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Arashiyama bamboo forest, Uji Temple and Fushimi Inari Taisha.. the 10000 Tori gates

Spoiler

10.11.25. Monday (Day 4)

Arashiyama Bamboo forest/ Osaka embassy.. Uji temple, fushimi Inari Taisha, a temple with 1000 Tori gates.

We had to change hotel in Kyoto. We left hotel at 7 am and walked towards Kyoto station. Walked through the station to the other side. Our hotel entrance was inside Kyoto station. Kept our luggage at the hotel and 3 of us left for Osaka.

We had a 3 days JR West Kansai railway pass which worked for Osaka train. Our Kyoto Itinerary order of sights was slightly governed by the 3/ 5 days Kansai JR pass, as we wanted to make best use of it.

APPLYING FOR DUPLICATE PASSPORT AFTER THE LOSS OF PASSPORT...

It took 45 minutes to Osaka. Reached Osaka at 8.40 am. We walked to Umeda station and took a Midosuji metro. We tapped Suica card for the metro transport. It took 10 min. to Namba station. We walked 10 min. To Minami police station. A modern nice building. The had a waiting lounge which had a couple of counters. We told the lady that we need to file a complaint for lost passport. She gave us a form to fill and took some information. She needed a copy of passport. It took 15 minutes for her to give a report in Japanese. We used their washroom. The police interaction was a pleasant experience.

We walked 25 min to Indian Embassy near Sakaisuji Hommachi station. Reached by 10.35am It is on 5th floor of a commercial building. There was a waiting area with 2 counters. Very courteous people. We knew someone there. That helped. We filled a form and gave the police report. Poornima's daughter had filled an online application in India and sent us and the embassy by email. I clicked 2 photos and emailed the embassy. The printed everything and got the application for a travel document submitted. They suggested us to wait for a couple of days if possible and tell them on phone to proceed with the travel document if the police was unable to get the orginal passport back.
It took us half an hour there.

We left from there by 11.15 n took metro for Umeda station. We goofed up a bit n wasted about half an hour. Finally reached Umeda n walked 10 kin to Osaka. Took a train for Kyoto around 12.20 pm. Reached Kyoto by 1.40 pm.

The rest of us visited Arashiyama forest, 30 minutes JR train ride from Kyoto station. They liked the temple there and the small lake more. 3 of us could see a mini bamboo forest at Kodai ji temple, which i feel is a good option for someone who has limited time in Kyoto. I would not call Arashiyama as a must see sight in Kyoto. Its more famous because of instagram reels.

We were just in time for the rest of the group to come to to Kyoto JR station by 2 pm.

UJI TEMPLE AND 1000 TORI GATES

We took a train for Uji. We had planned the day in such a way that we cover all the sights that are covered with Kansai west JR pass.

Reached Uji station by 2.10 pm
Walked 15 min through quint village lanes to the Byodo in Temple to reach by 2.40 pm. This is undoubtedly one of the most scenic place in Japan. A beautiful temple in the middle of a pond with a picturesque small bridge to reach the temple. Best time to visit it is early morning when the sunlight falls on the facade and reflects in the water. It looked great even in the afternoon. The ticket includes entry to a small museum inside the complex. It had creative lighting and good exhibits. The garden looked vibrant with autumn colours.

We roamed around on streets outside. A Starbucks outside has a beautiful Japanese garden attached. We left from there at 4.15 pm for station. We had spent around 45 minutes extra and the light was fading. We took a train towards Kyoto. Inari station was at 20 minutes, enroute, just 2 stations before Kyoto.

We took a train at 4.45 pm. Got down at Inari. Temple is just across the station. Reached there by 5.10 pm. The temple is beautiful. Its more famous for 10000 Torii gates. The iconic thousand vermillion torii gates create a magical, almost otherworldly atmosphere as you walk up the mountain trails. The shrine itself is beautiful and deeply spiritual, offering a glimpse into traditional Shinto practices. I wouldn't rate this as a must see sight as well. Its famous because of Instagram reels. Its a " Good to see" sight according to me.

