Kyoto

We took the Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train, from Tokyo and sat on the right-hand side for the view of Mount Fuji. The sky was perfectly clear, and there it was. It’s one of the quiet perks of traveling in winter, when the air is crisp and Fuji is far more likely to show itself than in the hazy summer months.

After checking in, we spent the afternoon in Higashiyama, Kyoto’s old eastern district. We began at Kiyomizu-dera, the temple famous for its wooden terrace over the hillside, then wandered down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, two beautifully preserved sloping lanes that were busy even in January. From there we visited Kodai-ji and Yasaka Shrine, strolled through Gion, the historic geisha district (no sightings for us), and ended the day at Nishiki Market, a long covered street of food stalls.

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Sannenzaka
• Ninenzaka
• Kodai-ji
• Yasaka Shrine
• Gion
• Nishiki Market

We started at Sakura Cafe Hanon, where the coffee and the fluffy soufflé pancakes were both incredible.

Then on to Nara, about an hour away, and one of the highlights of the entire trip. A word of warning: Nara’s famous deer are not the gentle creatures the photos suggest. Buy a stack of shika senbei, the special crackers sold for feeding them, and you instantly become the most interesting person in the park. They nudge the backs of your knees, tug at your coat, and will happily shred an unattended paper bag. We walked from Nara Park to Todai-ji, the temple that houses an enormous bronze Buddha, laughing the entire way. It’s chaotic, a little intimidating, and I would do it a thousand times over.

On the way back, we made an unplanned stop in Uji, a small town known for some of Japan’s finest matcha. We found exactly what we came for, trying different matcha from shop to shop without a single miss. Tucked down a little alleyway, we also stumbled upon Food Park, a tiny spot serving wagyu burgers and wagyudon (wagyu beef over rice). The burgers were some of the best we had all trip, and the owners couldn’t have been kinder.

We ended the day at Fushimi Inari Taisha, the shrine known for its thousands of vermilion torii gates. Arriving in the evening meant thinner crowds, but it was bitterly cold, so we only made it partway. With more time, and warmer layers, you could easily spend hours exploring the shrine and the town around it.

• Sakura Cafe Hanon
• Nara Park
• Todai-ji
• Uji
• Food Park
• Fushimi Inari Taisha