"Kyoto: A Family Trip Through a World... " a Kyoto Travel Page by BorderHopper

Please check out my 8 minute video of our trip to Kyoto,Japan:
Konichiwa Kyoto

In September of 2004 my wife, son, & I made what would turn out to be one of our most memorable and fascinating journies as a family to the historic Japanese city of Kyoto. We flew from Bangkok, Thailand on Japan Airlines to the Japanese port city of Osaka. As soon as we got off of the plane and wandered the halls of the ultra-modern KIX International Airport we knew we were somewhere special. Everything seemed so modern yet we knew that behind all of this moderninity lay a city packed so full of ancient Japanese history that the UN designated Kyoto a World Heritage City.

From the international airport, built on a man made island, we purchased a few seats on a Japan Rail Express train that sped us over a massive bridge spanning the harbor, through Japan's 2nd largest city of Osaka, and into Kyoto station (which may be one of the worlds largest train stations). Our first feeling upon our nightime arrival into Kyoto was overwhelming. Anyone who's travelled with a family & young child know that the simplest of tasks becomes all the more difficult when your doing them in an unfamiliar place. Thanks to some friendly advice from our VT friend Ayrunhiro we had a pretty good idea how to navigate our way through the massive Kyoto station and out into the neon lit streets of Kyoto.

We eventually made our way into one of Kyoto's immaculate taxi cabs and for a 650 yen fare we were delivered to our traditional style Japanese Inn at Ohto Ryokan on the opposite side of the Kamogawa river near Shishijo-dori. It was from here, near the banks of the Kamogawa River, we based ourselves to set out on daily explorations of historic old Kyoto. Though we weren't able to see all of the amazing sights Kyoto and its environs have to offer we did manage to see these UNESCO World Heritage sites: Nijo-jo, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, & we walked the streets around the historic Gion searching for Geisha, followed the Philosopher's Path at Tetsugaku-no michi, and hung out with the youngsters of Kyoto along the banks of the Kamogawa River. Kyoto has left us with memories which we will cherish for an eternity.