Japan is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world. With many extraordinary places to visit, nobody will ever get bored in the Rising Sun country. Japan is famous for its impressive mountains, one of the best tasting cuisine, especially the authentic sushi, and the mixture of chaotic cities with traditional villages. And although most of the tourists prefer metropolitan areas such as Tokyo or Osaka, Kyoto offers a unique japanese experience. If you are wondering where to stay in Kyoto, you can either make Downtown Kawaramachi or Gion as your home base
Short Info About Kyoto
Kyoto lies on a island (Honshu) in the Kansai region and is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture. Together with Kobe and Osaka, Kyoto forms part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area. The population of the city is 1.45 million people as of 2021, making it more than half of the prefecture’s population.
Kyoto is best known for its Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples which are giving you the impression that you traveled back in time. Kyoto is also the city of landscaped gardens and geishas which are the opposite of the more crowded Harajuku and Akihabara areas. Basically Kyoto is the embodiment of traditional Japan.
A little forgotten fact about Kyoto is that it was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, until the power switched from the Shogun to the Emperor. Maybe that’s why a lot of people think of Kyoto as the historical capital of present day Japan. And they have all the rights to do it, since Kyoto houses the most beautiful gardens and temples from all Japan.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
The weather in Japan can be very tricky from time to time, and such planning your trip cautiously is the most important thing you need to do. The ideal period of time when Kyoto can be visited is usually during the Spring, especially from April to May. Autumn is also a good time for planning your travel, as the weather is starting to change the landscape into something beautiful.
The spectacle of Spring comes up with the plentitude of cherry blossom whites and pinks as you may have seen in nearly every japanese TV show or anime. The Fall colors are vivid red and orange with some nuances of yellow. You will think that you have stepped in a fairy tale-like dimension.
How Much Should You Stay in Kyoto?
A difficult question indeed, as Kyoto is a very big city and has many places that are worth seeing. The answer is that you should stay as much as possible. Make sure you have enough time so you don’t miss anything important.
Some of the “must-see” attractions are the above mentioned Buddhist temples, Japanese gardens and Shinto shrines. You will also find a high number of Japanese restaurants and traditional ryokan where you can stay by the night. Kyoto is also the ideal place to shop for souvenirs. There you can find many traditional japanese handmade toys and also the newest japanese toy sensation, nanoblock bricks, that are similar to LEGO. And if you still haven't decided on what to visit, then there you can check a Kyoto itinerary.
Kyoto’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
You can’t visit Kyoto without sparing some time to visit Kinkaku-ji. The Golden Pavilion is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and probably the favourite attraction from the city. The temple is covered with golden leaves, which has an outstanding beauty when the sun sheds a light on it. The temple is considered so beautiful that in the past one monked tried to burn it down.
Another interesting site to visit is the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is one of the most known landmarks from Kyoto. The most impressive thing about this shrine is the thousands of torii gates of a vivid orange color that cover the trail up to the sacred Mount Inari. The good thing about this hiking trail is that you can rest on the road and enjoy a bowl of kitsune udon or some sushi, which are the specialties of this shrine.
Is Japan a Safe Destination?
As japanese culture is all about honesty and respect, Japan is considered a fairly safe place. The crime rate is very low, only exceptional cases make the newspapers. If you follow the normal conduite then everything should be fine. An important thing to do is to get travel insurance. This will help protect you against misfortuned accidents or losing valuable objects such as passports. You can get travel insurance very easily online.
