Kyoto in Photos: Introduction

Part 1 of 10

I have been fascinated by Japan for several years now, but had never had the opportunity to visit until now. If I was only going to stay a couple of days there, Kyoto with it's history and culture were an easy choice. Besides, practically speaking, 2 days is barely enough time to get the flavor of a place, so I wanted to make constructive use of every possible moment. With literally thousands of historical sights in and around Kyoto (including a staggering 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sights), this was the ideal place to go. I even stayed at a hotel located inside Kyoto Station (rail, bus, and subway all in one place!) so I wouldn't waste time "commuting" each day.

The inside of super-modern looking Kyoto Station. The photo was taken as I was exiting the Hotel Granvia Kyoto, the ideal place to use as the homebase for my trip.

Although I don't speak Japanese, I've collected a handful of useful phrases over the years. And it was awesome that I finally got the chance to use them. People (especially in the service industry) generally speak enough English to communicate, but it was fun to throw down in the local tongue.

In the 2 days I spent in Kyoto I managed to cover quite a few of the key sights and experiences. I had pretty high expectations going in, but Kyoto beat them all quite easily. I went a little nuts and took about 300 photos. Don't worry though, I've picked out only the best ones and put together a sort-of photo journal to share with you. I'll try to keep my comments brief and let the photos speak for themselves. Hopefully they can show just a little of the beauty and intrigue that make Kyoto such a captivating place.