Kyōto

The Kansai region is the second biggest economic centre of the country after Tōkyo and is made up of several large cities: Ōsaka, Kyōto and Kobe. The two former capitals of the country are located here, Kyōto and Nara and these make Kansai a cultural centre as well. I have decided to visit Kyōto and Osaka. They are conveniently located on the main Shinkansen line (fast train) which makes onward travels easy for a J-Pass user.
Pictures from Kyōto are probably some of the best known Japanese scenery abroad (besides Tokyo and Mount Fuji). The many temples and Japanese gardens and the Geishas and Maikos (Geisha apprentice) from the Gion district are famous all over the world. Kyōto really stands for traditional Japanese culture and has the sights to match the expectations. Also the location amidst mountains adds to the romantic charm of the city.
When you arrive however, the picture is a bit different. From the main station you see a modern city with neon lights and the not-so-pretty Kyōto tower in front of you. Arriving at dusk and in slightly rainy weather adds to the impression that Kyōto is maybe not the magical place you thought it to be. Well, let’s be fair, I was also busy with dragging my luggage to the only (run-down) hostel I could find in Kyōto (I happened to be there on one of the many public holidays). I was lucky to get a bed even for a second night. Kyōto is such a popular tourist destination and during the many public holidays it is overrun by tourists. I walked around and suddenly someone was calling my name. It was Anne, whom I had met at Genki JACS a few weeks before. Her and two friends stayed in Kyōto for 3 days. They asked at their hotel whether I could stay in one of their rooms, so I found an asylum for the night finally.
Later I went walking around the district and started seeing what the magic of the city is. You can not walk too far without stumbling upon a beautiful temple. You could probably spend weeks to explore them and all the Japanese gardens around the city and its vicinity. At night it is an amazing, somewhat unreal sight, see the pictures. Even simple side streets with more traditional houses look magical. I could have wandered around for hours.
I visited a few temples and gardens, but I think I only caught a glimpse of the city and I wasn't blessed with good weather either, so I will definitely need to go again and spend some more time exploring the city's cultural heritage. A modern sight that I didn't get to see is Japan's international Manga museum, would love to visit it too.