For more than 1,000 years, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. It is about 280 miles or three hours by bullet train (Shinkansen) from Tokyo, the new capital, and one hour from the nearest international airport of Kansai in Osaka.
Kyoto Station connects subways, buses, JR lines and local trains. It may seem complicated at first, but if you use buses for temples, subways for down town, and trains for longer field trips, you should not have a problem.
For independent travelers looking for real beds, a full kitchen and a washer/dryer, the oddly named “Monday Apart Premium Kyoto Station” Hotel is the perfect base for exploring Kyoto. It’s a 10-to 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station, in a safe neighborhood with a market nearby, a temple and a bus stop opposite; the Kyoto Aquarium is within walking distance.
There are more than 1,000 Japanese gardens, traditional wooden houses, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to see. Check out the Kinkaku-ji Zen Temple (Golden Pavilion), covered in gold leaf, or the Yasui Konpiragu Good Luck Shrine with its monument covered with paper charms called o-fuda. Legend has it that by crawling through from the front holding your paper charm, bad luck, bad relationships, bad habits, etc., will leave you, and crawling back the other way brings good luck. This is Enkiri Enmusubi Ishi, literally the “severing of connections,” and sells a lot of charms. The busy Nishiki Food Market offers a wide variety of local specialties and is a good place for lunch after exploring the architecture and nightingale floors of Nijo Castle.
In the southern part of Kyoto is the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, famous for its thousands of red torii gates painted with commercial logos, and overlooking the city with its wooden stage is the Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
For adventurous travelers, take a scenic ride on the Sagano Romantic Train to Arashiyama, walk through towering bamboo groves, or visit the Tenryuji Temple, where Muso Soseki landscaped its garden, then stroll along the Hozugawa (Hozu) River and enjoy a drink overlooking the Togetsukyo Bridge.
Visit the Maiko-Geiko Museum at Gion Corner to see tea ceremonies and geisha performances. Traditional tea houses on Hanamikoji’s Street, or the shops and cafes that line Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka’s old streets, along with the Yasaka Shrine, all offer a more traditional side to Japan.
Try formal kaiseki dining, a meal of many small courses served in a specific order, while being entertained by geikos in beautiful kimonos accompanied by traditional Japanese music from nearby Gion, or Hanami-koji alley. Today, the word geiko (geisha) literally means “art person,” a professional woman who entertains businessmen at parties or tourists in restaurants and teahouses.
Originally, geisha – professional entertainers – were male aids working for high ranking courtesans and elite women of pleasure, telling stories, dancing, and hosting tea ceremonies for their guests of the Tokugawa shogun’s court. The first female geiko (geisha) appeared in 1751, combining all the entertaining talents, and they became very popular. By the mid-1800s, they had replaced men. Working for an Okiya madam, they started as maiko (trainees) and were often indentured from a very early age. In 1956, the practice of “mizuage” (bidding for the virginity of a maiko, in training) ended.
Kyoto has five Okiya madams, and a maiko’s training starts at 15 to 17 years old (the age of consent rose from 13 to 16 last year). They are not allowed to marry or have boy friends, children or be involved intermittently with clients. Best of all, maiko are not allowed to own or use smartphones. Geisha are rarely seen outside their living area, and most sightings are tourists dressed up for the day, a practice known as henshin. Try wagyu beef, particularly the A5 grade, which is known for its intense marbling and buttery texture.