the small, very zen altars.

We bought a few souvenirs and then took a bus to visit a quieter site: the Eikan-do temple. We deliberately avoided the Golden and Silver Pavilions, which were too touristy for our taste. Here, ponds, moss gardens, and temple courtyards alternate—everything is perfectly maintained, varied, and relaxing.





This temple is very popular, though, when the autumn colors are in full display. We ended the day by enjoying some delicious okonomiyaki.

I'm sharing a little link to a recent article about the deer that really caught my attention:

https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/guides/morsures-en-serie-mais-qu-arrive-t-il-aux-celebres-daims-de-nara-20241124

I’m sharing a little link to a recent article about the deer that really caught my attention:

https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/guides/morsures-en-serie-mais-qu-arrive-t-il-aux-celebres-daims-de-nara-20241124

This article is super interesting—it shows just how clueless some tourists are, not realizing these are wild animals first and foremost...

On Tuesday, November 5th, we pack our bags for Hiroshima after a stop in Himeji. After changing trains at Shin-Osaka, we arrive in Himeji in the rain. By the time we buy an umbrella and drop off our luggage at the locker, it’s stopped raining... So we head toward the very majestic and enormous castle!



It’s one of the twelve remaining wooden castles in Japan. Built in 1609, it’s nicknamed the White Heron Castle.



We then visit the garden (actually several gardens in one) next to the castle.



The garden is uneven in quality but still worth a stop.



We head back to the station, checking out the statues along the avenue. A fun little shop catches our eye. Time to catch the shinkansen to Hiroshima, where we’ll stay for 3 nights at the Kuretakeso Hiroshima Otemachi (50 € per night, great value with free aperitif every evening!)

So you can head to the very majestic and huge castle!

And really empty...

So you can head to the very majestic and huge castle!

And very empty…

Yeah, that's too bad...

Translator

It’s definitely empty, but wow, it’s gorgeous! 😊 That said, you’ll need to be in shape for all those stairs!



The garden next to the castle is Koko-En. We discovered it by getting a combo ticket with the castle tour.

I couldn’t remember the name of the garden—thanks for the info! 😉 The stairs in the castle are really steep, and I didn’t make it all the way to the top...

I also think it’s one of the most beautiful castles with its well-maintained walkways. There’s such a lovely atmosphere there! 👍

Wednesday, November 6 After checking the weather and never having a fixed plan, we decide to visit the sacred island of Miyajima, located in Hiroshima Bay and overlooking the Seto Inland Sea.

We take the tram right in front of the hotel, and it follows the railway track to take us to the ferry terminal. In 15 minutes, we’re on the island—and we’re not alone. However, between two waves of tourists, we can enjoy a short break to take some nice photos. The torii, which has just been renovated, is 16 meters tall and weighs 60 tons. Apparently, it’s its weight that keeps it in place. We also visit the Itsukushima Shinto shrine, where a ceremony is taking place.



We continue toward the Daisho-in Buddhist temple at the foot of Mount Misen. Here, there are fewer people and plenty of wonders to admire!😮 This temple is famous for its hundreds of statues in the garden.

Each statue is interesting, so we spend a good hour in this very pleasant temple before heading back into the crowds to eat chicken skewers and fries—though the shika deer try to steal them from us! Next, we head to the pretty pagoda near the sea. The streets near the port, full of shops, are packed, but as soon as you step away, it’s peaceful.

We take the boat and then the train back to Hiroshima. Note: With the national or regional JR Pass, the boat ride is included. We’re struck by the precise gestures of the train conductors:

I always feel it's a bit of a shame not to spend the whole day in Miyajima (*): it lets you hike up Mount Misen and walk out to the torii at low tide on foot…

(*) or even spend the night there

I always find it a bit of a shame not to spend the day in Miyajima (*): it lets you climb Mount Misen and see the torii at low tide, on foot...

(*) or even sleep there

We would’ve loved to stay overnight on the island—we really liked it—but when we checked, the rates were way too high. Also, we wanted to stay at the same hotel as much as possible to avoid spending all our time packing and unpacking. So we even canceled a planned reservation in Nara to keep the same hotel in Kyoto.

On Thursday, November 7th, we set off to visit Hiroshima, starting with the castle.



Unlike Himeji’s, this one has some really interesting exhibits.



In the park, many families are often dressed in traditional clothing.



We continued with a visit to the Genbaku Dome, the epicenter of the atomic explosion. The most moving moment for us was during the visit to the Children’s Peace Monument, when an entire class started singing with great fervor while placing a string of colorful paper cranes in honor of Sadako.



After that, we visited the Peace Museum, which is also very impressive and packed with schoolchildren. As we left, night was falling, and we took an antique but still very clean tram to change neighborhoods. It’s important to read this article, which highlights the significance of trams in Hiroshima: https://www.japan-experience.com/fr/plan-your-trip/to-know/traveling-japan/hiroshima-trams



To end the day on a happier note, we headed to the city center, where we appreciated the Japanese attention to detail when it comes to food.



After this taste of what’s to come, we finished up at a restaurant serving delicious noodles with chicken. (Sorry, I’m no longer allowed to post the photo!)

Friday, November 8th. Today we leave Hiroshima, but before that, we decide to visit the Shukkei-en garden, and it was a pleasant surprise.



It’s always amazing to find such a peaceful haven right in the middle of the city. 😇



We quickly grab our luggage from the hotel before (or a little after...) 11 AM and head to Osaka!

Wanting to store our bags in a locker, but finding them all full, we once again appreciate the kindness of a Japanese woman who does everything she can to help us find an available locker—all with a big smile. 😅

A tip for those who don’t know Japan: don’t bring big suitcases with you because you’ll struggle with them on the subways, buses, or even the shinkansen, and also when trying to find space in station lockers. :(

We stay 2 nights at the Juso AFP Luxury Apartment Hotel (135 € for both nights). We’re surprised by how spacious the apartment is—it’s very well equipped (washing machine, fridge, kitchen). The place is well located for taking the train at Shin-Osaka but a bit far from the tourist spots.

We’re in a non-touristy neighborhood, but there are plenty of restaurants.

However, despite the options, it’s not always easy to navigate with all the signs written only in Japanese.



We ended up eating a plate of noodles and a cold oyster soup (we don’t like oysters...), which left us still hungry. 🤪 On the way out of the restaurant, I try buying takoyaki, Osaka’s specialty, but the octopus pieces are really tough—definitely not our night!

Saturday, November 9th. We had a mission to accomplish in Osaka: finding good Japanese knives for my daughter. I thought we'd see knife shops in the shopping districts, but that wasn't the case. We finally found a store (Tower Knives) where we met a saleswoman who had lived in France and gave us very professional advice.



Even if we're not enthusiasts, we can only admire the craftsmanship of the knife makers! We also took advantage of the 10% tax exemption for foreigners. We visited the area around Osaka Tower.



There are arcades with games from the 80s.

There are also rooms for practicing archery.

There are also lots of restaurants with extravagant signs.



Do Osakans have a vision problem? 😉

Next, we went to see the castle: I was impressed by the size of the blocks used for the walls and their irregular but perfectly assembled shapes...



It was the weekend, and there were lots of people, as well as many animals being showcased.



The castle park is starting to take on its autumn colors.





With sore legs, we took a taxi back: it was decorated with doilies on all the seats! Tonight, we chose a more classic restaurant and had the best ramen of our stay.

we’re taking a taxi back: this one is decorated with doilies on every seat!

And the white gloves, and the door that opens all by itself… Nothing like ours.