Vegan Activities in Kyoto

The Golden Pavillion, or Kinkaku-ji, is one of the most well-known sights in Japan. The building’s first purpose was to serve the retiring Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1409) as a residence. The gold-leaf-adorned building was converted into a Zen temple shortly after his death. In an event that was later fictionalized by the renowned author Yukio Mishima, a 21-year-old monk burned Kinkaku-ji Temple down in 1950. The temple was rebuilt in 1955 and continues to function as a storehouse of sacred relics.

This bamboo grove in Arashiyama is a popular destination. The entrance is right in the middle of town, and it will take about 2 minutes before you are completely surrounded by bamboos, listening to the creaking that they make along with the wind. There is a path that takes you up and back around, leading you to where you started from.