Today was an epic day of walking, and I think that we logged over 15 miles just exploring this amazing (and surprisingly expansive) little city. First stop on our journey was
Nijo Castle, a moated complex almost right in the center. There is a small fee and well worth the trip to explore. I would highly recommend going early or late in the day to avoid the typical tourist crowds that come in via bus.
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
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| Nijo Castle |
We spent almost two hours exploring the complex and it was SO relaxing. Zen rock gardens and landscapes, and picturesque buildings.
After that we walked the infamous
Yokai Street (a.k.a. Monster Street), known for its temples and their protectors (the monsters!).
It was a really nice walk
down a long and narrow street. I am sure that it is much more interesting on a
not-Sunday, as most of the tiny storefronts were closed. Many small and
captivating temples.
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
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| Yokai Street |
Japan is well-known for its "conveyor belt" sushi restaurants, and I was beyond excited and anticipative to try one. I love all things sashimi and sushi, and the idea of having all of my options gliding by me was very intriguing. Based on reviews, we went to
Muten Kurazushi, and were not disappointed! This place is d
esigned for locals only; no immediate English
signage and is mostly a self-service joint. A really nice lady helped us as we walked in the door to
select “box” or “non-box", and came to find us when our number was called, as it
was announced only in Japanese, so we could be seated. Fortunately (for us, not so much for her) another really nice woman, who was sat next to us, showed us with
hand-gestures, how to mix and pour our tea, how to order, and where to get our dishes and silverware. It truly is a self-service joint. There was a two-conveyor belt system; one where you
can watch and select prepared plate go by and the second to deliver your order placed from a digital menu (which
thankfully was in English). I absolutely crushed the sushi, while Adam did a
bowl of delicious ramen and a few plates of sushi. The fatty salmon was
incredible. Also, I had fresh wasabi, actually chopped root
and not paste from powder, and it is on a whole other level than what you typically get. We tried pufferfish (fugu) and didn’t die. It
was surprisingly mild flavor.
To deflate our happy but full bellies, we then walked onward to and explored
Ryoan-ji Temple. It is a small but pretty temple, and the zen rock garden really held everyone's attention.
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
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| Ryoan-ji Temple |
After walking around the temple and exploring the surrounding neighborhoods, we stopped into a small shop to enjoy a few beers, rest our legs, and cool down. It was at this point that we
met Ben and Maia, waiting for our dinner place
to open. Turns out, they were doing the exact same thing. We ended up chatting
with them and then went as a group to dinner to Okonomiyaki Katsu. It is the highest rated "restaurant" in Kyoto. This place is absolutely incredible!!!
It is an
absolute DO-NOT-MISS-THIS!
It is a bit outside of the city, but well worth the
trek. If you figure out the cheap and efficient bus system, it is a quick trip. It is in the bottom of a couple’s private house,
and they are a two-person team. It is 6 stools at the main grill, and two
tables that sit 4 people each. We ended up staying for almost 2.5 hours. Adam and I shared a pork okonomiyaki and a pork
noodle, as well as the 2 bottles of Cantillion (my favorite brewery ever, from
Brussels) that they amazingly had. It was such a nice and social time.
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| Okonomiyaki Katsu: Pork noodle and pork okonomiyaki |
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| Okonomiyaki Katsu |
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| Okonomiyaki Katsu |
