Fushimi Inari Shrine 6:00 am | Day 3 | Kyoto Day 3 in Kyoto and we woke up very early. The weather was better than the day before - though a bit cloudy. It was nonetheless, a perfect day to cope up with our missed itinerary. Our plan was to visit 3 places - 2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon....

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Gion District 8 am | Day 2 | Kyoto When travelling, one should be flexible with his schedule since weather can be unpredictable at times. That happened on our second day in Kyoto. We were awakened by a heavy rainfall that day. We were supposed to see more of Kyoto’s historical places but because of that we had to change our plans. ...

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Yasaka Shrine "Yasaka Shrine, also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion District and Higashiyama District, and is often visited by tourists walking between the two districts.." [ref: japan-guide.com] 4:30 pm | Day 1 | Kyoto | <R> Yasaka Shrine during blue hour. After we had a short rest in...

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Nanzenji Temple "Nanzenji Temple, whose spacious grounds are located at the base of Kyoto's forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan. It is the head temple of one of the schools within the Rinzai sect of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, that make the already large complex of temple buildings even larger." [ref: japan-guide.com] 2:30 pm | Day 1...

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Eikando Temple "Eikando, formally known as Zenrinji Temple, belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji, Eikando is very famous for its autumn colors and the evening illuminations that take place in fall. The temple has a long history, and there are a variety of buildings and a pond garden that visitors can explore." [ref: japan-guide.com] 1:00...

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Ginkakuji "Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490." [ref: japan-guide.com] 9:30 am | Day 1 | Kyoto |...

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After a long day of travel, we woke up energized to start our day. Since Kyoto has too many places to visit, we sorted it by area. Day 1 is on the east side. Full of enthusiasm, we headed on our first stop. Heian Shrine <R> The entrance of the shrine with it's captivating colors. "The shrine was built on the occasion of...

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Japan has always been in our list of places to go but we were always hesitant to apply for a visa because of the requirements. We have tried many times going to travel agencies to inquire and when the long list comes, we get discouraged because we lack some of the requirements. It just so happens that we read a blog on how...

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