I decided to hop in a Taxi and ride from my hotel in Asakusa to Tokyo station. I had a big suitcase and of course a large camera bag and did not want to bother people on the trains with my items. It is really not so far from Asakusa to Tokyo Station. I think it took about 10 minutes to get there. All the Taxi drivers I had in Japan were all really nice and very helpful. This particular driver was very cheerful and concerned that I arrive at the best entrance and knew where to go once I got to the station. I really appreciated his extra effort. It is really different than experiences I have had in the US and Canada. In Japan they don't collect tips but seem more helpful than their counterparts that tend to rely on tips.

Entrance to Tokyo Station

I did not buy Shinkansen tickets in advance and just took the first available Nozomi Shinkansen which is the fastest train from Tokyo to Kyoto at around 2 hours. I was able to get one of the very last seats a few people had to stand so this was pretty lucky for me. I was a little disappointed the person next to the window closed the shade so I could not look out and see Mount Fuji but the ride itself was fantastic. I had ridden a couple times before but still I felt the same excitement of being on this speedy train. It was so smooth it is hard to tell the difference from being on an airplane though the view is better from the train.

The sleek design of the Shinkansen

Like magic I arrived in Kyoto. Kyoto station is amazing. It is also huge!! I got a little lost inside. It took me a while to find the taxi area but once I did I was on my way to to Hana Hotel.

Hotel Hana is a pretty small place but it is located next to the subway station and near Kamogawa (Duck River) and walking distance to much of wanted I wanted to see. The staff was so friendly and spoke English really well. They also gave me a care package of some Bath Salts and things for my stay. I was checked into my room in no time at all. The room itself was very comfortable, it was not large nor was it small. I felt the room was really laid out thoughtfully and had a lot of conveniences built into it that many of the larger chain hotels miss. There was no view from my room at all but that was okay for this stay.

Of course me being me I put my stuff down, took some photo's and was off. Next up Nijo-jo!