A Slightly Less Touristy Japan (page 2 of 4)

After lunch near the station, we head back to the center by train. A nap at the ryokan feels great because the thermometer reads 33 degrees. Too hot to go for a walk. In the late afternoon, we set off to explore the southern district of Gion: the famous Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets before Kiyomizu-dera Temple closes.







We return to the Shinbashi district to have dinner (at "Teppanyaki Manyu"). As usual, thank goodness I had a reservation because it was fully booked otherwise. A stroll through Gion by night wraps up this lovely day.

Hi there! In late March 2027, my friend and I will be in Kyoto, and we're currently planning our trip. Could you share the name of the ryokan where you stayed? There are so many that it's tricky to choose. Is it located near public transportation?

Thanks for your reply, and a huge thank you for your travel journal—it's really inspiring! Pat

Hello! In late March 2027, my friend and I will be in Kyoto, and we’re currently planning our trip. Could you tell me the name of the ryokan where you stayed? There are so many that it’s hard to choose. Is it close to public transport? Thanks for your reply, and a huge thank you for your travel journal—it’s really inspiring. Pat

Hi! As mentioned, it’s the Nakajimaya ryokan. Here’s the front:

It’s a 5-minute walk from the Shijo subway station, so it’s convenient when coming from Kyoto Station.

Thanks so much for your reply. No luck for us—it’s not available for our dates. We’ll rely on Booking for accommodation close to public transport. Your photos are really lovely, and thanks again for such a well-documented travel journal. Best regards, Patricia

Day 11: Kyoto We head north of Kyoto to arrive at the Golden Temple for opening time. The subway ride is packed. There’s already a small line at the entrance, but we only wait 10 minutes. My take: it’s definitely photogenic, but you can see it all pretty quickly, and it takes an hour by subway then bus to get there. Plus, another hour to reach the second temple of the morning: the Silver Temple. Verdict: visiting it is a real time commitment.













Between these two famous temples, we also stop at Shimogamo Jinja shrine. We spend more time at Ginkaku-ji. Even though the pavilion isn’t as stunning as Kinkaku-ji’s, it has its own perks—like its beautiful dry garden, moss garden, and a lovely view of northern Kyoto. Plus, it’s at the northern end of the "Philosopher’s Path," which we walk right after lunch. Along the way, we also stopped at the cute little shrine dedicated to mice (Otoyo Shrine).

We spend the afternoon heading to Arashiyama to explore its northern district: the moss temple Gio-ji, the charming Saga-Toriimoto street, the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji temple, and ending at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple.









We return to central Kyoto to stroll through Pontocho and have dinner at an "all-you-can-eat" spot.

Day 12: Kyoto to Nagatsugawa We spent 3 hours this morning at the stunning digital art museum "teamLab Biovortex." We booked the first time slot at 9 AM to have plenty of time there before heading to enjoy a great seafood barbecue lunch at Nishiki Market. I’d already visited "teamLab Planets" in Tokyo. Apart from two nearly identical sections, it offers different sensory experiences.











Back to the hotel to grab our luggage before catching the train to Nagatsugawa, with a stop in Nagoya. We’re staying at "M Higashimachi," an entire house just for the three of us. We chose to stay in this town to start the "Nakasendo" hike as early as possible the next day. We picked up dinner at the large supermarket near our place—a feast of sashimi and sushi, washed down with sake at home.

Day 13: First day on the Nakasendo Trail Of course, rain. And it’ll stick with us all day. I drop my suitcase at another ryokan and can pick it up at Narai Station in 3 days. All thanks to a luggage transport service. So I only have to carry my small backpack for the 3-day hike. A 30-minute bus ride takes us to the trailhead in the charming village of Magome. The Nakasendo is an old route that crossed the Japanese Alps to connect Kyoto and Tokyo during the Edo period. Today, there’s a preserved 8-kilometer paved section between the historic villages of Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku. We walk down Magome’s main street in the rain. Too bad it’s pouring—we’re not enjoying it as much. There are a few waterwheels, traditional shops, and cute little cafés and restaurants.

Thanks for this stroll through places that are less traveled, at least by Westerners. I’m really enjoying discovering these spots.

