Tofukuji Temple: Down the street from Fushimi Inari is Tofukuji Temple which has an incredibly beautiful garden. During the fall this is one of the most popular temples in Japan. The rich autumn foliage around the temple attracts visitors from all around Japan. I was lucky enough to be there during that time and it took my breath away. Below is a video from that visit.

Lunch At Issen Yoshoku: At this point, after the hike up Mount Inari, you’ll more than likely have worked up an appetite. Head back towards Gion, a famous district with a lot of attractions. Before you start exploring, lets stop for some brunch at “Issen Yoshoku”.  This is a small no frills place that serves only one dish, okonomiyaki.

The only way I can describe okonomiyaki is to say its a monster pancake / egg omelette that’s stuffed with just about everything you can imagine. The portion size is HUGE and you WILL refuse to share with anyone. I don’t say this lightly, but I almost guarantee you’ll have one the best foodgasms of your life. Don’t believe me? Here’s a video from my visit to Issen Yoshoku enjoying this choice meal.

Explore Gion:  After gorging yourself with food, its time to work off some of those calories. From Issen Yoshoku we are going to explore the district of Gion. This is a magical district that’s famous for its historic streets, charming tea houses and wooden ryokans. It’s one of the few places where (if you’re lucky) you might catch a glimpse of a Geisha shuffling between tea houses on wooden sandals. Contrary to western belief, the Geisha is not a prostitute – she’s an entertainer. Hired at dinner parties and banquets to sing, dance and provide company.

Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring this area. Just make sure that you cover the following:

• Higashiyama Area: While technically not part Gion, Higashiyama is great area to spend an hour or two. It’s filled with preserved traditional wooden buildings, stores selling traditional crafts and of course the famous Kiyomizudera Temple (with panaromic views of Kyoto) and Yasaka Shrine.
• Hanami-koji Street: This street runs from Shijo Avenue to Kenninji Temple. This is popular area to explore with lots of great (upscale) places to eat. It also has a number of ochaya teahouses where guest are entertained by maiko and geiko (Geisha’s).
• Visit the smaller temples and shrines: While walking through Gion and Higashiyama make sure to explore side streets and keep an eye out for some of the smaller temples and shrines. These tend to be less trafficked and may contain beautifully landscaped zen gardens.
• Gion at night: Since I’ll be recommending you dine in Gion in day 1, I highly recommend you tour this area again at night. The buildings, temples, lanterns and gardens are light up, giving this area a different feeling.

Shabu Shabu For Dinner: I will recommend that you try Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki at “Shabuzen”, which is conveniently located in the old Gion district – on the main road, not far from the river. It can be a bit tricky to find, as the restaurant is on the basement level.

If you’ve never had Shabu Shabu, you’ll be given a menu with a selection of meat (from local to high end kobe beef) that will be cooked at your table which has a gas burner installed in it. Don’t worry, if you’ve never cooked it before they will show you the steps and its surprisingly easy. This was one of the best meals I had in Japan. The meat just melted in my mouth. I absolutely loved it.