---
type: Place
title: Kyoto
description: Two hours from Tokyo on a train that averages twelve seconds late — a shrine dating to 706 with over a thousand gates, prayer plaques for a good fishing catch, and a day training with a samurai sword.
tags: [kyoto, japan, shrines, kendo, tradition, ryokan, bullet-train]
coordinates: {lat: 35.0116, lng: 135.7681}
timestamp: 2026-08-05T12:00:00Z
---

# Kyoto

Reached from [Tokyo](/places/tokyo.md) on the bullet train — **280 miles in about
two hours** — and the traditional half of Harry's fortnight in
[Japan](/countries/japan.md), travelling with [Walid](/people/walid.md).

## The shrine

The most iconic in the country, and one of over **30,000 shrines in Japan**.

- **It dates back to 706.**
- **Over a thousand smaller gates** climb the mountain. The full walk to the top
  takes around three hours; Harry does part of it in serious heat.
- **Foxes** appear throughout and are regarded as spiritual.
- **Torii gates**, which people of all ages and backgrounds come to, praying for
  a good harvest, a successful business, and their wishes coming true.
- **You wash your hands at the entrance** as an act of respect and cleansing —
  and Harry is honest that he is guessing at the explanation.
- **Wooden prayer plaques**, on which you write a wish. The printed options are
  the interesting part and tell you what the culture prays for: traffic safety, a
  good fishing catch, a good harvest.
- **Women in kimonos** throughout, which he stops to admire at some length.

## Kendo

He and Walid sign up for a day of it — the martial art descended from samurai
training, intended to develop physical and mental discipline.

- **Full armour**, which Harry finds almost impossible to see or hold his head up
  in.
- **Bamboo swords first**, and a bout against each other that he describes as
  fun rather than hard.
- **Then the master**, who is far better than both of them.
- **Then a real sword**, used to cut a target. Harry says only 20–30% of people
  manage it and that both of them did.

His verdict: much more tiring than expected for a minute of fighting, genuinely
good fun, and worth doing again. He credits the tour in the video.

## Staying in a ryokan

A traditional Japanese inn, made of wood, with sliding doors, tatami mats and
paper screens, and a mix of the traditional and the modern.

- **You sleep on the floor on mats**, which he is told is better for you — the
  muscles relax and the hips and spine keep a neutral alignment.
- **Shoes off at the door**, robes provided, and a Kyoto visitor guide waiting.
- **Modern air conditioning and a small but immaculate shower**, with what he
  says is a recurring feature of Japanese hotels: unusually high-quality soap and
  shampoo.
- **Free green tea and water.**
- **A small meditation area or balcony.**
- Everything slides, including the windows. Everything is spotless.

## Getting there

- **The bullet train's average delay is twelve seconds**, and the fastest ever
  recorded ran at 375 mph.
- **The perspective Harry uses**: 80 miles takes two hours where he's from; here
  280 miles takes the same.
- **A two-week JR Pass covers it.** The Tokyo–Kyoto leg alone would otherwise be
  about $130.
- **The carriage**: a window bigger than a plane's, a tray table, a lot of
  legroom, power, and wi-fi at around 20 Mbps. Cleaners turn the seats around
  between services.
- **The train does not wait.** Harry left his bag on board and only got it back
  because Walid grabbed it; it was going on to Osaka.

## Harry's tips

- **Get the JR Pass** before you need it. One leg nearly pays for it.
- **Don't try to walk the whole shrine.** Three hours to the top, and it's hot.
- **Do the kendo.** He rates it the best thing in the fortnight.
- **Sleep on the ryokan floor rather than asking for a bed.** It's the point.
- **Get off the train with your bag.** It leaves on the second.

## Source

- [14 Days in Japan 🇯🇵 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly](/videos/nwQ323luUKo.md) —
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQ323luUKo