Sayonara to Kyoto

Yasaka-no-to Pagoda - off Ninen-zaka 

Reflecting on this trip to Kyoto, it was indeed a peaceful and reasonably paced holiday, despite the uncertain beginning.  We experienced different aspects of Kyoto - both the city as well as the surroundings:

• the old, historical and cultural heart of Kyoto - the Temples of Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji; Nijo Castle, and the meandering around Gion and the geisha district (including the Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka pedestrian streets); the Ukiyo-e Museum;
• the vibrant beat of modern Japanese culture (albeit through the eyes of Yayoi Kusama and the manga artists and Writers)
• the serenity of the Japanese countryside and village life in Miyama;
• the charm of two different markets - Nishiki market and the Toji temple flea market.

As always, am ending off with a bit more information about our accommodation and foodie choices.  We stayed in Gion, near where I stayed on my last visit.  Really cosy little place, makes me feel so Japanese!  Let me say it again, I strongly recommend renting an apartment if you are staying any time in Japan.  It gives you much more room, allows you the comfort of having little meals in your own little living room, and there's a washing machine so you don't need to bring too many clothes.

Udon Sanshiki

As for food, my posts on my previous trips are here and here.  I've reached the stage where I'm going back to old favourites, like my favourite conveyor belt sushi at Kyoto station, Sushi no Musashi, and even the yudofu tofu place near Nanzen-ji, Goemon Chaya (again, I wanted to go to the famous restaurant but the wait list was just too long).  So this time round, I will just introduce three new places (plus one dessert surprise)

1.  Udon Sanshiki

This udon restaurant was near our apartment and we went there on the first day because (i) we like udon and (ii) there was a queue in front and like any normal Singaporean we associate queues with good food.  So we stood outside for maybe 10 minutes before they let us in.  We really enjoyed the chewy, smooth udon noodles!  Liked it so much we would come back for dinner on our last night in Kyoto.

2. Hanamakiya

The buckwheat mill in action

This was an unexpected find.  After visiting Kinkakuji we walked back to the main road in the
direction of the bus stop.  Looking down one side road, we saw yet another queue, and upon investigation realised that it was a group waiting for a restaurant to open.   We joined the queue and were thus one of the first few groups to enter, good thing too as it would fill up quickly behind us.  Hanamakiya is a small, unassuming restaurant which serves practically perfect soba (buckwheat noodles).  The soba is made on the premises (you can watch the buckwheat mill in operation).

I ate the Nishin soba, which is soba (buckwheat) noodles in soup with herring on top.  I understand that the herring is a Kyoto specialty and indeed I bought it in the Nishiki market a few days later.  I liked its nice flaky texture, and sweet and slightly smoky flavour.  It was served in a slightly sour soup of wild mountain vegetables.  All washed down with buckwheat tea (soba-cha).

3.  Maguro Factory

Maguro Factory's tasting tuna platter

Now if you know your Japanese you would know that "maguro" means tuna. And that tuna is like "the" fish for the Japanese (certainly not salmon).  So this is like a modern Japanese restaurant, serving tuna cooked all ways. We tried out this mini tuna tasting platter where the different cuts are nicely served on top of a little box (see photo).  You get to lightly sear the tuna pieces on a hot plate, dip them in a sauce and enjoy. 

We also ate tuna sashimi, tuna on top of rice and served with soup on the side (you pour the soup on the rice, for a tuna fish porridge, and top it with freshly grated wasabi).  The tofu squares were given as our appetiser and I believe I washed it all down with some beer. 

Souffle pancake at Hoshino Coffee

Dessert Surprise: Hoshino Coffee

And now for dessert!  We finished our meal at Sushi no Musashi and wanted to have something sweet to end.  So we found this nice coffee place near the sushi joint where they serve these hugely thick souffle pancakes, topped with chestnut puree. 

I got hooked on souffle pancakes after visiting Himeji Castle during my last visit to the Kansai area - we were tired after our visit, there was time before our return train and there was a convenient cafe.  There's no better time to eat one - or two, as the case may be.  Accompanied by a cup of mellow, smooth coffee.

So that's it for another year!  I must admit that I did not expect to visit Japan for so many years in a row and there is still so much to see and experience in this beautiful country.

Sayonara for now! 

A Pair of Markets

Flea market at Toji Temple

One reason why I like visiting Kyoto is that by now, I can have the pleasure of revisiting my favourite haunts, but at the same time discover new places. 

This time, of course it was no different.  We popped into Nishiki market which I've been to on every visit to Kyoto, and also the flea market at Toji temple, which takes place on the 21st of every month.  I've never been in Kyoto on the 21st of any month so I was glad to have made it here. 

But first, a quick recap of the Nishiki market visit. 

Matcha and regular soft serve

I have to admit that I went to all my old favourites - we shared a serving of takoyaki balls, all smothered with mayonaise, BBQ sauce, and spring onions; the soft-serve soy ice cream; and a skewerful of marinated raw salmon cubes.  Plus other things besides.  The beef pao (which I ate last visit to Nishiki) are also extremely good but I didn't have one this visit as I was a little full already.  So moral of the story is eat the beef pao first  and you'll have a great morning. 

Nishiki is also a good place to buy food products to bring back to Singapore - I do recommend the packets of furikake, which are the toppings you put on top of rice, or the marinated preserved mackeral (with its distinctive smoky-sweet flavour).  You can also buy pickles, of every single variety you can think of.

