Summer Vacation, Japan Trip, Part 2

Part 2 - Kyoto

Sorry for the late update, but there wasn't good wifi, so I'm posting this after the vacation.

After Osaka, we took a train to Kyoto 
(which is basically 30 minutes away).

I heard a lot about Kyoto being the heart of Japan's culture and traditions. We were extremely fortunate to arrive during the 'Gion Matsuri' festival, which is one of the biggest festivals in Japan.

During this festival, there is a huge parade, with floats decorated with lanterns. Everyone wears Kimonos.

The floats were decorated and ready to be paraded along the streets of Kyoto.

We then visited the ancient capital of Japan: Nara. 

Nara is known for it's three famous temples and parks. Something that's special about Nara, is the deer. After World War 2 - the government set free a lot of deer in the park. They roam around everywhere! 

The Todaiji temple, a five story pagoda and the Nara park filled with deer.

Next, we explored a street that had been preserved since historical times and saw a famous temple. Everything was extremely pretty. It felt we were in a different world altogether.

Famous temples in Kyoto and a few shops in the street we explored. 

We stayed in Kyoto for three days and I can say that it was an extremely cultural and spiritual experience. We headed to Tokyo next - by bullet train. 

The train station and the railroad.

Summer Vacation, Japan Trip - Part 1

Part 1 - Osaka

This summer, my family and I went on vacation to Japan (though, I technically can't say we went, because I'm in Japan as I'm writing this blog post). So, I decided to write about what we did in each place and all of my must-see places here. 

1) Osaka Castle
One of the most famous castles in Japan. It's located in a park and rises over five stories high. It overlooks the city. Inside the castle, there are a few exhibits about it and Osaka itself. 

These are some of the pictures I took on my phone. From left to right: Osaka castle, The view from the top of the castle and a close up of the castle.

2) Shitenno-ji Temple
This temple is located next to Tennoji park (a massive park with a zoo and a bonsai garden) and is really beautiful. Its a temple complex consisting of a couple of buildings and a park. 

A few pictures of the temple complex and the various buildings.

3) Tennoji Park
I mentioned this before, but it's a really nice park. It's super pretty, and has a few attractions, like the zoo and a bonsai garden with a little lake. The park is also located in a popular area with lots of shopping and restaurants around it. 

A couple of pictures of the flowers and the bonsai garden. 

4) Harukas 300
Is the tallest building in Osaka, which is over 200 meters high. It has a 14 story departmental store at the bottom and an observatory on the 60th floor. This is where you can see the whole of Osaka's city skyline. 

The city skyline of Osaka from the observatory.  

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