Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Nina]

Any must see things in these places (apart from the real obvious, ie the castles etc)?

[huffdaddy]

[mindmetoo]

Don't forget to visit the castle on Sunday. Near the JR station there are all these free J-punks bands. It's really wild.

And go for the okonomiyaki. Yummmm!

Check out Hep Five.

[Nina]

I am only there for 3 days so i want to get the cream of the crop so to speak.

[Ekuboko]

Do not try and cram as many things as you can when you go to Kyoto. My advice to you is to choose just a few places to see and enjoy them for what they are.

The first time I visited Kyoto (I was living in another part of Japan at the time) I raced around and did not really appreciate the places I saw. The next year I went back with family in tow and I had a better time because we only saw 3-4 places at a more leisurely pace.

[HapKi]

In the North-West part of Kyoto, along the hillside, is a group of temples that make a nice walk. You can see them in a relaxed afternoon. For any nightlife (mostly bars), go to the Gion area of central Kyoto. The biggest thrill for me was at about dusk, catching the geishas shuffling along to catch a taxi to some appointment.
Japanese temples and gardens are beautiful and relaxing. They should not be rushed through (easier said than done). A great web site is here-
http://learn.bowdoin.edu/japanesegardens/

BTW- if you are dripping in money and can afford to rent a geisha for the evening, please tell me how it was.

[Hotpants]

Kyoto is all about temples. Gion can provide a few thrills, but that area is not so interesting if you don't enter the teahouses (v. expensive!). I would agree to select a few temples off the map and aim for those. Find a map and have a look in advance under Google Pictures as to what type of temples appeal to you. I went to Kyoto a few Christmases ago, and I thought it was a bit of a bleak time for sightseeing. It's better in spring or fall when the air is a bit brighter and there is more color around. I spent New Year's Eve sleeping in a subway station cus all the cheap accommodation was booked out, and there was no tourist office open to suggest other places to stay. That was a really cold and miserable night! It's also great if you have a local Japanese who is able to give you a personal commentary of the sights.

In Osaka, I would just enjoy the shopping districts and sampling the restaurant fare.

(There are some Kyoto pictures of mine from that cold Christmas which I put into this video compilation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ro-8QFNog)

[Nina]

Hmm... Im too poor to rent a geisha, flights to japan are expensive at Xmas!

Thanks for the advice guys