The start of our G Adventure tour and we are heading to Koya-san, the home of Buddhism in Japan by public transport.

Before leaving our hotel in Osaka we had a team group photo to celebrate the adventure that awaits us.

The mornings journey was all about different modes of transport, starting with a gentle half mile walk to the subway station, before picking up a tube for 2 stops, before transferring to a local train for 50mins.

After coming to the end of this line, we changed to another train for a further 45mins, before finally transferring to a funicular for a 15min ride to the summit of Mount Koya.

We then had a short walk to tonights accommodation, a Buddhist Sekishoin monastery in the foothills of the mountain.

After settling into the monastery we then went on a hike around the centre of Shingon Buddhism and Okunion Cemetery. This is Japan’s largest where thousands of tombstones and memorials line paths through the forest.

Once we entered the cemetery we were struck by how tranquil the surroundings were, as we followed the path to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism.

It’s a serene and spiritual place and had an aura that acknowledged its long history and the many people that are buried in amongst the great tall cedar trees.

The many shrines and graves are dotted for what seemed like miles in between the majestic 500yr old trees.

The moss growing on the monuments and memorials created a mystic feel that was other worldly and beautiful.

Within all this history and grandeur was a strange array of memorials paid for by major corporations, including UCC (a tea company), Panasonic and a company that makes parts for rockets. You couldn’t make this up, an unusual addition to the cemetery grounds.

After the walk, it was then time for a change into our kimonos in readiness for a vegetarian dinner at the monastery.

We enjoyed shojin ryori at our temple lodgings which was a real treat. We tried our best to taste everything on offer, despite some of the tastes being a little unexpected and not to our liking.

Post dinner it was time for origami and some paper craine making. Thankfully we both managed to make something that vaguely looked like a craine, well we think they do!!

Before hitting the sack, we went for a temple walk to visit the Kongobu-ji temple grounds and marvel at the impressive traditional architecture, painted in vivid orange.

Next door is the Garan sacred area where there were a collection of stunning temples and pagodas, offering a real cultural and religious experience.

Tomorrow we return to Osaka before catching the bullet train down to Hiroshima and a visit to Peace Memorial Museum and the Peace Park.

Back to a travelling day, with an early morning subway to Fukuoka airport. After arriving late morning in Osaka, we moved to a monorail, train, subway and finally a walk to our new hotel in downtown for the start of our 9 day G Adventures tour.

In our rush to get the flight to Osaka, we managed to leave behind both our jackets in the departure lounge. It’s our first loss of the trip to date, but we haven’t given up hope we can get the airline to organise for them to be posted to us when we return to Tokyo in a week or so.

After checking into our great new Holiday Inn room, we went for a walk around Osaka and it was clear we were staying in the well healed part of town, particularly when we walked past not one but two Ferrari dealers!

Alongside the uber wealth of Ferrari and Chanel, Hermes et al, we came across Nambi-jinja Shrine. The enormous lion head-shaped building, measuring 12m high, 11m wide which was particularly eye-catching.

Back on the main drag, we were back in the land of high end luxury brands, more Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme des Garçons and PARCO, the go to shopping centre mall for the wealthy Japanese. Boy do these people love to shop and if you need to ask how much then you can’t afford it.

Alongside this wealth, is the cute and cuddly with miniature cats and dogs for sale or just cuddling if that takes your fancy.

We had a pleasant hour or so walking the arcades checking out the stores and restaurants on offer.

Late afternoon we had our induction meeting with our tour guide Noriko and 13 new friends who we’ll be spending the next week or so together as we travel to Hiroshima, Hakone, Koya-san and then a short return to Kyoto and Tokyo. They seem like a good bunch, with a mix of Americans, Canadians, Australian, German and English.

Tomorrow we are heading to Koya-san to visit the centre of Buddhism in Japan, with a stay in a local monastery overnight on the top of Mount Koya, along with the opportunity to witness the monks at close quarters.

Early morning run for Andy, who after a 3 week chest cold, was keen to see Fukuoka and get a 10k run under his belt.

Our hotel stay includes a very healthy breakfast offer, which proved as good as it looks and set us up for the day.

Our original plan was to get a bus to one of the cities beaches and then walk around a nearby park, however heavy rain got in the way and we decided instead to have a late morning ‘elevenses’ and a bit of comfort food at Dean & Deluca.

