Kyoto
Then I came to Kyoto! I haven't been to Kyoto since I was a student. It's been a long time since I've been here.
This time, I'd like to introduce some of the places I visited! I've also made a map of all the places I visited, if you'd like to have a look at it too.
I'll start with a vlog of this trip 📹.
This is the guesthouse I was staying at, Fujitaya B&B, an interesting place with a theme of bicycles and yoga. The overall feel is modern Japanese style inside. The shared space is spacious and easy to work in💻.
I heard that you can also stay here for a long time, so I recommend it to people who want to enjoy Kyoto for a long time.
This is a coffee shop near Kyoto Station. You can drink inside, but there is not much space, so I think takeout is better. The coffee is hand dripped and brewed one cup at a time, and the taste is excellent ☕The staff is friendly and helpful, and if you like coffee, you should definitely go there.
3. Toji temple
Now, this is Toji, a temple registered as a World Heritage Site. It is the head temple of a traditional Buddhist sect called Shingon Buddhism. The most famous thing about this temple is the five-story pagoda. The five-story pagoda is a landmark, along with Kyoto's new tower, Kyoto Tower. At 55 meters high, it is said to be the tallest wooden building in Japan. The inside of the temple was large and there were many other buildings.
"Another coffee shop?" Did you think that? Sorry LOL!
This Ogawa Coffee is also sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. I didn't know they had their main store in Kyoto and it was nearby, so I went there. There was a cafe and a space selling coffee beans, and even though it was a weekday morning, there were a lot of people there.
There were so many kinds of coffee beans and drip bags to choose from.
I also went to Ponto-cho, which I was really looking forward to. This is an entertainment district located next to Kamogawa River. There are many bars and restaurants lining the small streets.
I didn't just want to come here to drink and eat! This street is mentioned in one of my favorite novels. Ever since I read that novel, it has been one of my dreams to eat on this street. I was very happy that my dream came true.
I'm sure you are all familiar with this place. Many people think of this torii gate when they think of Kyoto. Inari" is one of the most popular beliefs in Japan, and was originally a god of agriculture. Inari" is one of Japan's most familiar beliefs, and was originally a god of agriculture, hence the name of the sushi dish "Inari Sushi. The shrine has a thousand torii gates that surround the mountain. It is said that it takes about two hours to go around the entire mountain. I climbed up to the halfway point and came back down...
A little further on from the Senbon Torii gate, there is a stone called Omokaruishi(おもかる石). It is said that this is a stone that can tell you whether or not your wish will come true. All you have to do is think of your wish and lift the stone. If the stone feels heavier than you expect, it will take longer for your wish to come true, and if it feels lighter, it will come true sooner. I tried it myself, but felt much heavier than I expected... I guess this is the message that I should make my wish come true by myself.
7. Sumiya
The next stop was Sumiya, which is registered as an important cultural property. Sumiya was a “ryotei”(料亭,) traditional Japanese restaurant, that was used to entertain samurai and other high-ranking people during the Edo period (1603-1868). If you pay 1,000 yen, you can take a look inside and receive an explanation. What I found particularly interesting were the sword cuts inside the building👇.
These are said to be sword cuts made by members of the “Shinsengumi”(新選組), a unit created to protect public safety during the Edo period. The Shinsengumi were not originally of high status, so they were proud to be able to carry swords. It is said that they wielded swords to show off their own swords and their power. They may have been like a punk nowadays.
This is my last recommendation. Three out of the eight are related to coffee. This is a coffee stand located near the guesthouse FUJITAYA that I introduced at the beginning. Coffee and hot sandwiches are sold here. The building was renovated from an old house, and some of the old interior was still there. The coffee is hand dripped and brewed one cup at a time. It's a cozy and quiet place where you can spend a relaxing time. They also have a branch in Higashiyama.
Well, that's it for my recommendations in Kyoto. Thank you for reading to the end. Wait for the next article!