There were less people as it was getting dark. We clicked some nice pics.
If one has to climb through the gates to the top of the hill, it would take 1 hour one way. We went only a few steps.

Inari shrines typically possess guardian figures in the form of foxes or kitsune. These guardian figures are messengers of Inari but are commonly thought of as the deity itself. Inari's foxes, or kitsune, considered intelligent, magical and associated with the Shinto spirit Inari, are pure white and act as their messengers but it is more likely that in ancient times the fox itself was revered as the kami of rice. According to myth, Inari, as a megami (female Kami), was said to have come to Japan at the time of its creation amidst a harsh famine that struck the land. foxes are seen causing mischief to punish those who have been greedy.
Shinto

Inari was originally and remains primarily the kami of rice and agriculture, but merchants also worship Inari as the patron of business. Each of Fushimi Inari-taisha's roughly 10,000 torii were donated by a Japanese business, and approximately 800 of these are set in a row to form the Senbon Torii, creating the impression of a tunnel. The shrine is said to have ten thousand such gates in total that designate the entrance to the holy domain of kami and protect it against wicked forces.

The shrine is open 24 hours, where as most other shrines shut at 5 pm.

We came out at 5.45 pm it was a quick visit. Many of us were tired before the visit, but it being right across the station and its location enroute helped.
We took a train and reached Kyoto by 6.15 and hotel by 6.30 pm

We were to visit the Tofukaji temple but it closes at 5 pm and its best seen in the day as it has great autumn colours.
We reached hotel by 7 pm. Had dinner together in one of the rooms.

Osaka trip to apply for a duplicate passport

Uji temple near Kyoto

Fushimi Inar Taisha, temple with 10 000 gates

Kyoto sightseeing - Best of Autumn colours temples and gardens

11.11.25 Tuesday ( Day 5)
Autumn colours temples and gardens
Ginkaku ji temple, philosophers path, Nazenji temple in the morning
Kinkakuji Golden Pagoda Temple and Kodai ji temple in the evening

Left at around 8 am after complimentary breakfast.
6 of us went on a day trip to Hiroshima by train.

The rest 8 of us walked to the bus stop. Bought 1100 yen day pass for Kyoto bus from a vending machine where only cash is accepted.
Took 7 no City bus that took 35 minutes to reach.
Went to north east part of Kyoto. Very quaint part that had a village feel.
10 minutes scenic walk after that was a part of Philosophers path to Ginkakuji by 9 am. Bought tickets in cash for 500¥.

Ginkakuji is a Zen temple built in 14th century. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeled after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) [ which wenhad planned to visit in the afternoon] , his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death.

Next to the temple is an expansive, meticulously maintained dry sand garden, known as the "Sea of Silver Sand", with a massive sand cone named "Moon Viewing Platform" which is also called a symbol of Mount Fuji.

The walking path took us through Ginkakuji's moss garden, which features ponds with islands and bridges, little streams and various plants. The path climbs a hill behind the buildings from where there are nice views of the entire temple grounds and the city beyond.
The garden was so beautiful that we spent almost 1 hour here, more than what we had anticipated.

We walked 10 min back to the bus stop. Took City bus no. 5 and reached in 6 minutes to Nanzen ji Michi bus stop. Walked 15 min to Nanzen ji temple. This had the best autumn colours. The history of Nanzenji dates back to the mid 13th century, when the Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple's present location and later converted it into a Zen temple. The most important and the largest zan temple. Nanzenji's central temple grounds are open to the public free of charge, but separate fees apply for entering temple buildings and subtemples.

We had planned to visit Ekaindo temple next to it but canceled the plan as we had to take rest in the afternoon n head back again for sightseeing.

We left around 12.20 walked 10 min to the bus stop. 35 min for the bus and another 10 min to the hotel. Reached by 1.15 pm. Had lunch and rested for an hour.