Once the rain eased off we eventually found our stride and headed to Gokushomachi district to look around Myoraku and Joten-ji temples.

Along the way we stopped at Hakata Riverain, a trendy shopping complex along the Nakasu riverside area.

We eventually found Saiko-ji temple, part of a temple complex that sits adjacent to Mikisa River in the east of the city.

The gardens and topiary were incredible and everything has its place and looks so refined.

There were more temples including Ten-Yo-An and Joten-ji which were both well preserved and surrounded by a beautiful park area.

Due to the indifferent weather and the constant threat of rain, the park was near deserted and we were able to take in the temples at will.

After visiting the half a dozen temples in the complex we walked on to Kushida shrine, one of Fukuokas most important. It’s known for its connection to the famous Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival.

The shrine included an array of stunning buildings and was busy with worshippers and a few tourists who had braved the elements.

Whilst we have so many temples since our time in Asia, it’s still incredible how varied each are and the symbolism that exists with each religion having different deities and imaginary.

The shrine proved to be very elegant and like the others we have seen in Japan incredibly well maintained and neat & tidy.

We then decided to take a 3 mile walk across the city to check out the man-made beach and harbour front.

As we ebbed away to the beach, we came across a number of areas that had been regenerated and had developed a vibrant new life, notably the old factory below which was now a jazz club.

Once we made it to the beach, the sun came out and we were able to see across the bay to a series of man-made and natural islands.

After a pleasant time down at the beach, we made our way to Ohori Park where we came across stunning views across the city along with a beautiful parkland area.

Once in the park we paid a visit to a traditional Japanese garden with the most beautiful topiary we have ever seen.

We paid 500 yen to look around these exquisite gardens and take in the nature in a typically controled Japanese form.

Our final stop of the day was at the Fukuoka Castle ruins. Here we climbed up for panoramic views of the city and the chance to explore the once great castle.

After a full day out and about in Fukuoka, tonight we wanted to stay local and taste the famous Fukuoka Ramen. Thankfully we didn’t have to walk far, with the Ramen-Shubo just 250 yards away.

Purchasing our dinner was a little different, with payment and the menu options accessed via a vending machine.

Once the order was made it was only a few minutes before the beer and ramen landed on our table.

The ramen cost just £4 and proved to be very filling and tasty. Truth be told it was better than we’d expected and very filling.

So that’s our last day in Fukuoka, tomorrow we fly back up to Osaka to join up with an organised tour of Japan with G Adventures for the next 9 days.

Another early morning start, with a train from Beppu to Fukuoka, a 2hr 15min journey from one coast line to the other.

As ever we were at the station in plenty of time and successfully picked up the 8.19am ‘sonic’ train. We ended up chatting to a local mum and daughter who were heading in the same direction and they kindly took one final picture in Beppu for prosperity.

Our journey was pretty uneventful, but thankfully we waved goodbye to the wet of Beppu and said hello to the warm sunshine of Fukuoka.

We are staying in central Fukuoka at the Lamp Lights Book Hotel in Tenjin, the main shopping district.

Tenjin is the main shopping district and home to an array of cool stores and restaurants.

We went straight out for a wander through the vibrant streets passing large department stores, boutiques (I’ve counted three Paul Smith stores already) and ended up at the Apple Store as Michelle’s existing phone has reached the end of its ‘life’.

We spent the next few hours wandering from Tenjin to Canal City Hakata, a unique shopping complex with a canal river running through it.

Andy was in search of some Japanese denim jeans which are recognised as being some of the best in the world due to the quality of the denim they use.

The city has a welcoming edgy feel to it and we very quickly felt at home searching out the back streets and coming across a couple of shrines and temples in amongst the urban sprawl.

We walked past Sumiyoshi jinja and Amatsu jinja, both Shinto shrines, the latter relatively modest and located within a roundabout of roads whilst the other was somewhat large and had echoes of Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine that we saw back in Kyoto.

The day however was centred around our retail endeavours, with Michelle now in possession of a new iPhone 16 and a trendy case. Due to current exchange rates, with the Japanese yen being relatively weak, plus electricals being generally cheaper we ended up saving a few hundred pounds against what we’d end up paying back in the UK. Andy got in on the act, with the purchase of some Japanese rare denim jeans. So that’s two happy customers!

