Me too. Agree that it is not silly.

Am not a theme park fan. I have lived near Disneyland for almost 25 years and not much interested in visiting. But I would consider visiting USJ simply because it is in Japan and would have Japanese influence. Or maybe Disney is Disney is same everywhere, IDK. I recommend going to a J-ball game even to people who have no interest or experience with baseball. Go, but not necessarily to see the game or watch baseball. Go because it is a Japanese (cultural, social) experience and it is fun.

We have, over the years, had posters asking about USJ from newbies to hardcore Disney fans (who you probably found on Reddit). We do need a TR that we can point to for USJ queries in the future. Personally, am interested in what you might have learned about Japan, the Japanese, from the visit be it positive, negative or neutral. Maybe there were too many foreign tourists.

Saw an Only in Japan youtube last night with the author taking a stroll through Dotonbori. He did call it a tourist trap but a fun one and recommends it. In one shot he had some foreign tourists behind him getting photos of Glico man and he mentioned that 75% of the tourists were non-Japanese. That comment was enough for me to skip it. Am not knocking it - tourists do touristy things, especially the iconic.

Have you been to Tokyo Disney Sea? It is not owned by Disney, well, TDL in its entirety is not owned or operated by Disney. It is unique. And almost everyone attending is Japanese or looks the part. I can't recall seeing any other 'Europeans' there, and I went on two separate trips.

Ah, okay, I'll say a few words about USJ. First and foremost, my son says that is the highlight of the trip (with the Swallows baseball game ranked at No.2), but take it with a grain of salt because he has never really been to major theme parks! My husband and I are really too old for this, but we still had fun. I can't compare it to the Universal studios in the US since 20+ years have past since I've been to one. Here are our observations :

1. USJ only feels crowded in Super Nintendo World (SNW) and Donkey Kong Country. The footprint for both is small and is most popular. HP world is next crowded but it's somewhat bigger. The rest of USJ doesn't feel crowded at all (we went on a sunny Tuesday)
2. We had no trouble getting food (no standing in lines etc) tho we did eat lunch at 10:45am inside Jurassic Park. We also got minion curry buns and Donkey Kong ice cream shake as snacks. I read that the eatery in SNW is v popular; we didn't try
3. For the rides, when you are waiting, the TV monitors have english subtitles. However, the ride itself (eg, the Minion ride) is Japanese only.
4. For the shows , esp Doreamon 4D and WaterWorld, they are in Japanese only. WaterWorld is mostly stunts so not a big deal. Doreamon OTOH we really have no idea what was going on. Sing on Tour mostly has english subtitles. This was something I was surprised about, but then, we are in USJ after all and I assume most people who go there prefer an authentic Japanese experience (otherwise, they can just go to Universal Studios in the US!)
5. Our Express Passes let us skip the lines, but we have designated ride times for the rides inside SNW and HP world (5 out of the 7 rides on our pass). We found out that you can't go on the rides earlier than the assigned times, even though the express pass lines are empty. As mentioned earlier, we never had to wait more than 15 minutes to get on a ride.
6. I bought our Express Passes in early Feb, 2.5 months before our trip. I think they were released even before that; I had completely forgot, so when I bought ours, the entry times and ride times for both SNW & HPW were in the afternoon. I bought them direct from USJ website, not from Klook (though I did look there to see if they had other combos / entry times)
7. We did not buy Power Up bands for SNW or the magic wand for HPW. If you have those, there are lines to wait in for you to "play" the power up features/ collect coins in SNW and to "do the magic" in HPW.
8. Reddit has a lot of discussions about USJ, especially for folks who don't want to spend the money for Express Passes. If you don't have express pass, you can minimize waiting in line if you show up early. Some suggest arriving 2 hours before opening time, and say that often the park opens a whole hour before the posted opening time. I spent a lot of time reading up about USJ on Reddit before the trip. I also watched a bunch of YT videos on "how to visit USJ"
9. Water bottles (single-use as well as reusable) are allowed inside the Park. At security, the staff asked us to open our reusable water bottles; she took a sniff (to ensure it's not alcohol???) and let us through.
10. In terms of favorites, we all agree the new Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness is our favorite ride. My son also liked the one inside the HP castle (I had to close my eyes to avoid motion sickness). Mario cart is not bad. I liked Jurassic Park ride. None of us like extreme thrill rollercoasters so we didn't do the biggies like The Flying Dinosaur or the Hollywood Dream (and Backdrop which is the same ride but goes backwards). Sadly Jaws was offline for the month of April or we would have gone on it.
11. We were surprised to find many school groups visiting USJ. My son immediately said he wants to go to school in Japan lol
12. Almost the whole time we were there (as well as throughout Japan), the tourist-facing people spoke to me/us in Japanese. Overall I was surprised that their english isn't as good as I had anticipated. But gesturing works well. Only in one case, when we showed up too early for our HP ride, the attendant had to use his translator gadget to ask why we are there so early and told us to return at the assigned time.
13. Can't vouch for merch prices since we didn't buy anything
14. Definitely download the USJ app on your phone. There is wifi inside the park. You can check real-time wait times, show schedules (esp street performances) etc. I tried to add our Express passes to the app but couldn't figure out how to do it. Instead I printed hard copies out (each has a QR code) and showed them when they check

