To-ji temple lies south of Kyoto station and is not only a well preserved temple from the 8th century, it also harbors the highest wooden pagoda of Japan.
To-ji temple at night
A festival, hiking and Sake in Fushimi
Today, April 17th happened to be the day of the Inari festival (Shinko festival), a festival at the shrine, so I decided to visit Fushimi again after many years. But apart from that I also explored the sake brewing district and the area in general, so keep reading.
Apartment tour at Okazaki International House
I am living at the Okazaki International Student House, a recently constructed four-story building with about 50 rooms for students and researchers. Once accepted at Kyoto University, it was easy to organize the stay, but one must first win a lottery if the demand is high. After two to three rounds I “won” a room.
Hanami along Higashiyama
On the first weekend I used the last chance to do some hanami, before most blossoms have fallen from the cherry trees.
In the first half of the day I visited the southern Higashiyama region, all the way from Kiyomizu-dera to Heian-jingu. In the afternoon I went shopping in Shijo-Kawaramachi.
A flowery welcome
Spending a minimal time in the flat, I just grabbed my camera and started exploring. The weather was perfect and the Sakura were in full bloom, probably only for a few more days.
Flying during wartime and a pandemic
Air travel has picked up again in the recent times, but the direct connection between Zurich and Osaka by Swiss is not restored yet. My journey therefore included a stop-over in Paris, from there it was non-stop. At the airport
How come I am spending six months in Japan?
As mentioned in my last post, I just left Zurich for a research exchange in Japan. Today I want to talk about how this came about.
Doing Research in Kyoto
In the beginning of April I am moving to Japan (yet again), this time for a bit longer than usual. I’m going to live in Kyoto for half a year to do research as part of my PhD.
Japan 2020 #14: Osaka Shopping
Like yesterday I spent most of the day with shopping. In the evening I went to my fourth concert – with Aimer.
Japan 2020 #13: Shopping in Osaka
As my vacation slowly came to an end, I reduced my travel activities and focused on shopping in Osaka.