I had a great trip to Kyoto and Osaka over new years 2025-2026. I wanted to take a note of my experiences here. For my own reflection and to share with others who might be interested in visiting Japan during winter.
Why
Why travel in the first place?
I felt my life was becoming increasingly monotonous and routine. I needed a change of scenery and a break from my daily life and search for new inspiration.
Beyond just taking a break, I wanted to understand myself better (自分をもっと知りたかった). Sometimes you have to change the environment or 雰囲気 (atmosphere) entirely to gain new perspectives and insights about yourself which you can't get when you're stuck in your familiar routine.
Follow your intuition and inspiration might just strike.
“Be aware of the world’s magical, mystical, and artistic sides. The most important things in life are not the goal-oriented, materialistic things that everyone and everything tries to convince you to strive for. Most of you know that deep inside. Think back on this spring—the last three or four months—when you are winding down high school, know where you are going next year, and begin to really have strong intuitions about the world you will encounter. Maybe you see an image of yourself in Paris, sculpting in an artist’s studio as the setting sun shines in the paned windows. Maybe you’re in India, running a hospital for poor children, and you hear the distant clatter of the outdoor marketplace in the early morning. Maybe you see yourself in a recording studio laying down a track for your album. Maybe you see yourself alone in a rented room at 4:30 in the morning being the only person alive to understand a new law of physics you just figured out.
Whatever it may be, I bet many of you have had some of these intuitive feelings about what you could do with your lives. These feelings are very real, and if nurtured can blossom into something wonderful and magical. A good way to remember these kinds of intuitive feelings is to walk alone near sunset—and spend a lot of time looking at the sky in general. We are never taught to listen to our intuitions, to develop and nurture our intuitions. But if you do pay attention to these subtle insights, you can make them come true.”
Excerpt From
Make Something Wonderful
Steve Jobs
Also, "Life is short; don’t waste it":
Now, as you live your arc across the sky, you want to have as few regrets as possible. Remember, regrets are different from mistakes. Mistakes are those things that you did and wish you could do over again. In some you were a fool (usually concerning women). In others you were scared. In others you hurt someone else. Some mistakes are deep, others not. But if your intent was pure, they are almost always enriching in some way. So mistakes are things that you did and wish you could do over again.
Regrets are most often things you didn’t do, and wish you did. I still regret not kissing Nancy Kinniman in high school. Who knows what might have happened? Maybe she regrets it too …
Excerpt From
Make Something Wonderful
Steve Jobs
Arriving at KIX
The sunrise view from airplane window was stunning
I arrived at Kansai International Airport (KIX) on last day of 2025. I felt the immediate chill of winter as I stepped out of the airplane. It's the first time I've been to Japan in winter, (last time it's in summer) and the crisp air was refreshing. but certainly much colder than I expected.
After the flight, I headed to T1 terminal and had a meal at とんかつ和幸 恵亭, I arrived early in the morning and there were very few customers. I got seated almost immediately and ordered a set meal, and the service was exceptional as always in Japan.
As my japanese level increasing, this time I was able to understand almost everything the staff said to me. I always felt the listening part is more important than speaking part in language study journey.
京都 / Kyoto
Same as last time, I headed to Kyoto directly from KIX via Haruka express train from KIX. The only difference this time is that I reserved a seat in advance.
I saw lots of korean tourists this time for some reason. Probably more than I’ve seen in my entire life combined.
I arrived at Kyoto station around noon, still lots of tourists but noticeably less than summer.
Checked in at hotel near Karasuma Gojo, then wandered around, found out many places are closed for new year holiday. :(
Anecdote: I thought I had mastered the Japanese convenience store conversation—until the cashier asked whether I was over 20 when I bought an alcoholic drink. I replied 「はい」 only to realize a moment later that I was supposed to tap the screen to confirm instead.
をけら詣り / Okera Mairi
Then I wandered around a bit then had ramen, headed to 八坂神社 for をけら詣り event at night:
薬草を焚き幸運を祈る、新年の伝統的な火の祭典
京都の八坂神社 では、年末年始に夜通しで火を焚く「をけら詣り」が行われ、多くの参拝者が参加します。薬草を焚き、前年の邪気を払い、新たな幸運を迎え入れます。
https://www.japan.travel/jp/spot/80/
A traditional fire ritual at New Year's, with fragrant herbs burned for good fortune
At New Year's, devotees descend on Kyoto's Yasaka-jinja Shrine to attend the late-night festival known as Okera Mairi. Medicinal herbs are set ablaze, and the negative energies of the previous year are swept away to bring in new good fortune.
https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/80/
After entering the shrine, I saw many people holding burning herbs walking around, and immediately heard「いかがですか？」from the welcoming staff.
