Kyoto is probably the most Japan-like tourist destination, as Kyoto was an old capital and many historic buildings remain. From 800 AD to 1600 AD, the capital of Japan was around Kyoto for about 800 years. At that time, the capital of Japan was called Heiankyo. Before Heiankyo in the Kyoto area became the capital, the capital of Japan was Heijokyo in the Nara area.
As the old capital, various cultural activities such as Buddhism and tea ceremonies evolved in Kyoto. Therefore, there are still famous temples and shrines and places where you can drink delicious matcha. There are too many historic buildings, and you can see the World Heritage Sites even if you walk randomly. The three most representative tourist spots are Kiyomizu Temple, Arashiyama, and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. These three sights seem to be always crowded.
Some people like to visit little-known spots, so I recommend Okazaki Shrine, which is decorating the rabbits that are popular on Instagram these days. There used to be a lot of wild rabbits around Okazaki Shrine, so they worship rabbits. Many shrines adore other animals, such as foxes and cows, but shrines with rabbits are extremely rare. Additionally, Okazaki Shrine has a guardian rabbit instead of a guardian dog, which is very cute.
Speaking of Kyoto cuisine, kaiseki cuisine is famous, but it is expensive. If you want to try Kyoto-like food, you can enjoy Matcha Warabimochi at a low price. Matcha Warabimochi is a fluffy sweet made from matcha that has a pleasant aroma and is sweet. In addition, there have been many temples in Kyoto for a long time, and the monks who live in the temples have begun to make various pickles to store vegetables. If you are interested in Kyoto cuisine, please try Kyoto pickles.