The flea market at Toji Temple is quite different.  Set in the large, sprawling grounds of the temple, it is full of antique stalls, clothing stalls, craft stalls, food stalls, plant stalls etc.... indeed, there is something for everyone in this extensive flea market!  It was a little rainy the day we were there, which means that the photos are not that great but nonetheless we had a nice time wandering around all the stalls. 

Antique stall at Toji Market

The thing about going to these markets is that one must not have Marie Kondo and her teachings at the back of your mind.  We first went by all the stalls selling kimono and obi - with all their range of material.  The prices were good - very good.  But I knew it was most unlikely that I would wear one should I buy it.  To me, the most interesting stalls were the antique stalls with their mix of items ranging from old kitchenware, little ornaments, artworks, furniture etc.  I didn't buy anything as then I would have to figure out where to put it and what to do with it once back in Singapore - but still enjoyed just walking around looking at the goods.  And my cousin bought some food items and a little fabric purse, which made up for my lack of purchases :-)

The setting for all the market, Toji temple is itself impressive.  The temple was built in the late 700s, when the capital of Japan moved from Nara to Kyoto.  "Toji" means "East Temple" and it stood together with its neighbouring temple, "Saiji" or "West Temple" to mark the south gate into Kyoto.  Saiji was demolished many years ago but Toji, together with its proud and impressive pagoda, remains and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. More about the temple can be found here.

The temple is best known for its pagoda and the many Buddhist treasures within its halls.  We did not go in to any of the temple buildings this time round.  But treasures and buildings are static things. For me what caught the eye were the pilgrims walking around the outer walls of the jikido (or refectory) of the temple, stopping and saying a prayer at each scroll.  Oblivious to the crowds around them, they quietly focused on their devotions.  This, to me, is the tradition and religion which the temple has kept alive and growing for all the centuries since its construction, even as the world around it changes.

Pilgrims at prayer

More photos of my Japan visit here.

A Day in Miyama

The thatched roof village of Miyama

I enjoy taking little day trips out of the city on my holidays, just so as to see something new and different.  We were a little uncertain on what to do this time round, but liked the suggestion of our "Travel Angel" to go to Miyama, a little village which he likened to the more famous Shirakawa-go. (Our "Travel Angel" was assigned to meet-and-greet us at our apartment; he also helps orientate us, and gives  suggestions on what to see and do).

It wasn't easy trying to figure out how to get to Miyama and even the Kyoto Station tourist information lady had to hunt around for the bus guide to get there.  In the spring, there is a tourist bus, but in the off-peak period, it was not so straightforward.  We had to take first a train journey, then a bus journey. Over two hours!  Anyway, after the train journey, we boarded the bus and went round through the hills and valleys till we reached Miyama.

Thatch - underside

Miyama is written "美山" which translates as "Beautiful Mountain".  And indeed, it is a charming little thatched roof village, amidst the mountains, by a river, way out into the countryside.  It is probably very isolated in winter, but in late summer, when we were there, it was a picture-postcard

We walked around the little village - it didn’t really take that long - and took photos of the quaint thatched roof houses.  The thickness of the thatch was quite amazing - it's a thick and deep layer and I can see how this really helps to insulate the houses from the cold.

We also visited the little Indigo Museum, housed in one of the traditional thatched roof cottages.  This museum was set up by Mr Hiroyuki Shindo, to share his passion for indigo dying.  The first part of the museum, on the ground floor of the cottage, covers the traditional indigo dying process - you see his dye vats, loom and of course the indigo plants.  There's also a little shop on the ground floor where you can buy some indigo-dyed products.

Kimono with indigo pattern

The second part of the exhibition is on the second floor of the cottage.  It is just a single room above, covering the entire floor - you can see the high pitched roof overhead.  It showcases beautiful indigo pieces from all over the world including this very lovely kimono (on the right), batik prints, etc.  There was even some scraps of cloth and threads which had been dyed from indigo salvaged from an ancient shipwreck!  What I also enjoyed looking at was the indigo dying techniques, including the way in which they can develop patterns from tying and then untying the fabric.

After visiting the museum, we found a charming little cafe where we had a simple snack comprising of mochi, ice cream and tea (yes our dessert was our lunch).  After that, we could have gone to visit the little village temple/shrine but we were too lazy to do so.  So we sat outside the cafe, looking at the view (below) and enjoying the sunshine.  I found a Pokemon gym in the middle of the little village where I planted a Pokemon.  And we wandered to a little shop near the bus stop where we bought a postcard or two.  And then it was time to take the bus back.

It is really very pleasant to just take it easy this holiday, seeing just a few major sites each day and lazing around the rest of the time.  We bumped into a Hongkong lady on the bus on the way to Miyama and chatted to her whilst we were waiting for the bus for the return journey.  She was travelling for about 10 days, covering Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka!  I am glad that I have the good fortune of coming back again and again, to not just glimpse but absorb the rich culture and history of Japan.

More photos will be put up when ready.

The charming village of Miyama

A Trio of Museums

I am embarrassed to admit that I have been to Kyoto on two other previous occasions but did not step into even one museum.  Gardens, cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, ponds and streams (and one cat cafe), but no museum.  This time round, it would be different.  We started off with one museum on our planned itinerary but ended up seeing two more, partly because there was quite a bit of rain on our last two days in Kyoto so we moved our activities indoors.

