In the Land Of The Rising Sun - Kyoto - 28 April 2026

Some are born to obey; some are cursed to see. With much wisdom comes much suffering.

I couldn't sleep till the fatigue wore off. The reasons were two-fold - one, the excitement of travelling by a Shinkansen train for the first time and two, the fear of being late for the famously on time departure of Japanese public transport. I was happy to see that the day dawned bright and clear, so that the transit to Tokyo station with luggage would be faster and non-messy.

I left the hostel early and got to the Asakusabashi station, only to be told that the train I was planning to take from there is actually a bus! Anyway, in the end, I took two trains and got to Tokyo station, with more than 75 minutes to spare. I was, at last, on the verge of realising a dream. The station, which is on so many levels, has information counters and staff posted at many places to guide passengers. I had to take directions to reach the designated Shinkansen departure gate.

With nearly an hour to kill I used the waiting room, that was so neat and clean that I yearned for the same in my country too. Before joining the queue to take the reserved seat in the appointed coach, I picked up a couple of sandwiches from a convenience store. Sandwiches have become my go to food in Japan. I love the texture of the bread and the variety of fillings they offer.

The train pulled into the Tokyo station 15 minutes ahead of time. Therefore, I had enough time to find my seat and position my luggage in the overhead rack. The English voice of the Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) is that of Donna Burke, an Australian singer, voice actress, and entrepreneur based in Japan.

She has been providing the calm, iconic announcements for JR Central since 2003, welcoming millions of passengers. She announces stops, transfers, and safety warnings (including earthquake alerts) on the Tokaido line, which connects Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. I remember seeing an interview of hers in which she jokingly said that 'in all probability, it would be her voice one would hear before one's death'!

At 8 am the doors closed and the train started. The ride was a dream all along the way. No noise, very few jerks, if none at all, and most importantly, the passengers were quiet and well mannered. The 450 km route would be covered in 135 minutes, which by road is done in nearly 6 hours.

The Shinkansen fare is about INR 9000, but then the comfort and saving of time compensated more than adequately. The train conductor and security personnel walked around in the coaches, but I was never asked for my ticket, though. The train pulled into Kyoto station a minute ahead of time and I got off the Hiroshima bound Nozomi 61, which is the fastest Shinkansen service. I had realised a long-cherished dream.

I had instructions from the hotel on how to get to the property. The cheapest option was the bus. Since I had planned to visit the sites in the city using public transport, I decided to 'experience' the bus transport in Kyoto. The route to the bus station was exceptionally well signposted in the railway terminal and I reached there without too much ado.

I had to take bus number 9 and didn't know here that would start from. I need not have worried for there are booths at the bus station where staff give directions regarding the bus routes and the enclosure one could board from. Was fortunate that one of them was boarding and I took it to reach the hotel in just a few minutes. The surprise was in seeing how close the drop off point was to the hotel. It was hardly 50 meters away.

Ghosh, from Bangladesh, checked me in. Even though the room tariff was prepaid I had to pay the city tax. The check-in time is 3 pm, but fortunately, my room was ready. A couple of others had stored their luggage and left for their day's program.

After freshening up in the room, I charged the mobiles and got on a bus to the Arashiyama bamboo forest. Google maps indicated that I had to ride the bus for 21 stops. When I got close to the designated drop off point, I could see thousands of people, all milling around the narrow streets. The driver helped me to get off at the right bus stop.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is famous for its immersive atmosphere, featuring soaring, dense bamboo stalks that create a "natural tunnel" effect, a serene landscape. Its unique, tranquil beauty and the soothing sound of wind passing through stalks make it a must see landmark in Kyoto. It was swarming with people of every shape, size and nationalities. People hire hand drawn carriages to tour the sights in Arashiyama.

The other site to visit in Arashiyama is the Tenryujo Zen temple, which is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha. Construction was completed in 1345. The temple is ranked number one among Kyoto's so-called Five Mountains. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". There are entrance fees for the main attractions within, such as the Dharma Hall, Main Hall and the Rhododendron gardens.

The Togetsu Bridge is known for the beautiful scenery accented by the cherry blossoms and autumn foliage. Both were not on view during my visit. The bridge and its surrounding areas were filled with countless visitors. The Togetsu Bridge has been a has been in existence for over four hundred years. The wooden bridge spans the Katsura River in front of Arashiyama Mountain, and has often been used in historical films.

It is also the site of an important initiation for local children. Young boys and girls (the latter clad in kimono) first receive a blessing from a local temple and then make their way across the bridge under orders to do so without looking back. If one ignores this instruction, it is said to bring bad luck as a result, so the stakes are high!

The Monkey Park in Arashiyama offers a unique experience with over 120 Japanese macaques, stunning panoramic views of Kyoto, and a fun reversal where humans are "caged" while feeding the monkeys.  One has to climb a steep flight of steps to reach there. Instead, I whose to spend some time solemnly beside the Katsura River, watching tourists enjoying the wooden boat ride on the river and children hankering after parents for various types of ice cream. The Arashiyama area is full of restaurants, cafes, good kiosks and drink spots. The variety of food and drink in offer was massive. So were the prices. It was to be expected in a touristy place such as this.

From Arashiyama I took a bus to see the Nidec Kyoto Tower (formerly Kyoto Tower). I had a ride of 26 stops ahead of me. Most of the time I didn't have a seat and my legs ached from the hectic walks of the past few days. However, it gave me a tremendous opportunity to observe human behaviour. What surprised me most was how the bus driver went about his 'service'. He has a whole range of 'duties' to perform. He is responsible for the safe conduct of the bus, warning passengers when the bus stops and starts at signals and intersections and collect the fare.

At a particular stop, he got down from the bus, laid a platform for a wheelchair assisted person to board and then resumed the service. It was indeed remarkable. No muttering under the breath or annoyance for the extra work. All part of the humane trigger. I firmly believe that we much teach parents to be exemplary teachers and teachers to be exemplary parents. Erosion of these two functions is a sure shot disaster and a plunge into societal degeneration.

The 131-meter tall, iconic observation Kyoto Tower is located directly opposite the Kyoto Station. Completed in 1964, its 100-meter-high observation deck offers 360-degree views of the city, including temples, the Higashiyama Mountains, and Osaka on clear days. The tower features a hotel, souvenir shops, and Kyoto Tower Sando with restaurants. Despite it being a transport hub, it was so refreshingly efficient and quiet.

The last destination for the day was the famous Nishiki Market, which is a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants, milling with people. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", this lively retail market is a great place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood and sushi.

Nishiki Market is busy, but a center one must explore to get a feel of the culinary delights of the city. It is a one-stop shop for food lovers and shopaholics. The food stalls are basically stand and eat places. Most specialize in a particular type of food, and almost everything sold at the market is locally produced and procured.

The market has a history of several centuries, and many stores have been operated by the same families for generations. It started out as a fish wholesale district, with the first shop opening around 1310 AD. A larger variety of shops moved in later, and the area changed from a wholesale market to retail. After going over the mouthwatering foods on offer I settled for some delicious Gyoza, a dumpling with a variety of fillings and soy sauce.

Once the stomach was full the legs refused to go on any further. So selfish the body parts are! I got back to the hotel by bus and charted out the program for the next day, before hitting the sack, with muscle aches and blisters.