My first visit to Japan - a few questions

Hi all,
We're coming to Kyoto for 12 days in November, and there are a few questions I have. I hope you can help. Thanks in advance!

a) November 23 is a national holiday. How much of Kyoto will shut down? Will the temples still be open? Department stores? Restaurants? Public transport?

b) Is mid-to-late November an unusually busy period? Many hotels are fully booked out for that time. Is it because of the red/autumn leaves?

c) I want to bring some cheap-ish gifts to give to people who help us/service us, but I'm not sure what would be wanted and/or appropriate. I was thinking Australian chocolates (Tim Tams, choc covers macadamia nuts etc), or things with Aboriginal art. Any other suggestions?

d) I'm writing to Saihō-ji / Kokedera, a temple in Kyoto, seeking permission/invitation to visit (all visitors must do this). Would my chances increase if I had the request written in Japanese, or would they be used to English requests?

e) How bicycle friendly is Kyoto? We're considering renting bikes for a week. Google Earth street view has some parts that look very friendly, but other parts that look downright dangerous!

Again, thanks

Hello!

1.) First of all not all temples and shrines have opening hours to begin with. You can visit them any time.
Others have, but USUALLY everything is open on a national holiday (and then often closed the day after).
To make 100% sure just check the website of the temple / shrine etc. you want to visit! ^-^
Yes, department stores and restaurants are opened on national holidays (except around New Years).
Public transportation will also be no problem at all.
Sometimes there will be less buses in local areas than on working days, sometimes there will be actually more. It always depends.

2.) Well, I guess it used to be a good time for autumn leaves, but honestly since last year it's getting later and later. Last year the peak was in the first week of December!! I guess many tourists still expect the leaves to turn red around that time.
There are usually always still hotels available a bit outside of Kyoto (e.g. Otsu) - try to check there!
Travel tip: Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture usually has autumn leaves a bit earlier than the rest of Kansai as it's higher!

3.) Sounds good enough! Japanese people love food gifts, so chocolate is definitely a good idea!

4.) Sorry, no idea. Where did you find the information in the first place anyways? Did it say anything about whether English is spoken or not?

5.) I've never tried to travel through Kyoto using a bicycle, simply because most sights are quite far apart from each other, so usually bus is the way to go (they can get quite crowded, though). I doubt it's dangerous to drive there, but when it's crowded you won't be able to go fast anyways.


Hope that helped!
Let me know if you have any more questions! ^-^

National holidays are just government days off. Expect banks and post offices to be closed. Nothing more.

Who exactly are your idea of gifts for? Unless it is someone special, save your money. If you insist, be sure candies, tea, chocolates, cookies, etc. are individually wrapped. Standard practice here.

zoomingjapan said:

Hello!
4.) Sorry, no idea. Where did you find the information in the first place anyways? Did it say anything about whether English is spoken or not?
Hope that helped!

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Hi
Thanks for your answers and tips. They were very helpful.
As for Kokedera, here;
Welcome to Kyoto - Koke - dera Temple (Saiho - ji Temple) -
At the bottom it says invite required.

---------- Post added at 23:28 ---------- Previous post was at 23:24 ----------

Glenski said:

Who exactly are your idea of gifts for? Unless it is someone special, save your money. If you insist, be sure candies, tea, chocolates, cookies, etc. are individually wrapped. Standard practice here.

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It's for people who help us, or provide nice/good service. We're planning to do a cooking lesson in someone's home, and I'd like to give him something. We also have a walking tour planned. I'd give something to the tour guide. Stuff like that.
Individually wrapped chocolates etc are uncommon here. I'll have to have a look around.

many thanks

Forget our guides. It's their job to provide good service.

Forget the house where YOU are the honored guest cook. Not expected to bring anything. You sound like you are going overboard on Japanese gift givving.

Glenski said:

Forget our guides. It's their job to provide good service.

Forget the house where YOU are the honored guest cook. Not expected to bring anything. You sound like you are going overboard on Japanese gift givving.

Click to expand...

Ok, thanks. I'll take your advice on this.

For Saihō-ji / Kokedera, it appears that you should apply with a 往復はがき (double/return paid postcard) so that they can send you back the information, or otherwise a self-addressed, stamped postcard. If you are applying from overseas this means including an international reply coupon - check with your post office. You need to apply at minimum a week in advance but some places suggest you should leave at least a month, and I would say sooner rather than later if you want them to send a reply back to you in Australia.

The application should include your name, the number of people, the date you are hoping to visit, and your return address/telephone number. If you get a reply, that card functions as your ticket and you need to take it with you on the day. Payment is also on the day.

Thank you Nekojita. I've written the request in English, and I was mainly wondering if I should go to the bother of getting it translated into Japanese. We'll be in Kyoto for 2 weeks, and we'd accept an invite for any one of those 14 days (except for 2 days on which we've got commitments). I'm a little concerned that my request isn't a simple "we'd like to come on the DD/MM/YYYY, please".

If your tour guide is paid, don't bother with a gift. If your tour guide is an unpaid volunteer, then some small gift would be nice, although not absolutely necessary.

As for cycling through Kyoto: I absolutely recommend it. While distances might be far for the untrained rider, a well-planned itinerary not only saves you a lot of time waiting for crowded buses, but it's also fun, and a good way to *understand* a city.

Some areas are hilly, so you do not want to ride a shopping bike. If you visit more distant places (I remember we cycled to Ohara to see Sanzen-in), you have to be more careful: the roads are narrow and winding, and public buses and lorries can't easily overtake the odd cyclist. Again: the bicycle can save you a lot of time and it allows for a more flexible itinerary and schedule.

Or you could bring along an International Drivers License and rent yourselves some 50cc scooters to putt around the city on.