Kyoto Bamboo forest

Even the parts of the park without bamboo were very pretty. Despite the warning sign, I saw no monkeys nor apes.

Toilets deserve their own post

I admit I have not yet tried the squat toilets. EDIT: now I have. They’re not so bad, just unfamiliar. Read the directions first and be careful with whatever you’re wearing on your legs.

It’s pretty common for the Western-style toilets to have built-in hand faucets here. It’s pretty common for soap to be missing, too. That must be why they bow here instead of shaking hands

Toilets with heated seats and bidets are everywhere, too. Such luxury. Old news to anyone who’s been to the Google campus, of course

Beer and cigarette vending machines

I read about them but it’s still a surprise to see them in person. I don’t think there’s anything special to stop kids from buying from these machines.

Kinkaku-ji

The golden temple. Very pretty! Still, Inari was a lot better. This one has an entrance fee, was much shorter, and every inch of the trail was filled with people using their cameras. Really can’t recommend it.

Fushimi Inari

Because I can’t put the video and the still photos in the same post, and I understand that selfies with the orange gates are mandatory. Again, this has been one highlight of my trip so far.

Inari is a fox shrine, so I thought the Vulpix (fox Pokemon) in the last photo was a nice touch