We mentioned in our previous video that Tokyo was a city from the future, but our visit to Kyoto helped us learn a little bit more about Japan’s traditional side.
We woke up early to go to Tokyo Station and from there, with our Japan Rail Pass, we headed to Kyoto. The JRP is the best option if you want to move around, we really recommend it, the only thing is that you have to purchase your ticket before you arrive in Japan, through a travel agent or similar, as you can’t buy it once there.
As soon as we got to Kyoto we left our cases and went to Arashiyama, where about half an hour later, we came across one of the most beautiful places that we’ve ever seen, Arashiyama’s Bamboo Forest. The best thing to do is to use Hyperdia’s website where you will be able to see all the different train times and that way you’ll also know whether they’re included in he JRP.
As soon as we came out of the station and we walked around a little we came across an amazing glass coffee shop, Arábica %, with a view of the Katsura river.
We had a coffee to warm up and then went to the Tenryu Ji garden where we saw the bamboo forest, it’s such a peaceful place.
Walking around there is amazing and especially when it’s windy. The government has declared the forest as one of 100 different sounds to preserve in Japan.
We came across a few tourists and maikos but the best thing was able to enjoy the forest to ourselves after everyone had left.