The Great Wave - taken off the museum poster,
not the original print

The museum we had put on our agenda was the Kyoto Ukiyo-e Museum.  After looking so hard and failing to see Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" in the Tokyo National Museum last year, I was so happy to find out that the Kyoto Ukiyo-E Museum had a special exhibition on Hokusai's work.  To recap, ukiyo-e are Japanese wood cut prints.  The word, "ukiyo-e" literally means "sadness of life", but the prints typically depicted scenes of every day life, and of nature.  Because it also commonly was used to make posters advertising performances of Japanese kabuki performers, geisha and teahouses, or the places and scenes of the “floating world”, ukiyo-e also came to describe life’s impermanence.  Nothing however could be less impermanent than these prints.  The ukiyo-e artist first draws out the print on paper, and it is then transferred to a wooden block.  In fact, depending on how detailed and how colourful each picture is, it could be transferred to many wooden blocks, each translating to a different layer of colour.  The wooden blocks are then covered with pigment, and carefully stamped on a piece of paper, layer by layer making the prints.  In this way, numerous prints could be made. It was art for the ordinary man.

At the same time, it was also highly influential.  Ukiyo-e and the Japanese sensibility towards nature and art inspired western artists - in particular the  Impressionists. Monet, for example, had a roomful of ukiyo-e which I saw when I visited his home in Giverny earlier in 2018.

Hokusai is one of the great ukiyo-e artists and he is famous, in particular for his "Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji" of which "The Great Wave" is one.  Unfortunately the museum was very small - it is literally one room and a shop so it is not really worth the 1000Y I paid.  If it was not for the special exhibition, I would have been rather disappointed.  But I managed to see not only the "Great Wave" but “Black Fuji” and “Red Fuji”.  Whilst these three prints were enclosed and behind glass, I could also see most of the other prints up close.  Sadly we were not able to take photos but it was really so impressive to see how the wood carver must have delicately carved each line, each curve of the outline.

Today, ukiyo-e continues to influence artists from all over the world.  I watched a video on the flight back to Singapore, on how this US artist started drawing a series of prints, entitled "Ukiyo Heroes", which was subsequently transferred on to the woodblocks by a craftsman based in Japan.

Yayoi Kusama

Our second museum was the Forever Museum of Contemporary Art's Yayoi Kusama : “Pumpkin Forever” exhibition.  The "Forever Museum" is in Gion Corner, beside the theatre where I watched the annual Spring Dances or Miyako-Odori in Kyoto.  Now, Kusama had held an exhibition in Singapore, at our National Gallery, but at that point in time I didn’t have the time to make a visit.  So it was destined that I view her art here back in her home country.

Again, we were only able to take photos of selected exhibits. Yayoi is quite a controversial character and artist; she left her native Japan to go to the US in the 1950s where she tried to break into the art world, a difficult feat for a Japanese woman.  In the liberal air, love and sunshine of the 1960s, she became a performance artist, in addition to her work as a painter and in creating soft sculptures (they look like sea anemones to me, although they are apparently soft phalluses).  She returned to Japan, but the stresses of life got to her and she admitted herself into a mental institution.  There she continued to paint.   Today, her fame and popularity has spread across the world and her work is exhibited in many countries.

Infinity Room

There is a Yayoi Kusama Museum newly opened in Tokyo.  Here in Kyoto, the exhibition is held across a few rooms in the Forever Museum.  She is famous for her polka dots and pumpkins, infinity rooms and mirrors and the combination of all three.  So of course the exhibition includes an infinity room of a mirrored pumpkin with polka dots and a wall with mirrored polka dots.  There are rooms full of polka-dotted flowers, of polka-dotted pumpkins (apparently no two are alike) of varying dimensions and colours.  I have to admit that there's a certain compelling quality to her art.  Sadly photography is not allowed of most of her works.

(Postscript: Apparently the Forever Museum of Contemporary Art closed in Feb 2019.  Sadly it was more ephemeral than the name suggests.  Anyway, for more info, click here.)

The third and last museum we visited was Kyoto International Manga Museum.  Totally something I never expected I would go to!  But it was a rainy day and googling "things to do in Kyoto on a rainy day" resulted in the manga museum coming up multiple times, on multiple lists.  So I decided to give it a go!  My brave attempt to understand the Japanese youth culture.

Inside the Manga Museum

This was indeed a very educational visit for me, especially as I have never opened a manga comic in my life (till now).  The museum is sited in a former school building and this history is apparent in the wide staircases leading up to each floor, the steps low and broad to accommodate the little legs of the younger children, the regular rooms where the classes must have been held. The museum traces the history of manga, and how it evolved over the years. Here I learnt too about the different types of manga - violent tales of the samurai warriors, stories of ghosts and spirits living side by side humans in the modern world, some really more fantasies and others of school days (cos they are targeting at a youth audience, obviously). Anyone can take down a manga and read!  Of course much of it is in Japanese, but there is a foreign language section, including an English section so I actually browsed through a few volumes worth of popular manga, “Natsume’s Book of Friends”. But even the English manga are printed Japanese-style, in other words you start reading from the back of the book, and it goes right to left not left to right.  Takes a little getting used to.

