RTW Trip Day #10: Kyoto: Daigo-ji Temple, Pancakes and Curry!

andrewsco3
Oct 10
3 min read

Updated: Oct 14

8 October 2025

Steps: 11,910

After a big day of exploring yesterday, we decided to take it easy today with a morning of sightseeing followed by an afternoon of homeschooling, trip planning, and a bit of downtime.

Daigo-ji Temple Complex

Daigo-ji might be our favorite temple we’ve visited in Japan!

It’s an active Buddhist temple complex in the southeastern part of Kyoto, and we even saw some monks walking through the grounds.

It took about 40 minutes by bus to get there, which probably explains why it was so quiet when we arrived. There were hardly any tourists, which makes for a nice change compared to most of the other attractions in Japan!

The entrance fee cost 1,500 yen per adult (just under $15 CAD), which is a bit more than most temples, but kids are free, which is great for families and something I wish happened more in Canada.

Sanbō-in Temple

This lower section of the complex is famous for its beautiful Japanese gardens, but the Sanbō-in temple was really beautiful too.

Unlike places like Nijo Castle, where you can only look into the rooms, here you’re allowed to step inside, sit on the tatami mats, and really get a sense of what it was like. It was a very peaceful place.

Daigo-ji Five Storied Pagoda

We walked through the main gates into the next section of the complex, and saw the famous five-story pagoda.

It’s the oldest wooden structure in Kyoto, and was completed all the way back in 951 CE during the Heian period, making it over 1,070 years old! As someone who enjoys woodworking, the craftsmanship is incredible!

Benten-dō Pond

This small temple called Benten-do is one of the most photogenic we’ve seen in Japan. It sits beside a beautiful pond, filled with carp, and crossed by a stunning red bridge. We were the only people there when we visited, so we sat there for a while and took it all in - it was magical. I’d love to come back here in the autumn when the leaves have all turned red!

Japanese Pancakes for Lunch, Curry for Dinner

Happy Pancakes = happy kids!

A few days ago we tried to get lunch at Happy Pancakes in Kyoto without a reservation and were told the wait was two hours. Well that wasn’t going to happen, so we booked ahead for today instead.

The girls had been keen to try Japanese pancakes, which are different to our North American ones as they super fluffy and almost like a soufflé.

They absolutely devoured them. We only ordered three dishes thinking they wouldn’t finish them, but that didn’t work out so well for Susie!

In the afternoon we headed down to the hotel lobby to do some homeschooling. The change of scenery away from the hotel room really helped them focus.

They also spent some time doing coin rubbings, and adding the leaflets and tickets they’ve collected over the past week into their scrapbooks.

For dinner we went out for a curry as Jess spotted a restaurant earlier in the day, and I have to admit, it was amazing. It reminded us that you don’t have to eat Japanese food every day in Japan, and mixing it up now and then is a good thing for everyone. And just look at the size of those naan breads!