South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Seaside Treasures Day 13

Day 13 – Wednesday, October 23, 2022 - Fushimi Imari Shrine; Nishiki Market; Explore Kinkakuji Temple

We woke up to another beautiful day in Kyoto; the sun was bright and the skies were blue. After breakfast we met Mr. Kakao, our driver here in Kyoto, and he took us for a short trip to the gorgeous Fushimi Inari Shrine.

The main shrine of the Inari, it was built to honor the spirits recognized in the Shinto religion. The earliest structures were built in 711, but because of fire, it was rebuilt. This seems to be the story of many of these beautiful shrines and temples in Japan.

We spent about 90 minutes exploring the grounds and walking through the site's 10,000 magnificent orange torii gates. Orange is the color of good luck; and many statues representing foxes guarded the shrines.

By the time we left at 10:45, the grounds were alive with Japanese families and student tour groups enjoying a Sunday visiting the park. Food vendors and souvenir shops had opened and were doing a lively business.

Our next stop was the Nishiki Market. Ken gave us all about $5.00 worth of yen to buy lunch along the five-block stretch of shops and tiny restaurants. There were fresh fruits and veggies, seafood, and also cookware and knives.

We spent our lunch money on skewers of shrimp tempura and then had chicken at another shop. There were so many things to choose from, it was interesting to talk with our OAT friends to see what they had purchased.

After lunch Mr. Kakao took us to the grounds of the Kinkakuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also known as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, the original structure was built in 1387. The Golden Temple is located on a small island in a large pond that provided us with wonderful reflective photos.

Because Japan has just recently opened to tourists after Covid, there were a few other non-Japanese visitors. Today we saw mostly Japanese families at both historic sites.

We rode the bus back to the hotel at 3:30 for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was on our own this evening. Because we had had such a nice lunch at the Nishiki Market, we walked over to the large market near the Kyoto Station and found a small sandwich.

This was another great day in Japan. As our adventure draws to a close, we are starting to reflect on all that we have seen and done here and in South Korea. But tomorrow is another day with more to do and see in Kyoto.

Accommodations: Dormy Inn Premium Kyoto Ekimae Hotel -- Meals included: B and L