It was my first time attending this event, and I was amazed by the atmosphere and the crowd.
I went to the shrine around 7pm for less crowd, but it was already quite packed. I took some photos with camera and walked around the shrine area. It's getting real cold and windy at night, so I decided to head back to hotel for NHK 紅白歌合戦.
八坂神社の提灯
People burning the herbs
The Fire
Note: I later learned that I should’ve used a lower ISO when shooting fire. Many of my shots didn’t turn out well because the ISO was too high. :(
The moon
NHK 紅白歌合戦
I heard of this famous annual music show before, but never watched it. This time I decided to watch it live at hotel.
I liked the performance of 米津玄師 – IRIS OUT, and 福山雅治 - クスノキ.
I also found out you can even vote live from the TV remote control, which is really interesting to me.
In the end, 白組が優勝しました！
京都駅 & Yodobashi Camera
I had a nice rest on Jan 1st, didn't wake up until noon, since I hadn’t slept for over 30 hours.
Also, I tried 温泉 (onsen) for the first time at hotel, it was an interesting experience to say the least.
I went back to Kyoto Station once again, and since it was much colder than I expected, I went to UNIQLO at Yodobashi Camera (which is still open on Jan 1st) and bought a parka, the experience was very smooth and the staff was very welcoming.
出町座 (Demachiza) 映画館
Official website: https://demachiza.com
It's a really fascinating independent movie theater in Kyoto, I watched 藤本タツキ 16-27 there. Wish I had more time to watch more films there.
I love the atmosphere of the theater, it's really cozy and nostalgic. They curate a very tasteful selection of films, mostly independent and art films as well as international films.
The whole experience is perfect:
- No English support online or offline.
- You pay by cash only.
- No online booking. (they do offer booking over phone, but since my japanese is not good enough yet, I didn't try it)
- You choose the seat manually on a paper with a pen.
It instantly became my favorite theater of all time!!
東本願寺 & 西本願寺
They are both very close to Kyoto Station so I visited them on the same day.
東本願寺
東本願寺の掲示板の深い言葉
東本願寺から京都駅の順です。 (The order goes from Higashi Hongan-ji to Kyoto Station.)
- 人は出会いによって育てられ 人生は別れによって深められる
- Encounters make us grow, partings make our lives deep.
- お寺は私に会いにいくところ
- A temple is where we go to rediscover ourselves.
- 物事をありのままに引き受けられない私
- There is a part of me that cannot accept everything as it is.
- 自分の思いを叶えるために神も仏も利用する私
- Imagine me trying to use even the gods and buddhas to make my dreams come true.
- 大切な人を亡くしてあらためて出あうことがある
- Losing a loved one can open our eyes to the meaning of life.
- 人間の欲望は品切れすることはありません
- Never out of stock: our greedy human desires.
- 仲間をつくると、仲間外れもつくりだす
- Whenever we form a circle of friends, there's always someone left out.
- 悲しみ 苦しみ 悩み 痛みは 人生の味
- Sadness, suffering, worries, pain. All add flavor to the taste of life.
- 人生に正解なし 人生すべて無駄なし
- There's no right answer to the riddle of life. Nor is any life ever wasted.
The street view near 西本願寺:
西本願寺
東寺
Toji is also very close, I visited it on the same day as well.
I caught the first snow in 2026 too.
天龍寺 & 嵐山
I took the Randen (嵐電) train to Arashiyama station, it's a very scenic route.
I tried the Gion Duck Noodles Arashiyama, it's really good, but the waiting time is quite long (In my case it's 30+ minutes).
天龍寺
The Bamboo Forest is incredible—you really have to be there to truly appreciate it.
Another angle
渡月橋
The area is also beautiful in the evening:
銀閣寺 & Philosopher's Path
I bought a walking guidebook in Ogaki bookstore, it's really well-made and detailed and only cost ~1000 yen.
I visited Ginkaku-ji temple and walked along the Philosopher's Path following the guidebook this time.
I took the 100 bus this time, it's pretty fast but at a higher cost 500 yen. And you pay when boarding instead of getting off the bus.
Then I had a quick stop at a coffee shop and headed for the temple.
