We arrived at our last tour, the city of Kyoto. Heian Kyo or Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794 to travel to Tokyo government in 1868 when the Meiji Restoration took place. The city, surrounded by mountains, is situated in the central-western part of the island of Honshu.

While archaeological evidence place the first human settlement in the Japanese islands in approximately 10,000 to. C., the Kyoto area was not settled until the seventh century by the Hata clan from Korea. During the eighth century, because of the power they had Buddhist clergy in the affairs of the imperial government, the emperor decided to move the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence.

After Edo was renamed Tokyo, Kyoto was known for a short period as Saikyō (西京). Because of the great cultural heritage of Kyoto, the city was not bombed during World War II. Today is the only major city in Japan that still retains many prewar buildings, although the modernization involves the progressive demolition traditional Kyoto, which is being replaced by new architectural styles, such as complex controversial Kyoto Station.

Well, we got up at 6:00 to leave at 6:30 Ryozan as we have known to be at the station about 7:00 DOBUTSUENMAE and breakfasted, Assi that itch something. The journey to Kyoto is as follows:

We arrived at Kyoto station before 8:10. This season was finished 10 years ago and presents a very modern architecture stands out in a city like Kyoto which caused quite controversial. The current Kyoto Station opened its doors in 1997, commemorating the 1200th anniversary of Kyoto. It is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total area of ​​238,000 meters square. Architecturally, many features futuristic, with a facade composed of cubes of flat glass in a steel frame. The architect was Hiroshi Hara.

It has 11 floors, 2 shopping centers and offices. The roof structure is based on the old map of the city consists of squares but in a structure in 3 dimensions.

Directly opposite is the Kyoto Tower, one of the highest points of the city offering fantastic views.

We foticos about the station, we seek a city maps, subway and bus and we are in the metro area on payment of 250Y to take the Karasuma Line bound for Marutamachi station, 4 stops later. This puts us in the station at 8:45.

We take a walk to the area of ​​the imperial palacions, the area called Kyōto Gyoen (京都 御苑), crossing the Imperial Garden to be on at 9:05 in the Sento Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace was the residence sat for retired emperors. It was built in 1630 as a palace for the emperor Gomizuno retired. The palace burned down three times during the life of Emperor Gomizuno and was rebuilt. However, after the great fire of 1854 when the two palaces, the Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace in Kyoto were burned, sat the Imperial Palace was not rebuilt because there was no emperor or empress retired at that time. To visit a reservation is needed about many specific times. We will be taking pictures of the surroundings of this beautiful garden until 9:25 at best, when we'll start our way out the door-MON Seisho Kyoto Imperial Palace.

ITEM 1 - Imperial Palace, The idea is to be in that door about 9:40, because we have an arranged visit to the palace with a guide included (in English) at 9:50, all the sites you visit Japan imperial reserving visit well in advance. This reservation you can make it here , but Japanese jijiji schedule.

That is the route by which we accompany the guide, and lasts an hour, between 10:00 and 11:00. After the visit to the former Imperial Palace Marutamachi back to the station, here, as we catch the 11:25 Karasuma subway line in the direction of the station KARASUMAOIKE. At 11:40 this season we have to switch to the Tozai Line Nijo Castle-MAE to address where we will arrive at 11:45.

ITEM 2 - Nijo Castle, This is a time where we kicking your ass, this station leaves in front of Nijo Castle. No time to tour inside, and I would not use more than 30 minutes on this site. Nijo Castle (二条 城, Nijo-jo?) Is a castle plane at Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Palace of Honmaru, several of these buildings and several gardens. The surface of the castle is 275,000 meters square, of which 8000 square meters is occupied by buildings.

In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijo Castle. The construction was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. It was built as the residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The Tokugawa Shogunate Edo as the capital used, but Kyoto remained the home of the Imperial Court.

Admission: 600 Yen
Hours: 8:45 to 17:00

Entering the castle at 11:55 it is best to leave about 30 minutes later, around 12:30 and head denuevo outside NIJOJOMAE station ', where bus stops there, we have to take line 101, cost 220Y, bound for the Golden Temple, Kinkakuji-michi, (I think after 8 stops) is not about delay. I guess about 20 minutes. If we take the bus at 12:40 we can say that we arrived at 13:00.

ITEM 3 - Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple formally known as Rokuonji. In 1397 construction began on the Golden Pavilion as part of a new residence for the retired shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Kinkakuji became a Zen temple after Yoshimitsu's death in 1408.

