Kyoto in bloom: dreamy and pink

Before leaving Tokyo, we registered our residency and marriage at the ward office

Then we rode the Shinkansen (the bullet train) to Kyoto

We visited Tenryu-ji Temple and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

We ate some street food 

We got lost finding our accommodation

We ordered in takeout, because our feet hurt and we were hungry and tired

Kiyomizudera (and street food)

Rokuharamitsuji

Cherry blossom walk

Metro 

Nijo Castle

Imperial Palace (and hanami/cherry blossom viewing)

Ate at Cafe Planet (a very modern and beautiful vegan cafe in Kyoto, overlooking the lake)

Bus

Went to Ginkakuji

Ate at Ren’s (the most amazing Japanese Vegan Food with the most wonderful owner/chef who was very accommodating of my dietary needs and ensured all my food was completely soy-free)

Bus broke down

Whilst walking back, we found an organic food store that did lots of vegan items, so stocked up on food to have as breakfast and lunch over the next few days

We checked out

Put our luggage into lockers

Went to Fushimi Inari Taisha

Ate at Veg Out (again, the staff here were extremely lovely and the food was great)

Toji Temple

Got the train to Osaka

On the day we were heading to Kyoto, we had to first stop off at the Ward office to register our residency. This had to be done right away because there’s only a 14-day window to do it in, the forms cannot be processed on a weekend, we were going on holiday for over a week and then I start my job the week after. So, this day was the only point, within the 14 days where the office was open and we were in Tokyo. The process went relatively smoothly, however there was quite a big hiccup when they asked for proof of our marriage and didn’t want to accept our original marriage certificate as proof because it doesn’t have a stamp (luckily Sam remembered the paper was watermarked and shined it in the light to impress the officials and that allowed us to get the okay to move onto the next stage. After nearly 3hours, we got everything we needed and we were ready to leave for Kyoto. Within the next hour we bought our tickets and were riding the bullet train towards Kansai for the next week or so. 

Once we arrived, we caught the local train to Tenryu-ji Temple and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. We explored, bought me a new hat (because it was boiling hot and mine broke on the flight to Japan) and took a bunch of photos. It was so strange being at such huge tourist attractions and having no tourists around. From what I’ve heard of other people’s experiences, a lot of these places are usually swarming with so many people you can barely see anything, but obviously because Japan is still closed for tourism and the fact we went on a weekday meant most Japanese people were at work or school, the places we saw were practically empty. At times, we were the only people there! I am sure all of us at some point in the pandemic, have found ourselves walking a street or going somewhere that usually has lots of people and suddenly it’s quiet and empty, but we hadn’t experienced it on such a large scale before. It was honestly a very unique and weird experience. Of course though, all the places were beautiful and we had a great time, it is just something to be noted as you look at the pictures… there aren’t many people around us and that is very very unusual for most of these sites). 

At Tenryu-ji, we each managed to get some street food we could eat. Sam enjoyed some sweet soy rice cakes whereas I had some sesame mochi, and we headed to our accommodation full and happy, but very very tired. It took us over 2 hours to find our accommodation, due to lack of wifi signal and the fact it gets dark so early this time of year. By the time we finally arrived, we were both starving, but far too tired to go back outside or cook anything, so we jumped on uber eats and ordered the only vegan things within the radius of our apartment. We got lucky though, because the place was amazing and we filled ourselves up with great vegan food whilst watching the Simpsons and getting all snug in our Futons. After an hours rest, we spent 2 hours meticulously planning where we were going the next day and ensuring we knew places where I could eat, so we didn’t end up having a repeat of the food situation that day.

The next day, we had a very busy schedule. We visited so many wonderful places and saw so many beautiful things including Kiyomizudera, Rokuharamitsuji, Nijo Castle, the Imperial Palace and Ginkakuji. We were so lucky to see all the cherry blossoms in bloom and the weather was just to die for! Big shout out to coffee&doughnut in Kyoto for all the incredible iced oat drinks that we got from there that day… they really saved us in the sun (highly recommend their beautiful coffee and amazing matcha lattes – we were both OBSESSED)! Also, huge thanks to Ren’s vegan cafe for the best Japanese food experience we’ve ever had. Watching the food be made fresh in font of us, and having someone who cared and checked every ingredient for me to ensure I would be safe… honestly could not be more grateful! BEST RAMEN EVER! That night, we also found a specialist store which sold a lot of soy-free and vegan food. Sam and I got stocked up on bread, cheese, butter and snacks, so we could have lunch and breakfast over the next few days without having to worry. We always planned on having dinners out, but not having to worry about 3 soy-free meals on the spot definitely was a lot easier.

The final day in Kyoto, we had to also catch a train to Osaka, so we just got up early and headed to Fushimi Inari Taisha. After walking around there all morning, and only having little bits of street food to keep us going, we headed to another vegan cafe to eat. Then we went to see the Toji Temple before catching the train to Osaka.

Our days in Kyoto were limited this time, but we managed to fit a lot in to the time we had. We loved the city. It was beautiful and breathtaking and everything we wanted it to be and more. For me in particular, Kyoto has always been my dream. As a young child I always said that I wanted to live in Kyoto, and as a teenager, I always trived to study at Doshisha university. My life obviously took a few unexpected turns along the way, but to know I have finally seen Kyoto for myself, and that it is even better than I ever dreamed, just fills my heart with joy. Sam and I cannot wait to visit Kyoto again, to try more food and to revisit places such as coffee&doughtnut and Ren’s again, but we also cannot wait to be not as busy, to do less tourist-y visits and to just relax and enjoy the city. To take in all it’s beauty at a slower, calmer pace. For now though, we are just grateful, for the experiences we’ve had, for the weather and the cherry blossoms and the kind people that helped us when we were lost. 

さようなら京都ではありません!