This is continuation of my trip report :
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[Click here for Kyoto trip report](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1badssz/trip_report_first_time_in_kyoto_23/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Day 15 : Koyasan.
Stay : Koyasan guest house kokku.
Places visited :
* Night tour.
Total distance walked : 11.77KM
Kyoto → Koyasan
I left the hostel at 9:30 AM and headed for Kyoto Station. It was raining and miserable, similar to the day I arrived. Since I didn’t have a JR pass, the tourist information center guided me on how to reach there using the 3-day Kansai thru pass, by far my best investment that saved me a ton of money.It was an adventure in itself to reach Koyasan, which included changing trains at least 4 times and a total travel time of 5 hours! I would recommend getting a JR pass if you’re going here as it would be a bit faster.
Koyasan:
I reached the guesthouse at around 2:30 PM, and the owner of the guesthouse is just a gem. He gave me an overview of Koyasan, where to eat, what activities to do, and informed me about temperatures falling below 0°C at night and the prediction of snowfall the following day, which was a huge shock for me as I wasn’t prepared with any winter clothing to match 0°C temperatures. I just layered myself with Uniqlo Airism shirts and headed out to explore what I could.
First, I went to a nearby restaurant called “中の橋会館” and tried their curry chicken rice, which was the most delicious hot meal I had. The ingredients were fresh, and they didn’t hold back on spice. After this, I explored the cemetery grounds. The experience is something that you have to go down there to feel and cannot be expressed in words.
After exploring the temple grounds for an hour, I made my way back to the guesthouse to layer up more. To my surprise, the guesthouse owner loaned me his weather jacket! I almost teared up. Next, I went to a place to have dinner which served an absolutely delicious traditional Japanese meal. Then I hopped onto a bus to go to the temple for the night cemetery tour.
The night cemetery tour is quite fast, and they share a fair bit of information about the history of Koyasan, the significance of the cemetery’s shape and style, and also how to pray at the main temple. Then I spent a bit of time exploring the temple grounds on my own, got creeped out, and left for the guesthouse.
This was also one of the few times I saw a “sky full of stars” and spent a good amount just staring at the sky.
Day 16 : Koyasan, Osaka.
Total distance walked : 27.32KM Koyasan :
Started the day early at 6:30 AM and visited the main temple for morning prayers. The temperatures were freezing cold at this point with a bit of rain. At 8 AM, it started snowing. It was my first snow experience, which was absolutely beautiful. It was a dream come true, and I was smiling from ear to ear.
I waited until 9 AM for the snow to slow down a bit and then headed out to explore the rest of Koyasan. I started from Eko-in, then visited Kongobuji Temple, Zofuku-in Temple, Kondo Temple, and Daimon Gate.
I stopped for lunch at a restaurant for a delicious meal. By this time, the snowfall had picked up again, and the streets slowly turned white. The snowfall subsided after about an hour, and I headed out to explore Okunoin cemetery.
It felt magical to be there. The fresh snow had covered the cemetery and ever so slightly made it beautiful, giving a new look to the cemetery.
Koyasan delivered more than expected and will have a special place in my heart. I will definitely visit it again.
Osaka :
I left for Osaka at 3 PM, reached Namba at 6 PM, and spent the rest of the night exploring the Dotonbori night scene. Finally, I found a hoodie from H&M that fit me well.
Day 17 : Osaka, Minoo Park and Kurama temple.
Places visited :
* Minoo Park
* Katsuo-ji temple
* Osaka Castle
* Shinsekai
* Dontonbori
Total distance walked : 29.72KM
Minoo Park :
Woke up early the next day to visit Minoo Park, Minoo Waterfalls, and explore the temple.
First, I went to the tourist information center at Minoo Park station to understand the different ways to reach Katsuo-ji Temple from Minoo Park. Here, I was informed that it’s either buying a round trip bus ticket or taking a cab, both of which were setting me back $30.
Not sure about what to do, I first hiked up to Minoo Waterfalls, which took about 1 hour, and I arrived at the falls by 10 AM. It was crowded at that time. After spending about 30 minutes, I decided to hike to Katsuo-ji Temple with the help of Google Maps.
Minoo Park → Katsuoji :
I stopped at a ranger station just outside Minoo Park to get directions to Katsuo-ji Temple and then started walking. It was a nice and quiet 45-minute walk to Katsuo-ji Temple, filled with water streams and beautiful autumn foliage. The temperature was around 16°C with no wind, which made the walk ever so slightly more manageable.
Katsuoji :
Katsuo-ji Temple was huge, and the temple ground was littered with Daruma dolls everywhere. I hiked all the way to the top to see a bird’s eye view of the temple grounds and surrounding mountains. I got one Daruma doll for myself and spent the next hour or so exploring the temple grounds and clicking pictures.
Katsuoji → Osaka :
The next challenge was to reach the nearest train station. Luckily, a bus #23 came at Katsuo-ji Temple bus stop, which took me to Senri Chuo station from where I made my way back to Osaka. The initial plan was to try seafood at Izakaya Toyo, but it was closed on that day. Instead, I went to Osaka Castle, where I spent 1 hour exploring the huge castle complex.
Since I hadn’t eaten a proper meal since morning, I decided to visit Onigiri Gorichan and tried their humongous and filling Onigiris. Warning, this place is not for introverts as they “celebrate” when customers enter or leave. The onigiris were delicious, and I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary. In the evening, I went to Shinsekai to try okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Chitose, but they were sold out for the day. I wandered around to see a bit of Shinsekai but was creeped out for some reason, so I stuck to the main streets and headed back to Dotonbori. At Dotonbori, I tried the famous fluffy cake, which was so-so, went to Don Don Donki to buy a few snacks, and headed back to my hostel.
Central Osaka :
This time, I took a different route and was surprised by rows of illuminated trees. To make it even better, there were custom cars zooming around the roads.
Day 18 : Exploring Osaka
Total distance walked : 24.02 KM
Next day was all about exploring Osaka. I started the day at 8:30 AM by visiting Yasaka Shrine. Next, I walked all the way to Kuromon Market, where I tried the most delicious and most expensive melon along with some delicious strawberry mochi. After energizing myself, I walked to Shitennoji Temple and came across beautiful views along the way.
By noon, I headed to Shinsekai to try Okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Chitose. It was absolutely worth the wait and travel time. Even though Shinsekai felt a bit creepy, this was a nice gem.
From there, I went to Osaka Aquarium, where I ended up spending almost 3 hours. The sight of two huge whale sharks was breathtaking.
For the evening, I went to Osaka Botanical Garden, which was an experience in itself.
Day 19 : Last day in Japan + Shopping and snacks at Osaka.
Total distance walked : 13.91 KM
Kyoto :
Woke up early, packed all my belongings, and checked out of the hostel, but I kept my luggage there. My heart didn’t feel content for leaving Kyoto on a gloomy note, so I took a train back to Kyoto. I bought a ton of sweets; Kyobanum at Kyoto station is a must-buy! I bid a proper goodbye to Kyoto.
Osaka :
Then I came back to Osaka. The whole thing took about 90 minutes, and I wandered around until the afternoon. It was nice to take a break from rushing from one place to another. The best part was spending my noon with an egg sandwich in one hand and an onigiri in another at a park with random strangers. For that brief hour, I felt like I was a local living in Osaka.
I checked out at 2 PM and reached the airport around 5 PM. The queues at Osaka airport were crazy long, so be sure to check in early and rush to immigration after submitting your bags.
by akhil1996
