Kyoto Part I

After we finished our exams at school and had the last inteviews with the teachers for this period, we went home and immediately started packing our backs. That same night we would take the night bus for a vacation in Kyoto! We had been looking forward to this trip; Kyoto is a very nice city and Daphne's parents and grandparents would join us there too. So, after a night sleeping in the bus, we went to meet them at Kyoto station. We hadn't seen them for half a year, so spending the week together was very nice. We even had an extra special occasion this week, as Daphne's grandmother celebrated her birthday during the vacation!

Family portrait at the Fushimi Inari Torii gates

We had been warned by friends that it was still rain season, and we should expect lots of rainy days in Kyoto. The whole family came prepared with rain boots and umbrella's, but it turned out we were very lucky this week! Even though the week before we came the weather was quite bad and the weather forecasts didn't look good, we had a week with lovely, sunny weather and no rain at all! (well, apart from an occasional shower in the night - but who cares about those?)

The Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama during "rain-season"

We had visited Kyoto before in 2010, but it was great to be back again. The contrast between Tokyo and Kyoto is extreme. The busy streets and subway stations suddenly become quiet, the big skyscrapers are turned into huge temple complexes, most shops in the centre close after 8 o'clock in the evening, and people walk much slower. After living in Tokyo for so long, you feel like you are visiting a beautiful small town when you take a holiday in Kyoto. Although it is still Japan's 7th largest city and has 1.5 million citizens, it feels so much more small and relaxed.

Maruyama Park, a peacefull and quiet park in the middle of Kyoto

Kyoto really is a beautiful city, full of history and with so many things to see that will impress you. For eleven centuries it was the capital of Japan and the emperor's residence, until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, after which the country's capital moved to Tokyo. Although fires, wars and earthquakes destroyed parts of Kyoto in the past, the city was largely spared from bombings during the Second World War because of it's cultural value. Therefore, Kyoto has an abundance of history, traditional neighbourhoods and old buildings, temples, shrines and gardens.

The Imperial Palace

We had a very busy schedule this week, and were able to see lots of the history of the city. Because we saw so much in this one week, we will make several updates so we can share with you all highlights from our vacation!

The Hojo Rock Garden in Nanzen-ji

The Sanmon Gate at Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji

The rock garden of Ryoan-ji

Ryoan-ji

The Bamboo Groves in Arashiyama