This evening we went out to discover what was on our doorstep and came across a cool tap room selling a range of beers from Japan and further afield along with some great Mexican tapas. An interesting combination and not perhaps what we intended but boy was it good.

After a pleasant meal and drinks we went for a stroll in the late evening and came across some interesting ‘amusement arcades’ that appear to be aimed at adults who like to gamble and appear to be fans of anime, manga, video games, and idol culture. It’s an unusual set up and one that we don’t fully understand.

Tomorrow we are back to our tourist duties and will be visiting Ohori Park, the Fukuoka Castle ruins and Momochi Seaside Park before dropping into to see some more shrines in and around the Hakata Riverain district. We also plan to indulge ourselves with some local dishes including Yakitori, tempura and Hakata Ramen.

This morning we started with a Japanese breakfast. Keeping with tradition we sat at a low level dining table and were treated to a savoury dish extravaganza. This included steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles, nori (seaweed), with a variety of side dishes including boiled egg, tofu and vegetables, finishing with a fruit salad to clean the palette.

After the healthy start we decided to continue with the theme and hired electric bikes to go and see the Hell Tour (hot springs), with our first stop being the most famous known as The “Sea Hell” (Umi Jigoku) due to its vibrant blue-coloured water. The water is 98c and is often used to boil eggs.

The hot springs attract tourists from across Japan and overseas and whilst they are too hot for bathing they are famous for their intense colours and geothermal activity.

The grounds around the hot springs were stunning with tropical Victoria Amazonica Waterlilies.

The smell (!) and heat of the hot springs was unforgettable, and we were so pleased to have been able to visit and get up close.

Five of the hot springs were within walking distance of the starting point, Sea Hell, however as we were on the bikes and only had them for a couple of hours we concentrated on Sea Hell, Kamado Hell and Crocodile Hell.

The next ‘Hell’ was only next door and was called Kamado, or Furnace Hell changing colour depending on the temperature and weather. On the day we visited it was a vivid red.

Next stop was the interesting and slightly odd, Crocodile Hell, containing about 80 crocodiles fenced off in the various springs and ponds.

It was the first Japanese breeding facility and the heat of the hells creates a suitable habitat for the crocodiles.

After checking out the various Hell springs, we returned to our Onsen to drop off the bikes before heading to the bus station and a cable car to Mount Tsurumi.

The bus ride up to the cable car station was steep in itself and that’s before we picked up the Ropeway (cable car) and ascended 1,500m to the summit.

Whilst the views of Beppu Bay were visible at first, as we climbed ever higher, mist started to descend and visibility proved very challenging. We could see about 20m in front of us, so after taking in the initial sights we made a quick turn around and returned to the cable car station.

Once back into Beppu we had a little time to kill, so decided to do a supermarket sweep in readiness for a 2hr 30mins train journey to Fukuoka tomorrow morning.

After picking up some sushi and other goodies, we walked back to our Onsen via the waterfront. We came across a tsunami warning sign, which highlighted to us the clear and present threat of earthquakes and tidal waves that have hit Japan over the past few years.

Once back at the onsen it was time for another dip in the hot springs, which called for wearing a new kimono for us to both wear.

Early evening we left the onsen searching for a decent restaurant.

We eventually found a good Japanese place and had a really tasty dinner with more tempura.

Our walk back took us past the Beppu Tower, reminiscent of a certain Blackpool Tower in our view!

Tomorrow we are up early again and travelling on to Fukuoka for a 2 night stay where we intend to check out the Tenjin, Hakata Riverain & Canal City shopping areas, Ohori Park , Fukuoka Castle ruins and not forgetting Hakata Ramen.

Yet another early morning start, with a 7.20am coach from Nagasaki to Beppu. Located in the Oita Prefecture on Japan’s Kyushu island, it’s famous for its hot springs (Onsen) and unique geothermal attractions.

Like all things in Japan, the coach was on time and left at 7.20am on the dot and maintained its stops to the nearest minute. Half way we had a toilet break and this gave us the opportunity to get some photos of the Nagasaki ‘Express’ as we named it.

After 3.5hrs we were on the outskirts of the city, which is surrounded by mountains and lots of greenery. The weather had sadly turned and after thunderstorms overnight, was cooler and wetter than we’d experienced so far to date in Japan.