Left again by 2.15 pm to the Kinkakuji Golden Pagoda temple, north Kyoto. This is a bit isolated and cannot be clubbed with any other sight directly. We took City bus 205 for 40 minutes n walked 5 min to the temple. Reached at 2.20 pm. This is one of the most popular sights and had lot of tourists. This is best visited in the evening for best views as the sunlight falls on the golden facade which reflects in the pond in front. It has a beautiful garden around.
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf, is truly one of the most breathtaking sights in Kyoto. The moment you enter, the view of the gold-covered temple reflecting on the calm pond feels almost unreal—like a perfect picture come to life. Even with many visitors, the atmosphere remains peaceful thanks to the beautifully maintained gardens and the surrounding nature.
The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a built in 14th century as villa by Shogun Yoshimitsu and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex.[size=8333px] [/size]When Yoshimitsu died the building was converted into a Zen temple by his son, according to his wishes. This building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple) built by his grandson.

The walking route is easy to follow and gives you several great angles to admire the pavilion. Each viewpoint shows a different side of its beauty, from the shimmering gold surfaces to the harmony between the temple, water, and trees. The grounds also include smaller shrines, traditional structures, and scenic spots that make the visit even more enjoyable.

We spent one hour here and took a City bus no 204 which took 35 minutes to reach. Another 15 minutes to reach the Kodai ji temple. Our idea was to see the temple in the daylight and then stay back to watch the beautiful lighting and light projection show here. But it was dark by 4.45 pm. We took tickets by 5.30 pm in cash and proceeded. Watch the light show by sitting in a traditional Rayokan style structure. The garden lighting at night was fantastic.

Kodaiji Temple’s nighttime illumination was one of the most breathtaking experiences of our Kyoto trip. The entire garden comes alive after dark — The light show is nice and fun, but the best part are the trees reflecting on the lake, all illuminated, and simply gorgeous. fall trees glowing with soft spotlights, colors looking even richer and brighter, and a gentle light show projected near the temple that adds to the atmosphere without feeling overwhelming.

The walk through the grounds felt serene and almost magical. There’s a small bamboo forest here, and with the lights shining upward, the bamboo looked like it was glowing from within. Every corner felt peaceful, quiet, and beautifully designed to highlight the natural surroundings.

If you’re in Kyoto during the illumination season, this is an absolute must-see. It turns an already beautiful temple into a completely unforgettable evening experience.

There are a lot of steps but it wasn't very difficult. There is a mini bamboo forest. If one doesn't have enough time to go to Arashiyama bamboo forest, this is quite similar with slightly less height and almost no crowd. The night lighting made it look magical. This was a great experience. We spent 1 hour here and left by 6.30 pm.
it was pitch dark as if it was 8.30 pm.

We walked on Nanenzaka which was almost deserted by now. Saw the iconic Yasaka Pagoda at the end of Nanenzaka.

We walked till the main road.
We took City bus no 5 at 7.30 pm. Reached in 30 min. Reached hotel by 8.15 pm.
The busses from this area in the evening are always crowded with locals and tourists.

A better idea for the day could have been to visit all the sights in the Higashiyama districts in 2 days.
Day 1 can be to start from Ginkakuji, walk the philosopher's path and see Eikando and Nanzen ji temples, eat and rest a Gion area and visit Kodai ji temple by 1 hour before sunset and stay back to see the projection mapping and night lighting there and come back... This means a lot of walking

We had kept the main sights like Kiyomizu Dera for the next day as some of us had gone to Hiroshima on this day.

Had dinner in the hotel room. Slept by 11 pm

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View from our hotel room in "Miyako City Kintestu Kyoto Station"
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This compact but practical room was the largest on our trip
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Well equipped toilet again. I used the hot tub every day to make my tired legs feel better. I seriously contemplated smuggling that wc to India.

Ginkaku ji temple and gardens

Nanzen ji temple, Higashiyama, Kyoto

Enryuka ji temple, Sakkamoto cable car & Kiyomizu Dera, Sanenzaka- Kyoto

12.11.25 Wednesday, Day 6
Enryuka ji temple, Sakkamoto cable car in the morning. Kiyomizu Dera and Sanenzaka in the evening.

