Everything You Need To Know About Kyoto

Above, Kyoto Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For a great change of pace from the hustle & bustle of Tokyo, a trip down to Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto is just the thing.

I have been in Kyoto twice and enjoyed it both times. I definitely recommend a visit.

The Telegraph (U.K.) has an article on everything you need to known about Kyoto.

It begins with;

A red-lipped, kimono-clad geisha vanishing around a corner. Riverside cherry trees bursting into cloudlike bloom. Zen gardens with raked sand and haiku-inspiring rock formations. There are perhaps few more evocative city names than “Kyoto”. While Tokyo is all high-speed trains, flashes of neon and skyscrapers, Kyoto moves to an altogether different rhythm. 

A calming antidote to the futuristic capital, Kyoto is synonymous with ancient temples, tea ceremony masters, traditional ryokan inns and centuries-old craftsmanship.

For monster fans, an additional reason to visit Kyoto is to see places featured in the movies. Kyoto Tower was blasted by Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1984) and Kiyomizu-dera was featured briefly in the same movie. In Gamera 3 (1999), JR Kyoto Station was the battleground of Gamera and Irys.

Above, the cavernous interior of the JR Kyoto Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

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