Canadian World Traveller Summer 2019 Issue

attention. You can virtually buy anything
Japanese on the way, and I would try to hold
myself back from window-shopping but
could not resist. This is obviously built for
tourists, but then again, who was I?
Once there, the Kiyomizudera Temple’s
famous wooden stage offers visitors a wonderful
view of the numerous cherry, maple
and other trees as well as the Kyoto skyline in
the distance.
Visiting its main hall, I was greeted the temple's
primary object of worship, a small statue
of the eleven faced, thousand armed
Kannon. Quite impressive. After that, lies the
Jishu Shrine dedicated to the deity of love
and matchmaking. There, you can bring
yourself luck in love by successfully finding
your way between two stones placed 18
meters apart with your eyes closed.
The Kiyomizudera has more purported powers
in its Otowa Waterfall. Divided into three
separate streams, visitors can drink from
them for either longevity, success at school or
being lucky in love. But don’t drink from all
three, as that is seen as gluttonous!
Fushimi Inari Shrine
I purposely saved the best for last as this is
one of the most visited sites in Japan and one
of the items on my lifelong bucket list of
places to see. For me, words could not
describe this very important Shinto shrine
famous for its hundreds of brilliantly painted
Tori gates that wind their way up and down
hills through a serene forest. Besides the
many buildings and structures it was a pleasure
watching the locals dressed in traditional
garments enjoying their visit and taking
never-ending selfies.
The trails in the mountains are fun to explore,
boasting a grand entranceway and a path
filled with Torii gates, starting with parallel
rows of gates called Senbon Torii.
All the gates along the trail have been donated,
and include some worth over one million
yen. The 2 to 3 hour hike to the summit passes
by multiple shrines with stacks of miniature
Torii gates donated by visitors with smaller
budgets.
There are also some wonderful views of Kyoto
to enjoy, and the trail splits into a circular
route to the summit. Wonderful time spent in
a magical space.
Shopping Kyoto style
The shopping area along Shijo Street, centered
around the intersection of Shijo and
Kawaramachi streets, rivals any of those
found in the worlds big cities Two massive
department stores named Takashimaya and
Marui are located there.
There are high-end fashion brands and if you
continue along Shijo Street across the Kamo
River toward Yasaka Shrine, the large stores
give way to smaller boutiques selling fashion
and Kyoto specialty foods and crafts.
Eating Kyoto
There are so many things to see and do – the
Kyoto nightlife is something else, but the
meals are what truly stands out!
Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese meal,
famous throughout Japan for its refined and
delicate taste. We sampled some of the city’s
main specialties including Shojin ryori
(Japanese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), Kyowagashi
(Kyoto sweets) and Yudofu (tofu
cooked in hot broth).
Of course, I worked my way right through all
the Japanese gastronomy including sushi,
tempura, soba, udon, ramen, unagi and
okonomiyaki. One of my favorites was
Kagizen Yoshifusa is a traditional sweet shop
in the heart of Gion with a serene tearoom
where you can enjoy wonderful sweets with
cups of thick matcha tea.
All good things must come to an end, and so
did my short visit to this Japanese gem. The
time spent here was short but the memories
will last a lifetime. Most memorable were not
just the wonderful sites and great food but
mostly the friendly, helpful, warm, and welcoming
people. They made my visit complete!
www.japan.travel
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Canadian World Traveller Summer 2019