Index
Day 1: Flying
Day 2: Tokyo to Kyoto
Day 3: Kyoto
Day 4: Fushimi Inara Taishi
Day 5: Himeji Castle
Day 6: Kyoto
Day 7: Return
Japan
Kinkaku-ji, the golden temple, was the last of the top-3 sights in Kyoto we had yet to see, so decided to fix that this morning. It's the smallest one in the top-3 as well, and at least in the morning, the crowds were... well... not the worst, but still quite evident. Ended up a bit cloudier today than other days but couldn't complain as it was still pleasantly warm outside. And since we were already on the northern end of the city, we figured might as well make the next stop Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, both as a change of pace from shrines and temples, but also because some of the photos we'd seen looked spectacular.
With a closer-to-lunch arrival than first thing in the morning, the crowds were out in full force, but given the time I had, I couldn't complain. Diana also found a kimono shop right across the road and finally got her wish to wear a kimono, plus the added amusement of watching me shuffle around in one too. We managed to make it far enough up the path in Arashiyama Bamboo Forest to get a few photos between gaps in the crowd, shuffled around some more, took some more photos, then realized it was past lunch time and we should probably eat something (ongoing theme: forgetting it's lunchtime...).
After carefully eating udon at a nearby restaurant with an unexpectedly nice view, it was time to return the kimonos and then snap a few photos back in the bamboo forest in normal clothes. Along the way we ran into Duy again, got a few photos with him, then we decided to brave the trains without Duy (he preferred the bus-- clearly more experienced in Japan!) so Diana could finish off the last of her shopping. Somewhere in there was a brief stop at Onimaru Yaki-musubi and FamilyMart for a snack to power through shopping.
Kyoto Kaiseki Yakiniku (BBQ) HIRO Gion Yamana-an was the final dinner of the trip, and they absolutely delivered on the waygu. They have a bunch of private rooms in the back, but we ended up at a communal table where Diana proceeded to make friends with the other diners, as we all chowed down on beef tripe, mustard greens, pumpkin soup, uni and beef yukke (beef tartare), kim chi, waygu "sushi", and a host of other delicious items. The lean beef, waygu thigh, and beef tongue were particularly delicious, as were the marinated trio (sirloin, skirt beef, special ribs). Things wrapped up with a salad and then both cold noodles and bibimbap, neither of which was too memorable, but honestly as a finale to the meal and a break from endless meat, were actually quite appropriate. Dessert was good too, although by then we were too full to really appreciate it.
Of all the fancy meals in Kyoto, would definitely* come back here, as they were actually downright affordable (highest-end set meal was JPY 10,000/person = currently US$65ish/person, drinks not included) both in terms of food and drinks, and it turns out they were on the exact same street as a bunch of the bars we'd hit the previous night with Duy.
* = to be fair, sooooo many tasty looking restaurants in Japan, including many with waygu on the menu...