A lot has been said in the last few years about overtourism in Japan as millions of people from overseas have taken advantage of the weak yen to visit the likes of Tokyo, Osaka and of course Kyoto. The latter in particular has felt the impact of the crowds but we managed to avoid that for the most part of our short time there.

After four nights in Hiroshima, we then dropped into Kyoto to spend a couple of days with my wife’s brother and his family. We all went out for dinner at an izakaya (Japanese style restaurant), the kind of place I rarely go these days having given up alcohol nearly four years ago.

The next day my wife’s nephew was our guide for a dog-walk alongside the Kamo River which is an area I’ve never been to but one I’d always wondered about when seeing it from far.

The river is nice enough in itself but the many traditional wooden buildings lining it make it an even greater place for a stroll.

Pontocho Alley is more famed for its nightlife but it’s still an appealing place to see in the daytime and wander when it’s quiet.

All that walking called for a well-earned drink from a vending machine before heading back. Such simple things are a treat when you’re a kid!

Lunch was later taken at Ramen Uroko, a place famed for shio (salt) and shoyu (soy) noodles in a flavourful broth.

For just over a 1000 yen, I ordered Ajitama shoyu ramen which may have been dark in colour but was much lighter in taste than what I more commonly have, and it was really tasty.

Later that day I had a few hours to myself. I could’ve explored the ancient city a bit more and taken in a few temples but instead I took a very quick trip to Osaka to visit the Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) television studio in Umeda which had a special Star Wars exhibition and pop-up shop.

After a whirlwind trip to Osaka, I was back in Kyoto a couple of hours after leaving and think I arrived on the magical and mystical Platform 0. I am (very) slowly but surely trying to visit every station in Japan that possesses such a thing.

When I returned, I got an ice cream at Nanaya which is a place we’ve visited a few times now in both Shizuoka (where it originated) and Kyoto. In fact, we went there a couple of times on this trip alone.

It’s famed for its seven levels of flavour with the deepest, most intense green one being the world’s richest matcha ice cream. However, that record-breaking one costs a few hundred yen extra so we usually go a level lower.

The only place of worship we visited in the whole of Kyoto on this trip was the unique golden torii gate of Mikane-jinja Shrine. It was my wife’s first time to go there.

Many shrines are believed to be lucky when it comes to praying for cash but this places name literally means money shrine!

The wooden placards for writing wishes on are a sight to behold as there is just so many of them.

Not far from there is the three-story Oike Koto Building, the former three-storied headquarters of an apparel company called Italiad built in the bubble period to leave a lasting impression. It’s close to Karasuma Oike station and may be passed without notice by most people but I really like it. The tall pseudo classical structure with two overlapping suns certainly makes a strong impact.

He’s often quite animated and vocal on the outward Shinkansen (bullet train) journeys when we travel but thankfully the dog peacefully slept most of the way as we headed back to Tokyo the following morning. That was not too surprising really given all the extra attention he got from family members in Hiroshima and then in Kyoto.

Naturally, visiting Kyoto should be mostly about the majestic temples and shrines but after multiple trips there really isn’t too much need to join the hordes of tourists at such places. This mini break for us was just about spending time with family whilst sampling a few local things on a trip which was anything but hectic, a rarity in Kyoto.

Click here to read ‘The Side of Hiroshima Most Tourists Don’t Get to See!’

Click here to read ‘4 Days of Movie-Location Hunting in Kyoto & the Surrounding Area’

Click here to read ‘Rugby Fans Should “Try” & Visit This Themed Shrine in Kyoto!’

Click here to read ‘Visiting Kyoto in August! Avoiding The Crowds but Not the Heat!’