This morning we treated ourselves to a sleep-in before heading to Emmachi Station and on to Kyoto Station.
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| Our place of residence in Kyoto |
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| The walk to Emmachi Station |
The train was seriously packed when we hopped on and there was standing room only. However, with each stop towards Kyoto, more people packed in until it got to the stage that everyone was interlocked. I reckon that Sardines have more room to spare in those little tin cans. We got off the train at Kyoto, only to realise that we didn’t need to take this particular journey, rather, we should have taken the next train going the other direction when we left Emmachi Station. So we got back on the same train and headed in the opposite direction to Arashiyama Station.
On arrival at Arashiyama Station, we were greeted by a quaint little town with an old steam train on display.
We then commenced our walk towards the Sagano Bamboo Forrest. The walk took us through some back lanes and into a little town precinct filled with tourist shops and food stalls.
We then crossed the busy road and headed into the Bamboo Forrest. The Bamboo Forrest has been referred to as one of the most beautiful groves on Earth and is famous for its rustling sounds caused by the wind blowing through the grove and causing the bamboo plants to sway against each other. Unfortunately there was no wind today, so just the sounds of chatty tourists (like us) to be heard. It was also interesting to see the Rickshaws with their drivers (or runners) and passengers trying to navigate the crowds walking through the forrest.
At the other end of the forrest we decided to keep walking through a quaint little town towards the Tenryū-ji Temple. Unfortunately our busy schedule meant that all we could do was get to the entrance and then head back, for there was much to be done.
Interestingly, in Japan, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are often situated near bamboo groves, which are viewed as a clever means of warding off evil, while the bamboo is seen as a symbol of strength.
We retraced our steps back through the quaint little town, through the Bamboo Forrest, past the little town precinct, though the back lanes and back to Arashiyama Station.
We then took the next train to Kyoto Station with the journey taking around 20 minutes. We then set about our next walking journey to the Kyoto Rail Museum. The walk took us nearly half-an-hour, but was quite scenic and really highlighted the beautiful colours of Autumn.
Normally, trains are not really my thing, but this was so much better than I had imagined. Opened in April 2016, the Museum has numerous displays and an incredible collection of Steam engines. It has everything to the very first Japan Rail trains, through to the latest Shinkansen Bullet trains. There are 53 historically significant trains in its collection, but the most amazing thing from my perspective was the railway round-house which houses 20 steam engines in immaculate condition.
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| The Round House which houses 20 Steam Engines |
After spending way more time here than we had initially thought, we headed off retracing our steps witnessing more Autumn beauty on the way back to Kyoto Station.
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| Beautiful Autumn colours |
We stopped for some lunch along the way and on arriving at Kyoto Station we boarded the Nara train and headed to Inari Station to view the Fishimi Inari Taisha Shrine.
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| On the train to Inari Station |
The shrine sits at the base of Mount Inari and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines. We only walked a portion of the journey. On the journey you pass through many rows of giant traditional Japanese gates called Torii. The Torii symbolically mark the transition from the profane to sacred. Each of the Torii have been donated by Japanese businesses and there are more than 10000 of these on the trail. Inari is the god of rice, but merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshiped Inari as the patron of business.
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| A giant Torii |
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| Washing hands for good luck |
On the way back from the main Shrine, we meandered past a number of stalls selling food, souvenirs and other products.
We then boarded the train back towards Kyoto stopping along the way to check out the Higashiyama District which is also referred to as the Old Town, however, there was still some travel required to get to the Old Town and for some of us sore feet and sore backs wanted to curtail this activity. After a brief discussion Kyle and Jen decided to visit the Higashiyama District together, whilst Maureen, Sky and I headed back home.
The Higashiyama District is one of the Kyoto's best preserved historic districts and is intended to provide the experience of traditional old Kyoto. The district comprises narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops to provide a feeling of the old capital city. Kyle and Jen decided to walk to the Higashiyama district from the train station which took them about 20 minutes each way and they thought it was really awesome.
Coincidentally, dinner was had by all of us back at the same restaurant in Emmachi, albeit at two different sittings. We all got back home tired after a full day and ready for our next adventure which commences with our journey to Tokyo tomorrow.
