Kyoto: Day 6 (Nishiki Market and our return home)

On our last morning in Kyoto, we had a little bit of time to waste before catching our afternoon train. We decided to visit the popular Nishiki market to do some browsing and grab some lunch. Nishiki market is 5 blocks long and is filled with over a hundred shops and restaurants. Most of the shops sell foods that you'll only find in Japan. It started with the first fish shop that opened in 1310, and many families have operated the same shops for generations. I read that the market location was chosen because of the underground springs (which made it easy to get water for fish vendors) and because it was not to far to carry food to/from Nijo castle.

Our friends had lunch at what they say was a marvelous vegan restaurant while we had lunch at a little Indian restaurant. We caught our train around 2:00pm, and were walking in our front door by 5:30pm. It was a great visit to Kyoto, though it was hardly a vacation. We jam-packed our days with things to see and do, and I have no idea how people visit Kyoto in just a 3-day trip. I'll be posting our itinerary for our trip tomorrow if you are planning a trip to Kyoto yourself. Kyoto is the place to go for a trip to Ancient Japan. It's one of the only cities in Japan that wasn't destroyed during the War so many of the buildings are originals - not reproductions. If you find yourself in Japan, Kyoto is definitely one of the places you should squeeze into your trip.