Morning Walk with Signs of Spring | Kyoto, Japan 4K

A quiet dawn walking along Shirakawa River and Canal with sakura cherry blossoms in early bloom. I had intended to focus on the riverside as I thought cherry trees and traditional Japanese buildings would combine nicely with the gently flowing water sounds...but I figured since Gion was right there it might be nice to take a look in the early morning while the streets were quiet and empty. From there it seemed a shame not to walk through Yasaka Shrine and see it's famous weeping cherry tree in bloom. There were a number of stalls sitting idly by waiting for the hanami crowds that I'm sure would soon arrive. There were a number of crows waiting as well.

From there I climbed the steps to Chionin Temple, just as the monks began to chant their morning prayer. Eventually I made it back to Shirakawa River, and walked along at water's edge through a quiet neighborhood, past the large torii gate in front of Heian Shrine, up Keage Slope (an old boat ramp connecting the Kyoto - Lake Biwa Canal), and finally along the aqueduct to Nanzenji. When I was thinking about the route, I thought it would take a little over an hour of walking, but with the diversions it ended up being closer to two. I hope you enjoy this extended walk through some beautiful areas of Kyoto just as spring begins.

I hope the seasons are treating you well. I've linked the walk below if you're interested .

Route Map:
www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1FIsvFIPun9WWT9ADBh…

March 31, 2025

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*Playlists*

*Dawn Walks*    • Dawn Walks  

**Japan Less Traveled**:    • Japan Less Traveled  

*Japan Well Traveled:*    • Japan Well Traveled  

*Relaxing Environments:*    • Relaxing Environments  

*Rain, Snow, and Weather:*    • Rain, Snow, and Weather  

*Cities at Night:*    • Cities at Night  

00:00 Intro
00:30 Shirakawa River
09:49 Sakura street
18:10 Tatsumi Bridge
22:58 Shirakawa Canal
30:36 Gion
40:57 Yasaka Shrine
48:04 Gion Weeping Cherry Tree
52:04 Chionin Temple
01:08:13 Chionin Kuromon
01:15:12 River Terrace
01:25:31 Heian-Jingu Shrine Grand Torii
01:35:02 Keage Incline
01:42:25 Keage Boat Reservoir
01:52:50 Nanzen-ji Suirokaku

#sakura #cherryblossoms #kyototravel #spring