By now, most of us were having a Deja Vu feeling and were not keen on seeing more temples and gardens. We had some ideas on how to spend the next 2 days. A cousin of Shikant, who lives in Japan, gave us a good idea for going for a scenic journey.

We decided to start a little leisurely. Had breakfast in the hotel and left at 9 am.
Bought tickets on Suica card and took a Tokaido Sanyo rail to Hiezan Sakamoto station. Reached in 25 minutes. Took a bus from the station for 10 min to Sakamoto Cable car. Took cable car tickets at the cable car station. There were around 50 people in the queue.

We took the steep Cogwheel train up to the mountain. This was indeed one of the highlights of our trip. It goes up through a scenic landscape, several tunnels, almost at 45 degrees gradient.Train ride, then a bus, a cable car, a ropeway and finally a hike. It may sound overwhelming but journey itself is worth it. The accessibility is definitely why there are not many tourists here on a weekday.

This is a hidden gem, that we look for when we travel on our own.

The view overlooking lake Biwa and from the top was stunning.
There is a uphill walk of 10 minutes to the temple. Autumn colours are everywhere around. The Enryaku-ji temple is beautiful. But it's the journey that's enjoyable.
We had seen the return Cable timing and decided to be back in one hour.

All of us were in a relaxed mood today. There was no pressure of reaching somewhere on time, no hurry of sightseeing. We were just absorbing the atmosphere, and were loving being there. We took the scenic Cable/ Cogwheel car down, again enjoying the panoramic view. The rail compartment is also stepped in a unique way, where everyone gets a view.

Sunil, Susheel and me, took the bus to the train station. Rest of them walked 20 minutes through the quiant village.
We took a train back to Kyoto. Reached hotel by 1 pm. Had lunch in the room together. Rested for 1.30 hours.

We left at 2.30 for the highlight and the most important site in Kyoto. Sunset from Kiyomizu Dera. We took city bus 206 (230 ¥) from bus station outside Kyoto station. Got down in 20 minutes at Kiyomizumuchi. Walked 15 min uphill via a crowded and famous street, Sanenzaka.
This was by far the most crowded site, of course for a reason. We took a ticket in cash (500 ¥) and went in.

Kiyomizu-dera temple itself is an icon and has plenty to see around it. It is surrounded by shifting swaths of color that frame the architecture any time of year. To think it was first built over a thousand years ago, the main hall stands four stories high without any nails. This is preceded by the Niomon gate and a three story pagoda in vermilion, both of which don't require an entry ticket. On entering the main hall, we passed through an open air hallway with benches that we could sit at and just take in the view. The wooden columns beautifully framed the view. To the left, there's a queue of folks waiting to try their hand at lifting different weighted poles with promised prosperity.

It's breathtaking being on the main hall stage surrounded by foliage and views of the city in the distance.

We made our way across, to join the many gathered on a smaller platform to snap photos of the main hall. We enjoyed exploring this UNESCO heritage site

We came out of the main hall and walked to the right on the paved road to get the picture postcard view of the main hall on the stilts, the pagoda, and the vibrant coloured foliage below. This is one of the best places to witness the best riot of colours in the nature.

Waiting patiently for the sunset is what I love the most. Its yhe most tranquil time that I have. Watching the changing colours of the sky from blue to crimson is the most satisfying thing. Breathing the cool air. I had come to Japan for this very moment. There were a lot of people around on the same path. Quietly waiting for the sunset. This moment makes me sensitive and introspective.

We clicked a lot of photos of changing colours. The trees below had shades of yellow and orange. This was the moment I was waiting for in the entire trip. It was worth the anticipation. In 2 more weeks, this would turn red. It was a hazy sky. So no clear orange sunset.

We walked down on the paved path.Below, you see the Ottawa Falls, where people can drink from one of three spouts that promise success in one of the three categories.

