Sayonara means goodbye in Japanese, and today before we say Sayonara Japan, we tried to soak up the Japanese culture as much as we could.…
Keep ReadingIt was still drizzling when we entered the main gate of Okunoin. Located in Mount Koya in Koyasan Japan, Okunoin Cemetery is the biggest graveyard in the country. The ground was wet, the air carried a mossy smell while the rain made it foggy. The whole atmosphere of the place was filled tranquility, felt…
Keep ReadingKoyasan is a UNESCO world heritage site and the centre of a Japanese Buddhist sect. It is a small town on a mountain with more than 100 temples to which the Japanese pilgrimage. Koyasan has the biggest graveyard in Japan, Okunouin, and more than a hundred temples; some provide accommodation. From Kyoto to Koyasan We…
Keep ReadingWe got off the Koyasan bus and dragged our luggage to Fukuchi-In. It’s a Shukubo, the Japanese temple lodging in which we would be staying the night. Yes, we were staying overnight in a Buddhist temple, an actual temple with live-in monks. It is a lovely place with serene vibes. We stored our luggage…
Keep ReadingWe took Shinkansen to reach Kyoto from Tokyo. We booked our seats a day earlier in the legendary Japanese bullet train and didn’t have to do anything as it’s covered by the Japan Rail Pass.…
Keep ReadingAt the Nishiki market, you must order the matcha ice cream, take lots of pictures, buy yourself a Kami for good luck or to attract love, get into the photo booth with your friends and stock up on your souvenir here.…
Keep ReadingGeisha is a Japanese hostess trained to entertain patrons with conversation and performance. Chasing Geisha in Gion, Kyoto What I knew about Geisha then was limited, based only on Michelle Yeoh’s hit movie Memories of Geisha. I tried to read the book but couldn’t finish it. But a few hours earlier, a Japanese taxi…
Keep ReadingI first had Okonomiyaki, the savoury Japanese pancake, at a cozy little restaurant called Warai-Warai in Kyoto, Japan.…
Keep ReadingWe explored the Gion area, the famous Geisha Geiko district (a taxi driver taught us: Geisha in Tokyo; Geiko in Kyoto).…
Keep ReadingAt Hakone, we took the biggest cable car I have ever been in and flew to the highest heights I have ever been on. We could see Mount Fuji.…
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