Well, I can't believe it but I am off to Japan tomorrow! I have found out that we are going to go to Ginza on Monday, but very quickly, so if I can I will go and have a look, but I'm not expecting to buy anything!
mooseontheloose/Rachelle, I believe if you are in Kyoto? If you see a bunch (70 or so) of Australians at any time on Wednesday evening to Friday morning, say Hi! I'll be the one with the shirt
Really starting to get excited!
Cheers
Hoffy,
Looks like you'll have some nice weather when you are here (partly sunny/cloudy) - it's too bad you are only here for a short time! So it looks like you only have one full day (and two nights) in Kyoto? Do you have to stick with the group or can you go one your own? You can probably see a lot in one day if you time things correctly - I wouldn't necessarily try to get off the beaten track since that usually takes a bit more time, unless, of course there is something specific you want to photograph. I'm sure you've done your research but here's a few more suggestions:
- during most of November to early December, a number of shrines and temples will be open at night for special night light ups. If you scroll to the bottom of this
link you can find a list of the most popular ones.
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Kiyomizudera is one of my favourite temples, but it is currently going a big restoration so any number of the large buildings are under wraps, and there is limited access to the grounds as well. It's still worth going, but not necessarily for photography (even though it is a famous place for fall colours I think you're a bit too early for them). It also opens really early, and if you go there between 6 and 7 in the morning you'll have it almost to yourself, with only a handful of locals (and monks) there. Many of the locals go early to stock up on the water from the falls there.
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Fushimi Inari Shrine is a fun place to visit, and is open 24 hours a day. As a result, if you go early in the morning, or in the evening when the other places are closed, you'll mostly have it to yourself. After about 9 a.m. the tourist hoards descend.
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Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillon) has nice gardens (nicer than Kinkakuji) and is not as busy in the morning as other places. It opens at 8:30 a.m. and if you get there before a bit before it opens you can watch the gardeners rake the rock gardens before they open the doors.
-From Ginkakuji you walk down the
Philosopher's Path and/or visit the temples and shrines along it, which ends at Nanzenji Temple. Just south of the temple is the old aqueduct that used to bring water in from Lake Biwa in Shiga to Kyoto. It's interesting to visit and go up the incline - good if you are a bit burnt out from shrines and temples as it's something a bit different. Plus, from there you can hop on the subway at Keage station to move on from there.
-One of my favourite temples is
Daigo-ji, which is a World Heritage Site (and near where I live) - it rarely shows up in any tourist literature (or maps, since it's in the southern part of Kyoto). As a result it's not as busy as other places and most of the tourists that do go there are Japanese. It's a very large site, and you can hike up the mountain behind it, if you have the time and/or inclination. It's an easy five-minute walk east of Daigo subway station.
Normally I stay away from large groups, which now, with the current tourist boom in Japan (and Kyoto specifically), means I rarely go anywhere near the main sites anymore because it's just not worth the stress and hassle. However, a large group of Aussies would be pretty fun to run into! Unfortunately I will be working on all of the days you are visiting. I hope you have a great time though, and hopefully it will inspire you to come again for a bit of a longer trip!