It would have been nice to wait there for the lights to come on. It is the best sight in Kyoto.

We walked down the surrounding Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets to the main road. The buses were crowded. We had to take the 3rd bus back. We walked back to the hotel.

Shared a drink with Charu and Vikram and had dinner together. Slept at 12 midnight.

Enryaku-ji Temple and Sakamoto Cable car

Kiyomizu Dera Temple, Kyoto

Sunset from Kiyomizu Dera, Kyoto

Kyoto- Shopping in the morning & Team Lab in the evening

13.11.25 Thursday
Shopping in the morning and Team Lab in the evening at 5pm

We got up without any alarm at 8.30.
Had a relaxed breakfast. We had no agenda for the day.
We needed a relaxed day in between. That's the advantage of traveling on your own and not with a guided tour with a packed programme.

We walked to the AEON MALL next to the station. Roamed around and did some window shopping. Bought On Cloud shoes for Poonam. Went to the Yodobashi mall on the opposite side of the station. Its a mall full of electronics. Didn't buy anything. Went back to hotel room. Had lunch and rested well.

Left at 4.15 pm. Walked 10 min to Teamlab Biovertex. We had booked the tickets on Klook for 5pm. It wasn't crowded. Its a truly unique and immersive experience — absolutely worth a visit, something out of the ordinary! We spent a few hours exploring the interactive digital installations, and it was fascinating to see how the light, sound, and motion blended to create a world that feels alive. Some rooms felt like stepping into a dreamscape, and there were plenty of moments that left us in awe.

I was observing how they have created these illusions and was a stimulating experience for me.

They have halls with 20 feet high ceilings, black jointless epoxy flooring. Walls have mat black acoustic paneling. In the passages and halls that connect the 2 exhibits have numerous projectors in the ceiling which project high contrast surralistic moving images on the wall. One feels like one is moving through a Monet painting of a garden. There are curved walls, acute angles, full mirrored walls.

In the 1st installation, the srings of crystal rods hang from high ceilings and magic of LED lights.

Each exhibit had a totally different concept and materials. There are many interactive installations.

I imagined how the Pandav must have created Mayasabha in their capital in Mahabharat.

We spent 3 hours exploring the place. Its worth visiting this place atleast once. This is the newest and largest. I don't the comparison between Teamlabs in Tokyo and Osaka and Kyoto.

We walked to the hotel. On the way in a 7-11 shop we bought a smoothie. It was a different experience. You select a cup of fruits of your choice from the fridge, pay at the counter and put it in the machine to make your own smoothies. We tried 2 and both were fresh and delicious.

Walked 5 minutes to the hotel. Packed our bags. Did some video calls at home. Had dinner in one of the rooms. Slept at 11.30pm

Teamlab and shopping

Shinkansen Kyoto to Tokyo Shubuya crossing and Shinjuku

14.11.25 Friday (Day 8)
Shinkansen Kyoto to Tokyo
Shubuya crossing and Shinjuku

We checked out from our hotel after an early complimentary breakfast. Left hotel at 7.45 am.
We were just above the Kyoto station. Walking to Shinkansen tracks was only 5 minutes. We waited for some time below the platform. Went up by 8.10 am. We just had to scan our QR code of the ticket that we had purchased in advance on Klook.

Train was very comfortable with a lot of leg space. Train travels at 300 kmph speed but one doesn't realize it.
We could see Mount Fuji after 58 minutes on the left side for about 2 minutes.

We reached Tokyo station at 10.45 am. Walked 20 min. to the hotel Sotetso Fresa INN.
Stored our bags n left for sightseeing.

Our 1st stop was Imperial palace.
We took 2 taxis for 8 people. 2 km distance costed us 1400 yen each taxi.
6 of us walked to the palace gate. It had a long line and we could get only 3 people s passes to join the guided tour of the East gardens of the palace. This gets full and needs to be prebooked in advance. We dropped the idea and decided to visit must see places..

