Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto

You've seen the images, endless red torii, in fact they continue right to the top of the mountain and then who knows how far. We climbed quite a way up and it's amazing how fast the tourists drop away. three quarters  of the way up there is a beautiful tea house, reward. Interestingly the torii show increasing neglect the further you climb.

Kibune And Kurama

You get off at Kibune station, take a bus to Kibune, which is real cute, then climb over the mountain to Kurama. A sort of pilgrims path, we noticed nearly everybody else was doing it in the reverse direction.
Kurama station awaited as our destination and a warming bowl of noodles as our reward.
Of course there was a shrine at Kibune, shrines up and down the mountain and a huge monastery at Kurama.

To-JI Temple Markets, Kyoto

Christmas eve makes no difference to the To-Ji Temple Markets, they are held on the 24th of the month, no exceptions. Nevertheless it was incredibly crowded, not really conducive for shopping and, it is a temple after all.

Moso Bamboo, Arishiyama

At Night, Arishiyama

The kimono fabrics installation at Keifuku Station and the bamboo forest illuminated +

Arishiyama

So the morning after arriving in Japan and Kyoto we hot footed it to Arishiyama, heavenly.

The Last Trip

Last trip to the land of the nippons. No more temples, no more shrines, no more depressing subway.
That's my story of course, for my traveling companion below, no harsh words or negative statement can be made against Japan, so I guess, maybe five years before another trip?
She is seen brandishing her new Toyoko Inn membership, so another trip for her is in the planning stages already, solo.