Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [267]
TAKAO
Takao (Map) is a secluded mountain village tucked far away in the northwestern part of Kyoto. It is famed for autumn foliage and the temples of Jingo-ji, Saimyō-ji and Kōzan-ji.
Jingo-ji (; Map; 861-1769; 5 Umegahata Takao-chō, Ukyō-ku; admission ¥500; 9am-4pm) is the best of the three temples in the Takao area. This mountain temple sits at the top of a long flight of stairs that stretch up from Kiyotaki-gawa to the temple’s main gate. The Kondō (Gold Hall) is the most impressive of the temple’s structures; it’s roughly in the middle of the grounds, at the top of another flight of stairs.
After visiting the Kondō, head in the opposite direction along a wooded path to an open area overlooking the valley. Don’t be surprised if you see people tossing small discs over the railing into the chasm below. These are kawarakenage – light clay discs that people throw to rid themselves of their bad karma. Be careful: it’s addictive, and at ¥100 for two, it can become expensive. You can buy the discs at a nearby stall. The trick is to flick the discs very gently, convex side up, like a Frisbee. When you get it right, they sail all the way down the valley, taking all that bad karma away with them.
The other two temples are within easy walking distance of Jingo-ji; Saimyō-ji (; Map; 861-1770; 2 Umegahata Toganoo-chō, Ukyō-ku; admission ¥400; 9am-5pm) is the better of the two. It’s about five minutes’ walk north of the base of the steps that lead up to Jingo-ji (follow the river upstream). To get to Kōzan-ji (; Map; 861-4204; Umegahata Toganoo-chō, Ukyō-ku; admission ¥600; 8am-5pm) you must walk back up to the main road and follow it north for about 10 minutes.
There are two options for buses to Takao: an hourly JR bus from Kyoto Station, which takes about an hour to reach the Takao stop (get off at the Yamashiro-Takao stop); and Kyoto city bus 8 from Shijō-Karasuma (get off at the Takao stop). To get to Jingo-ji from these bus stops, walk down to the river, then look for the steps on the other side.
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ACTIVITIES
Baths
FUNAOKA ONSEN
This old bath (Map; 441-3735; 82-1 Minami-Funaoka-chō-Murasakino Kita-ku; admission ¥410; 3pm-1am Mon-Sat, 8am-1am Sun & holidays) on Kuramaguchi-dōri is Kyoto’s best. It boasts an outdoor bath, a sauna, a cypress-wood tub, an electric bath, a herbal bath and a few more for good measure. Be sure to check out the ranma (carved wooden panels) in the changing room. Carved during Japan’s invasion of Manchuria, the panels offer insight into the prevailing mindset of that era. (Note the panels do contain some violent imagery, which may disturb some visitors.)
To find the bath, head west about 400m on Kuramaguchi-dōri from the Kuramaguchi-Horiikawa intersection. It’s on the left, not far past Lawson convenience store. Look for the large rocks out the front.
GOKŌ-YU
This popular bath (Map; 812-1126; 590-1 Kakinomoto-chō-Gojō agaru Kuromon-dōri; admission ¥410; 2.30pm-midnight Tue-Sat, 7am-midnight Sun, 11am-midnight holidays, closed Mon and 3rd Tue) is another excellent choice. It has several good tubs and two saunas; one is merely hot, the other is roughly the same temperature as the centre of the sun.
Cooking Classes
If you want to learn how to cook some of the delightful foods you’ve tried in Kyoto, we highly recommend Uzuki (www.kyotouzuki.com; 3hr class per person ¥3500), a small cooking class conducted in a Japanese home for groups of two to four people. You will learn how to cook a variety of dishes and then sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labour. You can consult beforehand if you have particular dishes you’d like to cook. The fee includes all ingredients. Reserve via website.
Geisha & Maiko Costume
If you ever wondered how you might look as a geisha, Kyoto has several shops that offer maiko-henshin (geisha transformation). Maika (Map; 551-1661; www.maica.net; Higashiyama-ku, Miyagawa suji; maiko/geisha from ¥6500/8000) is a popular maiko-henshin shop in Gion. If you don’t mind spending