{"id":15686,"date":"2024-11-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.toeuropeandbeyond.com\/?p=15686"},"modified":"2025-01-19T14:14:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T19:14:19","slug":"an-introduction-to-kyoto-highlights-for-the-first-time-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toeuropeandbeyond.com\/an-introduction-to-kyoto-highlights-for-the-first-time-visitors\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Kyoto: highlights for first-time visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Traveling to Japan for the first time, but not sure where to start? Still steeped in tradition, the Land of the Rising Sun is sure to surprise you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while Japan has many fascinating cities and villages, Kyoto is the best starting point for newcomers. Not only does it boast an impressive number of temples and castles, but it is strategically located on the Tokaido Shinkansen line for easy side trips and has plenty of delicious restaurants to satisfy your appetite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wander around Fushimi Inari Shrine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Thanks to our little friend jet lag, you will likely be awake long before the sun makes its first appearance. Don’t worry though – get dressed and head straight to the Fushimi Inari Shrine to beat the massive crowds that will inevitably arrive each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fushimi Inari features several tiny shrines and over 10,000 vermilion “torii” gates stacked all the way to the top of the small but sacred Mount Inari, the Shinto god of rice; foxes, said to be Inari’s messengers, are ubiquitous throughout the shrine grounds (in statue form, that is). A wonderful introduction to Japanese culture, that’s for sure!<\/p>\n\n\n