Day 2 27/12/2017 Kyoto - Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu Dera, Saryou Suisen, Pokemon Center Kyoto

Day 2 of 7 of my annual trip and we are heading to Kyoto today! 

Day 2 of my Japan trip was all about Kyoto! We woke up around 4am to catch the first shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Kyoto, and along the way, we were lucky enough to spot a clear view of Mount Fuji as we passed by Hakone. Of course, we grabbed some tasty train station bentos for breakfast on board – a must-do Japan experience.

Our first stop was the iconic Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社). To our surprise, it started snowing – my very first time experiencing snow in Japan, which made the shrine visit even more magical! The thousands of torii gates were beautiful, though the shrine was extremely crowded, making it hard to get good photos. After snapping as many shots as we could, we warmed up with Kyoto street food – fresh takoyaki, fluffy egg roll, and a comforting bowl of kitsune udon inside a traditional Japanese restaurant. Perfect for the freezing weather.

Next, we headed to Kiyomizu-dera Temple (清水寺). The snow got heavier and even turned into hail, which made walking around challenging. Unfortunately, the main hall was under renovation, so the usual iconic photo spot wasn’t available. Still, it was worth experiencing the temple grounds in the snow, even if we had to skip the hand-washing ritual because of the cold. To thaw out, I grabbed a hot matcha latte nearby – nothing beats warm Kyoto matcha on a winter day.

We passed by the famous Tatami Starbucks in Kyoto, but it was too crowded, so instead we went to Saryou Suisen, a dessert café known for its beautiful 3D latte art and matcha parfaits. Kyoto’s matcha is special – not overly sweet like in Singapore, but with a rich, slightly bitter flavor that makes it authentic and a must-try when visiting Kyoto.

Later, we dropped by the Pokémon Center Kyoto, located on the 5th floor of Takashimaya Kyoto. It’s smaller than the Tokyo outlets at Sunshine City or Skytree, but still fun for fans.

For dinner, we originally planned to try the famous Kichi Kichi Omurice but didn’t know that reservations were required, so we had to change plans. We ended up back at Kyoto Station and grabbed curry rice at a random eatery there – not the best, but it filled us up after a long, cold day.