shelemm re: Disney Sea - we hav friends who visited Japan in mid-March and they went to Disney Sea. She said it was so crowded and the lines were so long that they left and went over to Disneyland instead. I think they were there during the school vacation time?

I have not been to TDS or any other amusement park in Japan.

The number of Western tourists has never been an issue with me except in Kyoto. It is the mass tourism from Taiwan, Korea, China, HK that is an issue. Maybe to you they look the part, but do they act the part? I have had several pleasant personal encounters with other-Asian tourists. Nice people, including the HK people who stole my carefully selected train seat. Most don't understand the Japanese Way. I think the proportion of clueless Western visitors is smaller. In October I will take my 15th vacation to Japan in 24 years and remember what it was like before the tourist boom. For people whose first visit was in the last 7 years or so then they only know the new normal, had a good time and often want to return.

>> Ah, okay, I'll say a few words about USJ.
Yay! thank you.

>> most people who go there prefer an authentic Japanese experience
That certainly would be the case if most people were Japanese. Because Japan

>> they can just go to Universal Studios in the US
or to Disney in HK or Shanghai, because Chinese

Day 6, Wednesday, Osaka -> Nara -> Kyoto

We had a long day at USJ yesterday and a long day ahead, so we slept in a bit and then went for the breakfast buffet at our APA hotel. If you can believe it, it's the most expensive meal on our trip, as they charged our son the adult price (¥11550 for 3). We also paid more because we paid at the door instead of in advance. The buffet spread is the biggest among all the places we stayed, and it even includes Wagyu beef, tuna sashimi, takoyaki. I think it goes until 2pm so you can definitely eat it as brunch or even lunch.

We took our time because the weather today is the worst day on our trip, with 1/2" rain predicted. I figured we won't be spending too much time in Nara in the rain. Besides, we need to send our luggage ahead to Kyoto and the luggage-forwarding service desk at our hotel doesn't open until 9am. (That's the reason we couldn't send our luggage the day before; 9am would be too late for us to get to USJ)

I rather dislike the hotel; it's too big, too impersonal, too many people (it has >2000 rooms). We were rushing to check-out before 10am and it took us 10 minutes before we could get on an elevator. Check-out is self-service. Later on I found out about the owner which makes me dislike the hotel even more. I wish we had stayed elsewhere. The only upside of the hotel is its proximity to Namba station. On our arrival day we walked 7 minutes through the busy streets to get there. We later found out the JR Namba station is just 50 yards from the back entrance of our hotel, and you can then walk through underground tunnels to get to the subway / Kintetsu stations. This was useful when we checked out as it was raining.

The luggage-forwarding service was crucial for us to make today's trip work. The attendant's english is limited (despite working in a hotel in a tourist-facing position) so he also has one of those translator gadgets. It costs us ¥5490 to send 3 carry-on size suitcases from Osaka to Kyoto (cost depends on size of luggage and distance).

Finally we were on our way to Nara via Kintetsu railway; we didn't arrive in Nara until after 11am. First order of business is securing 2 of our 3 daypacks in a locker at the train station (¥400). Because we would be without our suitcases that evening, our daypacks are heavier than usual with change of clothes, umbrella and a few other essentials). Lockers are plentiful.

