Today we traveled to Kyoto, by way of train, but not just any train. We took the Shinkansen, also known as the “Bullet Train”. It is incredibly fast for a typology of transportation. The Shinkansen’s maximum operating speed ranges up to 320km/h (200mph). Once we stepped off the “Bullet Train” and onto Kyoto ground, we began our exploration of the city. Kyoto is one of the few cities in Japan that still obtains the traditional houses and historical values of the country.
Even though the city caters to many tourists, it still harbors the mysteries of Japan; you just have to know where to look. The real beauty of Kyoto is down the small streets that enhance the depth and shadows of the city. Our lodging in the city is the infamous Nine Hours. Nine Hours seemed like a much modernized way to program a hotel. Each of us was assigned a personal pod where we would sleep for the night and there was a lounge on the second floor for us to socialize. After checking in at our hotel, we headed to tour the neighborhoods of Kiyomizu-dera and the other surrounding neighborhoods. Kiyomizu-dera is known as an active religious area.
While we were out in Kyoto we walked through the town of Gion. This town was an arts district and still had the traditional Japanese feel. We continued up the hill passing many craft shops and small eateries along the way. When we finally reached the Kiyomizu-dera Temple we were shocked to see crowds and crowds of people, many of them children. This was completely different than the quite solemn atmosphere we had previously encountered at the other temples. We walked through the complex then sat down to sketch for a while.
After leaving the temple complex we went back to the hotel for a while, then set back out for a blue hour/night time photography lesson. We took a few minutes to photograph Gion, and we even managed to spot two stunning Geisha walking hastily in the night. Everyone then split up to find dinner on their own and headed back to the Capsule hotel for a unique sleeping experience that would be memorable!
Written by Kirsten Hill & Chelsea Cole
Pictures by Geoffrey Hillstead
