I have never lived in Kyoto before Cooking Sun. In fact, I’ve only visited Kyoto once before, and that was when I came to do field research to prepare my business plan presentation. One year after I moved to Kyoto with my family, I’m so happy to live in this cultural city and every weekend I find new part of the city to explore.

Here are my 3 favorite places in Kyoto:

1. Fushimi Inari Shrine
This place is very special. There are so many Torii (red gates) and walking up to the top through thousands of torii is such a refreshing experience no matter how many times you do it. Many travelers do not know, but each torii has an owner. You can buy torii and place it in a vacant space. If you can read Japanese, you’ll notice on the way that the shrine displays the prices of each Torii. Torii are for good fortune, and many business and individuals purchase them to ensure good fortune for their lives. I’m not sure if non-resident foreigners can buy Torii, however…

2. Kamogawa (Kamo river)
Walking along Kamogawa river is a nice way to relax for both locals and travelers. I sometimes go to the river with my son and he loves it, too. You can also cycle along the Kamo river. It is a wonderful way to see the city and people watch.

3. Kodaiji
There are so many temples and every traveler has a limited amount of time. It’s hard to choose which ones to go! Usually, people go to Kinkakjuji (The Golden Pavillion), Kiyomizu temple, and/or Fushimi Inari shirine. And I agree with those three choices- they are all very impressive and worth visiting. But if you’ve already been to Kyoto and visited these three attractions, Kodaiji temple is my favorite. The garden is large, peaceful, and well-designed. It is even beautiful at night when the lights turn on. Kodaiji Temple is in the Gion area, very close to Kiyomizu Temple, Yasaka Shrine, and many famous Ryotei restaurants.

(Image from Kanpai-japan.com)