Kyoto

My residence in Hirakata was a prime location for students like me wanting to see different areas of Japan. Heading south will lead to Osaka and heading north will lead to the famous tourist city of Kyoto. Kyoto is the perfect city to get a crash course on Japanese culture, history, and food. Several million tourists visit every year for a brief taste of Japan without having to travel outside the city. 

On each of my several trips to the city I always began the day by going to get sushi. There are countless areas to obtain the delectable dish but a college budget requires some creativity. My creativity led me to one of the chain restaurants called Sushiro. This chain offers a conveyor belt delivery system instead of waiters. On an electronic tablet guests can order a wide variety of sushi types; tuna, salmon, Anago eel, octopus, squid, roe, shrimp, and tempura. After orders are placed you can enjoy a cup of matcha tea while you watch the conveyor belts whizz by with full plates. Since the setup is similar to a buffet, prices are determined per plate. Plate prices range anywhere from $1 to $15. My regular meal of tempura and fatty salmon and the occasional octopus would cost less than $10. The meal would fill me up for at least half a day, saving me money and more time to explore the city. 

After eating a good brunch of sushi you can go to the multiple shopping districts that sell anything imaginable. There are modern shopping outlets similar to the United States but those looking for a more traditional route can visit the Nakagyo ward. This area of the city is full of long covered alleyways that sell various goods to locals and visitors alike. Charms, boiled walnuts, custom chef knives, sauteed meats, tea sets, artistic chopsticks, and puffy cheesecake are just some of the items available. Walking from one end of an alleyway to another could take hours if you are shopping around and fighting the shoulder to shoulder traffic. Once you complete a search of the alleyway you can walk around the next corner to see a dozen other similar streets. 

If the alleyways are too loud one can step outside and take a break by the Kamo river. The Kamo river runs through the entirety of Kyoto and has been a relaxation spot for generations. The river is surrounded by stone embankments and shaded walkways that preserve a slice of nature within the large city. It is quite popular to grab a coffee or picnic food and have a lazy afternoon near the waterfront.

My favorite place to visit in Kyoto by far is the Fushimi Inari shrine. Built in 794 AD the shrine significantly outdated most of  the city that has grown up around it. The Shrine is dedicated to the Japanese rice god Inari. Beliefs hold that foxes were the gods' messengers so several stone statues and artworks cover the area and hiking trails. The shrine is not just one building but several smaller worshiping areas dotted around the trails of Mt Inari. The distinguishing feature of the shrines are their red orange torii gates. A common nickname for the area is the shrine of 10,000 torii gates. These gates vary in size and spacing but are all the same recognizable bright colors with kanji writings carved into the wood. At several points along the figure eight pathway are rest areas with refreshments and serene views between the trees. Hiking the area will take a few hours and is not an easy stroll. Visiting the top of Mt Inari will be difficult but satisfying to walk through every single gate.