Thanks for this walk through places that are less frequented, at least by Westerners. I really enjoy discovering these spots.

Hello. Thank you! It’s really nice.

At the end of the village, we start the hike through forests and countryside landscapes. We also stop at a pretty little waterfall and take a break in a traditional tea house that offers hikers a free cup of matcha tea.









After 3 hours of walking, we arrive in the village of Tsumago. Luckily, the rain has stopped, and we can enjoy the area better. We find a cute little restaurant before heading back toward Nagiso. Another hour of walking. The forest is beautiful, but the rain has returned. We arrive in Nagiso completely soaked from head to toe.









Since all the accommodations in the area were fully booked, we have to take the train to the nearby village of Sakashita—just one stop away. Our guesthouse isn’t great. In fact, the whole village isn’t very pretty. We’re struggling to dry our clothes, even with the help of a hairdryer.

Tonight, we’re having some great tonkatsu at the village’s only little restaurant. In fact, we’ll be the only customers in this quirky spot. It felt like we were eating at the chef’s place, surrounded by crates and all sorts of random stuff.

Day 14: Second day on the Nakasendo Trail We take the train back to Nagiso, and after a good breakfast at the station, we start our second day of hiking. This time, no rain. Four hours of walking to Nojiri through forest paths, small villages, and countryside landscapes.





Not sure what to make of that...













We enjoy a good ramen and some gyozas before taking the train to Kiso-Fukushima, where we arrive in the late afternoon. We take advantage of the onsen (it was just okay) before dinner at the hotel.

Hi Patrick,

22 trips outside Europe—so jealous! That’s amazing. I hope there’ll be many more because reading your travel journals always brings a ton of great discoveries. This one’s no exception. Thanks! 🙂 Flight tickets to Japan are pretty expensive now. Before COVID, you could often find them for around 500 €. Should’ve taken advantage! 😉

yes, flights are now around 1000 €

Day 15: Day 3 on the Nakasendo. Heading to Matsumoto The climb through the forest toward the “Torii Pass” is pretty steep. There’s actually only one torii here… We found this to be the least scenic part of our 3-day hike.











After a 3-hour hike, we reach Narai. Another really pretty village, but a bit too touristy since it’s so easy to get to from Matsumoto. And once again, it’s raining. We wander down the main street (which is basically the only one). There are quite a few shops here.

Hello, what a pleasure to reconnect with the Nakasendo. I walked it two years ago, starting from Nakatsugawa on day 1 to Magome, then day 2 to Tsumago before taking the train to Matsumoto. What wonderful memories! We’ll be returning to Japan in the autumn of 2027—I can’t wait to dive into the planning with delight, drawing inspiration from travel journals (we didn’t make it to Hiroshima last time). After Matsumoto, we continued to Takayama and then Kanazawa, which we loved!

Hello, what a pleasure to reconnect with the Nakasendo. I walked it two years ago, starting from Nakatsugawa on day 1 to Magome, then day 2 to Tsumago before taking the train to Matsumoto. Such wonderful memories! We’ll be returning to Japan in the autumn of 2027—I can’t wait to dive back into planning with delight, drawing inspiration from travel journals (we didn’t make it to Hiroshima last time). After Matsumoto, we continued to Takayama and then Kanazawa, which we loved!

yes, autumn in Takayama and Kanazawa was a truly beautiful experience for us too (see my other travel journal "3 Beautiful Weeks During Japanese Autumn")

yes, autumn in Takayama and Kanazawa was a really beautiful time for us too (see my other travel journal "3 beautiful weeks during the Japanese autumn")

Thanks! You might also want to check out my travel journal "Draw Me Your Japan". It’s a different style—I tried to express through drawings what would’ve taken me way more words!

Yes, autumn in Takayama and Kanazawa was a really beautiful time for us too (see my other travel journal "3 beautiful weeks during the Japanese autumn")

Thanks! You might also want to check out my travel journal "Draw Me Your Japan." It’s a different style—I tried to express through drawings what would’ve taken me way more words!

Yeah, I’d already flipped through it. Such amazing drawings that really capture the places! Same for your Oman trip—I’d also visited it just before COVID