Last day in Kyoto

Kinkaku-ji -> Nijo Castle -> Inari shrine -> Gion

Russian [church] domes are covered with the pure gold, but in Japan they covered the top two floors in gold leaf!!! Kinkaku-ji was a retirement villa of a shogun and later became a zen temple.

Nijo Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu as his residence. Next is a direct quote from the website for the castle, I couldn't express it better! "The Nightingale floor was laid in Nijo Castle for added security.  To guard against intrusion into the Castle by suspicious and dangerous persons like ninja, the floor was designed to sing like a nightingale.  The sound is different from that heard in older houses, because of the different way the floor was laid.  By suspending the floor above the frame using special iron clamps, the floor can move up and down over the fixing nails when walked upon.  This causes the nails to rub against the wood and create a sound similar to the cheeping of a nightingale". Actually, Ninja originated not far from Kyoto (Iga-Ueno).

Fushimi Inari shrine is famous for the countless (thousands) torii gates offered by worshipers. Originally the god of rice, Inari now governs the modern equivalent: success and prosperity in business. Fushimi Inari Shrine draws thousands of businessmen and tradespeople seeking blessings for their enterprises.

Gion was the last stop. It did not impress me the first time and decided to walk through it again to see if I missed anything the first time. Now I think it is one of the most overrated sights in Kyoto.