Why Everyone Loves Kyoto Japan! A Luxury Travel VLOG

Why Everyone Loves Kyoto Japan! A Luxury Travel VLOG

Kyoto, Japan. A place where you can find ancient tradition alongside refined modernity. [Music] This is a city that comes alive at night and finds its soul among shrines and temples during the day. Follow along as we explore this city’s dining, history, and culture. and discover whether or not this is Japan’s most beautiful city. This is Kyoto. First things first, we’re going to hop in a cab and leave Mount Fuji behind. Passing through a more rural, charming suburban part of Japan. We’ll start on a local train and transfer to the famous Shin Kansen Bullet Train. And if you want to know what that’s like, you’re in luck, cuz I’m going to show you. We’ve got tickets on board the green car, which is basically their first class. And in Japan, first class means cloth seats, foot stools, and extra space. We depart and the Shinkansen gets up to speed, 150 mph. And back inside, there are snacks available for purchase. And here are the choices we made. I’ve settled on this bento box full of mysteries cuz I can’t read Japanese. Got these crestless egg and ham sandwich. Naturally, we got ourselves a couple of basakis, too. Cheers. I’m surprised to report that the food is pretty lackluster. 7-Eleven is way better. Anyway, we have arrived in Kyoto. The first order of business is to shle through the train station and find ourselves a cab. And we were happy to learn that they spoke simple English at no extra charge. Could you imagine that being an upsell? Moving right along, we were treated to our first glances of Kyoto as it passed by our cab’s window. And here is our first hotel for this stay. [Music] Let’s cue some traditional music cuz this is a traditional hotel. This is the Kyoto Garden Rioan Nanzenji Yachio. I hope I said that right. Anyway, let’s head in. We’re here in my very first rioan. A rioan is a traditional Japanese inn that featured tatami mats on the floor and a low table for tea. This is super cool. This is so different than anything else I’ve ever seen. The rooms are divided with shoi paper sliding doors and all the decor is minimal, emphasizing harmony with nature. This particular Rioon features an in room onen. Oh, nice. It’s filled already. The water is perfect. The standout feature here is this zen garden that’s totally private. This is gorgeous. All for us. How nice. We decided to slip into our hotel provided robes called yucata and pour ourselves some tea. Before long, it became dark and time for dinner. We were led back through a network of hallways to this picturesque koi pond which flanked the dining room. And I got to say, the vibe here in the rain was magical. And luckily, we had this view from our table as well. On the menu tonight is a delicious Japanese trifecta. Sashimi, shabu shabu, and tanyaki. All in all, I would say the food here was totally solid. All right, back to the room. While we were out for dinner, they’ve made us beds on the floor. I was wondering where we were going to sleep. And the answer is the floor. But first, we’re definitely going to enjoy that onset and our rainy garden before calling it a night. This is a traditional Japanese sleep arrangement. Um, I feel like this is a joke. In a Japanese Rioon, you don’t get a pillow. What you get is a wicker basket with a pillow sheet around it. Wait, can we put like sweaters in between? This is This is funny. Anyway, here goes nothing. Good morning. How was your first night at the Rioon? That’s obviously a comment on my quality of sleep and not this amazing experience in general. We’re starting our day back in the dining room for the included breakfast and appropriately it’s a traditional Japanese. We are making our way into Xion, a traditional Japanese village that was built in the 1600s during the Edo period. This location also happens to be the birthplace of the geisha. A lot of people visiting here are certainly dressing the part. Gi is a beautiful place to walk around. The streets here are lined with all these wooden tea houses called ochaya. And here’s a traditional tea house you may recognize. Don’t judge me. I get airplane miles here. Besides, this is totally unlike any other Starbucks I’ve ever been inside. And they had unique selections. A Halloween drink. A Japanese Halloween drink, which is black. This was a sweet jelly and charcoal. Anyway, back to the streets. [Music] This is super cool. Super crowded, but super cool. Just like any other place I’ve ever traveled to, there’s a lot of people here and a lot of souvenirs. If you’re in the market for bobbleheads or you’re a fan of fans, or perhaps you’ve been on the lookout for Peter Rabbit, Gion has you covered. There are also a plethora of snacks here. Lots of sweets up and down this road. All sorts of confections. I do consider myself to be somewhat of a confection connoisseur. So, we had ourselves some Ichigo and budo am. It’s like somewhere between candy and a popsicle. I like it. Fascinating. We’ll continue our journey on foot through Gion to Kiomitsu Dera. Founded in the year 778, Kiom Mitsudera translates to pure water temple, a reference to the Ooa waterfall that can be found here. Drinking from these three streams is said to grant you three different blessings. Personally, I feel pretty blessed just being here. Everywhere we looked in Kio Mizua, there was something amazing to see. That might be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in Japan. This is the blue dragon se Ryu, one of the temple’s celestial guardian beasts. The complex Ako Mizuera is actually made up of many shrines and temples. And no matter where you