There are many types of food to explore in Kyoto and we love all of it. We had the gift of time, which allowed us to scope out many restaurants and make reservations for later dates. If you don’t have the time for that, you can either plan a day early in your visit where you go to these places and make reservations for later in your visit, or ask your hotel to reserve for you. You may want to be more spontaneous. We certainly found some great places by just walking in and ge

Things that make sense in Japan? We've got you covered: bathrooms, restaurant reservations, transportation, visas, phone cards and more. Isn't Japan Really Expensive? Not necessarily. Even when exchange rates were seriously not in the favor of US dollars, we found some key ways to keep expenses low. Use a business hotel : our choice has usually been Toyoko Inn , but there are several brands that are similar, such as Dormy Inn , Tokyu Stay and Daiwa Roynet . These are often a

​1) Heian Shrine (Heian-jingu) This is a large temple complex in Higashiyama north of Yasaka-jinja built in 1895 to commemorate the...

Sanjocho Neighborhood We mostly explored food and necessities in Sanjocho (google map location), but there are also many clothing,...

Running in Kyoto There are two places in central Kyoto that I found good for running: the grounds of the Imperial Palace (aka...

Neighborhoods in Kyoto One of our long-term ideas is to spend 1-3 months a year in Japan – we love the food, culture and lifestyle. So,...

Arashiyama Arashiyama is a region of west Kyoto with many temples, shrines and other attractions. It’s a great day trip from central...