We’ve finally made it to Japan. Probably the country I’ve been most excited about since day one of this trip. And honestly… I was done with Southeast Asia.
Thailand’s not bad, don’t get me wrong. But I realized something about myself: tropical countries just aren’t really my thing. Nice for a quick winter escape, sure. But we’ve been in that climate since mid-November and I was ready to tap out. Give me cooler weather, mountains, nice cities, good food. Japan checks every single box.
It’s early spring here, so temps are around 15°C during the day. Perfect. Also means we’ve landed smack in high season with sakura (cherry blossoms) starting.
We did an overnight flight from Thailand, landed in Osaka at 8am, and made it to Kyoto around 11. Completely wrecked, but we planned this one properly and booked an Airbnb for the night before so we could check in right away. That place is where Mylène’s brother is staying. We have another one for us.
Very “traditional Japan” vibes. Also very cold inside. And the mattresses… basically yoga mats. Maybe 3 cm thick. Looked cool, slept… less cool. My in-laws were not impressed.
Then we got to our Airbnb. Still Japanese style, but warm, comfortable beds… and the toilet. This thing deserves its own paragraph.
Best toilet I’ve ever had the honour of shitting on. Heated seat. Lights up automatically at night so you don’t blind yourself (yes the toilet itself lights up). Before you even start, it sprays a mist into the bowl so nothing sticks (genius). Then the bidet comes in with warm water, adjustable angle, the whole thing. It’s an experience. And the craziest part is this isn’t some luxury thing. It’s everywhere. Airport, random gas station bathroom, doesn’t matter. Japan has the best toilets. I might need to install one at home when we get back.
First full day in Kyoto, we hit Nishiki Market. I was expecting “another market” like the 50 we’ve already seen in Southeast Asia. Nope. Completely different level. Everything is clean, organized, and actually high quality. Yeah there are a few souvenir shops, but most places are selling legit good stuff.
I spent a while in the knife shops. Definitely buying one before we leave Japan. I did pick up a nail clipper though, which sounds boring, but Japanese nail clippers are on another level. Ours at home feel like toys now. These things are sharp, precise, and some even have a little catcher so your nail clippings don’t launch across the room. Why is this not standard everywhere?
We also strolled around the Kyoto old town and visited a temple. Really nice views. The cherry blossoms are just starting to bloom though, so the views aren't as good as they will be 4-5 days from now.
That night we ordered sushi on Uber Eats. Very good. And cheaper than Ottawa, which I was not expecting.
Next day we headed to Arashiyama, just outside Kyoto, for the bamboo forest. There’s the famous one everyone goes to, but we skipped it and went to a smaller one nearby. Way less crowded. Like… basically empty. It was short, maybe 75 metres, but still really nice, and I actually got photos without 4000 people in them.
After that we went to a snow monkey park. I wasn’t totally sold on it going in, but it turned out to be great. The monkeys aren’t captive, they just hang out there. And there’s an amazing view over Kyoto from the top. Apparently there are around 100,000 wild snow monkeys in Japan, so it was cool to see some up close.
Back in Kyoto, we went to a restaurant literally right next to our place. Six seats at a bar. That’s it. The chef was also the waiter. Super simple setup, but the food was unreal. One of those random spots you stumble into that ends up being a highlight.
After dinner, Martin and I decided we needed to go to a hardware store. Priorities.
Finished eating around 6:30pm, store closes at 8, and it’s about an hour walk. So naturally, we rented electric scooters to optimize.
Not that simple, though. We had to scan our passports and then pass a 14-question road safety quiz before they’d let us unlock one. And you need to score 100%. Took me three tries, but I got there.
We rolled into the store around 7:20pm, just enough time to browse. And I found it: a top-of-the-line Makita impact drill. I’d been eyeing this model (unavailable outside Japan) for years. Could not resist. I was very excited. Mylène… less so. Martin bought the exact same one, obviously.
Then we rode our scooters back to our rooms. This has renewed my interest in buying an electric scooter when we get back home. Super convenient, quick and best of all: no gas!
Next day we went to that famous shrine with all the orange gates (you’ve probably seen photos). I was expecting a short section of gates, but no, it just keeps going. Like kilometres of them. Super impressive, but also packed. I still liked it. Martin, not so much.
Lunch was on “ramen street” inside Kyoto Station. First time having real ramen, and yeah… I get it now. So good.
After that Martin and I took the kids to a playground so they could burn off some energy, while the women went off to do a tea ceremony and matcha-making class. I’m still waiting for Mylène to make me a matcha latte.
And that’s pretty much it for Kyoto. The next day we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to go to Nagoya, and according to my speedometer app it hit 294 km/h. Pretty crazy! I hope Canada gets its high speed train eventually.
Be the first to comment.