Luckily rain has stopped in Nara but it was extremely humid. We made our way to Kofuku-ji (¥1300 for 2 adults, 1 child). Their pagoda is currently under reno and is encased in a scaffolding. We only visited the main temple hall. Immediately we noticed all the Sika deer around us and it really blows our mind how many there are and they are so used to people. Afterwards we followed the throngs of tourists, past the Nara national museum, to Todai-ji (¥2000 for 2A, 1C). The Great buddha hall is a truly impressive building.

By then it was 1pm, we were hot and hungry. My original plan was to continue to visit Nigatsu-do and sangatsu-do of Todai-ji but I got outvoted. Instead we headed back towards the station (while stopping a million times taking photos of the Sika deer) and looked for something to eat on the way. None of us were terribly hungry after a huge, late breakfast so we settled on crepes at Narad Parcside. Spouse had the roast beef crepe, kid and I opted for something sweet (¥2750).

It was drizzling after lunch, and before getting back to the train station, we took a slight detour to the post office so our son can buy a couple of postcard stamps. He has a habit of mailing postcards to my ILs and to a few of his friends back home. postage is cheap, only ¥100 per stamp. Then we went in search for Nakatanido, famous for its mugwort mochi. Obviously there was a line but the attendants are super efficient in keeping the line moving (¥200 each). Our mochis were freshly made and were still warm to touch. The dough definitely has the best texture I've ever tasted.

Back at Nara station we retrieved our daypacks and headed for the platform for the express train to Kyoto. What was SUPER CONFUSING is you need an extra ticket (?) if you want to ride the Limited Express train (which is all-reservation only). Before we entered the gates, I asked the station attendant if we can ride the Limited Express with just tapping our IC cards, and she said yes. So we all tapped our cards and went through the gates. When we got to the platform, the attendant there said we cannot ride the Limited Express without a LE ticket. Since we are already on the platform, I don't think we could go back out to buy the LE ticket, so we just waited for a non-Limited Express train instead.

Rather than getting off at Kyoto, we got off at Kintetsu-Tambabashi Station and changed for Keihan Main Line, and got off at the Fushimi-Inari station. Given that we only have 2 full days in Kyoto and too many sights to see, the only time we could fit in Fushimi-Inari is this afternoon, and I was hoping it may be less crowded if we visit late afternoon, keeping in mind that sunset is around 6:30pm.

I know that from Fushimi-Inari, we can take the Nara line subway directly to our hotel, but what I only found out then was the Fushimi Inari Keihan line Station is not the same as the Inari Nara line station. The 2 stations are a 5-min walk apart. So we walked over to the Nara line Inari station, stuffed our daypacks into a locker (¥300), then headed towards the shrine.

It was 4:30pm then and you guessed it, Fushimi Inari is still full of tourists, with tour groups still arriving. We didnt' even bother stopping for photos down in the base; instead we started walking up. The crowds slowly thin out the further we went; we finally arrived at the spot that has a nice view over the city. Many people turn around there. We debated if we wanted to get to the top (which is a 30-min loop). I'm glad we did, as the final loop is mostly devoid of people. We were able to get many photos of just the torii gates without anyone else in the picture frame. We also passed by a small house with a shop that sells red torii ornaments (we collect ornaments as souvenirs for our trips). Altogether it took us 1hr to get to the top, which has a number of shrines but there is no view. Coming down only took 30 minutes. We were lucky the rain held off but did I say it was super humid? We were soaked with sweat. The crowd has finally thinned when we came back down to the base, which was around 6:10pm by then.

We walked back to the Inari Nara line station, retrieved our backpacks, and took the subway to Kyoto station. Our hotel in Kyoto is Hotel Elcient, which is directly across from the station (from the South Exit).

When we got to the hotel, we were directed to use the self check-in machines, even though the staff was not busy. After fumbling with the machine, scanning each of our passports, we finally got to the payment page. As I was ready to insert my CC, the staff stopped me and asked if I have a PIN for my CC. I said no I don't have a PIN. Oops, no PIN, no CC payment in the machine. They even suggested me to go the ATM next door at 7-11 to get cash to pay for the hotel. I insisted no, I want to pay with my CC. So they said, sorry you have to get in line and check-in with our staff. ARGHHHHHHHHHH We were tired, hungry, hot, dirty, and I had wanted to check in with a real person to start off with!!! okay deep breaths... Finally they were able to check us in and charge my CC without a PIN.

