Day 13: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Nature and Panoramic Views of Kyoto

I woke up to bright sunshine, a perfect start to my second free day. After meeting Johan in the hotel lobby, we walked to Umeda Station to catch the rapid express to Kyoto. From there, another short train ride would take us to our first stop of the day—the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. This place is one of Kyoto’s top sights for a reason. Standing among those towering stalks of bamboo feels like stepping into another world, and we couldn’t wait to take it all in.

The ride from Osaka to Kyoto took about 50 minutes. Once we arrived in Kyoto, Johan quickly navigated to the right platform for the train to Saga-Arashiyama Station, another 25-minute ride. The station itself had an old-school vibe, with a few small shops and, of course, plenty of vending machines. Perfect time for a quick coffee—one of the many, many types available in Japan.

We expected crowds, but surprisingly, it wasn’t overly packed. Sure, there were rickshaw drivers offering rides to tourists, but we just strolled through the streets, heading toward the Katsura River. Walking along the river, we reached one of the entrances to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The area around the Katsura River is home to some of Kyoto’s oldest shrines, and the maple trees were already beginning to show their autumn colors—though the leaves were turning later than usual this year, thanks to Japan’s unusually long and warm summer.

Honestly, words don’t do justice to the beauty of this place, so I tried to capture it all with my phone. Here are some pictures from this incredible spot.

After a few hours of wandering in Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, a real magical place, we headed back to the station, stopping only for a strawberry daifuku mochi—a picture-perfect Japanese dessert with a whole strawberry wrapped in sweet bean paste and mochi. Along the way, we couldn’t help but laugh at some of the funny English translations on signs and advertisements.

Back in Kyoto, we found a budget-friendly sushi spot inside the massive shopping mall below Kyoto Station—perfect excuse to satisfy our sushi cravings. Since we still had time, we walked over to Nidec Kyoto Tower, the tallest structure in the city. Designed by modernist architect Mamoru Yamada, its observation deck sits 100 meters high, offering stunning views of the Kyoto skyline, mountains, and temples. Definitely worth the visit!

We also explored the incredible Station building, taking escalators all the way up in a winding, snake-like path and amazing roof construction. We stopped by a bookstore where I picked up a Dragon Ball Z manga for my son, Ravi. The funniest part? When I asked one of the staff about it, he had no idea what I was talking about—until he finally realized I meant Dragon Ball Zetto. 😂Back in Osaka I parted ways with Johan to take some rest at my hotel, I would meet up with him for dinner.

Around 8 PM, we met in the lobby and went on the hunt for some good Yakiniku—Japanese BBQ where you grill your own meat at the table. Not far from the hotel, we found Yakiniku Maru Minamimorimachi, and soon enough, we were enjoying all kinds of beef cuts, grilling them to perfection over hot coals.

After that incredible meal, we walked into the city center around Umeda, where Johan found his ultimate guilty pleasure—ice cream wrapped in a crepe (he had 2) I settled for a shot of espresso instead. The evening was alive, and the streets were buzzing with mostly young people out having a good time. Johan would leave Osaka the next day to take a trip to Mount Fuji, while I planned to spend my last free day in Osaka before heading back to Tokyo to finish the tour with three more shows. We’d catch up again at Naru Livehouse, where I had a gig with guitarist Naoto Suzuki.