Leaving the coach, we had a short walk to our beautiful traditional Japanese guesthouse. Arriving at Yamada Bessou, is like being transported back in time everything is so thoughtful and nostalgic. We had a private Onsen, and booked Japanese breakfast, even the check-in was such a lovely experience being greeted and taken to a formal sitting room and offered a plum juice from their gardens.

We then headed out to explore Beppu, first visiting the waterfront and taking in the views of the city and bay.

From there we headed up the hill to Beppu Park, where stalls & a market were selling local food produce as well as promoting activities for all, such as woodworking and cooking. Andy got in on the act and had a go at making a wood coaster (!), whilst Michelle made a little wooden box for storage, sadly due to limited space in our bags we had to leave the box behind.

From there we spent an hour or so drifting from one stall to another checking out the local fish, beef, dairy and snack foods on offer. We felt fortunate to have stumbled over the market and to have seen locals enjoying their weekend.

Sadly the weather had other ideas and as predicted the rain clouds descended and we took ‘shelter’ at a Starbucks, as we waited for the rain to pass.

Mid-afternoon we checked into our traditional Japanese guest house (onsen ryokan) which gave us a real sense of how people used to live in the country. The room and the setting, so beautiful and inviting, we felt fortunate to be able to experience this over the next two nights.

Our Japanese inn featured a tatami-matted room, communal baths, and in the public areas as visitors we wear nemaki’s.

Added to the whole experience was a public and private onsen, sourced from hot springs which we made use of in the afternoon and bathed in the fantastic heat in an outdoor setting.

After enjoying the soothing medicinal waters, we changed and made our way to the restaurant quarter of Beppu for some tempura.

We’d been recommended a place by the ryokan onsen staff called Toyotsune, which turned out to be busy with locals, so we waited our turn before a table became free.

The seafood and chicken tempura proved to be excellent and we had a delicious meal with a couple of Sapporo beers.

Before heading back to the hotel, we went for a look around the restaurant quarter and came across a ‘walking street’ where we saw signs for the Hell Tour (the seven hot spring) which we will be visiting tomorrow morning.

After another ice cream for Andy who has clearly developed an addiction, like many of the Japanese with a sweet tooth, we made our way back for an early night and a much needed lie in tomorrow.

Our plans for Sunday involve hiring electric bikes and visiting the Hell Tour (7 hot springs) before taking another cable car up to Mount Tsurumi to take in the mountain air and views of the surrounding Beppu Bay.

Early morning start today, with an internal flight from Kobe to Nagasaki with Sky Airlines.

All went very smoothly with our transport on the Port Liner, an automated rapid transit system that links Kobe Airport and destinations on Port Island with Sannomiya Station in central Kobe.

After a 1hr flight and a 30min bus station to central Nagasaki, we headed out on the local tram to visit the famous Atomic Bomb Museum and the Peace Park next door.

The Atomic Bomb Museum offered detailed exhibits on the bombing and its aftermath, providing a powerful reflection on the city’s resilience.

The first message on display was the most powerful and poignant, stating that Nagasaki must be the last place exposed to an atomic bomb.

The bomb dropped on the city followed on from Hiroshima 3 days prior, and was only chosen when the original target Kokura Arsenal was covered in cloud when the flight bomber passed over on the 9th and instead redirected to Nagasaki.

The scenes shown in the museum didn’t pull any punches, and showed the dead men, women and children who were killed instantly within the 2k perimeter of the drop zone.

The impact of the atomic bomb was devastating and it brings into question the reasoning for the decision taken without prior warning to the Japanese authorities.

The atomic bomb killed 85,000 in the city, along with the 160,000 in Hiroshima and has led to a Japanese and worldwide view that the world should be free of nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately as matters stand there are nine notable countries with nuclear might, Russia, USA, UK, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and China. After seeing the photos of the devastation a bomb of this strength can cause it’s unfathomable why we should ever consider this an option in the future.

We then moved on to Peace Park, which commemorates the tragic atomic bombing of 1945.

The park is filled with monuments and statues promoting peace.

We also visited the Nagasaki Hypocentre marking the exact location of the atomic bombs detonation.

After paying our respects in the Peace Park and viewing the many monuments donated from other countries, it was time for a break and some downtime.

We then jumped on a tram back into the city to visit Glover Garden and Oura Cathedral.

