The last day in Tokyo until we head back on our last night in Japan is spent primarily trying to get to Tokyo Station in order to catch a Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. After checking out and grabbing our luggage, we get a coffee and Onigiri by Akasaka station, then catch a train to back to Tokyo station.
As is somewhat commonplace in Japan before going on a long Shinkansen train ride, we grab a couple Bento boxes for the large variety they have throughout the station. Mine was shredded beef over rice with egg and pickled vegetables, and was as good as you could ask for from what is essentially a fancier lunchable. Even though it wasn’t warm, it was still very flavorful and filling. I also grabbed same Dango, which is another dessert made from rice like mochi, from another stall as a dessert for the ride.
A couple hours speeding along the railway and we pull up to Kyoto station. While not nearly the size of Tokyo station, Kyoto station is still pretty large, however it was thankfully not difficult to navigate our of onto the street. Our original plan was to catch a bus over to the Ryokan (Japanese Inn) that we would be staying at, but I got lazy trying to figure out where to catch the bus and what the fare would be, so we just decided to trek 30 minutes over to the Ryokan.
Naturally, this is the first time this trip where the weather decided to start raining, though thankfully not as much as Japan often can experience. After getting to the Ryokan mostly dry, we check in with the lady at the counter. The entire process was in Japanese, and I’m proud to say it was probably the longest exchange of words in Japanese that I was able to understand. After her asking how long I’ve been studying Japanese (a highlight of the trip so far), she gives us the room key and we head up the elevator to our room.
Ryokans are closest to an Inn, but are steeped in many years of Japanese culture and history, and as such, have a lot of traditions tied to them that can be a little tricky to remember. A brief rundown of the major points: Make sure to take your shoes off when inside your room and replace them with the slippers provided, there are sometimes Zori or Geta (traditional footwear) available when leaving your room just to go to other areas of the Ryokan (not to be worn outside), a yukata is often provided if you are going to the bath houses that Ryokans often have, and the beds are typically just futons you set out on the tatami mat floor.
The room is really nice, with an awesome view of Kyoto and the river. We decided we would spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the area around our Inn. Though the rain continued, there were plenty of places in close proximity to check out.
I went down the street to a coin Laundromat to wash my clothes, a convienent store to grab an umbrella and a curry bun (literally a fried bun with Japanese curry inside), and a gyoza restaurant for some dinner. I plan out the next day while snacking on my newly acquired food before lying in my futon and calling it a night, ready for my first full day in Kyoto.
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