​1) Heian Shrine (Heian-jingu) This a large temple complex in Higashiyama north of Yasaka-jinja built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th...

Sanjocho Neighborhood We mostly explored food and necessities in Sanjocho (google map location), but there are also many clothing,...

Running in Kyoto There are two places in central Kyoto that I found good for running: the grounds of the Imperial Palace (aka...

Neighborhoods in Kyoto One of our long-term ideas is to spend 1-3 months a year in Japan – we love the food, culture and lifestyle. So,...

Arashiyama Arashiyama is a region of west Kyoto with many temples, shrines and other attractions. It’s a great day trip from central...

Tokyo Running Like any big city, Tokyo has its ups and downs when it comes to running. It’s hard to run in any city unless it’s very...

Koya-san Why you should go: Koya is a UNESCO site and an important Buddhist location. Access requires several forms of transportation:...