A Taste of Kyoto and Kansai

 

   A Taste of Kyoto and Kansai

Hello and nice to meet you! I’m Jon, an intermediate level 3 student who just successfully advanced from intermediate level 2 in his first semester. While some of my fellow bloggers chose to focus on school life at KICL, if you’re like me, besides the rigorous course load of school, what especially drew you to KICL was the city of Kyoto itself and the surrounding Kansai Region. Shrines, temples, restaurants, parks; you’ll certainly have a plethora of fun activities to choose from when decompressing from your studies. So without further ado, allow me to plug some those wonderful and unique attractions

 

Temples, Shrines, and Shukubō, Oh My!

 

              Before coming to Japan, I had read extensively on Japanese history and culture, and knew that temple/shrine hopping was going to be on the top of my list when it came to sight seeing. Without going into a whole history lesson, Kyoto is an extremely old and historically important city to Japan, and accordingly holds a vast array of temples and shrines that still survive to this day. Each is beautiful is in their own way and since I won’t be able to do them justice, I’ll just let them speak for themselves, so please see the pictures I’ve posted below:

Daigo-ji Shrine

Yokawa - Enryakuji Temple (Nearby Shiga Prefecture)

 

Shimogamo Shrine

 

 

Heian-jingū Shrine

 

Kifune Shrine

 

Kurama-Dera Temple

 

Chion-in Temple

 

Kyoto Ebisu Shrine

 

Yuki Shrine

 

              As long as you’ll be checking out all the different temples and shrines, you’ll definitely want to get a goshuinchō (temple/shrine stamp book) as well to catalog all the ones that you go to. Each is unique in its own way, and if you’re looking for good recommendations I’d browse reddit posts to see what people suggest, which is actually how I decided upon the first one that I got, from Kongō-buji Temple.

 

Kongō-buji’s goshuinchō

 

              And speaking of Kongō-buji, if you can afford it, I’d definitely consider staying at a shukubō (temple lodging) to experience the uniqueness of staying the night at a buddhist temple. Kongō-buji is a temple complex on the mountain Kōyasan, and while the exact temple where I stayed, Eikō-in, was fairly expensive ($500 USD while your normal ryōkan will easily cost less than half that), the experience was unforgettable: a beautiful, authentic, japanese-style bedroom, exquisite shōjin ryōri (buddhist vegan cuisine), group meditation, group prayer, and a traditional japanese bath.

 

Japanese-style bedroom

 

Entrance to group meditation room

 

Buddhist vegan meal

 

Prayer room

Fire Prayer

 

Teishoku Diners, Cafes, and Restaurants Galore

 

              If you consider yourself a foodie (and if you don’t, once you come to Japan I promise you will), you’ll definitely love what Kyoto has to offer. For one, since you’ll be in Japan, you’ll definitely want to try all the unique set meals of the many different teishoku restaurants, where various assortments of dishes are traditionally served together. Miso soup, steamed rice,tofu are the usual accompaniments of a teishoku meal, served alongside such classics as tonkatsu, omuraisu,nabe,chicken namban, and other Japanese staples. And then beyond the general teishoku diners there are of course the restaurants that focus on popular specialties, like soba, udon, steamed tofu, and sushi.

 

 

Kitaoji Curry Udon

 

Soba-no-Mi Yoshimura

 

 

 

Toyo Sushi

 

Mentei

 

              Nestled between the many city blocks of Kyoto you’ll also find many cafes, if you’re looking for something more cozy and casual, as well as a place that offers a good ole cup o’ joe. Cafes often offer a blend of both Japanese and Western style cuisine, so whether you’re in the mood for a big hearty omuraisu doused in demi glaze or a simple grilled chicken sandwich, you’ll usually have options to fit whatever style of taste you’re craving. And for those who like to hang out and read while they nosh, many cafes come attached to bookstores.

 

 

Smart Coffee

 

Sarasa Nishijin

 

Souan Cafe

 

Cozy Cafe Kyoto

 

Kyoto Tenro-in

 

Shinshindo (Right below KICL!)

 

Slow Page

 

Panel Cafe

 

              I would also be remiss not to mention that as a student at KICL, you’ll only be a twenty minute walk from the ramen capital of the city, ichijōji, a neighborhood notorious for its many delicious ramen restaurants, known even outside of Kyoto.

 

Ramen Nagata

Yumewokatare Ramen Shop

 

Ramen Ikedaya

 

Bishiya

 

Nandattei (Not in Ichijōji but down by Kawaramachi, definitely recommend!)

 

Season’s Greetings!

 

              One fact about Japan that you’ll quickly come to appreciate is how the seasons play a great role in its culture, with their changes bringing different events like parades, temple/shrine ceremonies, and the viewing of short-lived but beautiful flora.

 

              Starting with the parades, though the fall semester didn’t feature many, I was able to witness the Jidai Matsuri, a festival celebrating the many different eras of Japanese History through literally thousands of performers sporting different costumes, weapons, and instruments based on the distinct era they represent.

