Why?Who? When? How?

Why

Many people may think that visiting Tokyo is the best way to know Japan. However the best way to discover the “real Japan” is to visit Kyoto as it is formerly the imperial capital of Japan. I heard from my Japanese friend said that Kyoto is very pretty especially in autumn. So I decide to do some research on website and I found that visiting Kyoto will be my dream vacation and I decide to there for 4 days.

Who

 To visit a gorgeous and relaxing place, I decide to go with my sister Kaitlin. I knew that she love Japanese things so much. For instance, clothes, songs, food, etc. We can do so many sightseeing too. For example, ride the boat, see the illuminations of the fall leaves, taste the delicious food. I would love to enjoy a good and wonderful trip with her.

When

We will be taking this trip to go to Kyoto when we graduate our 4^th year of university on November. I choose this time because autumn is the most beautiful season in Kyoto. The leaves are turning to crimson red and the illuminations of fall leaves will only show on November. Finally, the weather will be suitable because it will not be too hot or humid and it will not rain as much as spring and summer.

How

Flight: Toronto --> San Francisco (transfer flight) -->Osaka

Train: Osaka --> Kyoto

Preparations before departure

I will research for the major tourist attractions in Kyoto. Then I will discuss with Kaitlin that the place we both want to go together.

Secondly, we will also purchase travel insurance by Travel Cuts. It is $CAN25/ person as we will be travelling overseas. 


We will bring our digital camera because this would be our first time to take a long flight and travel to Asia. We would of course want to save our precious moments  on photos.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a fixture in the minds of the Japanese people. It is a Buddhist temple named from a waterfall. It is built in year 778 which is 1233 years old! This building is also a national treasure. 

When I go there, I can stand on the top of the hill and see the whole view of the city.  

I can also relax and feel the nature of Japan. Also, I can drink water from the falls as it is said to have therapeutic properties. I can join their culture and pray too. This can deepen my understanding of the Japanese culture and spirit.

Arashiyama

Arashiyama is the western outskirts of Kyoto. Natural beauty is one of the main attractions of Arashiyama.

As Arashiyama is very big, I can take the tram follows the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. There is glass rooftop of the tram and it allows me to see the view of the area's beauty. After we get off the tram, we can stroll through a bamboo grove which is a particularly enchanting experience too.

Tenryu-ji Temple is in Arashiyama. It is also a national treasure like Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It is famous of its mirror-like reflection of the surrounding maple trees and large rocks. The temple's garden is also a scenic delight and contains in its grounds a charming teahouse. This is a peaceful place to visit.

Sagano Romantic Train Illuminations

In daylight, the colors of the changing leaves may be brilliant, but when illuminated against the night sky they produce a totally different atmosphere.

The “Sagano Romantic Train” is a sightseeing train that links up Torokko Saga Station and Torokko Kameoka Station. When we take the train we can see the autumn color in a unique beauty appearance.

Central Kyoto

Kyoto Nishiki Food Market

Kyoto Nishiki Food Market is the traditional Japanese market. It has a nickname “Kitchen of Kyoto." There are lots of restaurants and the stores selling the snacks. For example, small seafood snacks, Japanese bread.

Shinkyogoku-dori street

This shopping district consists of numerous gift shops. I can buy lots of souvenirs there. This is one of the enjoyable parts of the trip. The small gift from Japan is very delicate and lovely.

Gion

This district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine.  It becomes one of the most exclusive and well-known maiko districts in Japan.  Maiko will perform songs, dances, and playing the shamisen for visitors at a feast.

Japanese Food

When we talk about Japanese food, most of us will only think of sushi and udon. However, there are many different varieties of Japanese food which are very delicious.

Chado

Chado (tea ceremony) is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism. Powdered green tea is prepared by adding hot water and mixing it with a bamboo whisk. This is the art of performance.

Kaiseki

This is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner and it is a fancy meal served at banquets. The famous restaurant to eat Kaiseki is Tsujitome.

Yu Do-fu

Yu do-fu is one of the feature winter dishes of Kyoto. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curd into blocks. We can experience the famous "Nanzenji Dofu” at Nanzen-ji Temple.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food that consists of batter and cabbag. It is like the Japanese pizza. At some of these restaurants the dining tables are each equipped with an iron griddle. We can cook it by ourselves.

Cost

 (in CAN$ per person)

Currency: 100yen= 1.34CAN

Travel Cost:

Return Flight: Toronto to Osaka, Japan. $1122.6

Return Jr Train: Osaka to Kyoto $14.47

Kyoto Subway One Day Card $600yen X 4days= $32.16

Accommodation:

Station Ryokan Sparkling Dolphins Kyoto Hotel : $50 per night X 3= $150

Food and Beverage:

Meal $200

Activity:

Entrance Fee: $26.8

Miscellaneous:

Souvenir and gift: $100

Total: (1122.6+14.47+32.16+150+200+100+ 26.8)= $1646.03