So that's it - a trio of museums, each portraying aspects of Japanese culture, ranging from traditional ukiyo-e to the modern manga and the polka-dotted world of Yayoi Kusama.

More photos will be put up when ready.

A Family of Temples

Spectacular Kinkaku-ji

Last September, I went on my fifth holiday in Japan for five straight years.  And this time I went on my third visit to Kyoto.  Each visit, I learn more about Japan - about Japanese culture, history, and way of life.  On my previous visits to Kyoto, I went to enjoy the Hanami (cherry blossom) and Momiji (autumn leaves) seasons.  I was so busy viewing the blossoms and leaves that I didn’t get around to visiting some of the more famous sites.  This time round, there was no foliage-related activity planned.   It was time to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the historical and cultural aspects of this ancient Japanese city.

We had a rocky start to our trip.  In fact, it was fraught with uncertainty.  2018 was not a great year for Kyoto.  There was an earthquake in the Kansai region in June and just before we arrived, a major typhoon flooded Kansai International Airport, knocking it out of action.  All flights were cancelled, whilst the flood waters were being drained away and the access road and bridge to the airport were being repaired.  In the meantime, air services were being restored in slow stages.  Every few days, a few more flights were added.  We started checking out alternatives, in case we had to fly in to Nagoya instead. Fortunately, just a few days before our flight was one of the few which were allowed to proceed as planned and we flew in on a half-filled plane into a very empty airport.  Phew!  Unfortunately the typhoon damaged some of the sites we were planning to visit and so visitors were not allowed in some areas (one example below).   I was reminded of my visit to Tokyo last year when my attempt to see a snow-capped Mt Fuji and autumn leaves on the Irohazaka route to Nikko were thwarted by a typhoon just a few days earlier.

At least this year, my key “visit objectives” were not significantly affected by the bad weather. As I said, despite my multiple visits to Kyoto, there were some famous sites I’ve never been to before - such as Ginkaku-ji and Kinkaku-ji, the Silver and Gold Temples.  Kinkaku-ji is the older of the two, built by one of the shoguns, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as a retirement villa. It was converted to a temple after his death. Ginkaku-ji was built by his grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, also as a retirement home and also converted into a temple.  Like Grandfather, like grandson.  

We tried to get to Kinkaku-ji early, to beat the crowds.  But to no avail - such is the popularity of this famous temple that it was full of crowds.  The temple itself is beautiful - a golden pavilion (it’s covered in gold leaf), floating on the waters of the lake, and mirrored in the waters.  We ascended the hill behind the lake, taking in the view of the surrounding hills and the temple beneath.  

The silver sands and cone of Ginkaku-ji 

Ginkaku-ji, however, was my favourite of the two.  There is no silver gilding on the pavilion - apparently the construction of the buildings were delayed by war and other reasons, and rather than a big lake there are smaller ponds which we could stroll around, admiring the buildings, the pond and the mossy gardens from all angles as we turned each corner.  But the highlight is the beautiful silvery gravel plain, with a cone representing Mount Fuji in one corner.  There we sat, just in front of the carefully raked gravel, and scrutinising the smooth sides of the perfectly formed cone, indeed the resemblance is there :-) 

Shrine on the Path of Philosophy

 After the Ginkaku-ji visit, we took a walk down the famous Path of Philosophy, or "Tetsugaku-no-michi", which runs along a canal flowing from the temple down to the Eikandozenrin-ji temple (which I went to on my previous Autumn Leaf visit).  The path got its name because a Kyoto University professor used to take his daily walk on the path, presumably contemplating life, the universe and everything.

Fortunately, out of cherry blossom season, the path was rather deserted and we were able to have a quiet, peaceful stroll. Every now and then there is a little landmark - a small shrine, a stone with a poem carved on it, a little shop or eatery inviting the traveller to stop for a moment.  Although there were no cherry blossoms, there were lots of flowers and greenery along the way.

Guardian mouse, with a scroll signifying learning

We passed a few little shrines and temples but only stopped once, at Otoyo-jinja Shrine.    Its key distinguishing feature is that this temple actually has a lot of cute little animals, in particular mice!  These are guardian animals, as the god of the shrine, Okuninushi, had a special relationship with them.  As the story goes, Okuninushi wanted to marry the beautiful Princess, Suseri.  Alas, her father disapproved.  Okuninushi had to complete a few tasks in order to win her hand.  In one task, an archer shot an arrow into a rice field.  When Okuninushi went to retrieve the arrow, the field was set on fire.  The mice directed him to a safe spot and retrieved the arrow for him.  And that's how our hero got to marry his Princess.

We didn't go to many other temples after these but we did pay a visit to the historic Nijo Castle.  I had visited Nijo-jo before, on my first visit to Kyoto, to look at cherry blossoms at night.   But I had never been to the palace itself and was glad for the opportunity to learn more about its history.  It was the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa who had started building the Castle, although it was his grandson who completed it. Sadly, this time round the gardens were off limits as they had been damaged thanks to the recent typhoon so we could only walk around the famous Ninomaru Palace.

This Palace contains the main audience chambers and reception halls - the furnishings, as would be expected, are very spartan with only the tatami mats on the floor and maybe a niche or storage cupboard built into the wlal, but the walls are covered with magnificent paintings - of tigers and leopards under palm trees, or flowering trees, etc.  (We were not allowed to take photos so that's why you don't see any here.)  It was here that the Shogun would meet foreign envoys, meet his Council or his feudal lords.  It was also here that the 15th and last Shogun of Japan, Yoshinobu, gathered his retainers and announced the end of the Shogun era and the restoration of the Emperor, hence starting the Meiji Restoration and modernisation of Japan.

