Amanohishidate and more - cheap yen and no Chinese tourists ?

So you like Japan and the yen is at an all time low? Plus the fact that the winds of politics have blown away all the Chinese tourists ?

Timing could not be better for my trip and I didn’t even plan it for the above scenario. 

But Kyoto is known to be packed with tourists at this time of the year with the autumn leaves beckoning. 

Apart from squeezing with the tourists are there any other places to go and see those gorgeous leaves ?

So I went with my lil un about two years ago and we did the usual places : bamboo forest, clear water temple, geisha district, tori gates and also the aquarium. 

You can choose to brace the crowds or try out next places. So this time we planned 

Bamboo forest but take the sagano romantic train 

Kyoto train museum 

Nara deer park

And the prize - Amanohishidate 

We will try some nice food places and do a bit of shopping too

I first heard this from a friend and decided to look into it in detail and found out it’s one of the top three scenic places in Japan 

How to get there 

I like to stay in Kyoto train station because it’s a hub.  Most places can be accessed from here including Amanohishidate where a Kintetsu limited express will get you here in about two hours or so. 

I used the same hotel : miyako kintetsu kyoto station

Thanks for the recommendation!

Not too expensive, and decent size

Nice warmed toilet seats!

Buffet was 2200yen for breakfast

The Kyoto train museum is a place that will keep your child enthralled for days, and also have enough interesting facts for adults..

The live exhibits, explaining some of the mechanics behind the designs is amazing, even for me and I learnt a lot too

Now for the 500 000 question...

Was it crowded and any Chinese tourists..

Let's just say Kyoto itself was a bit more crowded, especially last week, because it was a long weekend, but I didn't see more than a dozen Chinese tourists, although there were many Taiwanese. You can tell the difference, the accent and manner in which they speak is different. And trust me, I know, I studied there for a bit..

Lunch inside the museum wasn't anything special and do note, their food tends to be a bit more salty and oily, even for kids meals..

Along the way you’ll see plenty of autumn colors and bamboo forests too. In fact the train passes through arashiyama. 

Amanohishidate is good enough to occupy your little one for more than a day and tire them out. And if you see the number of parents with little kids, you wouldn’t think Japan has a birth rate issue. 

The view from the top is something else and this place deserves its spot as one of the top three sights in Japan. 

The Kintetsu Limited Express to Nara is a reserved seats only train 

So you’ll need to pay excess fare on top of the gate fare charged to iocca cards 

Express train solved

We got on a reserved seats only train

Found a conductor to pay the fare and thankfully there were spare seats

The system requires a little trial and error to understand but there are many English labels, literally just look up. 

Nara is a nice place for at least half a day or more. Bow at the deer and they will too then offer them the biscuits 

Autumn colors is truly amazing and you really be amazed at the splendor. 

But timing is important. And with global warming it’s harder to predict when it turns red and yellow. Thankfully some places turn early and others a little later so wherever you go in Kyoto during late November to early December you’ll find color. If you step into one of the recommended places early you’ll be truly happy to see the colors. 

In Kyoto 

Head for the golden temple and the clear water temple as well as the tokufuji temple 

Further afield the Arashiyama is also very good. 

As for food, well the Japanese palate is heavier with more oil and salt, so whilst it tastes marvelous initially it does make you thirsty and after a while you’ll crave for something clean and simple. But you see surrounded by good flavors all round and it doesn’t cost much especially with the strong dollar. 

Head to the food courts and also try the ramen lane in Kyoto station. 

I’ll list out some of the places I tried but also if you have a family, sometimes feeding the lil un in a timely fashion matters more 

Shopping kaimono time !

I visited aeon mall and they were having promotions on. As a rule of thumb- get Japanese brands or stuff made there. With the onslaught of Chinese brands and MIC stuff you may find better priced items but Japanese quality still counts for something. Stuff like Casio watches that are JDM Japanese domestic models are highly rated and sought after. 

I got a JDM G shock with six sensors. 

Uniqlo also had some excellent offerings and their price is significantly lower than Singapore. In addition I discovered a store called workman girl and their offerings are not just for workmen but are tough for daily use. 

SIA has been working hard and despite a full flight they were all smiles and I liked my meal but others opted for instant noodles 

There’s no extra food

Our stewardesses were eating remnant food from our meals 😢