14 Comments

I enjoyed reading your post on Kyoto; it was very well organized. I thought it was a good idea to make a routine of the places to visit in Kyoto.

I find it essential to get up very early, especially in autumn when it is high season. Last autumn, I also went to Enko-ji Temple. Although this Zen temple is a hidden gem, there were so many visitors that I had difficulty taking pictures of the garden with the autumn leaves.

I won't be able to visit Kyoto this autumn, but I look forward to your post on autumn leaves viewing in Kyoto.

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Thank you Tanikawa-san. When I visited Enko-ji, I usually try to book the 8 a.m. slot when there are not too many visitors. Wishing us both a great fall colors season and a lot of sunshine :)

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Hello, this was a lovely read. Thank you. I travel to Toyko (for work regularly) but sadly Kyoto-- not so much. This time I will be there in the last week of November with my ten year old. It is just him and me and he likes architecture. Having never seen fall foliage (I have but not him -- we come from India, so not many places to experience it) I wanted to have some ideas from you as to where I can go with him (in Kyoto, especially the temples). We have about three days. Thank you in advance.

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Good morning. I hope you have a fantastic time in Kyoto. If your son is into temple architecture, I highly recommend Alex Kere’s book “Another Kyoto”, which offers easily digestible guide to the city’s architectural wonders. In this post, I wrote about some of my favorite spots in the city: https://bizarrejourneys.com/kyoto-travel-guide/ For more temple info, you can also check out the recent Kyoto Trail series that also cover some of the temples in Ohara area: https://www.lettersfromjapan.com/p/hiking-the-kyoto-trail-the-end

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I so desperately want to get back to Japan.... I waited 60 years the first time..and now another 6 ...but NEXT YEAR I WILL! in the meantime I will look at and greatly enjoy your lovely posts.

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Enjoyed reading your letter so much even though I am so tired (it's 3am), but I cannot help but wanna continue reading . Thank you for sharing such a lovely write.

With love from Singapore

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Such beautiful pictures, thank you so much. I miss being there and planning another trip next year... You photos are so serene and capture the atmosphere perfectly.....without hundreds of tourists at the same time! When I went to the Golden Pavilion about 5 years ago, the number of tourists was mind boggling and disappointing as we were crowded up against fences trying to get a photo with out 500 people in it. However we met some lovely school kids there who made tiny cranes and gave them to us! It was still a wonderful experience to see the place though.

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Dear Diane, thank you for taking the time to read the post. The Golden Pavilion does get quite crowded, but its striking design somehow still manages to capture all your attention, almost making the crowds disappear—or at least, that’s what I’d like to think. :)

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The photos are breath-taking! I'm also planning to visit Japan in autumn next year so your post comes in handy🍂

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Other worldly. Thank you for the beautiful photos and charming narrative. 🍂🍁🍂

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Thank you for your time Lauren!

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What stunning photos! That cafe one especially.

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Wonderful piece! The fall leaves are lovely, there's something so warm about fall that I can't quite explain. I'm in the UK where it's cold but seeing the brilliant reds, browns, and greens fall is beautiful. I really can't wait to one day see Japan, in time I'll make my way there to visit these places! Thanks for the tips :3

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Wonderful! Like being there, which has been a very long time. Thank you so much for sharing this. I will make a note to go to Kyoto in December.

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