Photos are here.

Ninomaru Palace, Nijo Castle

Going Local: Holiday Apartment Living

What we did quite differently this trip to Japan was to try some apartment living (interspersed by a night in a ryokan).  This was prompted partly by the high hotel rates (thanks to the autumn leaves) and partly because they are so much more spacious than the tiny hotel rooms you get in Japan!

Home away from home

In Kyoto, we stayed in a small house in the Gion neighbourhood (the quieter, southern part of Gion) with a sitting/dining/kitchenette area downstairs and two bedrooms (one western style i.e. With beds and one Japanese style ie with futons!) upstairs.  It is not a traditional machiya but it is a snug cosy place (thanks to the gas heater) and we liked it very much.  It is not that easy to find, being at the end of a small alleyway tucked in between two buildings on the main road.  But thanks to the excellent directions given, we were able to find it.    Our "travel angel" let us into the house - we were so early getting there that the house was still being cleaned from the last tenant (cleaner is an elderly Japanese man), so he first proceeded to give us a little tour of the area, and showed us where the local supermarket was, and gave us little tips about the eateries around us.

We took one of his suggestions later that evening, and went to eat at the local Okonomiyaki restaurant around the corner.  The shop was a one-woman-operation.  She was a bit abrupt but then we didn't speak the language.  Tried to order the grilled tofu the guy next to us was having but she pulled out her English menu and got us to order from it.  Looks as though she has her own way of dealing with the foreign tourists who turn up, as opposed to her "regulars".  Halfway through our meal a Malaysian couple arrived.  We were able to guide them through the ordering process.  And also to explain what "Okonomiyaki" was. (They were hoping for teppanyaki, I can tell).

A tea house or ochaya near our house

Another night, we wanted to have dinner at a restaurant near our place.  We wandered around the area but must have made a wrong turn, as the street we ended up in was a row of tea houses or ochaya - the sort where the geisha entertain in!  We heard music and clapping coming from one teahouse, and some samisen music from another.  Admission, clearly, was by invitation only.  We finally found the row of restaurants, but one was closing (at 8pm!) and the other was selling hamburger..... so we picked up dinner at the supermarket and went back to our little home away from home and ate it off our breakfast bar.  How pleasant it was to be able to kick off one's shoes and rest on our comfy low sofa and table, before eating sashimi and potato croquets.  We finished our meal with the persimmons and sweet pancakes we bought from the stalls at the subway station.

In Osaka, we had an apartment also but quite clearly we were only supposed to sleep there and not

My bed, and bed companion

Much more.  The entrance lobby opens up on one side into the laundry area and shower, and on the other side into the room for the WC.  Another door leads you to the main apartment, which is divided by Japanese-style screen walls into a main kitchen-cum-sleeping area, another sleeping area and a third Japanese style room with futons stacked up on the side.  So this little apartment, with one shower and one WC, can sleep SEVEN people in total!  Dormitory style accommodation indeed.  (Our Kyoto apartment at most can host four).   There was no eating area per se, you are not really meant to sit and eat in the apartment unless in the Japanese room where there was a low coffee table.  It was not as clean as our Kyoto residence and the kitchen was not as well equipped.  But it was nice and roomy, and I really liked the company of the Snoopy stuffed toy.  

There are, I realised, a few things to look out for when renting apartments in Japan.  First, the standard rule where it comes to properties - location, location, location.  Where exactly do you want to stay?  Near lots of eateries, shopping, or in a quiet neighbourhood where you can feel like a local?  Do you intend to make lots of day trips, in which case being next to the station could be very useful and important to get that early start to the day?  

Second, check on how the house is furnished and equipped.  Does it have wifi, for example, or a washing machine?  Another tip, relevant perhaps especially for Japan - to check on the type of beds.  In particular, if the apartment has western style beds or Japanese futons.  Futons are all very well for a single night but for multiple nights, give me a proper bed!  

Third, whether you want to be met or not.  Both our apartments were accessed off a small little alleyway (not a side road, an alleyway) and you can't take for granted that the directions given are correct.  So it is very reassuring to have a person to call in case of need.  It was also good for someone to tell us how to use the equipment, advise on when and where to dispose of rubbish and so on.  For example our Kyoto travel angel told us which rubbish bag was for our glass/plastic/ aluminium containers and which was for the other items.  And if there is, say, defective equipment, it can be rectified quickly or at least it is quite clear that you didn't break it.

One last point.  We went through a company, Japan Experience (google "Japan Experience Kyoto holiday apartment" and you should be able to find it) for our Kyoto apartment and for Osaka, got the booking off Agoda, where it was rented by an individual.  May be better to deal with a company, just for the more consistent service and better backup it provides.

Anyway, the more I travel around the Japan, the more I realise how convenient everything is and how easy it is to get around even for a foreigner who doesn't speak the language.  And that from a complaint-prone Singaporean, is saying something indeed!

More photos on this trip (in general) can be found on my Flickr album.

