Spring in Japan means sakura season, and while we’re still a few weeks away from the first cherry blossoms, Starbucks has released its line of sakura drinks, food, and merchandise designs. We stopped into the Starbucks near Kyoto Station yesterday to try a few items, along with photos of the merchandise. Worth noting is that […]
If you’re traveling to Japan and plan to tour Kyoto for 2 days, this provides our itinerary for efficiently experiencing temples, shrines, and the most popular attractions in Kyoto to save time. In so doing, our 2-day Kyoto itinerary also offers a few suggestions for off-the-beaten-path ways to “stop and smell the roses” (or cherry […]
Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺, Ryōan-ji) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northwest Kyoto, featuring the most famous Zen rock garden in Japan. In this post, I’ll share photos I took at Ryoanji Temple, info & tips for visiting, history of the temple, and thoughts on our experience here. While famed for that rock garden, Ryoanji Temple […]
Honen-in (法然院) is a free temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area, located along Philosopher’s Path just south of the Silver Pavilion. In this post, I’ll share photos of the temple, offer brief history, info & tips for visiting, and why the experience at Honen-in Temple is so special. The approach to Honen-in Temple is quite lovely, […]
All right! We’re finally back with the final installment of our Kyoto Fall & Winter Trip Report (if you’ve missed it, start with Part 1); the culmination of our 2-month stay in Japan. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in this final installment, so rather than beginning with a rambling introduction, I’m going to […]
Minion Park is the newest addition to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, a moderately elaborate mini-land anchored around Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a 3D ride through Gru’s lab, which replaced Back to the Future: the Ride. In this post, we’ll share some info and thoughts about Minion Park. When Universal Studios Japan announced that Despicable Me Minion […]
Over the course of our time in Kyoto, we’ve spent a lot of time “researching” the best places to eat. This list focuses mainly on cheap and authentic Japanese cuisine, with a clear emphasis on value for money rather than fine dining. From that perspective, it’s probably the best restaurants in Kyoto for value, but we’re […]
Daitokuji (大徳寺) is a walled temple in Northern Kyoto with a number of subtemples that feature some of Japan’s finest zen and rock gardens. In this post, I’ll share photos I took at Daitokuji, history, info & tips for visiting, and thoughts on our experience at Daitokuji. The free grounds at Daitokuji Temple are highlighted by […]
It’s been a while since our two months in Japan ended (and since Part 1 of our Kyoto Trip Report), and this recap seems to be losing steam, both on my end and in terms of reader interest. Rather than dragging it out unnecessarily, I’m going to wrap it up with two final installments. I […]
Tenryu-ji Temple (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most important Zen temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city’s Five Great Zen Temples, and is now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this post, we’ll share some photos from our visit to Tenryu-ji and thoughts on whether it’s worth your time. […]