Our Kyoto Experience: Gion, Fushimi Inari & Kyoto Food Finds

Our Kyoto Experience: Gion, Fushimi Inari & Kyoto Food Finds

After three days in Tokyo, we boarded Japan’s iconic Shinkansen train and set out for Kyoto Watching the countryside roll by as the city faded into views of mountains and quiet towns Kyoto is a city where tradition meets beauty at every turn from the timeless charm of Yasaka shrine to the iconic gates of Fushimi Inari And of course, no visit is complete without food From Shrine side street snacks, and bowls of ramen to Japan’s famous 7-Eleven sandwiches and the perfect crispy katsu at Nishiki Market This is our journey through Kyoto, a city that captures a heart through culture, history, and flavor After a solid breakfast in our hotel, we are off to Tokyo Station Tokyo station is a world of its own, massive, busy, and packed with travelers rushing in every direction. It feels like a small city tucked inside the heart of Tokyo Before you even board the train, there’s one stop you can’t skip, the bento shops From classic bento boxes to those famous Japanese sandwiches, grabbing something for the ride is just a part of the Tokyo station experience It’s like a pork pento box. Yeah. That looks delicious. There’s rice underneath. egg looks like mochi, and steamed green beans. So what do we got here Egg salid sandwich. I think it’s just Egg. I think it’s just egg, yeah And there is no crust That’s so delicious. It’s like a sweet egg to the sheep cancer. This is the Ozi super Express b for Hakata. All right. We just made it here to Kyoto. Time to check into our hotel. Let’s go Also, our hotel is literally right above the steps of our subway station. So super convenient, but no elevator. So I’m a little bit out of breath because I had to carry The suitcases up flights of stairs All right, so we are stepping out to the Gion District, and then we are going to grab some dinner, but we need to come back a little bit earlier tonight, because we need to do some laundry. This place has a laundry room, so yeah. So we got this pastry In one of in the Kyoto subway station. So we don’t know what it is, but it smelled really good, so it drew us in. Oh, yeah. So, I’m going to give it a taste. It’s like a pastry, like a bread. Ball, pretty much that’s like a little sweet And just soft and fluffy You can eat a lot of it because it’s not too sweet. It’s just it’s just really, like, soft and fluffy Yasaka Shrine is one of Kyoto’s most celebrated spots, and on New Year’s Day, it feels like the entire city gathers here The pathways are alive with people coming to pray, celebrate, and welcome the year ahead And just inside the shrine, the energy continues with endless rows of food stalls From Japanese dishes, hot off the grill to sweet festival treats, the walkways turn into a street food paradise that make the experience as much about the flavor as it is about the tradition Oh, my God, that looks so good. Do you want to try? I want you to try? I’ll try, I’ll try. We are on our way to 7-Eleven to pick up some breakfast. Let’s go. Are you, uh, fixing for some ramen at 06:35 in the morning? Yes. Always. How surprised are you that it’s open this early? Very surprised We got our breakfast. We are heading back to the spot. Breakfast of champs right here Small 7 Eleven Food Hall Two egg salad sandwiches, some shrimp chips for Neek, and a bottle of water to keep ourselves hydrated. Look at this. Okay. Ooh, it’s hot Not bad for $2. Got your Udon This morning, we’re heading to Fushimi Inari You can’t come to Kyoto without seeing those iconic red gates Looks like you got some food over here. Let’s go check it out. Why am I still hungry? Okay, let’s see how far we can get The crowd is packed today, so I don’t know how far we’ll get but the farther you go up, the less there is of a crowd. Okay, so we, probably got only about 100 yards and then we decided to take an off ramp Because the amount of people here is astronomical And I think it’s a combination of tourism and then also For New Year’s, every year locals come and pray at the shrine So it’s been an absolute madhouse at the other temple that we went to last night And here So I think what we’re going to do is we are going to head over to the Nishiki Market So we are done here. On our way out of Fushimi Inari, we stumbled into this little chopstick shop They had rows of beautiful designs And after looking around, we picked up a set that came with two holders shaped like dogs, the perfect souvenir to take home So we just found a Katsu place that we’re waiting in line for Shouldn’t be too long. I think there’s only seven reservations ahead of us, so Wasabi In the egg And then curry coming out of that Katsu place The katsu was super dense, super crispy Dense but light, had a good coating of that crispiness. And we got the sirloin, not the pork, and it came with several dipping sauces. One of them was curry, the other ones, I’m not sure exactly what they were, but they were heaven And then It also came with an egg. So what we were doing is we were cooking our katsu, dipping it in an egg And then dipping it in one of the sauces. It was really, really good. We did wait quite a long time, though, to sit down. But all in all, great experience. Glad we checked it out, and we are not heading back to the hotel. The next day didn’t quite go as planned. I came down with a 24-hour stomach bug and had to stay back at the hotel Neek, on the other hand, wasn’t about to waste the day before he left for Osaka She went out on her own and found this cozy soba restaurant with a traditional Japanese vibe and treated herself to a bowl of duck soba, which she said was exquisite that wraps up our time in Kyoto from shrines and street food to quiet moments and new memories We didn’t quite make it all to the spots that we wanted to hit up, but that just gives us a perfect excuse to plan a trip back Next, we’re off to Osaka, so stay tuned. I’ve linked all the places we visited in a description below If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to subscribe and follow along with us. See you on the next one