Dining and Shopping in Kyoto: Beef and Sushi and Needles

Izuju Sushi - Mackeral Sushi and the "Mosaic" sushi

One of the best things about Japan is that the standard of the restaurants here are generally good.  We didn't really have any major "dining ambitions" here in Kyoto, beyond eating a good variety of the different Japanese meals, but most of the time, we just chose our restaurant based on what took our fancy.  Many a time, our picks surprised us!

As in my last trip, thought it is easier to summarise our foodie experience all together (with a little extra on a special shopping excursion at the end).  This time though, I've taken pains to try and identify/locate the restaurants, especially the better and more memorable meals:

Sushi, sushi

Izuju Sushi

Amazingly, during this short visit with a limited number of meals we went to two top sushi restaurants in Japan, at least according to Tsunagu Japan!  They are two very different sushi restaurants, one very traditional, and one totally modern.

I did not know previously that there is such a thing as Kyoto style sushi and that one of the best exemplars of this type of sushi is Izuju Sushi.  This was one of the few restaurants we went searching for based on its reputation.  Izuju is just across from the Yasuka Shrine, and is a small little restaurant with only a few tables.  Go early, or you'll have to queue!  Choices are limited - the restaurant is known for its mackerel sushi and inari and also this interesting "mosaic" type sushi.  Little ingredients (like pickles) are packed into the rice so the sushi itself is a complete meal.  There was also a seasonal special, on horse mackeral sushi.  The restaurant requests courteously to try their food without soy sauce, to better enjoy the flavour of the rice.  Indeed, I did not need soy sauce, as the flavours of the rice and fish are so fresh that any addition would diminish the overall experience.  There is a far more detailed blog post about Izuju here, so I won't go into more detail on the food, ambience, and the history of this well-known restaurant.

"Ikan Bilis"

The second restaurant, Sushi no Musashi, is in Kyoto station and we actually came by here the last time we were in Kyoto!  We rather enjoyed ourselves and so we came back here again.  This is a totally modern conveyor-belt, Tokyo-style sushi restaurant, with one of the largest selections of sushi toppings I've ever had - lots of different shellfish, sashimi and it's all really fresh and good.  Prices are reasonable, and no surprise, you will have to queue for this one too.  What I like is that they actually name the seafood that you're selecting - having said that I am not sure what the name of this particular fish is.  I just mentally called it "ikan bilis".

Where's the Beef

Blow-torching the beef

A few doors down from Izuju is a beef restaurant, "Kappo Bar Gyugyu Gion Honten".  It sells Kobe Beef but as prices are like 9,000 yen for a steak we had the "normal" Wagyu instead.  We got a seat downstairs, on the bar surrounding the kitchen so we had a good view of our food being cooked on the grill.  One of the more exciting dishes was this version of beef carpaccio.  The beef (sliced super thin) is lightly cooked with a blow torch and served with a lump of sushi rice, radishes, and some soy sauce.  It is literally two mouthfuls of food, but really yummy mouthfuls.  

Kameoka beef

Obviously, we had not eaten enough beef because the very next day, we found ourselves in another beef restaurant called Gyuraku in Kameoka (we were looking for a nice restaurant for lunch after our ride on the Sagano Romantic Train)  Here there is no mention of Kobe beef.  Rather, the restaurant proudly proclaims that it is using only the famous "black cattle" of Kameoka.  The beef itself is also available in the butcher's next door. It appears that Kyoto prefecture  is trying to promote its own beef products internationally and Kameoka is one of the leaders in this!

Anyway, we had a steak served on a hot plate and next to a hot stone.  So we can cook it further to the degree of done-ness we want.  The steak itself was good - moist and flavourful.  It gave us the strength and energy to make our dripping way back through the rain to Arashiyama.

Traditional Kyoto Cuisine - Kyo-ryori, and Yudofu 

Kyo-Ryori Manshige

Another unexpected or rather unplanned meal was our first in Kyoto, at Kyoto station.  We were really looking for the conveyor belt sushi but got lost in the massive station and found Manshige instead.  We were attracted by the promise of traditional Kyoto food (termed Kyo-ryori) and indeed, it was a charming meal full of dainty little dishes - including the tiniest, sweetest little new potatoes I've ever seen, and three of the tofu "lollies" which I remember from my last trip here.  In addition, there was a delicately flavoured soup made from seafood and which comes with a squeeze of lime (Thai influence?).  It was such a lovely meal, that it is no wonder that I subsequently found it on someone else's "best restaurant in Kyoto station" list.  And apparently it is a branch of a more famous restaurant somewhere else in Kyoto!

Yudofu Set Meal

We also took the opportunity to eat Yudofu, another Kyoto delicacy especially in the Nanzenji temple area - apparently all the vegetarian monks swear by it.  And the purity of the water here in the area makes for the most pure Yudofu ever.  Now Yudofu is really not the most exciting food in the world.  It is a few pieces of tofu in a stock flavoured with one piece of kelp. It is served in a claypot.  You put the cooked tofu in a dipping sauce, add radish, seafood and bonito flakes and that's it.  Fortunately, the dish comes with some side dishes as well - vegetable tempura, and other small side dishes such as pickled seaweed and some tuba tofu (Yuba is made by skimming off the the film off the top of soya bean when it is being cooked).

We didn't go to a famous restaurant for this one either. We tried to but it involved a 1 hour wait so we went to the less famous (and much cheaper) establishment called Goemon Chaya down the road.

