Japan Diaries | First Solo Trip, Slow Days Exploring Kyoto
17 hour travel day, Arashiyama, and Nishiki Market
I've been interested in Japan for most of my life. Whenever I was at a crossroads, I considered dropping everything and trying to live there for as long I could manage at the time. When it was time for me to move to LA, I figured it could be my chance to spend some extended time there and hopefully get as close to an immersive experience as possible.
Of course, I applied for and accepted the LA28 Athlete Fellowship position when it arose. And, of course, I couldn't take a month off from a new job, let alone one that only lasts a year. So, I scaled the trip back to 2 weeks and figured I would make the most of any amount of time there.
This is my first true solo trip. For what it’s worth, I don't count the travel I did while training and competing. Those solo trips were always shorter and more focused on meets and staying in the zone. Plus, is it truly a trip if I’m not free to eat whatever I want? With all my hopes and expectations of Japan, I think being able to adapt, wander, and get sidetracked at will was needed for this trip. I found comfort in the freedom to wander and explore, allowing myself to get lost in the moment and rediscover the joy of spontaneity.
Rather than offering an exhaustive guide to Japan, I want these vlogs to capture the essence of my experience — slow, intentional, and filled with moments of genuine discovery. I see them as a visual scrapbook, reflecting the continuous joy I found in every corner of the adventure.
Hopefully, you can find some of that same sort of joy as you follow along.
Day 1 & 2 | Arrive in Kyoto, Arashiyama, Temples/Shrines
5 Nights at Hotel Kanra Kyoto
Day 1
Arrival at Haneda Airport - Pick up Pasmo Card, Pocket Wifi, ship luggage to hotel, and exchange money.
Take JR to Kyoto (2 Hours)
Check-in
Get Settled into Hotel (I just ate at the restaurant in the hotel because I was exhausted from the long travel day)
Day 2
Grabbed snacks at the 7-Eleven near hotel
Early train (5:30AM) and walk to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Breakfast at Bread, Espresso and Arashiyama Garden “ESPRESSO &”
Walk and explore Monkey Park Iwatayama
Grab some goodies and take photos at Nintendo KYOTO
Walk through and explore Nishiki Market
Lunch at THE CITY BAKERY Daimarukyoto (multiple locations throughout the city)
Window shop at TOBICH京都
Take tour at Kōdaiji Temple
Dango and matcha from dango stall across from the temple (great place to warm up and rest on chillier days)
Walk around Yasaka Jinja Shrine
Dinner at La Bombance Gion (make reservations, but amazing spot for kaiseki cuisine)
Wandered around Takashimaya Department Store on the way back to the hotel
I really enjoyed being able to make the trip my own. Some days I scrapped all my plans and just did something different while other days I stuck to plans made weeks ago. I’ll continue to list everything here and will also try to aggregate a larger itinerary at the end of the series to make it easier for anyone else planning their own trips. My best advice for planning: keep a map of places you might want to check out and then when you’re ready to plan, simply look at the map and plan around the largest clusters. Stay tuned for the vlogs and see how my trip unfolded.
