Japan - Impressions of Kyoto and Top Tips for Travel

9 September 2015 - RPS Partnership

Director of Objective Travel Safety Charlie McGrath, as a partner of RPS, sends us this exclusive look at what it's like to travel in Japan and go off to Kyoto. This is his second blog, which RPS wants to share with you. Kyoto is a different place to Tokyo and Charlie gives his impressions and top travel tips to aid you if you are off there on your travels on holiday or business.

Charlie sends us his second blog:

Introduction

Kyoto is a nice city to visit and is easily accessible from Tokyo. The city was once the Imperial capital and today it is much visited by Japanese and well as international tourists. Even with Tokyo as the capital, it is was viewed very much as the intellectual city of Japan and for that reason it was considered by the US as a target for an H bomb at the end of WW2 in order to force Japan’s surrender. Thankfully it was spared that and indeed a conscious decision was made to spare it from the scale of bombing delivered on other cities due to its historical buildings.

Getting There & About

The Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Tokyo station is the best way of reaching Kyoto form Tokyo. It takes a little over 2 hours so making a day trip very possible. It travels at around 320 km/h and trains leaves about every 20 minutes with 16 coach cars of which about 3 are unreserved.

You would have thought you don’t need to book withg so many departures but best to do as it gets very busy. Return fare to Kyoto is around £130. There are slower trains, which are slightly cheaper. Slick from the outside the trains is rather sparse and functional from the inside, it does what it needs to; move a lot of people very quickly between Japan’s major cities. 

It's handy to have pre down loaded the Trip Advisor city App which has some excellent reviews on temples and shrines to visit but also contacts for private and public tours. There is also a metro and endless taxis and of course guided tours via travel agents. But I found the best way to get around was by bus, a one day bus ticket costs Y500, about £2.50 – very good value. There is a very good Tourist Information Centre in Kyoto station where you can buy a day bus pass and they will furnish you with the necessary bus and city maps.

Attractions

Lots of nice temples, best are on the outside of the city. I went to Eikando, Ginkahuji & Kinkakuji.  The latter was very crowded but well worth the visit and good for ‘people watching’. The central part of the city is modern but do go to Nijo-jo castle, the old Shogun fort. It has lovely gardens and a nice interior.

I didn’t go to the Imperial Park which also gets good reviews and there are so many places to visit one could easily stay for 2 or 3 days. Hiring a bike for the day seemed a good option.

Thanks to Charlie McGrath of Objective Travel Safety. if you need travel support, guidance or training contact us on [email protected]

Photos; thanks to Charlie McGrath