This fall, I was back in Japan and Korea. While I would've normally prioritized visiting a new part of APAC, my friend from Korea was getting married! There aren't any direct flights from Colorado to Korea, and so I decided to make the most of the trip and spend some time exploring more of Japan.

My first stop was Kyoto, which was a really nice blend of nature and city life. It was quite crowded with tourists, especially the popular temples. But luckily for me, I wasn't prioritizing temple visits this time around. Because of that, I think I managed to dodge the worst of the crowds, and ultimately have a relaxing time. Which was much needed! The timing of this trip coincided with a mental health slump that I was dealing with. Normally traveling really helps me break out of those kind of problems and reset. But counter to my typical experience, the added stress of traveling didn't help this time. So it was great to be in a generally quieter part of town where I could get some peace and quiet.

One of the biggest attractions in Kyoto is the Iwatayama monkey park, and it was one of the first things that I went to visit while in the city. This was my favorite photo I took while there. But as you'll soon see, the macaque monkeys are quite photogenic!
As mentioned in the header, I was going through some rough mental health turbulence on this trip. So when I saw this monkey looking dejected off by himself, I quickly snagged a photo while thinking to myself "same, dude...same..."
The monkeys were quite friendly and photogenic. Here are some more pics that came out well, including this tiny little newborn monkey. Too small to get up to the main feeding area, they were resigned to enjoying leftovers that fell down below.
One of my favorite parts of Japan is how quickly you can go from insane city centers to tranquil nature scenes. A truly amazing place, and I wish more of the world would take some tips from this culture, and cultivate quiet outdoor spaces within our cities.
A large bamboo grove that I passed while hiking through an area on the outskirts of the city.
It's rare that the thumbnail of my blog entries is a personal photo, but this one turned out so well that I used it. An overlook of the city while out hiking.
Off the normal path in the Daitoku-ji temple complex. I really liked the contrast of this scene, with the plain outer walls leading to such a vibrant, green interior.
I was visiting the Daitoku-ji temple for a chance to practice meditation with one of the temple's monks. It was a really unique experience, and different from the type of meditation that I normally do. I learned a lot, and have started incorporating some of the ideas into my normal practice. The monk's name was Soukou Yamato, and while he didn't speak English, one of the facilitators was there to translate.
A photo from Adashino Nenbutsuji temple. This was essentially a giant graveyard from the 8th century, where bodies came to be buried and stone images placed to honor the dead. There are approximately 8,000 of these stone statues and pagodas.
Tucked into the corner of the city lies Saga Toriimoto, which is a quiet little street lined with historic houses and shops. It was pleasant to walk through and do some shopping. Many of the houses still had the original thatched roofs!
Normally Saga Toriimoto might be a way to spend an hour or so, but at the end of the street I found this quiet little ryōtei restaurant. It was outside of normal dining hours, and I stopped in simply for a quick matcha and to rest my legs. The environment ended up being so pleasant and peaceful that I cracked open my book and hung out here for multiple hours.
While talking with my Dad, he mentioned a "temple surrounded by water" in Kyoto that used to be his phone background. From that description, I went to visit the Kinkaku-ji temple. While being absolutely stunning, it wasn't the one my Dad was thinking about!
I couldn't decide which of my photos of the temple was my favorite...so here's both! This one would have been nearly perfect, if it weren't for that stray unfocused branch on the left. This temple was insanely crowded, so trying to squeeze in for a good shot was difficult.
One of the evenings, I joined this large group of travelers for dinner and drinks. Believe it or not, the guy sitting across the table from me was from Buford, GA. What an unlikely coincidence! Me, him and the two ladies ended up hanging out till quite late that evening, and it was a much-needed night of fun to break me out of my funky mood.
I didn't do a great job of remembering to take food photos in Kyoto, but here's a couple I snagged. Some heart-warming tonkatsu cutlet and curry on the right, and then a wagyu beef skewer from an izakaya on the right.