Osaka and Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Random Photos

A final dump of random photos from our journey through Osaka and Kyoto that I couldn't fit in other posts:

View of Mount Fuji from the Tokaido Shinkansen
Dōjima River
Outside of Kuromon Market
Kuromon Market
Ebisu Bashi-Suji Shopping Street
A sushi signboard in Ebisu Bashi-Suji Shopping Street
A Spider-Man figure in Ebisu Bashi-Suji Shopping Street
Dōjima River
Universal Studios Japan Entrance
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
Kyoto Tower

Kuromon Market

2 Chome 

Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0073

+81-06-6631-0007

Ebisu Bashi-Suji Shopping Street

Namba, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0076

+81-06-6641-3362

Universal Studios Japan

2 Chome-1-33 

Sakurajima, Konohana Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒554-0031

+81-05-7020-0606

Kyoto Tower

721-1 Karasuma-dori

Higashi Shiokoji-cho, Shimogyo Ward

Kyoto, Japan 〒600-8216

+81-07-5361-3215

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Visiting Yasaka Shrine

Okay, I'm not a particularly religious or spiritual person, but as we were walking through Higashiyama, we saw Yasaka Shrine (dedicated to the kami, Susanoo) and it was too beautiful to just pass by.

South Torii Gate to Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Stone lantern at Yasaka Shrine
Fugenzo yaezakura trees at Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Lanterns at Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Suzu at Yasaka Shrine
Stone lantern at Yasaka Shrine
Main entrance to Yasaka Shrine

I wish we had another day in Kyoto. There's just so much to see here and, like, at least another three shrines and two temples to visit...

Yasaka Shrine

625 Gionmachi Kitagawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0073

+81-07-5561-6155

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Exploring Higashiyama Ward

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the historic Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto, which started off with the most delicious matcha soft serve ice cream cone at Ujicha Gion Tsujiri:

Matcha soft serve ice cream cone from Ujicha Gion Tsujiri
Walking by a stream in Higashiyama
Higashiyama Ward
A street view of Yasaka Pagoda
Women dressed up in kimono in Higashiyama
Grilling dango
Mitarashi dango
Higashiyama Ward
A torii gate in Higashiyama
Street view of the Gionkaku Tower in Daiunin Temple
Higashiyama Ward
A temple entrance in Higashiyama Ward
Women dressed up in kimono in Higashiyama

For 2 hours, we walked through narrow, sloped streets where it seems like time has stood still for hundreds of years. We watched ladies dressed up in geisha attire take an inordinate amount of selfies, stopped by the tiniest dango stall for some mitarashi dango (where I discovered that I like savoury dango way more than sweet ones), saw a multitude of shrine and temple entrances, and circled back around to visit Yasaka Shrine (which I will cover in the next post). An afternoon well spent!

Ujicha Gion Tsujiri

573-3 Gionmachi Minamigawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0074

+81-07-5561-2257

Yasaka Pagoda

388 Yasakakamimachi Shimizu

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0862 

+81-07-5551-2417

Daiunin Temple

594-1 Gionmachi Minamigawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0074

+81-07-5531-5018

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Chirashi and Cold Udon Lunch Set at Mekiki no Ginji

By the time we got to Kyoto Station from Fushimi Inari Taisha, we were starving and in search for a lunch spot. We found a building full of restaurants right next to the station and decided to go to the izakaya called Mikiki no Ginji (or, directly translated, Ginji the Connoisseur) that had just opened for the day.

Chirashi
Cold udon noodles with dipping sauce

They offer an assortment of really inexpensive lunch sets, so we decided on the chirashi and cold udon combo. The chirashi was packed with goodies — tuna, yellowtail, and salmon, ikura, avocado, cucumber, nori, shiso, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds — and was fresh and delicious. But the udon was surprisingly delightful. I didn't really think much of it when I ordered because it's so simple — cold udon is eaten like cold soba, with a simple mentsuyu dipping sauce and wasabi — but it's so freaking good. Unlike soba, I've always eaten udon hot, whether with broth or stir-fried, but this was somewhat of a revelation, maybe because I had never considered eating udon cold before. This lunch was the perfect hot weather meal (it reached about 25℃, and I was sweating like crazy under the sun), and only cost ￥1,150 — less than a meal at McDonald's.

Mekiki no Ginji

849 Higashi-Shiokojicho, セレマビル 3F

Shimogyo, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒600-8216

+81-07-5343-3688

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and the Senbon Torii

(Warning: This post is long and photo-heavy.)

We decided to take a day trip to Kyoto since it's only 15 minutes away from Osaka by Shinkansen. So obviously, we had to stop by the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (the head shrine of the kami, Inari) and the Senbon Torii (1,000 Torii Gates).

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Temizu-ya at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Chōzubachi at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Kitsune statue at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Wall of emaat Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
The Senbon Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Stone lantern at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fugenzo yaezakura trees at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Fugenzo yaezakura trees at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

It's a truly beautiful place with stunning architecture amidst forests of greenery. (Shinto is also an incredibly interesting religion, if you want to read up on it.) Only problem is, we got there just shortly after 9:00AM, which means hundreds of people from tour groups were also there. To the point where we didn't even bother walking through 50 of the torii gates. We decided to explore the other side of the shrine instead which is, frankly, just as gorgeous and scenic. (And even though we missed the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, we caught some late-blooming ones here!) If you are planning to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (which you absolutely should if you're going to Kyoto — it's truly a work of art), I highly recommend you try visiting before 8:00AM to get the most peaceful experience of the place.

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi Ward

Kyoto, Japan 〒612-0882

+81-75-641-7331