Japan has a very interesting history. Please check out this video for a brief and very funny overview.
We decided to visit Tokyo and Kyoto. The two cities that couldn't be further apart from each other. One is a mega city with about 35 million people living and working there. It seems we saw each and everyone of them. They all navigated trains and other "obstacles" with ease.
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| Tokyo by Night |
Instead of valet parking your car, our shoes were valeted when we arrived, since everyone leaves there shoes outside the guesthouse. When we went for a walk late at night, our shoes were ready for us. Don't ask me how they knew which shoes belong to which guest ... without a ticket.
Most people have seen torii gates, a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of a shrine. One of the probably most photographed torii in the US is found at Epcot. However, there is no comparison what Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto has to offer. There are a vermillion torii gates that eventually lead to the shrine. A wonderful experience to walk all the way around. Tip: get up early in the morning and you won't see that many people, if you want to take a nice shot.
On the other side, wait until late afternoon to visit the golden temple so that you can fully appreciate the colors of this magnificent structure when the sunlight creates a reflection in the pond.
Despite (or maybe because) of the dense population in Japan, it was our experience that they are very friendly, kind and absolutely organized. There are so many other sites that we didn't see, I doubt that this will remain the only time we go there.
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| Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine |
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| Kinkaku-ji |