平安神宮 / Heian-jingu Shrine
Last time the main hall was under renovation, this time it's fully open.
It’s also featured in Lost in Translation, one of my favorite films of all time.
Make sure to turn on the sound! The music is Alone in Kyoto, one of my all-time favorite tracks.
I prayed for good luck in 2026 in the Main Hall.
Then, I had a burger nearby at 58DINER, probably the best burger I've had in my entire life. (I'm not really a foodie, so take it with a grain of salt)
大阪 / Osaka
I took the JR Kyoto Rapid Train to Osaka station. only cost 30 minutes to my surprise. (I think last time I took the local train which took much longer)
Osaka Station
At night
Woke up by an Earthquake
I was woken up by an earthquake around 10:20, I heard the creaking sound and felt the building shaking.
I then google searched "earthquake" and found out there was a major earthquake in 鳥取県.
Then I turned on TV and they were already broadcasting the news live.
Then I heard the announcement from hotel about we just had a major earthquake, and that the hotel is safe. no need to rush outside.
I wait for a while and nothing happened, so I went back to continue my trip as usual.
心斎橋 / Shinsaibashi
I love the atmosphere of 心斎橋 area, it's extremely lively and vibrant:
A nice shot of Shinsaibashi-suji shopping street
Near 道頓堀
かに道楽
I tried the ramen at Kamukura Ramen just near the TOHO cinema, it's really good. You order from the tablet and pay at the cashier, all self service. And the entire meal only cost 2000 yen, which is really affordable for such quality.
Some interesting places I encountered randomly in 心斎橋 area:
- NERD ROOM: you can find 原画 from Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Hunter × Hunter, etc
- 中尾書店: Rare book store
- 大阪浮世絵美術館: A museum that has one of the original prints of 神奈川沖浪裏 which I loved. The staff was very welcoming too.
Showa-era Retro Area
Takimikoji (滝見小路)
Located in the basement of the Umeda Sky Building, this area recreates the nostalgic atmosphere of the Showa era. Unfortunately, everything was already closed by the time I arrived.
Shinsekai (新世界)
It's a retro area with a lot of interesting shops and restaurants, centered around the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower
The neighborhood was created in 1912 with New York (specifically, Coney Island) as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half.
Shinsekai (新世界, lit. New World)
The telephoto perspective
自動販売機
映画 / Films
TTCG Umeda:
In total, I watched 8 films during this trip. Come to think of it, I haven't watched so many films in a short period of time in years.
- 藤本タツキ 17-26 (Part 1 + 2, two movies) at Demachiza
- Typical 藤本タツキ style, very unique and interesting story and art style.
- 爆弾 / Bakudan at TOHOシネマズ 二条
- Found on a tweet from 小島秀夫, the acting is superb.
- ヤンヤン 夏の想い出 4Kレストア版 (Yi Yi: A One and a Two) at TTCG
- 「生きるということ。愛するということ。」
-
Ota: Why are we afraid of the first time? Every day in life is a first time. Every morning is new. We never live the same day twice. We're never afraid of getting up every morning. Why?
-
Yang-Yang: Daddy, you can't see what I see and I can't see what you see. So how can I know what you see?
N.J.: Good question. I never thought of that. That's why we need a camera. Do you want one to play with?
Yang-Yang: Daddy, can we only know half of the truth?
N.J.: What? I don't get it
Yang-Yang: I can only see what's in front, not what's behind. So I can only know half of the truth, right? - I watched this movie awhile back, Yi Yi is the kind of movie that you need to watch multiple times in different circumstances to fully appreciate its depth and nuances.
- The final scene, it's incredibly powerful and moving to watch, I loved it.
- Even though I watched it multiple times, I still don't think I've fully grasped all its meanings yet.
- 劇場版『チェンソーマン レゼ篇』at TOHOシネマズ なんば
- Incredible adaptation of the manga, the fighting scenes are absolutely stunning.
- You can get a present each time you watch the movie, I got the final 第七弾 of the series.
- It's a GO/ON theater, which is a interesting experience on its own.
- Also, I found out later that the sound system is actually tuned by NAOKI from LOVE PSYCHEDELICO (a band I like a lot)
-
当シアターは、『LOVE PSYCHEDELICO（ラブ・サイケデリコ）』のNAOKI氏の監修による音響調整を行っております。極限まで位相を整えた淀みのない音響環境をベースに、サブウーハーの特性を活かしたキレがあり包み込むような低音域の出力を強化しています。各周波数帯の繊細な調整を行うことで、大音量の出力でも心地よく聞こえる音響環境を実現し、微細な音から迫力のある音まで再現できる臨場感のある音響調整となっています。
https://www.tohotheater.jp/service/goon/
- Akira on TV
- A masterpiece of Japanese animation.
