Kyoto Station. This place was on a whole new level compared to the previous train stations we had been going to.
Osaitokoro. On our way to Ginkakuji, we found this place by complete luck. It was next to the bus stop and we needed to eat lunch. There was a little difficulty because they couldn’t speak English and we couldn’t speak Japanese but they were still very friendly and accommodating so in the end we managed to get things across.
Photos are part of the “boiled tofu set meal”. I don’t know what they did or put in it but it was delicious.
Ginkakuji Temple. View from the mountainside after a short hike.
Along the Philosopher’s Path. I read that this was supposed to be a long and peaceful nature-oriented walk alongside trees (which blossom beautifully during the Sakura season). Something odd caught my eye on the other side of the canal and I found this family of bears on a bench, fishing into the canal. There was no accompanying sign or explanation. Creepy or interesting?
As we were walking down the street, there was a large Japanese fortune box just on the side. We couldn’t read the entire sign but we understood that we could take one of these in exchange for ¥100 so we dropped a coin in and took one (an honor system that would never work here in the Philippines…)
Update: It’s been two years but I finally got around to getting it translated! Good thing it’s a positive one. You’re not supposed to take home bad fortunes, heh.
It’s a fortune. These are at a lot of shrines and tourist spots.
This one is a love fortune.
末吉 – future good luck
感情が高ぶって思ってもいない言葉を大切な人にぶつけてしまうかも。一時的な感情にとらわれずにね。
In a emotionally elevated state, you may come to clashes with someone important to you by saying something careless. Try not to get taken away by your temporary emotional state.京（今日）の開運スポット 金閣寺
Today’s lucky spot is Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavillion). (there’s a mild pun relating to Kyoto here as 京 (capital/Kyoto) and 今日(today) are pronounced in a similar way)今日は青色に注目！ヒントがあるわよ！
Today pay attention to the colour blue! There is a hint there!ｐｓ. 白馬に乗った王子様とか最近言わないの？まぁ見たことないけどね。
p.s. They don’t say things like a “Prince riding upon white horse” anymore do they? Not that I’ve ever seen one.My translation is a little bit creative at times, but that’s the meaning. It was surprisingly plainly written compared to a lot of other fortune papers I’ve seen.
Thanks to /u/cynikles on Reddit for the translation!
Yasaka Shrine.
Higashiyama Streets leading up to Kiyomizudera Temple. More of the preserved streets with plenty of souvenirs and food and drink to keep you hydrated until you reach the temple at the end of the path. I think the most unusual I saw were chilled whole cucumbers on BBQ sticks. In hindsight, it sounds like a fantastically refreshing snack for summer.
Gion. A district renowned for maiko and geiko. It had the feeling of being an extremely old place.
Gion Corner. A theater (?) that performs a set of snippets of Japanese traditions and customs. A great place to get a quick overview of their practices. These include: the Kyo-Mai dance, Ikebana, the Tea Ceremony, Koto Zither, Gagaku Court Music, Kyogen Theater, and Bunraku Puppet Theater.
