Our Stay at a Ryokkan and Traveling by Night

We traveled to Kyoto via night bus with Willer Express. I will admit straight away that this was the most comfortable bus I ever had the chance to travel in. Admittedly, it was on the expensive side. We had plushy seats, almost fully reclinable. Each seat was equipped with drapes for some privacy. We had more space than you would think possible on an intercity bus. It seems the company really went out of its way to ensure you could sleep the entire way. This made the travel from Tokyo to Kyoto really easy.

(Our private zen garden)

Upon arriving in Kyoto, we first set out to find our ryokan. We had picked Yamazaki (11 Takahana-cho, Umegahata, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto), which had good reviews and seemed to offer good value. It was a bit out of the way, but our room was surprisingly spacious and the ryokan itself was quite charming. It was easily accessible by public bus. The mattresses were set out on the tatami floor and a tea table was facing large windows, offering a nice view of our personal zen garden. Yukatas (informal summer kimonos) and haoris (mid-length coats to be worn over kimonos) were provided and they did prove useful early in the morning to beat the cold.

(Mattresses set on the tatami. Surprisingly comfortable!)

Before setting out for Osaka, we stopped by the ryokan's restaurant for some delicious udon soup.  It was a nice stay, which gave us more breathing room than our closet-sized room in Tokyo.

(Quiet neighborhood are always a plus!)