Kyoto’s Gion district comes to life at sunset.
The Gion district is located in Kyoto and is famous for its entertainment nightlife. Establishments such as restaurants of all types, bars, clubs, and tea houses line the area. Gion however is most famous for its Machiya (町屋/町家) traditional wooden townhouses along with its entertainers the Geiko and Maiko dawning the colorful Japanese traditional garment the Kimono (きもの).
A train leaves Hamaotsu station in city of Otsu
Otsu city located on the southern end of Lake Biwa briefly served as the capital of Japan from 667 to 672 AD during the Asuka period (538 – 710). The area of the city has an old historical feel to it as you roam the neighborhoods. I visited a local bar that is still running for over 50 years unchanged.
Kenroku-en 兼六園 means Six Attributes Garden. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. It was developed from the 1620s to the 1840s. Kenroku-en contains about 8,750 trees, and 183 species of plants in total.
Okayama Station at Halloween night becomes a major destination for viewing cosplay. Locals go all out with some amazing costumes. Taking a close up look one can see the time put in to get the details of eyeballs falling out and scars on faces. It happens around 6-9pm before everyone calls it a night.
Old shops line the empty streets of Otsu
Heading North from Otsu station towards Lake Biwa and Hamaotsu Station a street lined with many old shops mostly catering to locals. The area is slowly dying as most young residents move to large cities for employment.
Another warm day in Kyoto.
The sun beating down from above along with the humidity is a common feature in Kyoto. It is well known that summers and winters in the city can be undesirable compared to other parts of Japan.
View from Ono Station Platform
Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Biwa is of tectonic origin and is one of the world’s twenty oldest lakes, dating to almost 4 million years ago. The Shiga area is great for outdoor actives such as fishing, swimming, and hiking in the various mountainous areas.
Pontocho 先斗町 alley in Kyoto
Restaurants and entertainment establishments line the alleys of Kyoto in the Pontocho district awaiting to be discovered by the curious traveler.