A rainy day in Kyoto - Japan at Cherry Blossom 2023 - 8
23.03.2023 - A rainy day in Kyoto
Weather: gray-in-drab in the morning, rain (partly strong) from 10am till 6pm, after that a mix from dry to heavy rain
Walking distance: 22 km
The plan for today is to start early. First, because I want to visit the bamboo forest [↗] which will be super crowded during the day, and second because the weather forecast says "rain starting in the morning and increasing till late afternoon".
So I leave the hotel at 6:05am and walk to Kyoto station [↗]. This is again a huge complex with several parts and transport companies serving it. It takes me a while to get to the right track. I take the local train to Arashiyama, from where I walk directly on to the Bamboo Forest.
By the time I get there, it's about 7:15. Because of the weather, it is still quite dark. Of course I'm not alone, but there are only a few people including a couple with a photographer taking wedding photos. The famous part with the long alley is surprisingly short, maybe some 200 meters. It's one of those typical must-see places, even though there are better ones elsewhere. I still remember the bamboo forest on Hawaii with the thick bamboo trunks bending in the wind and making noise. But ok that might be an unfair comparison.
I stroll a bit around toward the observatory. On the way there I find a nice park with quite some cherry trees and a woman playing the flute. I leave the park and walk in the direction of Togetsu-kyo Bridge. According to the descriptions I read before, it is supposed to be something special. Why, however, is not clear to me.
Nearby is the Kimono forest [↗]. This is something I found on the internet just before leaving Germany. At a local train station (a different one than the one I arrived at) an artist has set up steles made of plexiglass. Inside is fabric usually used for kimonos. Each stele has a different pattern. When it is dark, they are lit from inside. Even in today's gray weather, some lights are still on. I walk around and take a few photos from different angles.
Right across the street is Tenryu-ji [↗] with its famous garden, which belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". You have to pay entrance fee for the garden and buildings separately, but as you can see most of the buildings from the garden, I save my time and money and visit only the garden. It's really a beautiful one with large cherry trees in full bloom. At 9am the tour busses arrive and it's getting full, but I already finished my tour.
Nearby is a sign to the Hogonin Temple. In front of it is a Buddha garden with many Buddha statues in different poses. I do not enter the temple area. It's mainly another garden with a steep entrance fee.
At 9:45am it starts to drizzle. I buy a coffee and something to eat at Lawson, a convenience store like 7/11, or Family Mart. I start to walk towards another temple I have on my list (in this area are many of them). It's a little further away and on the way there it starts to rain harder and after a while, it's like Kamakura. But I learned my lesson and do not try to force the visit of the temple, but put the rain cover over the backpack and turn around.
The train to Kyoto just left, but there is another one 20 minutes later. In Kyoto station, I leave via the main gate to take some shots of the entrance hall. I also take a look at the Isetan department store located there, but nothing is calling "take me home".
It is still raining cats and dogs, so I go back to the hotel. It's shortly before 1pm and I already have 13.5km on my watch.
The rain is supposed to stop at 6pm, so I leave the hotel a little earlier and indeed it's just drizzling a bit. I want to go to Gion to take some night shots. On the way it starts to rain more intense again and as I pass a nice-looking restaurant I decide to have an early dinner (although - it's 6:30pm, so not that early). Most of the tables are reserved, but I'm early enough to get a seat.
It is a fusion restaurant of Japanese and European cuisine. The waiter is a young guy from Europe who wants to attend a Japanese cooking school as soon as his Japanese is good enough. I have a Fish Teriyaki which turns out to be salmon and tastes great.
When I leave, the rain has stopped and I continue my walk. On the way to Gion, I find a street along a canal with beautifully illuminated cherry trees.
In Gion, I walk down the main street towards Yasaka shrine. This is the only temple that is illuminated. I try Kodai-ji temple and Hokan-ji temple, both closed and the surrounding area barely lit. On top, it starts to rain more severely again.
It's past 8pm anyhow and I have some 40 minutes back to the hotel. Plus, I should have some nice shots from the alley with the cherry blossom trees. So I turn around and head for the hotel.
