Kyoto, Japan - 27th January 2023

To-ji

We decided to revisit To-ji, which had been so crowded on the previous occasion when it was the venue of a busy monthly flea market.

Set in beautiful grounds and established in 794 it comprised of a five-storey pagoda and a collection of beautiful halls, most of which had been rebuilt at some point or other after their previous destruction.

Despite having burnt down five times, the 57 m tall pagoda is now the highest in Japan.

Not too far from To-ji was the impressive Kyoto Railway Museum, giving a comprehensive history of train travel in Japan, including some vintage steam engines displayed in a Round House shed complete with turntable.

A patio also enabled viewing of modern day trains from the nearby main station in operation, including the famous Shinkansen or bullet train.

On our way to the museum we passed an strange and incongruous, graffiti-covered building labelled 'Witch House'. Quite a contrast to the rest of the beautifully tidy city.

On our daily stop at the supermarket to pick up dinner , we spotted a couple of gems - giant spring onions and a bottle of sweat!