Shibuya and Shinjuku.. walked back to Tokyo station n took a metro to Shibuya. Watched the busy zebra crossing.
Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the world's busiest crossing where 3000 people can cross at one time. it's a symbol of Tokyo's vibrant, modern energy, known for massive digital billboards, neon lights, and being a popular filming location. This is Japan's parallel to Times Square in New York.

A great way to experience it is by crossing it yourself, which we did, or by viewing it from above at spots like the Starbucks
We went up the Mark City Mall N watched it from 2nd floor. That's free. Went up to 4th floor for toilet etc. Had some sweets there from a shop.

Saw the Hachiko Dog statue. Hachiko was a loyal Japanese Akita dog famous for waiting at Shibuya Station for his deceased owner, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno, for nearly 10 years after the professor died in 1925. Their daily ritual involved Hachiko accompanying Ueno to the station in the morning and returning in the evening to greet him, a routine Hachiko continued faithfully every day, rain or shine, until his own death in 1935. His story became a national symbol of unwavering devotion and loyalty, commemorated by a statue at the station and in films, books, and Japanese culture. There was a long queue to click a photo with the statue.

We took a Metro and went to Shinjuku area. Poonam had a coffee at McDonalds. They didn't have any vegetarian food.

We walked around the streets with vibrant Neon signs and several shops. Godzilla big statue above Toho theatre building.
It features the famous Kabukicho (red-light district), Golden Gai (tiny bars), and Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) for yakitori.
Did some small shopping at a store.

Came back by metro to our hotel. Checked in. The rooms were extremely small. 7' x 14' with a bed 4'8" wide.

Had food n slept by 11 pm

Tokyo- Shibuya and Shinjuku

Day trip to Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchiko and Hakone village 

15.11.25 Saturday (Day 9)
Day trip to Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchiko and Hakone village

Got up at 6 am. Had breakfast in the room. Breakfast offered in this hotel wasn't good. So we didn't take that option.

We had booked a Mount Fuji tour on Klook for 8 am.
I had contacted the travel agency 1 day prior. They gave me the guide's number. He made a WhatsApp group and gave us the location details.

Left hotel by 7.15 am. Walked to the pick up point by 7.40 am on the opposite side, Maranouchi side, of Tokyo station. Met our Guide Andy.

Bus left exactly at 8 am. Reached Hakone by 10.30 am.
It was a scenic road for the last 30 minutes.

Got a good view of Mount Fuji with lake Ashi and Hakone Tori gate in the water. There are 2 ships that do a tour of the lake. We clicked many photos. Spent about half an hour there.

Next stop was Hakone shrine.
We took photos of floating Tori gate in the water, iconic red "Gate of Peace" (Heiwa no Torii) standing in Lake Ashi, surrounded by lush forest and views of Mount Fuji. Established in 757 AD, it's a serene sanctuary known for its tranquil cedar-lined paths, traditional architecture, dragon motifs, and spiritual significance for travelers and samurai alike, offering a blend of natural beauty and cultural history..
Shrine has very few steps and is beautiful has traditional architecture with red and gold details, featuring guardian lion statues (Komainu).

We left for lake Kawaguchiko. It had the most beautiful maple 🍁 avenue with all shades of yellow, orange, red and crimson. Mount Fuji is very close from here but would not see the top because of clouds. Clicked a lot of photos.

We had one more stop near the station
There's a shrine above which has 70 steps and a pagoda which has 400 steps but a perfect view of Mount fuji and the Pagoda. We didn't have enough time so we didn't go.

We had coffee in a nice old restaurant with a Japanese garden. There are some 1100 years old volcanic rocks in a garden near the plaza.

We waited for 45 minutes and left at 5 pm for Tokyo.
We reached at 7.40 pm.
Walked back to the hotel.

I had to do some back tracking and a lot of walking to validate our Subway tickets purchased on Klook. Finally got 14 tickets from a vending machine.

Reached hotel by 9 pm
Had dinner in the room and slept by 11.30 pm

Lake Ashi and Hakone