Kyoto, the city of 1,000+ temples. Nothing against temples, Japan, Korea, or the rest of Asia, but I've seen just about enough temples for one year. If I were a monk or a scholar of Buddhism, or with someone who is, I might find more interest in the temples of different countries. But the reality is, for a lay(westerner)man, the paint and decorations are a little different, that's about it.
At any rate, our second day in Japan was primarily spent in Kyoto. No more than an hour by train from Osaka, Kyoto somehow managed to avoid the flattening bomb raids in WWII, and therefore stores a significant amount of Japan's history. Aside from the countless temples, the city is also a hot spot for any Japanese who want to see droves of foreigners.
One cup, one bowl.
After the garden we spent some time wandering through the downtown area, hoping to spot some Geishas in between appointments. We had no such luck--probably because there were so many foreigners running around--so we hopped on a bus to our second historical sight: The Fushimi Inari Shrine.
This shrine is composed of hundreds, if not thousands, of orange arches over pathways up and around Inari mountain. The contrast of these bright orange objects with the greenery of the landscape is really beautiful. The shrine represents wealth, rice, and sake I believe. We had the opportunity to visit late in the afternoon as the sun was beginning to set, which provided a beautiful view of Kyoto from the top of the mountain.
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