Day 4.
Up early for the 6am Shinkansen to Kyoto from Tokyo Station. My first time on a high speed train so was super-excited
!
The train was reasonably full on the journey west. The seating was 2-3, with the middle seat on the 3 side being ~5cm wider than the rest for some reason (for fat gaijin
?).
Meal & drinks cart coming through.
Great view of Mount Fuji on a nice clear morning.
Plenty of snow as we headed west.
Arriving at Kyoto Station at about ~8:20am.
After arriving at Kyoto, I picked up my bus/train day pass, and caught the 205 bus to Kinkaku-ji.
The 'serious' photo of
Kinkaku-ji (or Temple of the Golden Pavillion).
And the fun version
!
I then caught the 206 bus to
Kiyomizu-dera. Some Geisha in the streets while walking up to the temple.
Kiyomizu-dera with downtown Kyoto and Kyoto Tower on the left.
Some more Geisha ladies.
I then caught the metro from Kyoto Station up to the grounds of the Kyoto Imperial palace, and had a walk around the gardens.
One of the gates to the Imperial palace.
I then joined a tour of the Imperial Palace. The royal family seal on one of the Palace eaves.
The well cared for Palace grounds. The Palace tour is only for foreigners, needs to be booked in advance, with Japanese only allowed into the grounds on 2 days of the year.
More blossoms
.
I then went to the Nishiki markets in central Kyoto. Quite a vibrant place with lots of stalls, people and a great atmosphere
.
Lots of fresh food for sale.
And some Japanese sweets I bought
.
I then had some grilled mochi (glutinous rice) at restaurant in the markets for a late lunch
.
Last stop of the day in Kyoto, the view from Kyoto Tower.
And then to catch the 17:06 Nozomi train back to Tokyo
.