Glover Park is an open air museum with Western style mansions dating back from the 19th century. These buildings once housed foreign merchants and is set on a hill with glorious views of the city and Nagasaki Harbour.

We also visited Oura Cathedral, Japans oldest Christian church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, reflecting Nagasaki’s role as a key centre of Christianity in Japan.

We then went to explore Dejima, the former Dutch trading post. The site has since been redeveloped and with its waterfront position was an ideal spot for our Friday evening treat of pizza and a Caesar salad.

We’ve been in Nagasaki for less than a day, but are already taken by the place and can see the attraction of this beautiful city on the sea, with its large parks and waterfront and all round friendly feel. We are sorry to not be staying longer.

Tomorrow we are up early again for a 4hr coach journey cross country to the hot springs city of Beppu where we have 2 days to try and see as many of the 2,000 Onsens, famed for their nutrient-rich water, mud and sand.

After leaving Osaka early and arriving in Kobe, we had a day to experience a mix of history, natural beauty and an urban waterfront.

First stop was the Ikuta Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest, dating back over 1,800yrs.

Nestled in the heart of Kobe it was a peaceful oasis where we had a walk around and watched a few locals celebrating family events.

It was lovely to see these shrines still in use after so many hundreds of years, the orange colouring of the posts was reminiscent of those seen in Kyoto, when we visited Fushimi Inari Taisha, but on a much lesser scale.

On from the shrine, we walked up into the centre to pick up the ropewalk (cable car) to Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, located on Mount Rokko.

The ride up the mountain provided us with stunning views of the city and the surrounding bay.

Once at the top, we started to explore the expansive gardens filled with seasonal flowers and herbs. It was impressive to see so many colourful plants so late into October, although we suspect this is helped by the mild weather which today was still 27c.

We managed to find an English rose garden to wander through and we instantly had a feeling of being back in the UK.

One of the other attractions was a perfume museum, where all the key ingredients that make up today’s perfumes were shown, all originating from herbs taken from the garden.

The smells instantly takes you to a place, reminding us both of our youth and our parents perfumes that sat in the bathroom cabinets.

We then started our descent down through the herb gardens and on to the greenhouses where some of the more tropical plants are grown.

The whole herb garden was beautifully presented and like all things in Japan incredibly ordered and pristine.

As we slowly walked down, we kept looking out to see the incredible views down the hillside and out over the city below.

The planting was so clever and helped to showcase the various colourful plants and herbs at their best.

The colours were so vivid and you could almost believe we were looking at an early summer garden, rather than a late October one.

Half way down we stopped at the greenhouses to see the Halloween displays and the tasteful planting that sat amongst the pumpkins and decoration.

We then went for a quick circuit of the larger greenhouse to marvel at the water features and a special sculpture of a mother and daughter with heart shaped flowers growing amongst the greenery above.

When it’s this warm and sunny, an ice cream is definitely called for. Andy went all out with his purchase including a few fancy extras that are loved by the Japanese. We can confirm that it tasted as good as it looked!

After all that walking, it was rest time on one of the hammocks in the herb garden. Michelle was soon fully relaxed and dozing as she looked out over Kobe.

As we ebbed down to the mid-point of the descent, we walked through the last few herb gardens, before boarding the cable car for the last steep descent to the base.

After a very enjoyable few hours at the herb gardens, we then caught the subway down to Kobe Harborland to see the waterfront area. On the way we passed an Elvis memorial with his music playing on lour speakers.

The harbour front was a lively area with the obligatory big wheel, shopping malls, cafes and the iconic Kobe Port Tower.

We took a stroll along the promenade and enjoyed views of the port and the nearby mountains.

After leaving the harbour side, we walked through the pretty city streets some of which were lit and made for a very pleasant European style feel.

For reasons unknown we witnessed a number of couples recently married having their photos taken on the street with all the fairy lights.

There was just enough time to take a stroll along the Motomachi ‘walking street’ an ornate mall with quaint old shops brimming with locals.

Back at the hotel, we managed to check in and were impressed by a well equipped if small room. Certainly we’ve never had so many charging points and a massage chair, as well as free chocolates, for just £40 for the night’s stay.

Early evening we headed for dinner and found a traditional ramen restaurant for a feast of a meal. We had planned to go for Kobe beef, but as neither of us are steak lovers and the average cost was close on £40-50 per head we decided to pass on it.

