Day 4: Nara and Kyoto – Deer, Shrines, and 7-Eleven Delights

Woke up at 0500 to a symphony of alarms that weren’t mine. Thanks, fellow travelers. Nothing like an unsolicited wake-up call to kick off an overambitious day of sightseeing.

Nara Park: First stop — ancient temples, stunning scenery, and… bowing deer? Yes, the deer bow for cookies. It’s adorable. Until it isn’t. Give one a cookie, and suddenly you’re a human vending machine under attack. These Bambi-lookalikes quickly turn into furry extortionists — nudging, headbutting, and practically parkouring off you for more snacks. One nibbled my leg. I’m still unsure if it was affection or a warning.

Unexpected Toilet Adventure: Needed a break (from the deer, not life — though that too), so I hit the public restroom. Closed the stall door and BAM — birdsong fills the room. Turns out Japanese public bathrooms have sound machines so no one hears you do your business. I’m both impressed and unnerved. Can we get this tech worldwide? Asking for… everyone.

Fushimi inari shrine　伏見稲荷: Bought an express train ticket. Wrong ticket, wrong train. But surprise — it was actually the right train, just a confused foreigner with the wrong piece of paper. The train attendant looked more concerned about my existential crisis than the ticket. Bless him.

The shrine itself? Unreal. Thousands of red torii gates winding up the mountain, guarded by fox statues. It’s serene, breathtaking — and a leg workout that would make a personal trainer cry. Worth every step.

Nishiki Market 京都锦市场: Kyoto’s food paradise, and possibly where I’ll bankrupt myself. Everything — and I mean everything — is on a stick. Wagyu beef? Stick. Baby octopus? Stick. Tempura? Stick. Fruit? Stick. I am now 80% skewered street food. My wallet is crying, my stomach is cheering.

Dinner, Japanese 7-Eleven Style: Back at my capsule hotel, I’m too tired to live, let alone find a restaurant. Enter my new culinary guru: 7-Eleven. Spent ¥1600 (about £8) on a feast worthy of… well, someone too lazy to leave their pod.

• Octopus, broccoli, and basil salad: Not bad, but not good enough to justify the betrayal I felt from the potatoes hiding at the bottom.
• Ham, cucumber, and egg salad sandwich: Ham and cucumber were passable, but the egg salad? Life-changing. The bread was pillowy, soft, like a cloud whispered sweet nothings to it before wrapping it around the fluffiest, creamiest egg salad in existence. England, take notes.
• Shrimp Mayo Onigiri: Holy mother of umami. Like a sushi hand roll had a love affair with comfort food and created this perfect rice-wrapped baby. Would fight someone for another one.

Japan — you never fail to surprise me. From bowing deer to toilet serenades and the finest gas station dinner I’ve ever had… I’m hooked.