3 Tips For Your First Time In Kyoto, the city of wonders and beauty

Have you ever visited a place for the first time and immediately thought to yourself, “I will be back here one day.”?

This is exactly how I felt this summer on our stay in Kyoto.

Kyoto was THAT place for me.

The place where, only a few months into our Asian experience, I understood more fully just how much these years and this place will change me.

Once the capitol of Japan (for more than 1’000 years!), Kyoto still thrives as a cultural pulse of the country.

It is widely estimated that there are around 2’000 temples and shrines in Kyoto, including 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

You feel this. There is a calm and, at the same time, an electricity that surrounds you, one that comes from a city so richly steeped in history and stories. Needless to say, I was quite excited at the thought of taking on such a city as a tourist.

The Fushimi Inari temple from ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’…. this walk continues for kilometres, up the mountain. One day, I hope to go back and complete it.

The bamboo grove in Arashiyama was an afterthought, but well worth the detour. The peace and austerity was incredible.

ORGANISE YOURSELF!

I am not sure why, but I was absolutely convinced that Kyoto was a manageable-on-foot kind of a place.

As I planned our journey, I learned that I was grossly mistaken. Kyoto is Japan’s ninth largest city by population, with nearly 1.5 million inhabitants.

Kyoto has a multi-faceted industry structure which has managed to promote cutting edge businesses to coexist side by side with traditional trades, such as textiles and ceramics.

To further dispel my cosy-village scenario, Kyoto is home to many international conferences each year and is a major global player in the movement to “live sustainably”.

In learning these surprising facts about Kyoto, I realised that my plan to rock up and have a look around would not be wise!

You have to decide what you want to see – make a plan. And to help you with this, get a guide. We used MK Kyoto.

While this might seem over-the-top or simply unnecessary, remember, Kyoto is big. The sites and sounds are all spread throughout the city and you will spend loads of time navigating, driving, parking and generally worried about the logistics.

Or, you can send a list of the sites you want to see, have a communicative, helpful and pleasant MK representative plan a tour for you. (Even more spoiling is being dropped off in front of the shrine, e.g., to buy the tickets while your guide takes care of the car and meets you inside for your tour!)

We found it much more practical to leave this to the experts. MK Kyoto offers tours and options for all kinds of people and interests.

So many people were dressed in the traditional Kimono, with their hair up and decorated. It was beautiful. You can actually rent the costume in many shops throughout the city, which makes for a very festive tour.

SPIRITUALITY COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

Some things are bigger than ones self.

I get this feeling when I am standing by the sea. The ocean always makes me fee small, but in a comforting, inclusive way. I can only describe the way I felt in Kyoto as a part of something bigger, something old and something wise.

I didn’t even know the difference between a shrine and a temple when I arrived in Kyoto (simply put, a shrine is where one practices the Shinto religion and a temple, the Buddhist religion). But the spirituality that I experienced and took home with me is ever-lasting.

The temizuya” water pavilion at the entrance of the shrines.

This ritual is performed to purify the body and mind.

Here, you perform the ritual of “misogi,” before you stand in front of the deities.

AND, SOMETIMES, IT IS OK TO INDULGE

We knew that Kyoto would be hot during our summertime stay.

We were traveling with our three children and Oma & Opa and wanted everyone to be happy and comfortable. We decided that this would be the perfect occasion for a spoiling hotel.

Lulu and Friso enjoying a quiet chat in the Four Seasons Gardens.

The most luxurious Caesar Salad, accompanied by a chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Summertime in a meal.

The Steak Tartare is buried under a mound of truffles…decadent!

The children were also spoiled with Make-Your-Own Monaka. They were given a bento box, wrapped in a furoshiki (colourful Japanese cloth) filled with monaka shells and sweet fillings and decorations.

Cleo, watching for the turtles in the pond.

In deciding this, we promptly booked The Four Seasons Kyoto. In typical Four Seasons style, no stone was left unturned and no wish went un-fulfilled. But, when you add this magic formula to the Japanese-style service, wow! You are in for a treat.

The hours not spent with our guide were happily passed at the hotel. The space was created on an 800-year old Ikeniwa, or pond garden. There are turtles, fish and loads of birds frolicking happily. It is a haven for weary tourists and anyone feeling like getting spoiled. Even though it was incredibly warm during our stay, we enjoyed that garden to the fullest.

The spa at the hotel was otherworldly. I booked a simple massage, as it was last minute, but there was nothing simple about it. My feet were washed and massaged before the treatment even began. Incredible.

Kyoto holds a special place in my head and heart. There was a feeling and a sensitivity there that I have not experienced before.

The 800-year-old ikeniwa (pond garden) of the Four Seasons hotel is both serene and utterly modern.

A bit of zen-like tranquility

As I said, I will return.

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