Kinkaku-ji golden pavilion reflected in the pond, Kyoto
Destination

Kyoto

Temples, gardens, and the most photogenic city in Japan.

Inside Nishiki Market, colourful covered arcade
Food — Kyoto
Nishiki Market: Kyoto's Kitchen

Four hundred metres of food stalls in a covered arcade that's been running since the 1600s. We ate the gyoza twice.

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Mikey 2023 4 min
Kyoto pagoda in autumn
Travel — Kyoto
Kyoto in Autumn: Why We Keep Coming Back

Koyo season, temple crowds, and why the most photogenic city in Japan is still worth the effort every single time.

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Mikey 2022 6 min
Kinkaku-ji golden pavilion
Travel — Kyoto
Kinkaku-ji: What to Expect When You Actually Go

You've seen the photo so many times it almost doesn't feel real. Then you're standing in front of it and it's more striking than ever.

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Johnny 2023 4 min
Noren fabric dividers in a Kyoto alley
Travel — Kyoto
What the Noren Actually Means

The fabric dividers hanging in Japanese doorways tell you more about a place than any guidebook. Here's how to read them.

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Mikey 2022 5 min
Japanese restaurant with red sign
Food — Kyoto
The Red Sign Ramen Rule

We have one simple heuristic for finding good ramen in a new city. It hasn't let us down yet.

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Johnny 2022 4 min
Din Tai Fung soup dumplings
Food — Kyoto
Din Tai Fung: The Queue Is Worth It

A Taiwanese chain, a Japanese queue, and the best soup dumplings we've eaten outside of Taipei.

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Mikey 2022 5 min
Japanese garden pond with autumn foliage
Health & Fitness
Why Walking Japanese Gardens Is the Most Underrated Form of Recovery

After a full day on your feet eating and sightseeing, a slow lap of a Japanese garden hits different.

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Johnny 2022 4 min