              Another great opportunity to experience a seasonal event is to attend a seasonal temple/shrine ceremony.  In my case it was Setsubun, the holiday for welcoming Spring. The holiday lasts a few days and in Kyoto at least entails throwing beans at Oni (Japanese ogres), eating ehomaki (a type of sushi), playing the lottery, and burning old charms to release their spirits. Many shrines hold Setsubun festivals but I would definitely recommend going to Yoshida’s as it's only a 20 minute walk South of KICL and I believe is the biggest in Kyoto. And like any Japanese festival, there are plenty of delicious food stalls featuring such classic fare as takoyaki, yakisoba, taiyaki, and okonomiyaki. Make sure to check out the game stalls as well, though be wary, most at best have low chances of winning (lottery tickets and pachinko) or at worst are fairly rigged (I’m thinking of the cork gun game in particular).

Even 7-11 gets in on the seasonal action

 

 

 

Karosai, the burning of old charms and scrolls

 

              The changing of the seasons brings new exciting plants into bloom as well. For instance, just like the famous changing of the foliage in New England in the States, Japan has its own mesmerizing period of autumn leaves. Lasting from around mid October to mid November (for the Kansai region at least), the fall phase known as momiji, as well as kōyō, is a chance to see Japan’s maple trees change in the beginning to a striking yellow, by the middle a vibrant orange, and by the end a rich, luscious red.

 

At the base of Mt. Hieizan

 

Above view from the same area of Mt. Hieizan

 

Entrance to Daigo-ji

 

KICL’s very on maple trees

 

The last remnants of momiji, taken near Kifune Shrine

              Following the autumn and then winter, there is also of course the flowering of Spring’s flora as well. Though as of now, the iconic sakura (cherry blossoms) have only just begun to sprout, I can at least share pictures of equally beautiful plum blossoms , which bloomed about a month ago. The featured pictures below are from Jōnangū, a shrine that, due to its large collection of plum blossoms, is quite popular in the beginning of Spring.

 

 

Kansai Central

 

              One last aspect of the local Kansai flavor that I’d like to share is the near proximity of other cities and even prefectures from Kyoto. In my short six months here so far, I’ve been to such neighboring places as Otsu, Osaka, Uji, and Koyasan (not to mention far away places like Matsumoto in Nagano, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hakone near Tokyo, and Yamagata Prefecture) and it still doesn’t feel like I made enough of an effort considering there’s still nearby famous cities like Nara, Kobe, and Himeiji left to explore for starters. Whether by local train or by bus, all of these cities (excluding Koyasan of Wakayama Prefecture though it’s only about four hours) are less than three hours away. The rare times that you do get days off, make sure to spend some time outside of Kyoto exploring these wonderful cities and neighboring prefectures. Below I’d like to focus on a couple that are both about an hour away by local train, Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, and Uji just directly South of Kyoto. 

 

              Otsu is slightly Southeast of the school, a nice, quiet town that hugs Lake Biwako in Shiga Prefecture. Your options for getting there are by the train, bus, or if you’d like a real adventure, you could go to Mt. Hieizan and then ride the cable car down the backside of the mountain. I’ve only been there once so I wish I could speak to more of its attractions but the day I went was spent mostly temple hunting on the expansive temple/shrine complex of Onjo-ji. Afterwards I found an extremely affordable and delicious soba place and from there went to another major temple, Omi Jingu.

 

Downtown Otsu from the train station

 

Mio Shrine at the base of Onjo-ji

 

Onjo-ji Temple

 

View above Kannon-do Hall, overlooking the city as well

 

Restaurant Fugetsu

The red gates of Omi Jingu

 

              Another city you’ll definitely want to visit is Uji, a place well known for two things: Byōdō-in Temple and Matcha green tea. A little more than an hour away by train, Uji is a fun, touristy city directly south of the city. Once you pass the long, historical bridge overpassing the picturesque Uji river, you’ll find it littered with eateries and matcha tea houses.

 

View from the Uji Bridge

Statue dedicated to Murasaki Shikibu, the famed author of The Tale of Genji

Byōdō-in, the famous temple found on the 10 yen coin

 

Nakamura Tokichi Honten, a famous tea shop known for Matcha and Matcha flavored desserts

 

              So far we’ve covered things as local to Kyoto as different neighborhoods, restaurant recommendations, and specific shrines/temples, to things as far flung and universal as types of Japanese food, other prefectures, and seasonal celebrations, and it only feels like we’ve just scratched the surface. I hope this blog post will inspire you, and make you want to read about the city of Kyoto and what the Kansai region has to offer. Yes you’ll be studying a lot and maybe even putting in time at an arubaito (part-time job) or school club, but learning a language deserves equal time for immersing yourself in the culture, and honestly, after a long week or even just a day of school, sometimes you’ve just gotta give yourself the time to have fun in Japan.