Ramen

Black Ramen

Regular Ramen

Another "must have" when in Japan is the ramen.  We were walking home from Hanamikoji when we passed by Musoshin ramen restaurant and decided that a hot bowl of noodles was just the thing for dinner.  Musoshin prides itself on its tasty stock made from vegetables and chicken and indeed the rich, thick broth was very tasty.  It is so thick, it coats the noodles completely so each mouthful is full of flavour.  They also have a special "Gion Black Ramen" dish which features a black ramen stock, sprinkled over with black sesame seeds and served with some black seaweed on the side.... you get the picture.

Little did we realise that it is rated so highly - ranked 29th out of all the restaurants in Kyoto! Maybe it is the result of the very active calls to review it positively on Tripadvisor

Nishiki market 

Beef Pao

No visit to Kyoto is complete without a visit to Nishiki Market.  I had visited the market on my last visit to Kyoto but it's still worth a repeated trip.  We made our way there but it would appear that the sashimi stalls are not open on a Monday morning :-( Anyway, we had breakfast here, if conger eel tempura, a beef pao (courtesy of Kyoto foodie tip), takoyaki and matcha flavoured soy milk ice cream can be considered breakfast.  The conger eel tempura was not wonderful - it had been sitting a while and so was not that fresh any more.  At least they reheated it for me.  But the beef pao - hot, steamy, full of succulent meat - was something different and definitely worth a repeat visit during future repeat visits to Nishiki (yes I think another visit to Kyoto is a definite possibility).

At Misuyabari

After visiting Nishiki market we went looking for Misuyabari needle shop.  My friend had tipped us off to this shop - because she wanted us to buy her some decorative pins and the famously sharp needles the shop is famous for.  It was not easy to find - it is actually in an offshoot of the Teramaki Shopping Arcade - but behind the row of shops.  We had to go through a little alleyway, which opened into a courtyard garden and the shop was on the far side.  If interested, the directions are here.

The shop itself is tiny, and sells primarily needles, the decorative pins (ordinary pins but with little pinheads of dogs, cats, and many other little items).  It has a 360+ year history and apparently used to sell needles to the Imperial Palace!  The shopkeeper doesn't speak much English but somehow we managed to get by.

Tea for Two

Apple Tea

Somewhere along the way, we started having tea.  It started with a rainy visit to Arashiyama and a warm cosy English tea served in a traditional looking Japanese house.  Who would have expected to see scones and Earl Grey?  Although it turned out that the house specialty is actually an apple tea, complete with chunks of freshly cut apple.  It's a seasonal specialty so not always available.  Anna Maria is on the main street, on the way from the railway station to Tenryu-Ji temple.  It's a welcoming place and I certainly would recommend it to anyone who wants a little break from all the walking around (rainy day or not).We also decided to treat ourselves to a nice tea 

after tracking down the Misuyabari needle shop and making our purchases.  Our reward for effort, so to speak.  Lipton Tea House was started up apparently in 1930 as the British wanted to interest the Japanese in drinking Lipton rather than green tea. And to have a nice piece of cake with it.  I had a nice cheesecake.  But honestly it was just a nice break after all the walking (and BTW we had not had lunch, just all the snacking at Nishiki market).

We were amused to see two of the other patrons of the needle shop having tea here, too.

Well, I've come to the end of a long long post all about my Kyoto food experiences.  Or at least the more significant ones.  Glad that we had some new food experiences and also the chance to revisit a few old favourites.  Looking forward to my next visit to Kyoto (whenever it is)!

Scenic Route: Kibune and Arashiyama

There is so much to see in Kyoto, but a lot of it seems to be temples.... so, in an attempt to insert some variety in our autumn leaves viewing experience, we decided to take in the maple leaves by train, especially after we read about a "maple tree tunnel" on the way to the little village of Kibune which was illuminated at night.  

So we decided to take the train there by day, visit the famous Kibune shrine, and take the train back by night.  Maple tunnel by day AND by night, sounds good right?  Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way.  The train journey was easy enough (check here for the e-guide by the rail company)

But very sadly, our day time journey revealed that many of the autumn leaves had fallen already, so there was not much to see.  And the train zipped by so fast, we could not take many photos.  The night journey back? Well, suffice to say that there was a moment of suspense and excitement when the lights on the train went out, for us to better view the illuminations.  But there was also a collective sigh of disappointment when the leafless (but illuminated) trees appeared.  So much for that!

Up to the shrine

Fortunately, we did have a good visit to Kibune.  Confusingly, the village is called "Kibune" and the shrine sometimes called "Kibune" or "Kifune".  The shrine itself marks the ending point of a journey; a goddess in a yellow boat travelled up the river and stopped here.

River flowing over rocks and leaves

It is quite popular during this period, with many people lining up to pay their respects to the deity, and to pen down their prayers, wet them in the shrine's spring waters (it is dedicated to the water god), and tie them to the nearby stand.  At night, the lanterns lining the stairs leading to the shrine are lit, adding to its mystique.

The rest of the village is tiny - apparently there are expensive restaurants and ryokans here, serving busy city dwellers who want to come away for a lazy and quiet weekend.  In summer, the restaurants serve meals on platforms over the river flowing past the village as it goes down the hill.  At this time of year, there are no more platforms but the river continues to be lit up by charming little lanterns.  We hoped to see autumn leaves but we were just slightly past the peak so most of the leaves had fallen - but they still looked pretty floating in the river, trapped by the rocks!

