Kyoto

Whoo! Took the Hikari super express shinkansen to Kyoto and back. It's fast (135-188mph) and extremely smooth, so there's very little feedback to clue you in on how fast you're going. It's misleading even when you're looking out at the countryside because of the distance to any point of reference. It only becomes obvious when there's a fence or something else running along side the tracks, which whips by faster than the eye can follow.

I had about 48 hours in Kyoto, barely enough time to see the major attractions. After being spoiled by the Tokyo subway system, it's a shock to try getting around without it. Kyoto's subway isn't as developed, and you mainly have to rely on buses to get everywhere. The problem, of course, is the fact that they are totally unpredictable because of the traffic. Not a problem when you have the time, but very challenging when you're on a tight schedule. It felt like I spent 40% of my time either waiting for or riding on a bus. My one recommendation to anyone else visiting Kyoto is to get a bus route map, which is an absolute must have.

The good news is that Kyoto's relatively small compared to Tokyo. Better yet, it's laid out on a grid so things are easy to find.

Sadly, one thing you won't find in Kyoto is an onsen. At least, not in Kyoto proper. You'd have to go out to the suburbs to find one.