We were so tired and hot by then that we opted to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by the food! My son had their curry katsu set, which makes him v happy. I had the daily rice bowl special, which also happens to be curry pork katsu. I can't remember what my husband had, but we were all pleased with our meals. Dinner was ¥6842.

In case you're wondering, for most meals, esp dinner, my husband ordereda draft beer. The kid and I stick with water (free).

We walked 9.4 miles

~ End of Day 6 ~

Thanks so much for the rundown. .

"my son says that is the highlight of the trip" As it should be for a 12 year old!

We were in Disney Sea during the summer, a very crowded time, though I carefully avoided the most crowded days. I utilized an online crowd calendar that estimates crowd size for each day. Still, you do have to get there well before opening and strategize.

The Oriental Land Company, the owner and operator of TDL, threw an insane amount of money at the project, and it shows.

Photographing my son photographing a deer

So many deer

Great Buddha hall of Todai-ji

Inside Buddha hall (the only temple that allows photography inside)

Crepes for lunch - each crepe topped with a Sika deer cookie! 🦌

Mugwort mochi from Nakatanidou in Nara

Crowds thin out the farther you go up at Fushimi Inari

So. Many. Steps.

Shrine at top of Mt Inari

Coming back down to the viewpoint. This is approx 2/3 up and where most people turn around.

My katsu curry rice bowl set dinner at the hotel restaurant

Torii ornament we bought from the little stall on top of Mt Inari. I haven't seen anywhere else selling this

Day 7 - Kyoto (East Side)
Part 1

We quite like Hotel Elcient - we were assigned to the annex bldg which is smaller and pretty quiet. Once again the room is small; 3 beds packed in side-by-side (the "triple" room is same size as double, they squeeze in an extra bed). There is some cosmetic issues with the room that can use some freshen up, but otherwise it's fine. We were looking forward to return to the restaurant for buffet breakfast; sadly we were turned away when we showed up at 7am (breakfast starts at 6:30am) as it is full. We were told to return around 8am which is way too late. So we went next door to 7-Eleven to grab breakfast to bring back into our room (US $14).

As hard as we tried to start early (our first stop is Kiyomizu-dera), we didn't get to the bus stop (bus terminal is outside the North exit of Kyoto station, so it's a good 10-min walk for us from the south side of the station) until 8:15am or so. There's already a line for Bus 206 but we got on. Not all folks at subsequent stops were able to board the bus, so I was glad we stayed near Kyoto Station which is the bus terminus.

From the Kiyomizu-dera bus stop, it's a 10-min uphill walk to the temple. Unbeknownst to me (in a good way), I followed google map which led us on the neighboring chawanzaka street up to the temple. This street is pretty still and quiet before 9am... I was wondering, where are all the tourists? We found them when we got to the main entrance of Kiyomizu-dera, crowded but manageable (¥1200) at 9am. We followed the visit route; by the time we got to the lookout point beyond the main temple, the one that looks back at the temple and it's platform, the crowd has definitely grown a lot. I do wonder if those wooden posts can hold up the weight of all the tourists.

We finished our visit an hour later and found out we bypassed the main path on the way there. EVERYONE arrives via Kiyomizu Zaka street. It's narrow, packed with tourists, and lined with souvenir shops, so you have lots of people stopping to look at the goods while others try to keep walking, not to mention many many tour groups arriving at the 10am hour. Once we turned off for Sannenzaka and then ninenzaka, the crowds thinned out a lot. On ninenzaka we walked past a store called Gekka Bijin that sells mitarashi dango - a trio of rice dumplings on a skewer, coated with various flavors. Tempted by its looks, we got 2: one with original soy glaze, another with matcha glaze. ¥290 each

We slowly made our way to Maruyama Park, while passing Kodai-ji without going in (you will see why later). We enjoyed the walk a lot; it was a much nicer day weather-wise with comfortable temperatures and drier humidity. We loved seeing the traditional Japanese architecture, something that we didn't see much at all in tokyo and Osaka. The walk there is also pretty serene with not many tourists/ people overall.

