Kyoto, Japan
One of many shrines on Mount Inari
Our impressions of Kyoto
Japan’s cultural capital: From the Gion district and sloped streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka to the many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples dotting the city and surrounding area, it’s no wonder Kyoto is designated as Japan’s “cultural capital”. We enjoyed exploring the city on foot and visiting temples planned and stumbled upon. Walking the streets of Kyoto often felt like we were in a time capsule, and contributed to the city being one of our favorite places to explore in Japan
Tourist-filled streets that did not cramp our style: Kyoto is a beautiful and culturally rich destination with plentiful accommodations and restaurants that is also easily accessible from Tokyo and beyond. As a result, it is unsurprisingly flooded with tourists. Although crowded, the sprawling nature of the city’s sites and pedestrian-friendly streets seemed to absorb the crowds well and never got in the way of us enjoying our time strolling around the city
The foliage! The city and its many shrines and temples seemingly always nestle up against a spectacularly lush and beautiful forest, garden, or pond. This greenery seemed particularly vibrant in Kyoto. We could not get over how the foliage glowed in late spring, and can only imagine how beautiful the foliage gets as it changes its colors in fall
What we saw in Kyoto
Nishiki Market: We arrived in Kyoto to rainy weather. This made Nishiki Market’s covered pedestrian shopping streets lined with shops and restaurants selling Kyoto specialties the perfect rainy day activity. We had fun exploring the various stalls and taking advantage of the occasional free sample. We would later realize that many of our meals and activities would revolve around this bustling section of Kyoto
Kyoto Free Walking Tour: We joined a free walking tour around Gion at the recommendation of some mutual friends of the Elder Smarts. Our guide was a shy but friendly college student who would divulge to us at the end of the tour that it was her very first time leading a group on her own. Despite this fact, she did a very nice job leading us around the city and commanding our large Saturday group (tough day of the week to start out on your own!). The highlights included:
- Gion and the geishas: Many people conjure up images of geishas, the young white-faced female entertainers dressed in Kimonos, when asked to think about things that are quintessentially Japanese. Kyoto, and the beautiful traditional sloped streets of Gion in particular, was the epicenter of geisha activity in the early 1900s. It was neat to walk the streets lined with traditional homes and Geisha training houses (many converted to restaurants now) and learn about the dying tradition. Our guide shared that while there were 80,000 geishas in Japan in 1900, today there are only 200 and that number continues to shrink every year. It came as no surprise to us when she shared what the career and lifestyle demanded…
- Kennin-ji Temple: Kennin-ji is a tranquil temple complex near Gion named after the man who introduced green tea to Japan from China. Talk about a lasting impact on Japanese culture! The grounds were beautiful and covered in green tea plants making it a lovely place to stroll around on the tour
- Tanukis: One of our favorite sushi restaurants in Chicago is a cute BYOB spot in Lincoln Park named “Tanuki”. We never really thought about what it meant until our guide enlightened us on Tanukis and their role in Japanese culture. Tanukis are fictional raccoon dogs originally from Japanese folklore that now show up in the form of statues outside people’s homes symbolizing good fortune, friendliness, readiness and protection. Now, the playful animal character on the sushi restaurant’s sign makes much more sense!
- Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka: Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka are two famous sloped pedestrian streets in Kyoto that provide an incredibly charming snapshot of Japan from centuries ago. Although always crowded with tourists (many dressed in traditional clothing for the purpose of taking photos), it was a joy to walk up and down the stone-paved streets taking in the restaurants, shops, and temples along the way
Chion-in Temple: Chion-in is a huge 13th century Jodo Buddhist temple complex that we stumbled upon after our free walking tour. After ascending the large staircase through the imposing entry gates we arrived at the open area among the main temple buildings. We were lucky to visit the main hall while a priest was chanting Buddhist mantras, an experience that reminded us of Tengboche in Nepal and that we were happy to share again with the Elder Traveling Smarts here in Kyoto
Where we ate and drank
Saishuan Shiraki Izakaya: Sasihuan Shiraki Izakaya is a cozy 10-seat counter izakaya restaurant situated in a home on a quiet residential street away from the hustle and bustle of central Kyoto. As the modest backdrop suggests, this was not a typical Izakaya experience. The spunky head chef, Miho, together with her engaging sidekick, Indira, whipped up an impressive tasting menu behind the counter that left us beyond stuffed by the end of the meal. The best part of the experience was spending the meal chatting with the other patrons adjacent to us, a younger couple from Oxford and a mom and three daughters from Florida, about all things politics, education, and travel. There was just something about Miho’s space that brought everyone together
Omen Udon: We were eager to introduce the Elder Traveling Smarts to one of our favorite Japanese dishes – Udon noodles. Omen Udon is a small traditional restaurant near Nishiki Market known for serving up some of the best hand-made udon noodles in Kyoto. We were lucky to have a reservation and skip the long line outside during the lunch time rush. The noodles were fresh and delicious. John would pass on the udon this time around in favor of teriyaki chicken and rice, but it wouldn’t be long before he realized the power of homemade udon noodles in Osaka
Pizzeria Marita: We were again at a point in our trip where we needed a break from traditional Japanese fare. Luckily for us, the Japanese have an appreciation and knack for perfecting an Italian staple – Neapolitan style wood-fired pizza. Pizzeria Marita is an unassuming first come, first served 12-seat Neapolitan style pizza restaurant right near Nishiki Market. We sat at the counter and had front row seats to the head chef working the pizza peel in the wood fire oven. The pizzas we ordered were fresh, piping hot and delicious. The most impressive part of the meal was watching the sole proprietor calmly manage the entire restaurant on his own – acting as host, taking orders, making pizzas, serving up pizzas and drinks, and clearing tables
Saijiki Toshigami: We were also eager to introduce the Elder Traveling Smarts to a traditional Kaiseki-style meal, the multi-course Michelin quality dinners that we immediately fell in love with during our stretch of ryokan stays. Saijiki Toshigami turned out to be an amazing display of this style of eating from the atmosphere through to the food. The chef served up incredibly fresh and delicious dishes including bonito and amberjack sashimi and tempura vegetables with langoustine. We washed it all down with some cloudy and refreshing natural sake recommended by the Chef. It was a crowd favorite among the Smarts
Where we stayed
Hyatt Regency: We usually associate Hyatt Regency hotels in Asia (and Central Asia, in particular) with authoritarianism. This was our experience at the Hyatt Regency in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where the architecture was as bizarre as the city and the clientele seemed to represent mostly neighboring country government officials. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Hyatt Regency in Kyoto was quite different. It was new, clean, and comfortable, and nicely incorporated elements of Japanese design. The dark and cozy basement bar area acted as the perfect place for a nightcap and game of Hearts. It was also in a quiet but centrally located neighborhood serving as a great home base for our Kyoto adventures