The Golden Pavilion functions as shariden, storage of sacred relics of Buddha, covered in gold leaf. The present building dates from 1955 and the pavilion was burnt by a fanatic monk in 1950.

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00
Admission: 400 yen

If all goes as planned we will leave there at 13:30, to catch (say to 13:45) bus line 101 from wing back Kyoto Station (Kyotoekimae) by 220Y (no idea how long, say 40 mins). Following the assumptions, I have no how to calculate the length of a bus taking cuentra traffic and so on, will at 14:30 arrival at Kyoto Station, where we stop to eat there. We have, more or less, until 15:15.

At 15:23 we take the JR Nara Line stopping line two seasons later, in Inari, arriving at 15:28.

ITEM 4 - Fushimi Inari The Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏 见 稲 荷 大 社) is a shrine (jinja, 神社) dedicated to the spirit of Shinto Inari, and located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. He is best known for the thousands of red toriis that define the way down the hill on which the shrine is located. The torii are donations from individuals, families or companies. The spirit of Inari is regarded as the protector of crops, especially rice, and thus has historically been associated with wealth. Companies often make offerings to the shrines of Inari in the form of barrels of sake or torii.

At the base of the hill is the shrine Go Honden (御 本 殿) and door Sakuramon (桜 门). After touring the hiking trails stamped by toriis, you can stop at various food stalls offering Kitsune udon, a popular noodle dish that takes its name from the foxes (kitsune) which are messengers of Inari. The statues of foxes often are represented in the shrines of Inari with a key (for holding rice barn) in their mouths.

At the top of the hill is the main sanctuary. Unlike most Shinto shrines, and like other shrines dedicated to Inari, you may see an open content idol in the sanctuary (a mirror). Apart from the most famous trails lined by torii, on the opposite side there are other trails that run through a bamboo forest and offers an experience quite different from the main road. The trails start near the sports fields that belong to the Institute of Ritsumeikan.

He is considered one of the most beautiful places in Kyoto, and a symbol of Japan. In 2005, appeared in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha.
Admission is free and has no schedule.

At 15:45 is the time you arrived, gossiped quietly, many photos do we begin and 16:30 return at 16:44 to be taking the JR Nara Line INARI station to get off at the next stop Tofukuji station, just two minutes later.

ITEM 5 - Temple Sanjusagendo, Sanjusangendo is the popular name for Rengeo-in, a temple in eastern Kyoto which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1164

The main hall houses statues. At its center is a large Kannon, flanked on either side of 500 smaller statues, standing in neat rows beside the other, each as tall as a human being.

To set a schedule, saláimos Tofukuji Station at 16:46, and from here we started walking towards the temple of Sanjusagendo, which arrive about 17:10. If we are 30 minutes in the temple will leave about 17:40. Leaving the temple We return to walking north bound on the Kyoto National Museum where I put as estimated time of arrival 18:00.

ITEM 6 - National Museum of Kyoto The museum was originally built to house and display art treasures of private ownership of the temples and shrines, as well as items donated by on Imperial Household Ministry. Currently, most of all the items in the museum are more or less permanent loan. This is their website .

The museum is divided into three parts: Fine art, including sculptures, paintings and calligraphy, crafts, including pottery, textiles, lacquerware and forgings and archeology, including archaeological and historical interest. In total, the museum houses over 12,000 works, of which about 6000 are on display at the museum. The museum also features photo archives containing more than 200,000 photographic negatives and color transparencies. In collections of fine arts alone, more than 230 pieces that have been designated as either national or cultural heritage.

The museum focuses mainly on pre-modern works of Japanese (is said to possess the largest collection of artifacts from the Heian period) and Asian art. The museum is also well known for its collections of rare and ancient sutras Chinese and Japanese. Other famous works include the senzui screen display (landscape) of the 11th century, and gakizōshi (Scroll of Hungry Ghosts) century 12.

Exceptionally the museum is open on Fridays until 20:00 (normally closes at 18:00) and TODAY IS FRIDAY, arrive at 18:00 and we'll be here until they kick us out. Admission is 420Y.

At best we can be at the museum until 20:00, mostly because closed, leaving the neighborhood dinner, so at 21:10 we're back to Kyoto Station, as the way back is a minimum of one 20-minute walk and our train back to Osaka leaves at 21:49.

Well, the hotel is right next, so to bed!