Our next stop is Chion-in Temple, which was free to enter. When we got to the main temple hall, we discovered they were having a monk-chanting ceremony inside. Visitors were allowed to stand in the back to observe; they have a live video feed on monitors so you can see details better. I thought that was quite incredible and we stayed to listen/watch for a while.

Back to the main road we walked on to Nanzen-ji. But before we reached there, we passed by a soba/udon restaurant called Suginoko and decided to grab lunch there. When we arrived (before noon), we were the only tourists; by the time we left, the whole place was filled with tourists. I had a Kitsune soba, my husband had their Rokakku bento which comes with grilled fish, croquette, rice, and a whole bunch of other stuff. My son opted for the spaghetti bolognese which he loves 😒 (FWIW, it's definitely asian flavor bolognese as it tastes like what I ate growing up in Hong Kong) Lunch was ¥3100, cash only.

After lunch we made our way to Nanzen-ji, free to enter. By now, so many of the temples seem to all look alike We did make an effort to check out the aqueduct, which still carries water from Lake Biwa.

From Nanzen-ji we continued on to Eikando temple (did not visit) and finally found the southern end of the Philosopher's Path. We followed the path north all the way to Ginkaku-ji. Just before we entered the temple proper, we stopped at an eatery called Ginkakuji Matsubaya, where they sell cream puffs, soft serve, as well as soft serve served with a cream puff (instead of a cone)! The kid and I each got one (¥850 each) as a reward after all that walking.

Finally we arrived at Ginkakuji (around 2pm), admission ¥1300. I thought it was quite pretty there, with the sand mound, the pond, the moss, the vegetation, and of course the Silver Pavilion. There were more tourists here than Chion-in or Nansen-ji but wasn't overwhelming. Our visit lasted 45 minutes.

Next we headed for the bus stop for Bus 203 to Gion.

to be continued...

Day 7 - Kyoto (East)
Part 2

Picking up where I left off, we were on the bus from Ginkaku-ji to Gion district, as we have tickets for the 4:30pm Miyako Odori performance. I can't remember which price category our tickets were, quite possibly the middle, which were ¥6000pp. Our seats were downstairs, front row of the rear section on the side. They were v good seats and we had excellent view. We picked up the English translation audio guide (¥800 each) which I highly recommend. The audioguide provides live commentary of the entire performance, timed to each dance, so we can understand the context much better. The audioguide starts before the performance too - it gives a history of Miyako Odori and the kyoto geishas.

We all enjoyed it a lot - once again thank you to whomever Fodorite who recommended it - including my son. They performed 8 dances total, each has a different story, with beautiful costumes and backdrops. The instruments are interesting too.

When it was over, I checked on google to see where we can go for an early dinner nearby. I had a hankering for sashimi, given that we haven't had any since our second night here. This led us to Hako no Sushi Iroakari, tucked on the 4th floor in a building on a side street. We didn't have a reservation but since it was still early (before 6pm), they seated us. Husband and I each got one of their box sushi (deluxe) which they are famous for. The fish is super fresh and tasty; they also have 5 different types of soy sauce one can choose from. Our son had the children's udon plus an order of wagyu beef and ate a few pieces of my sushi. Dinner was ¥10450

After dinner we walked over to Yasaka Shrine, which I know is lit up at night. We made our way through it and back to Maruyama Park where we were earlier in the day. From there we walked over to Kodai-ji, the only remaining site that still has Spring nighttime illuminations (through Golden week). The walk through the streets at night in Kyoto is really peaceful and beautiful. And Kodai-ji is wonderfully lit up. Inside the main building looking out to the courtyard, is a 5-min sound and light show. We really enjoyed the whole experience of seeing a temple at night. Finally we found a nearby bus stop and caught a bus back to Kyoto Station bus terminal. We were back 12 hours after where we started this morning, 11 miles later. Yes my feet are tired.

~ End of Day 7 ~

Pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera

My son checking out the crowds behind us

Kiyomizu zaka, the Main Street leading up to Kiyomizu -dera, packed with tourists at 10am

Mitarashi Dango rice dumplings

Chion-in temple

My husband's Rokakku bento at lunch

Aqueduct at Nanzen-ji

The Philosopher's Path

Soft serve served in a cream puff, just outside Ginkaku-ji

Sand mound at Ginkaku-ji

Moss at Ginkaku-ji

Beautiful day at Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto

View from our seats inside the beautiful theater for Miyako Odori

Box sushi for dinner at Iroakari

Yasaka shrine lit up at night

Closeup of lanterns at Yasaka shrine

Entrance to Kodai-ji for their nighttime illumination

Courtyard where the music and light show takes place

Such a different atmosphere visiting at night

Walking through the bamboo grove at Kodai-ji

Really enjoying your report! Thanks!
And I agree about escalators/elevators. They're there, but not always easy to get to and there's often a wait for the elevators. I was really glad I had a small suitcase.

