Bullet Train from Tokyo to Kyoto
Metro in Kyoto
Traditional Japanese dinner
Gion District
Restaurants lining the walkway in Gion
Busy streets of Gion
Temple in Gion
Hotel Brighton
Very spacious room at Hotel Brighton
Transition day for us today. We awoke in Tokyo and tonight we end the day in Kyoto. After a few great touring days in the Japanese capital city, today we took a 2 hr, 20min bullet train (high-speed train) to the city of Kyoto.
Kyoto is south of Tokyo - very near the much larger city of Osaka, Japan. Kyoto itself has about 1.5 million people - significantly smaller in population than Tokyo. Kyoto has more of a traditional and cultural feel about the city. We had an 11:30am departure train - so the morning was mostly spent packing and then getting a nice breakfast before departure.
Upon arrival into Kyoto, we took a metro to the closest stop by our hotel. Unfortunately, our hotel is several blocks away from the nearest metro. We struggled a bit - but were able to get our heavy bags through the city streets and sidewalks to the Kyoto Brighton Hotel. A couple good samaritans gave an assist by providing directions on our walk.
Wow! That's my impression of our new hotel. The staff ran out the door to grab our bags. They were so helpful and all spoke English. We were again escorted to our room and introduced to the features, lights, etc. This room is very spacious - allowing us to really spread out our gear.
A few things to note about the Japanese culture:
(1) Very respectful --- people line up at the train station, they adhere to all road signals (even waiting to cross a side street with no traffic), they bow after communications. Ex: A couple of days ago, I went to buy a pass to the sky deck at the Mori Tower. I had mistakenly not provided the agent with the correct change. I just waited for her to take the money and give me the pass. The agent just stood and folded her hands very peacefully. About 30 seconds later - I realized I was short on the fare. She did not want to disrespect me by telling me I was incorrect on my money - she just waited.
(2) No tipping. Everyone appears to go out of their way to be helpful - and accept no tip in return.
(3) Organized/Clean - streets are manicured and clean. Very orderly
After a little rest and some research in our room, we decided to head out for dinner in the Gion District. We took a free shuttle to the metro and than walked a very popular section of town. We found a great spot off the main street. This was my first very traditional Japenese meal. We had to take off our shoes and then crawled into this smaller table seating area. The table was separated by a screen from the other tables in the restaurant. The food was outstanding! We had some great appetizers and than I had a rice/beef meal. Really good and very filling.
We next walked the streets of the Gion District - red and white paper lanterns decorating the walkways. We must have passed over a hundred restaurants. Several of which outlined this stream that ran through the town. There was a nice walking path that we strolled on after dinner. The night was perfectly calm and cool, with a nice breeze. The Gion Disrict is a cultural area where you can see the famous geishas - women who are trained in traditional music and dance and entertain at private parties. It certainly is a tourist destination and a great evening location to visit upon arriving in Kyoto.
We grabbed an ice cream cone and headed back to the hotel after a few hours of walking and seeing the sites. Until tomorrow - good night from central Japan.
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