- I later found out actually 小島秀夫 also watched it on TV, from his twitter.
- 落下の王国 4Kデジタルリマスター at TTCG
- 「君にささげる、世界にたったひとつの作り話。」
- "Visual feast."
- 星と月は天の穴 at TTCG
- Black and white film, really beautiful cinematography.
- This is a film you feel more than understand, it's a poetic experience.
Misc
- I found myself handling 95% of my daily life in Japanese, barely ever needing to fall back on English.
- I was told 「日本語上手ですね」x2 times by locals.
- I helped a Japanese family take photos at 東寺, four high school students at 嵐山竹林の小径, and two European tourists at 銀閣寺. (Probably because they noticed my camera.) They all seemed happy with the photos I took for them.
- I helped a tourist to find the Umeda Sky Building near Osaka station.
- I hardly used my AirPods during this trip. Japan is filled with all kinds of sounds. It feels like the city is alive, it's breathing. It's a Japan only experience and instantly recognizable. I found the unique atmosphere incredibly soothing and meditative.
Sidenote: The Medium is the Metaphor: Finding Beauty in the "Inconvenience"
"Embedded in every tool is an ideological bias, a predisposition to construct the world as one thing rather than another."
Excerpt From
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Neil Postman
"A new technology does not add or subtract something. It changes everything. In the year 1500, after the printing press was invented, you did not have old Europe plus the printing press. You had a different Europe."
Excerpt From
Technopoly
Neil Postman
Japan is also a great place for studying how the "medium" shapes how we think and live. There are still so many traditional ways of doing things here—and sometimes, they really are the best ways.
I often see people opt in for "convenience" whenever possible—as if faster is always better. For a startup or certain types of work, maybe that is true. But for life, I’d argue for the opposite: the beauty and importance of being "inconvenient."
- The Intentional Tool: "A tool is not a neutral thing. It is a way of seeing and knowing." You have a completely different experience when you shoot photos using a camera instead of an iPhone, or use a Walkman/iPod instead of a streaming app. It changes your focus from just "getting the task done" to actually experiencing the process.
- The Sound: Using physical coins at a vending machine—the sound of the coins dropping and the heavy thud of the drink falling down, the whole experience hits completely different compared to using credit cards or QR code (which is in my opinion, even worse).
- The Manual Ritual: Selecting your seat at a cinema like Demachiza using a pencil and paper: this "manual" process transforms a simple transaction into a ritual. It forces you to pause and be present in the choice you’re making.
Leaving Japan
I stayed for ~10 days in total, and took the Haruka express train back to KIX from Osaka station.
Before boarding, I had a last meal at the same restaurant とんかつ和幸 恵亭, seated in the exact same seat as I did when I first arrived.
On airplane, I reread the book "Make Something Wonderful":
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
I’ve read Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech many times over the years, but this time it brought me to tears.
It’s strange how a text can remain exactly the same while you changed so much.
When I first read it in my high school, the words felt like wise advice; today, they feel like a mirror. Even though I can say I pursued a quite unique & unconventional path and lived a different life from most people, I still feel like I am not living my life to the fullest. Something needs to change.
Reflections from this trip
It's very easy and convenient to procrastinate, put things on hold for later, especially when it comes to life experiences, or just anything you want to do in life.
I used to think "I can always do it later, next year, etc", but that later often never comes.
Some things will be gone forever if you don't experience them when you have the chance. And most of the time you don't even notice it until it's too late.
I also recently found out the "Memory Dividends" concept from Bill Perkins' book Die With Zero, which resonates with me a lot:
"Memory dividends" are the compounding emotional returns, joy, and satisfaction gained over a lifetime from experiences, according to Bill Perkins' Die With Zero. Investing money early in experiences creates lasting memories that "pay" dividends for years, often increasing in value as you age, making them superior to material goods.
I used to think too much about the future (or much worse, worry about imaginary things or things beyond my control), and neglected the present moment.
「今度は今度、今は今」
PERFECT DAYS | Perfect Days: Where the Light Comes Through
Life is very short, the best time to do what you want is now.