Japan 2018 Day 4: Kyoto & Osaka
DAY 4: 25 NOV 2018
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| Autumn colours at Eikando Temple |
Good morning!
We have just two places of interest to cover in Kyoto before leaving Osaka:
Philosopher's Walk
Eikando-ji
Do cover these two places together as the end of the Philosopher's Walk will lead you
to Eikando-ji.
We took bus 100 from Kyoto Station to Ginkaku-ji, which was the start of the Philosopher's Walk.
It was a long ride as it was one of the last stops on this line.
Most of the trees were unfortunately bare during our time as it was end of November.
The walk is best enjoyed during the cherry blossom season!
Nevertheless, there were some trees that spotted vibrant colours along the way.
Also, there were many local shops along the Philosopher's Walk which we explored.
There was a particular bag shop that we patronised and I bought a shiba inu pouch for 2,000 yen.
Expensive but I really like it!
Finally, we arrived at our final temple in Kyoto, Eikando-ji.
The entrance fee was the most expensive thus far, going at 1,000 yen per person.
But I must say, it was worth every single penny!
The colours have peaked and the temple grounds were surrounded by vibrant colours.
There were two key viewpoints, one of which overlooked the bridge.
As expected, it was filled with tourists and we had to do the hustling all over again.
The other famous viewpoint is from the Pagoda.
There wasn't much of a crowd as it requires some stamina and mobility.
The climb up was easy and the view was stunning!
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| View from the pagoda |
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| Fiery red maple leaves |
We definitely left the best for last.
Kyoto is definitely one of the best cities for fall foliage.
However, Vermont will always have a special place in my heart.
My first fall foliage experience which I will never forget.
On a side note, if you are thinking of visiting many temples in Kyoto,
do narrow down to 4 - 5 temples as you may feel a little numb after a while.
We only explored 4 temples, in fact mostly their gardens, and I thought that was enough.
I left out Kinkaku-ji, the famous golden pavilion, as we were exhausted and we probably
would not be able to appreciate its beauty.
So do plan carefully and be flexible!
After lunch, we left for Osaka via train.
To get to our next home, Osaka Teikoku Hotel,
we took the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Shin-Osaka and transferred to the Midosuji subway line.
Do note that you will need to exit the station when transferring to a subway line.
Also remember not to take the Shinkansen!
It will cost you a lot more!
Also remember not to take the Shinkansen!
It will cost you a lot more!
After a few stops, we finally arrived at Namba station.
From exit 25, we took a 10 minutes' walk and we arrived at our hotel.
I would highly recommend this hotel as it was walking distance from Orange Street,
Shinsaibashi Shopping Street and the famous Dotonbori.
Definitely saved some money on transportation due to its location!
Shinsaibashi was our first stop!
I love the shopping street!
Local stores and international brands can be found at the street.
We were lucky that day as the stores were all having Black Friday sales and
I managed to score a coat at Gu for 3,990 yen which could easily cost me at least S$100.
When we returned the next day, which was a Monday, the sales have ended!
We were lucky that day as the stores were all having Black Friday sales and
I managed to score a coat at Gu for 3,990 yen which could easily cost me at least S$100.
When we returned the next day, which was a Monday, the sales have ended!
Another enjoyable shopping experience here is that some of the stores are tax free shops,
where you do not need to pay for tax once you have hit the minimum spending.
where you do not need to pay for tax once you have hit the minimum spending.
Definitely saves the hassle of going to the tax refund counter at the airport!
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| Luke's Lobster |
We couldn't miss Luke's Lobster when we were there.
We ordered the regular sized lobster roll (980 yen) and the portion was more
generous that the one in Tokyo.
Furthermore, the queue was short!
We headed to the famous Dotonbori stretch after shopping.
Of course, we had to take pictures of the Glico man!
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| Takoyaki |
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| Ichiran Ramen |
And a must eat during our trip to Japan: Ichiran Ramen!
Missed it and still loving every single bit of it.
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