"I was super excited for my trip to Kyoto because I've been wanting to go to Japan for so long. Originally, this trip was supposed to take place in 2020, but that was cancelled because of COVID. To have this opportunity again was really wonderful. I am a busy person and I also want to relax and take everything in, so I was really hoping to have a trip filled with color, art, design, architecture, culture, history and natural beauty that would inspire me.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to travel to Japan. Sure, sometimes I had no idea what I was buying at the grocery story, and sometimes I got confused about which train ticket to buy, but that's normal traveling stuff. I think I was expecting it to feel harder or more stressful because of the cultural, language and alphabet differences. But it ended up being one of the easiest, least stressful travel experiences I've ever had. Everyone was kind and helpful; even if they didn't speak English, and everyone I came in contact with made an effort to communicate. This made traveling there so easy given the language difference.

I loved how old Kyoto is. I often felt like I was walking back in time when I wandered in Gion, the district where I stayed. I found so much inspiration there, most of it from just walking down the street, looking at ordinary life. I love to draw arrangements of things and so I decided to draw an arrangement as an ode to Kyoto. It includes many of the things that symbolize Japan, and Kyoto specifically. All things I fell in love with while I was there, including matcha ice cream. Kokeshi dolls, tiny trucks, household objects, mailboxes and more."

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Today I arrived in beautiful Kyoto Japan.
I was originally supposed to come here on a Jaunt in October of 2020 but we had to pivot because of Covid. So today, three years later, it feels almost surreal to be here. I’ve been dreaming about this week for years! I didn’t arrive in Kyoto till midday and I walked miles and miles this afternoon and discovered so many incredible shops, many of which had Japanese hand crafts. I love to shop so I was in heaven. I also visited the Yasaka-jinja Shrine. Kyoto is everything I dreamed of and more: old, historic, rich in design, pops of color everywhere. I am so inspired and can’t wait for tomorrow. 

Friday, March 10, 2023

Today was spectacular! It included a bamboo forest, a “kimono forest”, plum blossoms, a tasty lunch for which we waited an hour (so worth it), a beautiful temple, lots of walking, several bus rides, a flea market (I surprisingly left empty handed), a bookstore, ramen for dinner, and a walk through Gion after dark.

I am falling in love with Kyoto. It’s big and urban, yes, but it’s also old and charming and has this earthy character about it also. I spent the day with an ex-pat who has lived here for 10 years and it was really amazing to see things through her eyes. She knows the bus system really well and we traveled around by city bus which was also a fantastic way to observe life here.

Saturday, March 11, 2023

It was Saturday here in Kyoto, and I decided to wander around within a mile of my hotel and visit some shops on my list. All of these images were taken while I was walking around. You can see inside of tiny Maiko Antique Shop (this time I did not leave empty handed!) and the incredible door to Mina Perhonen, whose textile designs have inspired me since I began my art journey years ago.

I have fallen in love with the post boxes here (as you might have guessed), painted garage doors, and vending machines (though I have yet to actually use one). I also had a delicious lunch at Nishiki Market, followed by a matcha soft serve. I am compiling inspiration and beginning to think about starting to draw some of it. Tomorrow I plan to visit the art/design museums and also sit and sketch. I love it here so much. People are so kind. Everything is small and minimal (except maybe Maiko antique store, which is small but definitely not minimal). Even the trucks are tiny. It is also one of the easiest places I’ve ever traveled despite the language/alphabet barrier. Today 10/10. I even found a health food store where I bought granola and almond milk for breakfast (it’s the little things when you are traveling alone).

Sunday, March 12, 2023

It was another day of wandering. I started the day at the Museum of Craft and Design. Then headed to the The National Museum of Modern Art which I loved and which had a great little shop. I’m glad I brought a second bag because I have already bought about six art & design books! I took a short midday break (my knees are mad at me for all the walking) and then headed back out for delicious udon & tempura and then more wandering.

I found this gorgeous shop with textiles & ceramics and purchased a tapestry by Samiro Yunoki, whose work I discovered on this trip! Today I stumbled on SO MANY amazing shops with incredible modern textiles. My mind is literally blown and I’m feeling so energized by everything. I’m seeing. Most of the day I walked, photographed and recorded some things in my sketchbook. Tomorrow it’ll rain in the morning so I might hibernate till midday. Maybe I’ll get to drawing something!

Monday, March 13, 2023
Today the temps in Kyoto dropped about 20 degrees, and so I had to go back to bundling up and drinking tea to stay warm. Nonetheless, I am a sturdy gal, and it was a full day of adventures. I rode to and fro on the Kyoto subway, which is really easy to navigate. I went to the Botanical Gardens, mostly to see these giant mushrooms (a couple of which serve as free libraries).

After that I headed to the Textile Center which was closed, darnit. But the Shibori Museum was open, and while it’s tiny, and one could argue not really a museum in the way you would imagine, it was lovely and the guy who showed me around was so nice, and the shop was beautiful.

From there I visited Face House which is a lovely shop filled with cool art and objects and we had a lovely chat with the owner and I bought lots of things. After an afternoon of rest I had conveyor belt sushi and walked around as the sun set. Tomorrow I’m off to Fushimi Inari — which is a famous shrine in Kyoto and I plan to get there as early as I can to beat the crowds.

Time here is feeling so relaxing. It feels like a true vacation. To stay in one city long enough to do lots of exploring without rushing is a luxury. This trip has really been special. I can’t wait to get back to the studio to begin creating new stuff with all this inspiration, influence and insight. I leave Wednesday and so I’m taking in every last bit.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Today I set out at 6:30 am to go to Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres / 764 feet above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres /2.5 miles up up up!!

I had two goals:
1) get there early before huge crowds, which I managed.
2) hike to the top — it’s steep and quite a hike!

I got pretty close but I knew my knees would not like the stairs going down so I didn’t get all the way there (I have bad osteoarthritis which makes walking and stairs — especially going down — pretty painful — cycling is so much easier for me!). Even so, it was stunning and I loved it so much. Gorgeous morning!!