Awesome photos. Kyoto is spectacular. And those treats...

The theatre seems like a wonderful experience. Thanks so much for the explanation. Kyoto is too marvelous!

And walking through a bamboo grove at night... wow. That's the way to do it.

Am happy that you enjoyed Miyako Odori, esp that your son enjoyed it. The MO is one of my top experiences in Japan, maybe ichiban. IIRC, you acted quickly to buy tix after learning about it. That was smart.

I recommend the book Geisha by Liz Dalby for anyone interested in learning about geisha. Dalby is a Canadian anthropologist who became a full geisha and lived the life in Pontocho, Kyoto.

The Pontocho hanamachi performs the Kamogawa Odori. The 186th Kamogawa Odori is being held May 1-24, 2025. Would love to attend that someday.

The Miyako Odori also goes back to 1872 which was four years after the Meiji Restoration.

Day 8, thursday, more of Kyoto

We showed up for hotel breakfast this AM at 7:30am - about an hour after they start service, thinking that people who eat at 6:30am should be done by now. We got in with no issue, and they charged my son the child price. (¥4950 total, a great deal!) The spread isn't as big as the APA but bigger than Hotel Vista in Tokyo. They have more Japanese breakfast items.

Our morning takes us westward over to Arashiyama. We took the San-in Line from Kyoto station and got off at Saga-Arashiyama station. From the station we hopped on a taxi for Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. The taxi ride was ¥1200 and took maybe 5-6 minutes. This was the advice I received online, taking the taxi up the hill, then walk your way down. That was definitely an excellent advice. We arrived at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji (¥1000) at 10am and there weren't many tourists. This might be my favorite temple of the trip, with its 1200 stone monk statues, where each one having a different appearance and expression. When we arrived many of the statues are still shaded, which comes out better in photos (a softer light) than later when they are in full sun. We really enjoyed looking at every one of them: some has a boxing glove, some are playing a reed instrument, some has a cat, some has a baseball bat etc etc. The moss growing on them also gives them funny hairstyles or facial hair. We spent almost an hour before leaving for our next stop: Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, which is a 10-min walk down the hill.

Adashino Nenbutsu-ji (¥1000) is known for their 8000 stone markers, but to us they are less interesting compared to the monk statues. But the temple also has a bamboo grove; while smaller and shorter than the Arashiyama bamboo grove, it is way way way less crowded in comparison. We spent about 30 minutes here.

Keep heading down the hill, 10 minutes later is our third stop, Gioji temple (¥700), which is pretty small but has a nice moss garden. Since we weren't going to Kokedera, Gioji is the next best thing. We probably spent 20 minutes here. They also have some bamboo grove as well. all 3 temples were pretty peaceful and not inundated with tourists.

We kept walking down the hill (really peaceful and quiet walk) and by then it was lunch time, and we picked a soba restaurant called Tsurezure. We were the first to arrive but it filled up with tourists pretty fast afterwards. My son had plain cold soba set, I had vegetarian hot soba set, and husband had a grilled fish (mackerel?) hot soba set. Lunch was ¥4000, cash-only.

If it were up to my son, he would have chosen to go back to the hotel and call it a day, as it was a warm and sunny day and he's tired and temple-ed out. But I managed to convince him to go see one more that is famous for the zen rock garden (Ryoan-ji), and he agreed.

To get to Ryoan-ji from Arashiyama, google map tells me to take the Randen rail line. To get to the Randen train station from where we were, we had to walk past Tenryu-ji (which I decided we will skip), and the instagram-famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. As you can imagine, the bamboo forest is packed with tourists. Interestingly there is a separate path reserved for the rickshaw, so if you want to enjoy the bamboo forest without 1000s of other tourists, you can splurge for a rickshaw ride.