Instead we enjoyed our beers and ramen soup with pork and veggies.

Tomorrow we are up early for our flight to Nagasaki and a visit to the atomic bomb museum.

After three really enjoyable days in Kyoto, we said goodbye to the city and to Christophe & Barbs. Our journey to Osaka was fortunately relatively short, a mere 25 minutes south and we were back in a ‘big city’.

After dropping our bags off at the Ōsaka hotel, we were quickly back on the train and on our way to Nara.

Originally known as Yamato, Nara was Japan’s first capital and the seat of the Emperor. Rich in ideas and technology from Europe, China and Korea via the Silk Road, Nara is considered to be a living museum with 1,300 years of art and architecture to offer.

Nara is awash with so many temples, shrines and gardens, as well as hundreds if not thousands of deer, which are to be found wandering the streets, grassland and even the monuments.

When we first came across our first deer, we stopped in our tracks and tenderly fed the ones that looked most hungry. However within 15mins it was evident that they were everywhere and the braver ones weren’t scared of pushing up against you seeking to be fed.

To say they were everywhere wouldn’t be an understatement, they almost took over certain walkways and were completely at ease with visitors and any noise from people or passing cars.

Our first stop was a visit to Kofuku-ji temple famous for its 5 storey pagoda. Sadly this was hidden behind scaffolding due to ongoing repairs, so we had to settle for the temples national treasure museum and its grounds.

From there we made our way through Nara Park with its free-roaming deer, which are considered sacred in the Shinto religion.

Our next point of interest was the Kasuganocho Taisha Shrine, adorned with hundreds of stone and bronze lanterns.

This ancient Shinto shrine was surrounded by nature alongside the rows of lanterns, which are lit during special festivals.

This ancient temple complex, is a significant landmark in Japanese history and its culture.

After the bronze and stone lanterns we came across gold leaf versions too, making the shrine glow in the sunshine.

We then moved on to Todai-ji temple, the site of the Great Buddha (Daibitsu) one of the largest bronze statues in the world.

The temple complex and grounds are kept immaculate by a massive team of gardeners and volunteers who we watched sweep up leaves from around the lanterns.

At last we arrived at Todai-hi temple and were greeted by thousands of kids on school trips.

Given the size of the temple and its Buddha we decided to buy tickets to see the whole temple complex and weren’t disappointed, seeing the intricate wooden architecture of the Great Buddha Hall, the largest wooden building in the world.

This Buddhist temple complex was once one of the powerful Seven great temples located in the city. The construction was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty.

The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in Nara.

After a busy morning, we decided to stop for a late lunch and treated ourselves to a coffee and cheesecake in the temples museum.

We then got back to our tourist duties and a visit to Isuien Gardens, with its borrowed scenery which incorporates the nearby hillsides along its meticulously landscaped trees and tea houses. Definitely worth a visit on any trip to Nara.

Before leaving the park, we stopped in at Yoshiki-en Garden, with its beautiful traditional Japanese gardens. It has a mini botanical feel and we had a stroll around the moss garden, pond garden along with the tea house garden, all free of charge.

Before leaving Nara we took a detour to the district of Naramachi, famous for traditional Edo-period merchant houses. We wandered around the historic community where Michelle was able to acquire an antique kimono.

The area was filled with preserved townhouses, quaint shops, cafes and modest museums around each corner.

It was a real pleasure to discover these quaint properties that really give you a feel of historic Nara.

After a pleasurable day in Nara, we returned to Osaka and made our way to Abeno Harukas 300 Observatory, a 60 storey/300m tower in the centre of the city that offered spectacular views across Osaka.

Whilst this must be the sixth or seventh 300m+ plus tower we’ve gone up in Asia, Andy still suffers a little with his vertigo and prefers to sit away from the edge.

The tower was currently being themed for Halloween which is a big event in the Japanese calendar (who knew?) judging by how early they start to acknowledge & celebrate the event.

Keeping with big events, the tower celebrated its 10th anniversary quite recently and what better way to recognise this momentous occasion than by getting a Japanese boyband to come over and have their photos taken at the top.

Well that’s about it for another day, we managed to see lots of nature at Nara along with the modern architecture city of Osaka via the Abeno Harukas 300 Observatory.

After all that we were keen to get back to our hotel and prepare ourselves for the next port of call tomorrow, Kobe, thankfully just a 30min train journey away.