We had a more successful train ride the next day, on the Sagano Romantic Train from Arashiyama to Kameoka.  The train itself is an old fashioned steam train, with old wooden carriages etc.  The ride took us on the banks of the Hozugawa river gorge, and the autumn colours were beautifully displayed along this scenic route.  Whilst it was perhaps slightly past the peak season, it was still quite a sight to see - when the train first emerged out of the hill side to a view of the river gorge there was another of those collective sighs - but of wonder and excitement this time, not disappointment, as the train hurtled through a gorgeous patchwork hillside, and by a rushing river in the gorge below.  Check out my video:

In theory, we were supposed to take a boat ride back to Arashiyama.  It would be a two-hour ride, back along the same river gorge, in an open boat.  Exposed to the elements.  On a sunny day that would have been fine.  But it was raining, a miserable, incessant and cold drizzle.  We decided that two hours in the rain was not for us.  So we went for lunch at Kameoka (more of this in a subsequent post) and took the normal JR train back to Arashiyama.

The last time I was here in Arashiyama was in spring time, looking at the cherry blossoms, and it was indeed quite a different experience seeing the autumn colours.  And the low lying clouds created a totally different atmosphere, compared to the crisp clear skies of spring.  Autumn is "a season of mists", after all.

The river at Arashiyama

Having been to the sights in Arashiyama the last time (bamboo forest, garden, two Temples) it was quite liberating to decide that we had enough rain for the day and find a nice place for tea.  

And so that's the way our train journeys went.  Neither really turned out as the "perfect" day out from Kyoto, but they each had their own pleasant and memorable moments, and that's all you can really ask from a holiday.

See more photos on Flickr!

Back to Kyoto: Autumn Foliage

Kiyomizu-dera Temple at Night

After two years, I am back in Kyoto!  During my first visit, it was for "Hanami" or to view spring flowers, particularly the delicate, transient cherry blossoms.   This visit, it was "Momiji" time! "Momiji" specifically refers to the red maple tree leaves but in reality there are others too, and the colour is not just red but also the golden yellow of the ginkgo tree and others.  

Here in Kyoto, we arrived as the maple trees were supposed to be at their peak.  But this is a fast season, and we realised that maybe we had arrived a day or two beyond the peak.  We also realised that just because the maples were at their best, it didn't mean that every tree was ablaze with red.  Some trees (eg the cherry) may have already lost their leaves, and others may be still as green as ever, resulting in a "patchwork" of colours.         

Kiyomizudera

Our first stop in Kyoto was the Kiyomizu-dera temple - one of the most well-known temples here in Kyoto, and the one nearest our little apartment!  We did not arrive early enough to visit the temple grounds properly (in daylight) but we managed to take a few photos in the fading light and then joined the throngs on the deck facing the main temple to get a chance to photograph the famous illuminations of the main hall.  
Indeed, the throngs waiting to take that one iconic shot were immense!  We stood five-deep along the deck facing the main temple.  People were pushing and shoving to get through and in the meantime, people were hogging the front of the deck taking their photos.  Well, we finally managed to get our shots and went on to meander around the gardens to admire the illuminated pagoda rising above the illuminated trees.

Next day, we went to two more temples, Nanzenji and Eikando-Zenrinji.  First, Nanzenji.  Nanzenji is famed for its aqueduct (quite easy to find) and also its sub-Temples.  We went to one, Nanzenin, famous for its little pond garden, and for the mausoleum to the Emperor Kameyama, who founded the Nanzenji temple in the first place.

The pond garden was a true delight!  First, being a sub temple, it was less popular with visitors (it had its own separate entrance fee, which could be one reason for the smaller crowds).  So we were able to admire the autumn foliage in the garden in relative peace and quiet.  The beautiful red leaves also formed a layer on top of the pond.... So the reflection of the red leaves was accentuated by the leaves already in the water.

The pond garden at Nanzenin

Rock Garden at the Hojo, Nanzenji

Nanzenji itself has a beautiful tranquil zen rock garden in its "Hojo", the dwellings of the chief priest.  Apparently, the rocks look like a tiger with her cubs.... I'm afraid that that one went right past me.  We sat there and contemplated the rocks and the patterns in the pebbly sand nonetheless.  Subsequently, walking through the Hojo, we did see rooms with wall paintings of various animals including tigers (and leopards, I think).  That, I can get.  

Our next stop was the Eikan-do Zenrin-ji temple.  Like Nanzenji, this temple is famed for its autumn foliage.  Indeed, we were not disappointed (and got to see the leaves in the blaze of sunset!).

Momiji lit by the setting sun

We walked all the way to the Pagoda, with its view of Kyoto, and then walked around the temple buildings, looking at the internal gardens before making our way down to Hojo pond.  Well, I can only say that a picture tells a thousand words so please do take a look at my Flickr site for more glorious photos of Eikando temple and the other two.  (Please note that the photos are being put up progressively).

Pagoda at Eikando 

Technically, this was the day we were supposed to walk up the Philosopher's Path and end our day at Ginkaku-Ji (yes, yet another temple).  But the thing about short days and our relatively slow progress is that we don't cover all that much each day.  Of course we could have gone there for the illuminations but somehow after the first night's experience, it didn't appeal.  

Maybe another time, another visit to Kyoto!