A walk around the land of the rising sun can be a life-changing experience.

   Fly into Osaka and marvel at the efficiency of Japanese life. From the man who shows you where to queue when changing money to the white-gloved attendants who mark your luggage and load it on the bus, everything runs like clockwork.
   Scratch the surface a little more, however, and you will discover some oddness - from the tiny bathroom in the hotel with a singing toilet to prevent others hearing your ablutions, to the TV programme with young semi-undressed women goofing about with a couple of nerdy guys.
   But if you take the train to Kyoto you will find Japan in its true traditional state. Walking is a great way to get around as it helps you to exercise off the great Japanese beers and the green tea ice cream (both impossible to resist) and it also means you can head off down forgotten side streets. The ice cream is made from powdered green tea, called matcha, so you can easily convince yourself it's good for you.  Perhaps the most beautiful place to take a walk is the philosopher's path, Tetsugako-no-michi, a long route beside a clear stream that bubbles over a stony bed.  Wander too past seemingly abandoned homes, the only signs of life evident in the vacant breeze. If that's not enough to get you ruminating on life's mysteries, then dropping into one or the many shrines along the way may help. Stop off at an obscure, little-visited shrine where fox spirits reign over unkempt trees and pots holding people's last remains abide.  Visit the breathtaking elegance of the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji), where the gardens range from a formal Zen-style, all raked with white sandy gravel and perfectly constructed mounds, to the ramble of the back gardens where different types of moss grow in bright green abundance.
   A stroll around the cobbled streets of Higashiyama that lead to the Kiyomizu-Dera shrine where you may catch a glimpse of attendants dressed in masks performing rituals for believers, further unveils Kyoto's traditional face.
   Glimpse geishas in their heavy kimonos and in thick white make-up taking tiny steps over the cobbles in high sandals.  Amongst the innumerable old-style wooden buildings, you may find a monk with a large brimmed hat begging for alms, and you will certainly find an incredible amount of things to buy here. Wander in and out of tiny stores crammed with ceramics, exquisite fabrics and the ubiquitous Hello Kitty.  As a rest stop, small restaurants serving basic fare such as sushi inari and big bowls of noodles washed down with tasty beer will keep you going.
   For an even more commercial walk, head to the centre of Kyoto around Sanjo-dori where arcades are stuffed with every object imaginable, from second-hand clothes to the fabulous Nishiki market where food presentation is taken to its highest level.  Samples are available, so you can try before you buy.  
   Shrines are slotted in between the temples so you can purge your spending sins. Continue to the Pontocho or the Gion area where bars and restaurants are huddled along narrow lanes. Once here, choose a small restaurant along a canal to rest your weary feet and enjoy sake poured to the brim. If sake is really your thing, head to the other end of central Kyoto where Yoramu, a sake bar seemingly right out of a Haruki Murakami novel awaits.  Here, the owner will take you on a journey through the variations of the rice wine limited only by your wallet, and maybe your stomach.
   Lastly, a late night visit to a corner store where you can walk in with nothing and come out with a whole new life, and your Japanese odyssey is complete.

How to get there:
JAL flies daily from Guangzhou to Osaka.  Shenzhen Airlines flies from Shenzhen to Osaka.  From Osaka's central station, the fast train (not the bullet train) to Kyoto costs around 36RMB (540 Yen). 
  
Where to stay:
The Aoi-so Inn costs 772RMB (11,500 Yen) per night for a large traditional style room with bathroom. Cheaper rooms are also available. 
  
Getting about:
A metro ride is 17RMB (250 Yen). The same goes for the bus. Taxis are very expensive, with an average flagfall of around 43RMB (640 Yen).