As today is our final one in Kyoto we decided to make the most of it and visit as many temples and shrines as Barbs and Christophe would agree to!!

Having done a little research, we were keen to visit Ginkaku-ji, better known as the Silver Pavilion and Philosopher’s Path next door.

As both sat a little distance away on the East of the City, we took the bus for the first time and experienced the serene quietness of Kyoto public transport.

We decided to start with the Philosopher’s Path, a peaceful picturesque route along a canal, lined with cherry trees. It proved to be a perfect place for a morning stroll.

We had hoped that the leaves may have started to turn colour, being late Autumn, but it seems the season arrives later in Japan than it does in Europe.

We then made our way up to the Silver Pavilion and a walk around the Zen temple. Though not actually covered in silver, its understated elegance and beautiful gardens make it a must-see.

The gardens were manicured to an inch of their lives and the gravel sculpture work (who knew there was such a thing) was immense and dare I say impressive, if that’s your thing!

It was a pleasure to walk around and marvel at the detail of the garden design and the geometric way the trees, rocks, pools and buildings were all intertwined.

As people who enjoy gardening and design ,we feel honoured to have seen such stunning imaginary, it’s definitely given us some great ideas for our next house purchase and gardens.

We spent the next hour or so just taking it all in, all helped by another beautiful day of sunshine.

After the Silver Pavilion, we needed some refreshment and popped into a street food store for deep fried potato and beef. Without sounding too northern and uncouth, it tasted very much like a Greggs beef pasty, which is truly a very high accolade.

After digesting our ‘pasty’ and a subsequent coffee, we returned to temple visiting! From there we moved to Konkaikōmyōji, the Kurodani Buddhist temple, the head Temple of the Jōdo Sect of Buddhism.

Next stop was Kōdai-ji, formally identified as Jubuzan Kōdai-ji, a temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in Higashiyama-ku, the largest subtemple of the Kennin-ji branch.

With the step counter already at 15,000 by 1pm, we decided to take a break on our way to Kiyomizu-dera another Buddhist temple, and one that due to its elevated height and amazing views attracts large numbers of visitors.

We decided to take a late lunch and stopped at a great Japanese restaurant for some Soda Ramen with chicken and egg. What a treat, so tasty and filling.

After our refreshment break, we marched on to Kiyomizu-dera. The temple is located in the foothills of Mount Otowa, part of the Higashiyama mountain range that dominates eastern Kyoto.

The main hall has a large veranda, supported by tall pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers views of the city. Large verandas and main halls were constructed at many popular sites during the Edo period to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims. Fortunately this has helped in modern days too.

In 2007, Kiyomizu-dera was one of 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World but sadly wasn’t picked. We think they were robbed!  

The temple complex includes several other shrines, among them the Jishu Shrine, dedicated to Okuninushi, a god of love and “good matches”.

Having visited 6 temples and a couple of shrines, and it was still not 3pm, we decided to take a break and return to our hotel, before venturing out for a late afternoon/early evening hike to the summit of Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.

After getting the subway to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine around 4.30pm, we had the pleasure of 10,000 vermillion torii gates to pass on our way to the shrine mountain summit.

We had been recommended to visit Arashiyama for late afternoon, to see the shrine as the light changes and in the fading sunshine. There are thousands of torii gates that line the path up Mount Inari to create an unforgettable atmosphere, especially given it was sunset.

From what we were able to ascertain, each vermillion torii gate can be purchased and an inscription placed on it by the person donating.

Dedicated to Inari, the deity of a good harvest and success in business, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head of all of Japan’s Inari shrines.

The seemingly endless path of vibrant orange torii gates that line the approach to Mt. Inari made for an impressive setting and is one of the most famous images of Japan.

It certainly resonated with all of us and made for an amazing experience in the evening.

After a 50 minute hike, we eventually arrived at the top and took in the views over the night sky above Kyoto.

After all that walking and a step count exceeding 30,000, we decided to treat ourselves to a beer and a bite to eat. Andy had other ideas and was up for a burger bruising if anyone questioned him..!!

We then indulged in some Kobe & chicken teriyaki burgers. Just what was needed & helped along by the Sapporo beers.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Christophe and Barbs who return to Tokyo, and then fly back to the UK on Thursday, whilst we are moving south to Osaka and a day trip to Nara.