Early Morning Walk Series: Hanamikoji Street and Yasaka Shrine

Continuing the early morning walk series. As we gradually adjusted to the time difference, we started waking up a little later each day. We got up early to take some photos of the room. One last day to enjoy the tower-view room! When the stay is comfortable, your mood naturally improves too.

The flowers in the corner had been changed again.

We happened to come across a Refill vending machine.

That day, instead of heading toward Sannenzaka and Kiyomizu-dera, we walked in the direction of Yasaka Pagoda. Yasaka Pagoda is located within Hokan-ji Temple.

A Shiba Inu was lying lazily at the entrance. When we passed by again on the way back, the dog was still lying there. Sometimes a dog’s life really does seem better than a human’s.

We passed Kennin-ji Temple, which we had visited last year. Nice to see you again.

Another gate.

After turning the corner, we found ourselves on Hanamikoji Street. Hanamikoji in the early morning felt a little desolate.

Continuing onward brought us to Yasaka Shrine. Including times we just passed by, this was already our third visit to Yasaka Shrine on this trip.

Yasaka Shrine in the early morning looked nothing like it did that weekend evening.

We took a different route back to the hotel.

A newlywed couple was taking traditional wedding photos.

Our Final Breakfast at Park Hyatt Kyoto

That day was a weekend, and there seemed to be some kind of student event going on. Ninenzaka was full of students in school uniforms carrying backpacks.

Apparently, Japanese omelets all seem to look like omurice before it’s sliced open.

I have to eat yakisoba every day!

I really don’t think there’s any need to choose the Japanese breakfast at Park Hyatt Kyoto. The Western breakfast is already very substantial, and the fruit was the highlight.

Killing Time in the Hotel Room

We were heading to Arima Onsen that afternoon, and didn’t have any special plans for the morning, so we decided to enjoy the hotel a bit more. We walked around the property with the kids and checked out the sauna and onsen (really just a hot-water) area. I had originally wanted to book a massage, but it was extremely popular and even the slots two days out were already fully booked.

At check-in, we had arranged a 1 pm checkout with the hotel. That day, I called to ask whether we could check out a bit later, but the hotel politely declined. Maybe someone else had booked this suite.

So we lounged around the hotel one last time, then decided to head out and stroll through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka right outside the door. After all, we still hadn’t experienced Ninenzaka at its most crowded, and we could also look for something to eat.

Reluctantly, we checked out and left our luggage with the front desk.

Walking and Snacking Through Crowded Ninenzaka

As long as I don’t have to stand in line, I don’t mind crowds. So compared with Ninenzaka early in the morning, when the shops weren’t even open, Ninenzaka at noon felt a lot livelier and more full of everyday bustle. I actually liked it quite a bit.

One of the hottest shops on Ninenzaka: Starbucks! A real point of pride for Seattleites.

I bought this sweet potato to eat. It was decent.

Goodbye, Kyoto

When it was almost time, we went back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and took a taxi to the station. We hadn’t found anything we really wanted to eat on Ninenzaka, so at a convenience store by the station we bought a few onigiri for lunch. I don’t usually love plain white rice, but for some reason I really love onigiri.

It felt like that day must have been some kind of special occasion—there were students everywhere.

Between last year and this year, we spent a total of 7 days in Kyoto. This time, I saw enough temples, shrines, and cherry blossoms to hit aesthetic overload. The next time I come back to Kyoto, it’ll probably be for fall foliage season.

About the Author

This article is reprinted from the WeChat public account of one of our reader group members, 懒人 33 的吃喝玩乐. The account publishes excellent original writing, so if you’re interested, feel free to follow it.