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- Day 9
- Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 7:42 AM
- ☁️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 35 m
JapanKyoto35°0’21” N 135°45’55” E
A tor-rific day

Today began with us rolling out of bed to enjoy our traditional breakfast, provided by the Ryokan. We were warmly greeted and led to our own private partitioned room, where an impressive spread of assorted goodies awaited us. Each item was thoughtfully explained, and the tofu burner was lit right in front of us to start cooking.
The meal was incredible, some dishes were familiar, others completely new, and a few we couldn’t quite identify. Still, we gave everything a go and finished every last bite!
It’s a good thing we filled up, because shortly after we hopped on a train bound for Fushimi Inari Taisha, a stunning mountainside Shinto shrine dating back to 711 A.D known for its iconic path of hundreds of red torii gates. We tackled the full 4.3 km loop, half of which was basically uphill stars, in a humid 30°C. The walk itself was manageable but he humidity? A solid 0/10.
Early on, we veered off the main path and stumbled into a serene bamboo forest, nearly void of other people, it was magical. Back on the trail, the scenery was stunning. Every few hundred meters, the torii gates opened up to small shrines, which helped break up the sweaty climb with plenty of beautiful sights.
After knocking out 10k steps before 11 a.m, we headed back into the city. We wandered around the shopping district, sampled some miscellaneous street foods, and even picked up a few pens. Then it was back to our accommodation to freshen up.
Smelling noticeably better, we ventured out again, this time to Gion for an evening stroll and more snacks. The highlight was our visit to Gion Corner, a classical theater showcasing seven traditional Japanese performing arts: Kyomai (elegant Kyoto-style dance), Chanoyu (tea ceremony), Ikebana (flower arrangement), Koto (stringed instrument), Bugaku (court dance), Kyogen (comic theater), and Noh (classical musical drama).
We were definitely a bit lost through most of the performances, but the Kyomai dance stood out as our favorite. A maiko (geisha-in-training) performed with such grace, it was fluid, elegant, and absolutely fascinating to watch.
To wrap up the night, we wandered until we ended up at 7/11. Phill grabbed a bowl of premade ramen which we added hot water to back at our accommodation - and to our surprise, it was really good. Honestly, it held its own against ramen we’ve had back home.
Step count: 28kRead more
Traveler
Haha I thought the guy in yellow was another snack that you were eating (Steph)