After emerging from the bamboo forest, we got to the main thoroughfare near the Arashiyama Randen station. The street is full of shops and eateries and hopping with people. We were glad we grabbed lunch where we were earlier, which was a lot more peaceful.

to be continued...

I am fascinated by the sand mound!
Very glad to get the detailed ideas for Kyoto, you are a very good planner.

Day 8 Kyoto
Part 2

Continuing where I left off; we were at the Arashiyama Randen train station to take the train to Ryoan-ji.. the Randen trains are actually quite cute - but only 1 car so it fills up quickly. We had to take the A line and change for the B line for the Ryoan-ji station. I thought lots of people would get off there but it ended up just being us plus another small group.

The walk to Ryoan-ji takes about 5-6 minutes and is pretty tranquil; I was wondering where everyone else was, but we found them when we arrived at the temple. I'd say it's moderately busy in terms of tourist activity. (¥1500) The pond is quite pretty with wisteria blooming. Building-wise they all start to look v similar. The rock garden is... well it's a rock garden! I do like that they let you sit on the floor steps of building next to it so you can enjoy / meditate the rock garden. We do wonder how they manage to keep it pristine given the number of trees nearby!

It was close to 3pm when we were done at Ryoan-ji, and my son was really done. But then I told him that Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) isn't too far from here, and doesn't he want to see it too? He agreed and I said let's take a taxi there instead of walking (~ 20 mins) since it's been a long day. Taxi fare ¥900

Not surprisingly, Kinkaku-ji is packed with tourists (¥1300). Even though it was slightly overcast, the Golden Pavilion is still stunning to look at, and my son was glad he saw it. From Kinkaku-ji, it is a trek to get back to our hotel, as it involves a bus and a subway. We got back to our hotel just before 5pm and it was time to do laundry again. The guys passed on the onsen but I decided to give the hotel onsen a try. At the 5pm hour, I had the entire place to myself. (our Osaka APA hotel also has an onsen, but with 2000+ rooms, it was rather busy based on our observation) It was nice to relax after so many days of walking 9+ miles.

None of us wanted to go far for dinner that evening, so we headed to the Avanti building across the street from our hotel to investigate the food options. All the restaurants are on the basement level. We ignored our son's protest and picked Chibo (a chain that serves okonomiyaki) since we haven't had okonomiyaki yet on our trip. (our son doesn't like eggs). Husband got a seafood one and mine had pork and noodles. We also shared a salad, while our son got some teppanyaki dumplings and grilled beef. Dinner was ¥7860

We *only* walked 7.6 miles today but many days of long sightseeing days of walking have caught up with us

~ End of Day 8 ~

Thank you Barbara! I enjoyed your TR from earlier this Spring.

Thank you shelemm, yes the nighttime temple visit was very memorable. During cherry blossom season, many more temples have night illumination! That must be quite a sight!

Yes, i'll admit that I was surprised my son enjoyed it so much. The English audioguide is key, I'm glad we rented it, as it kept him interested in the dances. I actually set an alert for myself to buy the Miyako Odori tickets! I'm pretty sure I bought them soon after booking opened.

Thank you and hope it's helpful! Among the 3 cities we visited, Kyoto gave me the biggest headache and took me the longest to plan our itinerary. There are far too many temples to see and they are quite spread out, so it was tough to pick and choose which ones to see in just 2 days while using our time most efficiently geographically.

November would be Gion Odori at Gion Kaikan performed by the Gion Higashi (Gion East) hanamachi.
Miyako Odori is at Gion Kobu Kaburenjo in May and performed by the Gion Kobu hanamachi.

Kyoto's 5 Geisha Districts, History, Festivals, Main Differences in Traditions, Crests - Tea Ceremony Japan Experiences MAIKOYA

I suppose that I forgot that there were two hanamachi in Gion. In olden days (maybe 40 or 50 or more years ago) the hanamachi would have been two different groups of women and girls but am guessing about that. Nowadays, I think the performers in those odori today could come from anywhere in Japan (I say this based on what I learned in Dalby's book).

I started reading Dalby's book Kimono in February. Unlike Geisha, I found Kimono difficult to read/follow. Maybe if you sew/sewed dresses or know more about garment construction than me then you might like it.

If you think kimono are beautiful and you are going to Kanazawa then you will want to visit a place where you can see kaga yuzen kimono.