Why Kyoto is Still the Best Travel Experience

Why Kyoto is Still the Best Travel Experience

Kyoto has been an absolute adventure. In just over 3 days, we’ve racked up more than 65,000 steps. In the last video, over 20,000 of those steps went into mastering the katana, throwing shuriken, accidentally stumbling onto the stunning Ki Mizua, exploring Nishiki Market, and visiting the Pokémon Center. In this video, we’re diving deeper into Japanese culture by stepping into traditional Japanese clothing, crafting my very own katana, and exploring the incredible history of Nijou Castle. Let’s dive in. It was day two in Kyoto, and after seeing everyone wearing kimonos the first day, we decided to rent some kimonos of our own. So, if you’ve never heard of a kimono, it’s basically a traditional Japanese robe. The word kimono actually just means thing to wear in Japanese. And for centuries, this was the everyday clothing for people in Japan. Today, people mostly wear kimonos for special occasions like weddings, festivals, tea ceremonies, or when visiting historical places like Yoda. Each part of the kimono outfit is super detailed from the long flowing sleeves to the wide sash called an obi which is tied around the waist. They also come in different colors and patterns depending on the season, the formality of the event, and even your age or marital status. Wearing one is kind of like wearing art. They’re beautiful, symbolic, and connect you to Japan’s rich cultural history. When I booked the kimonos, I just went ahead and added a photo session, too. We thought it would be fun to have some good memories from that day. Plus, Kyoto’s streets make the perfect backdrop. [Music] So, we just got done with our photo shoot and it was great. We look dripped out. Dripped out. The back of yours looks cool with all the that going on and the flower in your hair looks very nice of the back of the back. Yeah, I can take a picture like walking down. Might have to go back to the market and get a flower. Yeah, the flower does look nice in your hair now because we don’t really want to walk around in these sandals. They’re not the most comfortable thing out there. Closed, but you know, not really there. So, we’re just going to walk around the nearby park for a little bit and then probably return these because we have some walking we got to do today. I also plan on going to the Tozando. It’s like a sword store named Tozando. And I’m looking to get katana. It’s also super hot today. I know. Just like it was yesterday. And this is a pretty thick outfit. It’s a slim thick outfit. I am already sweating. Just look at the sun blazing. Pretty sure I got darker by like 10 shades. [Music] Oh wow. Next up, we headed to Tozando. Probably one of the coolest shops in Kyoto if you’re into Japanese swords. It’s tucked away not too far from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. So, it’s a nice little walk or quick train ride to get there. They’ve got everything from beautiful display katanas to real battle ready ones handcrafted by master swordsmiths. Even if you’re not looking to buy a sword, it’s worth visiting just to see the craftsmanship up close. They also sell wooden training swords and practice swords. The staff are super friendly and really know their stuff. They’ll explain the history, the different parts of the sword, and even let you hold one if you ask. But the main reason we came here was because I wanted to buy my own katana. What makes it cooler is you can customize pretty much every part of the katana. The blade is the sharp metal part. You can pick its length, curve, and finish. The guard is a little piece that protects your hand and comes in different shapes and designs. The handle is wrapped in cloth or leather which you can choose the color of and underneath is a special skin for grip. The sword comes with a sheath called a scabbard which you can get in different colors and styles. Even the small metal pieces on the handle and sheath can be plain or fancy. You can make the whole sword just how you want it. They had a sharp version which runs up $6,000 to $10,000 or a dull version which was around $1,000 which is what I went with. The whole experience was pretty astounding to be honest. The only downside I would say is I have to wait 5 months to get my katana in the mail but I’m not in a dire need for a katana right now so it wasn’t that big of a deal to me. After that we were pretty hungry. So, we found this cozy little spot run by two of the sweetest elderly ladies who made some seriously good sandwiches. By then, we were pretty wiped, so we hopped on the train to our last stop of the day. [Music] Mij Castle isn’t just any old castle. It was built in6003 as the palace for the first Tokugawa Shogun, who basically ruled all of Japan. What’s really wild are the night and gill floors that chirp and squeak when you walk on them. They were a sneaky security system to catch spies and intruders. Plus, the castle’s stunning gardens and ornate interiors show off the power and style of samurai era Japan. It’s like stepping back into a real life ninja story. The castle walls are massive and super