Join us for Our Kyoto Experience 🍜🥢 as we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, Japan, on the iconic Shinkansen bullet train! From the moment we arrived, Kyoto’s culture, shrines, and food made this trip unforgettable.

On New Year’s Day, we explored the Gion district and Yasaka Shrine, where an endless sea of street food stalls greeted us. We couldn’t resist trying grilled squid, and later slurped up ramen at Gion Kyoto Ramen.

The next morning, we started with Japan’s famous 7-Eleven egg salad sandwiches and udon noodles before heading to the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine. After navigating the crowds, we made our way to Nishiki Market, indulging in mouthwatering sirloin katsu and browsing local shops.

Our Kyoto food adventure continued with Neek discovering a traditional Japanese restaurant where she enjoyed exquisite Duck Soba — the perfect ending to our kyoto experience.

Whether you’re planning your first trip, looking for Kyoto food recommendations or inspiration, this video highlights Kyoto street food, shrines, markets, and must-try dishes for an authentic taste of Japan.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more travel adventures with #NeekAndKiel

✨ Japan Playlist – Watch next: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr_K-WTwFUzPBuIwO1wn-nN7_zdIolGw-

|| CHAPTERS ||
00:00 Intro
00:31 Tokyo to Kyoto (Bullet Train)
03:22 Gion District and Yasaka Shrine
06:18 Gion Kyoto Ramen
06:59 Day 2: 7-Eleven and Udon Breakfast
08:05 Fushimi Inari Shrine
10:57 Nishiki Market and Katsu
13:07 Outro

|| FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO ||
📍Yasaka Shrine
625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0073, Japan
https://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/

📍Gion Kyoto Ramen
116-116 Tominagacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0078, Japan
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g298564-d15270984-Reviews-Gion_Kyoto_Ramen-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html

📍Fushimi Inari Taisha
68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0882, Japan
https://inari.jp/

📍Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Teramachi
〒604-8046 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Higashigawacho, 529-2, Japan
https://gyukatsu-kyotokatsugyu.com/store/teramachikyogoku

📍Saryo Tesshin
321-2 Shinnyodocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-0853, Japan
https://saryo-tessin.instatry.org/

|| 🔊 MUSIC FEATURED 🔊||
🔹Rocket Jr – Maybe L8er
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/eUP1MaovUs/
🔹Scientific – How It Go
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/fAomeYxofK/
🔹Curli Loxx – I’m a Dawg
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/iZk5R8NUAe/
🔹Jobii, Dylan Sitts – 368
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/0DYNKNS8v0/
🔹Midnight Cycler – Easy Please Hot Degrees
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Y8h6MVyOFc/
🔹Osoku – Backpacker
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/fog4iwPvKg/
🔹Osoku – Anatsuri
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3GBgOcUMe/
🔹Curli Loxx – Lolo Wednesday
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Arc8t2td8Z/
🔹Colors of Illusion – Silver Flicker
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/kLoBdTxMFV/
🔹Matt Large – Freshly Squeezed
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/0Dz6TSHkZW/
🔹Matt Large – Tussilago
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/COEzCw07Er/

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|| DESCRIPTION OF US ||
Welcome to our channel! We’re Neek and Kiel, two California transplants now living in NYC, with a passion for travel, culture, and incredible food. We believe the best way to connect with the world is through its people and flavors, so we explore everything from bustling street markets to fine dining, budget-friendly stays to occasional luxury splurges. While we’re currently balancing the 9–5 corporate grind, our goal is to create a life with more freedom to travel the world — without being tied to a desk.

🐾 You’ll also find Shorts of our two rescue dogs: George, our sweet and silly Thai soi (street) dog adjusting to life in the U.S., and Otis, our affectionate Kentucky pup who’s always ready to cuddle or make you laugh.

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|| VLOG EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS VIDEO ||
Cannon EOS R7
Canon RF28-70mm F2.8 IS STM Lens
RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens
iPhone 16 Pro Max
DJI Wireless Microphones
Blue Yeti Microphone
Final Cut Pro

|| EPIDEMIC SOUND ||
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#OurKyotoExperience #KyotoTravel #KyotoFood #JapanVlog #NeekAndKiel