are in the world or who your deity might be, one thing’s for sure, they all need money. We chose to make our donation to Daikahutin, the god of inappropriate 30s cartoons. I mean, luck and fortune. The main temple requires tickets for entry. And once inside, you can expect to find more shrines. [Music] This is the main stage, an elevated platform that offers views of the forest and city below. During the Edo period, people actually jumped off this platform in a leap of faith. Surprisingly, 80% survived. We’re going to take the stairs, though. This is, after all, a very charming place to walk to take in all the textures and memorial gardens that there are to be found here. [Music] We were getting pretty hungry, so we decided to have some ramen. This ramen, unfortunately, wasn’t great, so we’ll just fast forward. It’s later that evening and we find ourselves in Ponto, Kyoto’s main entertainment and nightlife district which is adjacent to the Kamo River. An absolutely beautiful place to be at night. [Music] In this district, you’ll find a lot of little shops and bars, not unlike those we saw in Tokyo. And I’m a huge fan of these places. Anyway, we wanted to have a drink, so we found a place called Liquor Museum, which seems like a good place to start. I got to say, this is my kind of exhibit. We had ourselves a Japanese whiskey flight before indulging in another bite. Dining in Ponto. Had to make a pit stop and have some beef. I don’t remember the name of this place, but it was definitely an improvement over our last attempted meal. Anyway, our last stop here is a place called Hello Dolly. This bar came highly recommended, and I can see why. If you’re a fan of darkness, wood, leather, swank, river views, then this place is definitely for you. It’s definitely for me. I love the decor in here. Even the cocktail menu had a patina on it. And speaking of cocktails, they were fantastic. And you could pair them with pre-rolled cigarellas on offer here. [Music] Third times the charm. This was just a great place to relax and enjoy the ambiance. And with that, we’ll head back and end night two. Isn’t this a beautiful stock shot of fall foliage? And it serves two purposes. First, to indicate the start of a new day, and second, as a segue to this video’s sponsor. I’m happy to have partnered with Story Blocks. A lot of you have commented on my editing, and I can’t tell you how invaluable a resource Story Blocks is. They have a massive library of stock assets created by real artists. Whether it’s music to set the scene or an aerial shot for some production value or pre-made animation, logos, motion graphics, sound effects, Story Blocks has you covered. So, you could do things like this and this. Pretty mind-blowing, right? The best part is you get unlimited downloads included in one subscription price. And if you use my URL, you’re going to get two extra months free. Visit storyblocks.com/ austinrock to claim this limited time offer. I’ll leave a link in the description for you. If you want to take your edits to the next level, Storyblocks can help. All right, back to the video. Today, we’re going to do something special and go to a cafe where there are some hooters. We are checking out of our Rioon and heading across town to Nakanoo. And by Hooters, I of course meant owls. This is the Kyoto owl forest. And these owls were beautiful to look at. And you can pet them, too. This sort of seems cute and whimsical, but honestly, it was a bit depressing. Anyway, next door there was a Bengal cat cafe as well, but I’m allergic, so I’ll leave this to Diana. A lot of cute kitties all around. Very standoffish. They’re like some people. It just is what it is. She was legit bummed, so I tried to cheer up with a cheeseburger at this place called Craft Dining Upit. I’m not sure if this was really effective, but checking into our next hotel ought to do it. We set out on a golden hour ride through Coyoto, which served as a perfect preamble to one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever seen. This is the Roku Kyoto, and this is its gorgeous entrance. We were led into a reception area to complete our registration with some tea and a chocolate. Heading to our room now and we get glimpses of this amazing property. This hotel is just stunning. Personally, I couldn’t wait to see the room. This is nice. This bed is elevated off the ground and a welcomed sight. It’s so pretty. We got his and hers sinks in this railroad bathroom. Very nice. Look at our little zen garden, babe. [Music] And this is not just a bathtub. It draws water from the local hot springs, fills it in your room. And naturally, that was the first order of business. This is an amazing room, and we’re staying on property tonight. Time to cue the fit check. And I’m wearing my new embroidered Japanese souvenir jacket. As we make our way to the restaurant, I got to say the grounds here are just as spectacular at night. We were shown to our table and treated to this amazing view. We started our evening with cocktails. And you see this drink right here? I have a quick anecdote about this. Diana’s martini was made out of gin and not vodka. And honestly, that might be our fault for not specifying. But this is a good opportunity to highlight another cultural difference between Japan and America. In America, you could send your drink back to get replaced. No big deal. In Japan, they were horrified and had a meeting with like 15 people. I got the sense that things aren’t typically sent back in this country. Anyway, my cocktail was fantastic. And the food here was absolutely superb. It’s a good duck. And this cheesecake was just as good as it looks. A