impressive. You can really feel how strong and secure this place was meant to be. The moat around it adds to the whole vibe, making it feel like you’re stepping back into feudal Japan. The massive stone walls were carefully constructed using traditional techniques that allowed them to withstand earthquakes. The castle was actually the site where the last shogun officially returned power to the emperor in 1867, marking the end of Japan’s feudal era. Overall, the place was very scenic, and it was a nice place to take a late evening stroll. By this time in the day, we had walked over 22,000 steps. So, we decided to take the bus and head back to our hotel. So, our hotel has a laundry service. Cost 500 yen. And after you put your clothes in, you have a pin coat, so no one can get into it. 400 500. So, now it’s locked. And it’s got a wash and dry. Depending on how many pounds or kilograms of clothes you have, you have 3 kg. So it’s about 6.6 lb. This is the wash and dry option. This is the dryer. And then this is the wash section only. So this is the family mart hall. We got all this. Two drinks, bag of chips, iced coffee, cup noodles, and a chicken that we randomly got by accident. Spicy chicken and spicy chicken and coolish to go with the coffee. It was $13.99 yen or $9.61. Pretty good haul. We are opening my Teletubby versions of Laboos because Laboos were sold out everywhere. They have all these different types of Teletubbies and then they have a secret. Don’t think I’m going to get the secret, but you’re going to help me open it. Peel this. I still don’t really get the hype over the boos. They look so weird. They’re supposed to be little monsters. Well, like why are they so popular? Oh. Oh, I wish the Teletubby bag had like the design like the other ones, but this is why people like these cuz of the ASM and more. Ready? Open it. I want it to be peach poe. It’s not. Oh, it’s the yellow one. What’s the yellow one? I think it’s butter laala cuz it looks more yellow. It’s like a Oh, they’re a little heavy. That’s not like a stuffed animal feeling. It’s like a heavier. It feels nice. Teletubbies used to freak me out when I was younger. Really? I love Teletubbies. I was a Teletubby girl. I figured. Okay, next we got another box of our Teletubby Loo Boooos. They’re not liable. But I don’t like how hard the box is to open for this. I’m very upset if this is another. I will be very upset if this is another LA. I’m scared. It is not another Lala. It’s a green one. Oh, it’s the green one. His name is Dipsy. So, we got Lala and Dipsy. Lala and Dy. There’s Dit. We also got these Pokémon cards from the store. We got a Mew and they got an Eevee. There are also these like mystery mystery like Pokemon things. I think they’re they’re bath bombs. Yeah, they’re bath bombs, but the figure of the Pokemon appears after the bath bomb dissolves. Then from Nintendo World, I got this. It’s a popcorn holder. My sister wanted it. And then I wanted one, so I got another one. We went to the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and I love Attack on Titan. So, I got the Attack on Titan manga. I got this cool mini katana on top of I got an actual katana. There’s like two versions. There’s like a sharp version and a dull version. The dull being the cheaper one. So, for display, I went with the cheaper one cuz the sharper ones, they can go up to like $6,000 and I wasn’t really trying to pay $6,000 for a katana. You know, it’s mostly going to be as a decoration, but I got to customize it. So, I guess that’s the more special part. And just the fact that I got it from Japan. It’ll be cool when people ask where he got the katana, and he says Japan. It was nice. It was like a little under $1,000, so it wasn’t crazy. It’s definitely up there in price, but you know, you get what you pay for. I won’t be getting it for a couple months because they have to, you know, make it from scratch, you know, ship it, all that stuff. Yeah, they said up to 5 months it’ll be shipped. So, until then, I’m kind of just waiting. One day, I feel like I’ll just wake up and there’s a sword in my house. Completely forgot that I even that you got one. That I even got one. But it’ll be a nice surprise. We’re here for two more days and then we go to Tokyo.

Join us for an unforgettable day in Kyoto as we explore traditional Japanese culture! We experience authentic kimono rental and stroll through the historic Gion district with a photographer. We relax in scenic Maruyama Park, grab coffee at a cozy Starbucks, and dive into the world of Katanas at Tozando Sword Shop near the Imperial Palace, where I customize my very own katana. We wander through the stunning Imperial Palace grounds, enjoy a local lunch, and finish our adventure touring the iconic Nijo Castle. If you love Kyoto travel, Japanese culture, kimono experiences, and samurai swords, this video is a must-watch!

0:00 – Intro
0:53 – Renting Kimonos
1:32 – Private Photoshoot
2:01 – Walking Around Kimono Style
3:07 – Maruyama Park
3:40 – Tozando Katana Shop
4:52 – Kyoto Imperial Grounds
5:24 – Nijo Castle
6:39 – Back at the Hotel
7:29 – Teletubbies Unboxing
11:01 – Outro