Basin of contentment
Most visitors to Ryoanji Temple go to see just one thing - the rock garden. It's probably the most famous dry landscape (karesansui) garden - 15 irregularly shaped rocks in a bed of gravel that's raked every day. More
Tiny restaurants crowded together
Every city has narrow alleyways that are best avoided, even by the locals. But Kyoto has one alleyway that's well worth a visit. More
Trainee geishas go shopping
Although Kyoto attracts large numbers of foreign tourists, keen to see its centuries-old temples and shrines, it's actually a thoroughly modern city. The first view from the bullet train comes as a shock. More
Spectacular view of Mount Fuji from the bullet train
One of the best-known tourist images of Japan is of the bullet train crossing a bridge at the foot of a snow-topped Mount Fuji. However, when you take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, more often than not Mount Fuji comes over all shy - and hides behind the cloud. More