Odd things in Kyoto

[koji]

Small collection of oddity I found in Kyoto.

Love hotel's price list of rooms (you press the square, a key comes out so that you do not have to see a hotel clerk. )
When you cannot find a cheap hotel, you can stay here for a night by only US$70.... We did once a long ago.


I do not know what this shop sells, seems like this place is renting coin lockers!?


Selling attachments for your cell phones in Kyoto style.


Torii for the shrine is growing or nearby houses are getting fatter!!!


Geisha okiya and restaurant too (okiya = having ready to serve you, name tags of geishas on the house's exterior wall) never ever get into this kind of restaurant,
your bill after having even a lunch gives you a heart attack or a life long nightmare. You are warned. (The cost of three people's US$1,000 lunch is reasonable!!)

[poilu]

thanks for the visit!

[Attila]

Yes, this is Japan , most expensive country on Planet , obvious reason why you see everywhere Japanese tourists and why a few people visit Japan as a tourist.

[koji]

C'mon Attila. You can find reasonable priced food anywhere Japan, but
transportation and hotels are expensive (you can't stay love-hotel everyday).
So finding reasonably priced hotels in japan is a key to travel around.
There are many business hotels in big cities, but not in small cities that are
a bit problematic for foreign travelers.

Never get into the restaurant without price list of their dishes.....

[Esox lucius]

Not cheapest but in many ways cheaper than Finland and most European countries. Transportation is very inexpensive with regular trains, stay off the bullet trains.

In Kyoto I stayed in two different ryokans, both in the old part of town. I paid 35 EUR for a twin room, about 30 square meters. The other one I paid 30 EUR for a twin room not as nice, about 20 square meters. In Osaka I spent 45-55 EUR for twin rooms. Cheapest accomodation I found was in temples, if you are ready to wake up at 5am for 1 hour of meditation and live a healthy life (no drinks or cigarrettes) you can stay overnight for 15-25 EUR a night.

Food? I regularly found lunch or dinner for 10-15 EUR and even dinner (ramen etc.) for 8-10 EUR. In Kyoto food is inexpensive as long as you avoid the riverside places. And yes, stay away from restaurants which don't have prices on their menu.

[Attila]