Imperial City

After Hakone, we were all raring to go on to the final city on our great Japan holiday. Kyoto.

Our Ride

As Kyoto was once the old imperial city of Japan, its not surprising that much of our sightseeing involved castle visits. 

Nijo Castle

Having been to castles across Europe and the Forbidden City in Beijing,  I was left underwhelmed by the living quarters of the Japanese royalties.
 

True to the zen culture, everything was simple and clean cut. Minimalist.

With a long long history (the castle was originally built in 1603), the Nijo castle was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another important landmark in Kyoto is the Kyoto Imperial Castle which was burnt down and rebuilt again several times in the span of the Japanese history. Be sure to sign up for the guided tour in English, free for tourists with a passport!

Kyoto Imperial Castle