Day 12: Stillness, Shine, and Succulent Sizzling

Today we visited two of Japan’s most iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites—each distinct in style but equally rich in cultural and spiritual meaning.

Our morning began at Ryoan-ji Temple, home to one of the most famous Zen rock gardens in Japan. The temple grounds were peaceful and beautifully maintained by the resident monks, a few of whom could be seen quietly tending to the gardens. The rock garden itself is a minimalist masterpiece—fifteen stones carefully arranged across a bed of white gravel. No matter where you stand, only fourteen of the stones are visible at once, an intentional design that evokes quiet reflection and invites thoughts on imperfection, hidden truths, and the natural world. Many interpret the garden as symbolic of islands in a sea, or mountain peaks breaking through the clouds.

We took some time to stroll around the large pond and surrounding garden paths, catching glimpses of herons, sunbathing terrapins, and a few unusual trees that had been grafted on top of one another—an old gardening method used to conserve space. The quiet beauty of the grounds felt like a refreshing pause in an otherwise bustling itinerary.

Our next stop was Kinkaku-ji, better known as the Golden Pavilion. It's one of the most iconic images of Japan, and seeing it in person did not disappoint. The top two floors of the temple are entirely covered in gold leaf, glinting brilliantly in the sunlight and reflecting in the still waters of the surrounding pond. Despite the large crowds—it was easily the busiest place we’ve been so far—the view was stunning from nearly every angle.

Originally built in 1397 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as a retirement villa, the pavilion was converted into a Zen temple after his death. Sadly, the original structure was destroyed by arson in 1950, but it was painstakingly rebuilt in 1955 using traditional techniques. The new design incorporates even more gold leaf than the original, and modern fireproofing was added to help prevent future disasters. Today, the structure stands not only as a visual marvel, but also as a testament to Japan’s commitment to preserving its cultural treasures.

From there, we headed to Gion, Kyoto’s most famous geisha district. With its historic wooden facades, narrow streets, and traditional teahouses, the area feels like a living museum. Wandering through its lanes, it wasn’t hard to imagine what the neighborhood would have looked like hundreds of years ago, with geisha shuffling quietly between performances and apprentices hurrying to their lessons. After a bit of exploring, we stopped for lunch at a nearby restaurant where I enjoyed garlic butter prawns and rice—simple, but very well prepared.

In the evening, a few of us who had pre-booked an optional dinner took part in a Japanese-style barbecue, known locally as yakiniku. The setup was all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink, and we ordered dishes using a tablet that sent them directly to our table. The real fun came in grilling the food ourselves on the hot plate set in the middle. With a wide selection of meats and vegetables, we could cook exactly what we wanted, exactly how we liked it. It was a fun, social, and surprisingly satisfying meal—so much so, in fact, that we later agreed it had been our favorite dinner of the entire trip.

We left full, happy, and already scheming how to fit in another BBQ before the tour.


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