Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Kyoto’s western district Arashiyama is worthy of its own destination visit. Nestled in the lush hills along the Oi river, it is best known for its towering bamboo forest and the Tenryu-ji temple, while the imperial residence Katsura Villa and “Moss Temple” Kokedera (Saiho-ji) are nearby. You could easily spend two days here without stepping foot into Kyoto city. But if you’re short on time, here is a one day condensed itinerary.
Morning: Katsura Imperial Villa or Moss...
If you’re in Arashiyama for a day (or more), there are three great dining options for lunch - Shigetsu, Unagiya Hirokawa and Hirano-ya. They are very different from each other and I really enjoyed all three. So, depending on your food preferences and available time, at least one of these should tick the boxes.
Shigetsu - Zen Vegetarian (Shojin Ryori)
Shigetsu is a zen buddhist vegetarian dining hall in Tenryu-ji temple. The story goes that it started with the monks cooking...
This itinerary accompanies the narrative in the blog Kanazawa - Little Kyoto, Big Garden, Great Seafood. Read the blog for more detail.
Access: Kanazawa sits on the west coast of Central Honshu. The nearest airport is Komatsu - around 40 minutes drive from the town centre or one hour by airport bus. If you’ve flown into Tokyo, however, do try the bullet train to Kanazawa, which takes around two and a half hours. As with other cities in Japan, Kanazawa is well connected...