Travelling Japan D2 [Kyoto]

 Morning breakfast provided by hotel Villa Fontaine Village Kyoto.

 Breakfast is served in our room.

Catch up with very much rest needed, feeling refreshed and ready to start day two.

  Villa Fontaine Village Kyoto is fully booked on day 2, so we have to move to a guest house about 15min walk from Villa Fontaine.  Kyoto Arklead Gojohorikawa is only half the price of Villa Fontaine, it has really high (9.1/10) review on trip adviser. Newly furbished studio apartment managed by a very friendly Japanese lady, about 10 walk to the train station.

 There is a sim in the intercom connected to lady boss's cell phone.

I made reservation for my photoshoot at Maiko 舞妓 Studio Yume Koubou near Kyoto station. Do check out their Japanese page instead of english, i got to know about the anniversary promotion through their Japanese page. Only paid 3900yen for 8 shots including dress and make up, so affordable. Make up took about fourty minutes, dressing and photoshoot another twenty.

While i am getting ready, the husband went roaming around the area and visited Toji temple.  

  

Back to my Maiko 舞妓 studio photography, here are my eight shots we took.

 Maiko holding her bag, a box.

We are allowed to take photo with my make up within the premise. The husband couldn't recognize me  and got a shock of his life when he saw me looking like that.

 Really grateful i only picked in-studio photography, Maiko and Geisha have to hold up their dress while walking, very cumbersome. Moreover every tourist will treat you like a walking exhibition item, cant wait to have a picture with you.

Supposed to be our best shot. 

 Japanese western lunch in a mega mall near Kyoto station.

 Ginger pork with hamburger patty, rice and miso.

 Husband had hamburger patty with all the katsu.

 Next destination Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) 金閣寺. Bought my favorite macha soft served again, another painful 300yen.

 Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later.

 Entrance ticket, also a blessing Talisman.

 Kinkakuji 金閣寺, again we stood in awe, jaw dropped stunning. 

 Bird on a bird.

 Charms hut

Sekkatei Teahouse, added to Kinkakuji during the Edo Period. Outside the exit are souvenir shops, a small tea garden where you can have matcha tea and sweets (500 yen/pax).

 Fudo Hall, a small temple hall which houses a statue of Fudo Myoo, one of the Five Wisdom Kings and protector of Buddhism. The statue is said to be carved by Kobo Daishi, one of the most important figures in Japanese religious history.

 Make a wish candles.

 Next destination, we arrived at Arashiyama 嵐山.

 Beautiful, peaceful and clam little town on the mountain.

 Didnt expect the sun to set so early in Japan, in Kyoto it look like 9pm Singapore time by 5pm, on arashiyama (mountain) sun set by 4.30pm. Took dark, too dangerous to go into the woods where the magnificent bamboo forest are, real disappointment. 

 Head back to the main town where we buy ourselves a nice dinner. Soba is said to be good on mountains as they are using pure mountain dew for soba making. Homemade tofu is another arasshiyama specialty. 

 Took a long time to decide on my dinner set, every set look so delicious.

 I picked their homemade tofu set with soba sushi wrap.

 Rough and raw homemade tofu.

 

  

Back to our guest house in Kyoto.

 A studio apartment, even with a mini kitchen.

 Electronic water heater, i like this.

 Really clean and compact toilet, we dont see any dust at all.

 Check out the mini tv in front of the tub, enjoy TV while soaking, shiok. Guest house but they are also using all Shisedo products.

 Spacious and clean room, providing PC and wifi. Only minus point i would say is the bed, not as soft and comfortable as our previous hotel.

TV cum PC monitor in every room.

Disclaimer: Partial captions (location history) are credited to JapanGuide.com, this trip is heavily planned using JapanGuide.com, captions are for my reference to pictures i took.