This is Part 2 of our Japan trip. If you haven’t yet, start with Part 1: Our First Trip to Japan Together: What Surprised Us in Tokyo — this picks up right where that one leaves off.
We took this trip in 2019 — our first time in Japan together — and by the time we left Tokyo for Kyoto, we already knew this was a trip we’d be talking about for years. Getting there meant our first ride on the Shinkansen, and that alone ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the whole trip.
1. Two Meals We Still Think About
We had two meals in Kyoto that still come up in conversation years later.
The first was an Omakase dinner at what we believe was Nishiki Sushi Shin, tucked into Nishiki Market. If you haven’t done Omakase before, it’s essentially chef’s choice — they just bring you a rotating series of dishes built around whatever’s best that day, and you get to try a real range of things you might never have ordered on your own. Highly recommend it as an experience, not just a meal.
The second, and the one that still might be our favorite meal of the entire trip: Kichi Kichi, Kyoto’s famous omurice spot. The chef — everyone just calls him Mister Kichi Kichi — is incredibly animated and clearly loves what he does, and if you can get bar seating, do it. Watching him actually make the omurice in front of you is half the experience. We got lucky and were seated early despite reservations usually filling up well ahead of time, so don’t assume it’s impossible if you show up without one — just don’t count on that being the norm.
2026 Update: Reservations work differently now than when we went — check their site directly for the current system before you go.
One practical note for Kyoto in general: a lot of menus, signage, and small details here are only in Japanese, and it doesn’t always translate cleanly. Downloading a translation app before you go — Google Translate’s camera feature works well for this — or just snapping a photo to translate later will save you a lot of guessing.
2. What Actually Surprised Us About the Bullet Train
We’d heard the hype about the Shinkansen for years, and it still managed to surprise us. Not the speed, really — you expect that. It was how clean and considered everything was. Attendants come through the cabin regularly, and at one point handed us a small trash bag before they’d even collect anything, so you’re bagging your own trash before they touch it. That one detail told us more about how this country thinks about order and cleanliness than anything else on the trip.
We opted for business class, which we’d genuinely recommend if it’s within budget — dedicated luggage space, assigned seats with real legroom, and a level of comfort that felt more like flying first class on a short domestic flight than riding a train. They come through offering coffee and snacks you can order right from your seat.
If you’re planning this leg yourself: get to the station early, and don’t be afraid to ask at the ticket counter for help — staff are there specifically to help you find the right platform, which we needed more than once. We’d also recommend booking ahead rather than counting on same-day availability.
One detail we still talk about: we happened to take this leg of the trip on Thanksgiving Day. Instead of turkey, we grabbed bento boxes from the surprisingly good restaurants inside the train station and ate our version of Thanksgiving dinner on the Shinkansen somewhere between Tokyo and Kyoto. Still one of our favorite Thanksgivings.
3. Getting Lost in the Sound of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
We didn’t actually get lost, but we’d still recommend going early — we tend to travel shoulder season anyway, so there weren’t too many people there when we visited. What stuck with us wasn’t the visuals, though, it was the sound: the tall bamboo clacking against each other overhead in the wind is unlike anything we’d heard before, almost ASMR-like. Photos don’t capture that part at all.
4. A Private Samurai Lesson at the Samurai Ninja Museum, Kyoto
We did a private samurai experience at the Samurai Ninja Museum in Kyoto — trying out different weapons, getting dressed in the traditional gear, and learning a bit of the history behind it all as they walked us through it. The highlight was getting to actually try cutting bamboo the way they would have, which is a lot harder than it looks. We also got to try blow darts as part of it. It’s the kind of hands-on history lesson that sticks with you a lot more than reading a placard in a museum ever could.
5. Fushimi Inari: Further Than We Expected (and a Lesson in Respect)
Everyone posts the same handful of gates near the entrance, but the shrine goes back much further than that — we climbed all the way up, and it can get genuinely crowded, so go early and, if you can, during the off-season. Keep in mind this was 2019; it’s only gotten busier since.
One moment we still think about: while we were up there, a man reprimanded me for leaning against part of the shrine to get a photo. There weren’t really any signs posted about not touching it at the time, and I had no idea — but it was a good reminder that these are active, sacred spaces, not just backdrops, and it’s worth being mindful of that wherever you go.
What We’d Tell Ourselves Before That Trip
Pack layers. We went in November and got sunny days that still turned cool fast — nothing dramatic, just enough to catch you off guard if you’re dressed for one or the other.
Pack lighter than you think, especially if you’re taking the Shinkansen. There’s luggage space, but if you can manage a carry-on instead of checked-size bags, do it — it makes the whole train experience easier.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or just point at what you need. People are genuinely friendly about it. And honestly, this has only gotten easier since 2019. With Tokyo having hosted the Olympics, there’s been a real, noticeable push toward English accessibility since then: more people making the effort to speak English, more English signage on public transit, more of that friction just quietly sanded down.
Our Biggest Tip: If you have an iPhone, load a Suica card into Apple Wallet before you land. This is the one thing we’d go back and fix if we could — we spent a good half hour at the station trying to figure out ticket machines, only to have our credit cards not work, when all we actually needed was a card we could tap on and off with. Would’ve saved us the most stressful 30 minutes of the whole trip.
Book What We Booked
Missed the Tokyo half of this trip? Read Part 1: Tokyo here.
Published 2019 · Updated 2026 with a few things we’d tell our past selves
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