Kyoto - Gion District

We left our hotel at Tokyo Disneyland and caught the train to Tokyo station, so that we could catch the Shinkansen (bullet train).  On our first trip we were able to buy our tickets at the station and get reserved seating, but this time we were only able to get non-reserved, which meant we weren't guaranteed a seat or a seat together.  Luckily, we were able to all grab a seat and close together. 

Part of the fun on the Shinkansen is that you are able to eat on the train (you can't eat on regular trains) and can buy the most amazing bento boxes at the train station. 

We love the Shinkansen - it feels like you are on a fancy plane, but it's even better as you have so much space, can put your luggage on the racks above you (if they aren't too big) and the ride is so smooth. It also has toilets on the train and is so clean. 

Apparently, Mt Fuji is only visible 100 days of the year, so we were so lucky to see if from the Shinkansen on the way to Kyoto. 

Kyoto isn't as easy to get around as Tokyo and Osaka, and we weren't keen on jumping on a crowded bus with our luggage after we arrived at Kyoto Station, so we decided to just walk the 20 minutes to our accommodation. It wasn't bad as it was all very flat. 

Our accommodation in Kyoto was a 100-year-old house in the Gion district.  It was very cute, but the stairs were extremely steep, and it was hard to get our luggage up and a pain to go up and down (especially if you needed to use the toilet in the middle of the night, which was downstairs). 

Jalen, Kobe and I slept upstairs, and it was Jay and my first experience sleeping on futons, which actually wasn't bad at all. 

I was so excited to be in Kyoto because I knew that we would be catching up with Simone and Simon and their family again.  They had already been in Kyoto for a couple of days, so we organised to meet up at the Yasaka Shrine which was close to our accommodation. 

It was so good to see them again and to hear about how their trip was going, and what they thought of Japan. 

We had a lovely time catching up and wandering around Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka which are pedestrian only streets with preserved traditional wooden buildings. 

It was a great time to be there together, because it was getting close to dusk and it wasn't busy at all. During the day there are usually so many people there. 

I love being there at night as the streets look so pretty. 

On our first trip to Japan Harri bought Melissa a mug from this Starbucks store.  Melissa was keen to go and check it out and bought her mum a mug from there too. 

We could walk back to our accommodation, and I love that you always feel safe, even walking around at night. 

Melissa and Harri were sleeping downstairs and had a cute little room. We were looking forward to exploring more of Kyoto in the morning.