Coming to you live from Tokyo at 5.30 am, this morning we're actually on a Shinkansen which is a Japanese bullet train to Kyoto, which was the ancient capital of Japan prior to them moving the capital to Edo, currently Tokyo.
It's about a three hour ride, so enjoy the scenery.
The Shinkansen, or bullet train, is one of Japan's main means of transportation, flying from Tokyo to Kyoto in roughly two hours.
Keep your eyes peeled for incredible views of Fuji and the surrounding towns along the way.
Upon arrival in Kyoto, it's Gotan, ramen noodles, a big bowl of liquid euphoria.
One thing you're going to learn pretty quickly about me is that I love food, as eating local cuisine and street food is the tastiest way to experience local life.
After a quick bowl of ramen, we're off to experience Kyoto street life.
Geshia's, magia homes, temples, temples, and more temples, Kyoto is truly Japan's eternal city, reflecting a perfect balance of timeless tradition, intermessed with contemporary culture.
As the ancient capital of Japan, this city's main attractions have existed for eons and saturate local life.
While not for the faint of heart, one of the best ways to explore Kyoto and the local shrines is by bicycle.
So what we're going to be doing today, in the next seven hours, is explore the local shrines of Kyoto.
I'm with the Kyoto Tour Cycling Project, and these are our guides for the day.
What are you going to introduce yourselves?
I'm this guy Julie, and my name is Naoko Konnichiwa.
And they're going to be taking us all over Kyoto today to visit all the local shrines.
Let's do this!
On our bikes, we cover 30 kilometers, or roughly 25 miles, visiting local temples, including Kyoto's famous Golden Field.
On our bikes, we cover 30 kilometers, including Kyoto's famous Golden Field.
Upon entering Japanese holy sites, it's customary to wash your hands to symbolify purifying yourself before entering a different shrine.
So that's exactly what I'm going to do right now.
I'm going to use spoons right here, dip it in this water, and rinse for a minute.
I'm purifying to enter the shrine.
But my favorite temple by far is the Toji Temple, an esoteric Buddhist temple known for its exquisite collection of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
and for containing one of the tallest temple towers in all of Japan.
Having studied Buddhist art history as a minor in college, seeing these works in person is truly awe-inspiring.
With a packed itinerary to see more sites and cities in Japan, two days in Kyoto was simply not enough.
Kyoto's quiet charm has left me hungry for more.
This might be my first trip here, it definitely won't be my last.
