Weekend in Kyoto

Recently, I decided to visit Kyoto. I went there mainly because it was a rare chance to see the cherry blossoms without the usual crowd of foreign tourists. Was it a good idea? To some degree, yes. Was there plenty to see? Absolutely! But let's take it step by step...

Similar to Tokyo, Kyoto (京都) is both a city and a prefecture. For over a thousand years, it served as Japan's capital. While many agree the city lost this status in 1869 when the government moved entirely out of Kyoto, some argue it wasn’t until 1950! And they have a really good argument: the official government document designating Tokyo as the capital was issued only in 1950. Importantly, as the capital, Kyoto housed the emperor, shoguns, and was a major religious center. In other words, now city is rich with important monuments. A quick map glance shows that besides the most famous sites, there are also many smaller temples, shrines, and historical buildings. Definitely too many to see in just two days!

I arrived in Kyoto by shinkansen late at night. The city was calm and quiet, though the bus was filled with students in school uniforms. In the distance, I spotted Kyoto Tower, a place I hope to visit someday, although this time I didn’t have enough time. On my way to the hotel, I stumbled upon beer vending machines, which I had only read about in books (I’ll talk more about these another time). In recent years, they seem to have vanished from Japan's streets, but I found one still in operation. With a can of beer in hand, I settled into my hotel room and looked at the map on my phone to plan my next day’s adventure (ah, those spontaneous, unplanned trips...). As I mentioned, there are many sites to explore, making it tough to choose, especially since I was only there for the weekend.

The next morning, I woke as early as I could (which means not too early) and headed to Nijo Castle, the shoguns' residence. The castle is surrounded by walls and a double moat, with Ninomaru Palace (二の丸御殿, ninomaru goten) at its heart. I feel that the name describes the entire complex well; 二の丸 (ninomaru) could be translated as doubly surrounded/two circles, while 御殿 (goten) means palace. However, this is just my interpretation and not an official translation, so it might be unreliable. The complex consists of five interconnected buildings. The interiors are impressive, though some canvases and decorations are replicas—the originals are safely stored elsewhere. A fascinating feature of the building is the "nightingale floors", which create a nightingale-like chirp when walked on. Online sources point out that it's not a nightingale but a willow's sound. Yet due to similarities between the chirping of both bird types, in both English and Polish, this type of floor is called a nightingale floor. Initially, I thought these floors were meant for burglary/assassination prevention. However, as it was noted inside Nijo Castle, these floors were... invented accidentally; it was not a deliberate design. Regardless, singing floors have become iconic in Japanese architecture. The castle's rooms and their layouts reflected social status of the guests. More important visitors were waiting closer to the center of the building, and others had to wait further away. The shogun’s hall featured various design elements that were designed to discreetly show his power. From differences in floor levels to subtle artwork nuances (branches bending toward the ruler/giving the impression of protection).

The complex also includes the Honmaru Palace, though it was under renovation during my visit. And of course, the castle wouldn’t be complete without its gardens, which captivated visitors with blooming cherry trees.

Nijo-jo is very close to another popular site, Kyoto Gyoen, a large park housing the Imperial Palace. Describing the park is challenging; it’s a vast, well-maintained area with countless sakura (Japanese cherry) trees. Besides the main attraction, which is the palace, other features of Kyoto Gyoen include an old tea house, Kan-no-miya residence, and Shinto shrines. The Imperial Palace couldn't be toured inside (at least during my visit, viewing was limited to the exterior). Nonetheless, the building is impressive, with surrounding walls and massive gates. The buildings once again reveal the hierarchical nature of Japanese society. Visitors entered through different gates and waited in separate areas based on their status. Again, I had a chance to admire a beautiful garden adjoining the palace. At the Imperial Palace, you can join a tour with an English-speaking guide. This illustrates that Japan is welcoming to tourists, provided they know at least English.

Enough about the palace. After the visit, I moved on. Unfortunately, as the day progressed, the crowd of tourist grew. While I enjoyed some freedom in the morning, by afternoon, it was packed. And those were only Japanese people! I could only imagine Kyoto before the pandemic, filled with both domestic and foreign tourists.

Despite the increasing crowds and dwindling chances for good photos, I sought another recommended spot for the ongoing cherry blossom season. Internet sources touted it as the ideal starting point for exploration, and they were right. The Philosopher's Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) is a street along a canal lined with dozens or even hundreds of sakura trees. It’s the most popular spot in Kyoto during cherry blossom season. Indeed, it was hard to navigate the masses of people trying to capture the blooming trees. While the sea of cherry blossoms above the canal was stunning, my overall impression of the path was neutral. After all, blossoms can be photographed in less crowded places too. Whether I liked it or not, I had to follow this path to reach my next destination, which I will share in the second part of my Kyoto adventure. See you then!

And finally, a few more photos...