14 May 2025 Wednesday
This was the day we were due to meet up with the others, so we caught an early train from Osaka to Kyoto. While waiting for their arrival, we carved out a little adventure of our own—hunting for ukiyo-e prints in Kyoto’s old streets.
Morning: Ukiyo-e Hunting in Kyoto’s Backstreets
The last time I came to Kyoto was over ten years ago. Back then, I didn’t even own a smartphone—just a chunky digital camera snapping away endlessly. My “research” was simple: I divided the city into north, south, east, west, and central, dedicating one day to each quadrant. It was fun, but also broad and unfocused, and I missed many of the city’s small nuances.
This time, I had a clearer mission: to track down antique shops and second-hand bookstores that still carried ukiyo-e woodblock prints. That deliberate search led us to quieter corners of the city we had never seen before. Browsing shelves of fragile old books and flipping through aged prints felt like stepping into a pocket of history.
(Background: Ukiyo-e, literally “pictures of the floating world,” are woodblock prints that flourished in Japan from the 17th to 19th centuries. They often depict kabuki actors, landscapes, or scenes from daily life. In Kyoto, you can still find them in antique shops, particularly around Teramachi Street, Sanjō, and smaller specialist bookshops scattered across town.)
A Sweet Pause
Later in the morning, we met up at Saori Waguri for a very special Japanese dessert experience. After weaving through the warm, bustling streets, sitting down with traditional sweets felt both refreshing and indulgent.
Afternoon: Shimogamo Shrine & Crowds
The afternoon sun was relentless. We headed to Shimogamo Shrine, one of Kyoto’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and among its oldest Shinto shrines. The shrine’s deep vermillion gates and leafy surroundings were beautiful—but it was packed. We threw coins, rang the bells, and prayed, but soon found ourselves struggling even to board a bus back toward the station.
I can see why locals sometimes grow weary of tourism here. The buses were overflowing, with people squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder, and so many attractions are concentrated right in the middle of the city. The morning had felt peaceful, intimate, and almost secret; the afternoon was the complete opposite—crowded, noisy, and stiflingly hot.
Evening: Back to Osaka
We ended the day with a comforting bowl of udon at Kyoto Station before hopping back to Osaka. Despite the long day, we still found the energy to wander around Dotonbori. Even late at night, the neon signs, laughter, and riverside buzz were in full swing—such a sharp contrast to the quiet pilgrimage towns we had been exploring earlier.
👉 A complete 38-day Japan itinerary, including Nakasendo walking, Kumano Kodo hiking, Shimanami Kaido cycling, and a Kyushu road trip.
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