Japan: Every Garden in Kyoto

Freshly arrived in Kyoto. First order of business: Nishiki market, and soymilk matcha ice cream.

Second order of business: conveyor belt sushi.

Contaminating the temple

*Not* Kyomizu-dera. Had me fooled.

Actual Kyomizu-dera

Kyomizu-dera

at Kyomizu-dera

More gaijin outrage

at Kyomizu-dera

Kyomizu-dera. We

The scores of ladies roaming Kyoto wearing kimonos are all tourists who paid to dress up like a geisha for the day.

Kyomizu-dera

Walking over to Kodaiji temple

Just some random temple we happened upon along the way

It wouldn

Bamboo grove at Kodaiji temple

Eikan-do temple. We arrived 15 minutes before closing, and decided to go in anyway (that is, I insisted we go in). &lt;br/&gt;We were rewarded with a stunning

Eikan-do temple

Eikan-do temple

View from Eikan-do temple

View from Eikan-do temple, and my

Eikan-do temple

Eikan-do temple

Civilized travel, part 1: at the Shinkansen station

Kyoto

Kyoto

Interlude: weird stuff we found along the way

Whew - wouldn

Japanese humour... I hope?

This is shop is right next door to a restaurant that actually is recommended by foreigners.

Perhaps the sign is correct in Japanese? It

Nishiki market

Nishiki market

Nishiki market

Okazaki-jinja shrine

Okazaki-jinja shrine

Eishoin temple - totally an accidental find, but in some ways it was the nicest of the bunch.

Eishoin temple

Shinnyodo temple

At the hilltop graveyard

Posing for our young photographer..

Along the Philosopher

Kyoto locals

Ginkaku-ji zen garden

Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji

Konchi-in temple

Konchi-in temple

Konchi-in temple

A well-deserved yakitori dinner after visiting six(!) temples in one day. &lt;br/&gt; Too bad they still allow smoking in many food establishments in Japan, but even the cigarettes couldn

Fushimi Inari-taisha. &lt;br/&gt; Yes that

Fushimi Inari-taisha

Fushimi Inari-taisha

Fushimi Inari-taisha. Many temples have an associated animal. Here, it

Fushimi Inari-taisha

Creative worship: visitors to the shrine can purchase a blank fox-head tablet, design it as they see fit, and leave it behind as an offering to the deity.

Fushimi Inari-taisha

Fushimi Inari-taisha