great way to end the day in Kyoto. The next morning, we awoke to a beautiful day. And there’s no better way to start it than with a beautiful buffet. The Roku Hotel had an impressive and elevated spread, but we kept things simple. Another beautiful day in Kyoto. Today, we’re going to go see King Kakuji. I think it’s actually Kin Kakuji, the Golden Temple. I think afterwards we should go to Arashiyama to get some bamboo bathing done. I could use a little bamboo bathing. This is Kin Kakuji. Commissioned by Aikaga Yoshimitsu, one of Japan’s most famous shoguns in the 14th century, Kin Kakuji was built to rival the Imperial Palace. Yoshin Mitsu ordered this pavilion to be covered in gold leaf, not only to display his wealth, but also he believed that the reflecting golden light would offer him enlightenment. This pavilion and its surroundings were absolutely beautiful. Making our way beyond the golden pavilion, we passed by a waterfall and found several shrines on the grounds here, including this one. Is this a shrine or the county fair? Instead of a uh stuffed animal, you win nirvana. We saved our coins for ice cream. They’ve kept things on brand and covered their ice cream in gold leaf. M gold. All right, next stop. This is Ten Ryuji. Built in the 1300s by another shogun, Aiyaga Tagawuchi. This place was built in honor of Emperor Goddigo. And the main feature here is this beautiful zen garden set against this gorgeous pond. I’m a sucker for fall foliage, so this makes me happy. This was a beautiful place to walk through and definitely worth doing on your way to Arashyama Bamboo Forest, which has served as a retreat for nobility since the year 794. Bamboo has long been considered sacred in Japan, symbolizing purity, strength, and protection against evil. Bamboo is so culturally significant in Japan that the government designated the sound of the wind blowing through it as one of the official soundsscapes of the country. This is what it sounded like for us, though. I can understand why the Japanese are frustrated with over tourism, but you know, sorry, your country’s awesome. We called another cab and this one came straight up to us. I felt like I was in a naked gun title sequence. If you’re not a millennial or older, just Google that reference. Anyway, we’ve arrived at Fushimi Anari Tu, which is easily one of Kyoto’s most famous landmarks. Built in the year 7-Eleven AD, this site is dedicated to the god of agriculture and business success, Inari Okami. And these are Kitsuni, his messenger foxes. As we move further into this place, you may start recognizing it from the movie Memoirs of Agaca, or literally anyone’s Instagram feed who’s ever been here. You’ll find that it’s pretty crowded towards the bottom, but the higher up the mountain you go, the thinner the crowd gets. These are the Anari gates, and they’ve been donated by individuals or businesses with their names inscribed on the sides. And passing through them is meant to represent moving from the mundane world into the sacred. It has been a long-held belief that if you make it to the top of the mountain, you’ll be granted with some financial success. But that’s a two-mile journey straight up, and I was starting to get a bit delirious. [Music] It was actually getting dark, so we did what a lot of people do and stopped at this midpoint with a vista and a view of Kyoto below. [Music] What goes up must inevitably come back down. And walking through these gates and to these shrines at night was absolutely incredible. [Music] This is so cool. We were completely alone here, accompanied only by candle light. This felt absolutely like a spiritual experience which reached its climax at the bottom. Wow. [Music] Anyway, all that’s left to say is sayanara fushimari. What? Sayanara fushimiari. And with that, we’ll make our way to our final dinner in Kyoto. And we’ve saved the best for last. This is Yama Durama and it’s a kaya with premium meat. This place smells fantastic. I’m excited. We went ahead inside and perused the menu before settling on a price fix for two. And we’ll go ahead and start with the obvious. Before moving on to the main event, this one. This one. Sh. Okay. And this one. Yep. This one. This one. Cooking after sal and this one. This one. This one. What do you have done? Let’s get to it. [Music] This itakaya was absolutely phenomenal. That plate was suggested for uh two people, but I feel like uh maybe it’s for one American. Everything was a 10. Super delicious. Highly recommend. Highly recommend. Great way to end our Kyoto stay. The best way possible. Actually, I think the best way might be with this springfed onscend before checkout. And why not use this time to catch up on some current events. And for lack of a better transition, here’s this. Please like and subscribe if you haven’t yet. It helps out tremendously. And hype this video. That’s a new thing you can do to help out. Stay tuned for our adventures around the world. And as always, thanks for watching.

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Our Epic month Long Japanese adventure continues as we explore Kyoto. From a traditional luxury Ryokan to a modern luxury resort. We were blown away by this city’s beauty. Whether it was its riverside nightlife or amazing temples and shrines and fantastic food. This is a fun one!

00:00 Intro
00:55 Shinkansen Bullet Train
02:27 Kyoto Garden Ryokan Nanzenji Yachiyo
04:46 Gion
06:15 Kiyomizu-Dera
08:08 Pontocho
08:51 Hello Dolly Kyoto
10:40 Nakanocho / Kyoto Owl Forrest
11:37 Roku Kyoto
14:15 Kinkaku-Ji
15:16 Tenryu-Ji
15:45 Arashiyama Bamboo Forrest
16:28 Fushimi Inari Taisha
16:50 Inari Gates
18:40 Yamadurama