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Bonjour everybody,
I`m in Kyoto right now, arrived yesterday. Flight was uneventful (Lufthanza`s cattle class), arrival in KIX at 9 AM, immigration took a mere 15 min including fingerprinting and photo (they take both fingers at the same time and you get a musical sound when it`s done), same questions as usual (why, until when, where, and where after that).
Took the JR Haruka to Kyoto, bought the ticket from the distributor that`labelled "English" and that takes credit cards, very clear and easy instructions.
I`m staying at the Station Hotel Kyoto West, 3 min on foot from the main station (Karasuma) exit, right in front of you at the corner. It`s facing a Lawson convenience store (and a patchinko parlor), there`s a bakery at the corner. It`very clean, room is big (except bathroom which is minuscule but this is usual). Staff speaks Emglish. They kept my bags since I was too early for checkup, found them in myroom in the afternoon.
First day I walked a lot (from the station to Gion and back), so had a good night once my feet stopped protesting ...
Today, late breakfast at the station after visiting the tourism office (9th floor, south elevators in Isetan at the station) for a paper copy of Kyoto Visitor`s Guide. Then, bus Nr 100 (Raku Bus) to Heian Jingu and visit of the Museum of Traditional Craft (Fureaikan), inside the Miyako Messe. Beside the fascinating Kyoto craft exposition, there was a special exhibition by a painter who apparently is well known and had something to do with restauring ancient paintings in some temples, but I didn`t catch his name. I was however invited to sign a register (what they`re going to do with my name I don`t know) and received a package with an assortment of postcards and a wall mounting of one of his picture, plus a cup of tea and a cookie ...
Dinner tonight is discounted sushi from Isetan`s food 2nd basement (get there between 7:30-8PM and you`ll get fed lots of samples on top of being offered huge discounts), a beer, and now I`m headed to the common bath on the 5th floor of the hotel (report tomorrow ...)
Florence is in Japan
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Bonjour Florence,
Sounds wonderful! Enjoy!
hi florence, sounds like a great start, sushi and beer. lol.
will you be testing for your red belt?
Ohaiyo gazaimasu Florence san!
Sounds like a great first day back in Kyoto. Love the style in which you are doing your report, something I may emulate when I do my next report.
On weekend nights the movable food vendors set up outside in front of Kyoto station for another nice light dinner option but you probably already know that
Anxiously awaiting more!
Aloha!
Wow, I am so glad I checked the Asia board and saw this! We need a trip report like this, thanks Florence!
Hi Florence--good to hear from you! looking forward to more of your latest adventure.
Are you there for Aikido?
Bonjour my friends,
Third day, my feet are killing me, decided to take it easy (ha!) so left for an area just a few blocks away (along Shichi\jo street to the Kamo river, then up the river until the first bridge, then left into Shomen street towards the Toyokuni sanctuary) for some picture of old houses. There`s a small fleamarket there on the 8th and the 18th, nothing fantastic but you never know.
Ended up going on foot to Kiyomizudera via every single open pottery store along Gojo and from Kiyo to Yasaka in Gion. However, I found the purse of my dreams (not the price, though) on the way, made me forget about my feet for a while ...
BTW, the bath on the 5th floor of the hotel is fine, large pool and not too hot.
End of the afternoon in Arashiyama with bus nr 11 from Shijo, had a coffee at the Blue Onion bar on the way back (can`t resist a bar with such a name ...).
In Arashiyama, I went 6years old again in the Chirimen Craft Museum and Shop, almost in front of Tenryu ji temple ... lots of small figurines in silk crepe (new year and Xmas decorations, mini-sushis, ...).
No particular info about food, I tend to eat in the first place that looks and smell good ...
Dec. 19, visited the small but interesting Museum of Kyoto Roads near the station (behind the post office), then Nijo castle (whoever named the floor "nightingale" definitely has a tin ear), then went to Nishiki Ori Center for a kimono show. A word of advice: avoid it like the plague if there`s a busload of youngish, nouveau-riche looking Chinese ...
Had an excellent salad nicoise at a very nice tiny little cafe at the corner of Horikawa-Imadegawa, just above the center, though.
Back at the station, found out that Isetan has the whole assortment of baby clothes and accessories of the brand "Hysteric Mini/Glamour/Maniacs", that is "Guaranteed to give 100% inside" ! I nearly had hysterics myself while buying a set of towelettes and hearing the sales attendent comment that "really, at her age ..."
Today, went antiques looking in some small streets, found a music shop called "Didgeridoo" where "All tribes welcome reach early, if you feel carefully now, you`ll feel Mystic Vibration". On the way back, I passed by the "Tock Circus Square" (whatever it is).
Tomorrow, fleamarket at the Toji ... looks promising, the weather is splendid and my feet are getting better.
Dec. 22 going to Tokyo just in time for the year-end party of my teacher`s kendo dojo ...
Keep it coming!
Oh, you were at Toji today! Did you have some great stall food for lunch? I wonder if my knife sharpening stone man was at his booth today. Find any nice kimono jackets? Probably good thing I am not there w/you, I'd be broke by now.
Florence, it amazes me that after all your long trips to Kyoto, you are still finding new things to do and see there...
Bonne et Heureuse Annee a tous !
Happy New Year from Tokyo, Everybody
Didn t have time to find an internet cafe, my ryokan in Tokyo (Mikawaya Honten) is devoid of all modern commodities but has all I require, which is a bathroom in my room, an o-furo on the 1st floor, cleanliness, and the owners are a couple of old people who couldn t be nicer, on top of being just the next street from the Shigetsu in Asakusa.
You`ve got no idea of what a crowd is until you`ve witnessed the New Year in Asakusa. All the temple surroundings are covered in tents selling food, lucky charms, trinkets, clothes, whatever, and all of Tokyo and their country cousins are converging there for the first visit of the year, and it`ll be like that until at least the 4th.
On top of this, all the shops have started with the seasons "baagens" (bargains, sales), and people are rushing for the "fukubukuro", the lucky bags that contains surprise stuff from the shops. You can see groups of young women with pink, lacy, roller suitcases they just bought at the latest "in" shops, containing who knows what ....
I`ve discovered a nice little museum in the Forum in Yurakucho, the "Gohan Museum", where on top of everything about rice, you can have a meal and about 100 free recipes cards, at least 30 in English. I`ll post the details in a special post when I`ll be back home, together with tips, addresses, etc. that can be of use for everybody.
Emd, there`s always something new to discover in Japan, especially if you don`t plan in advance ... Of course, I cheat since I can read Japanese and therefore buy books like "The latest detailed maps to the 101 things to do, see, and taste in selected parts of the city, if you can survive all the walking around".
In Toji, I bought 35 sketches and paintings on paper, all certainly dating from the late Edo period, none by any illustrious painter at first sight, although the specialist I showed some of them told me they were very good and I had made a good bargain ... Yeah !
The daughter of one of my colleague arrived on the 30th, I dragged her to the end of year kendo practice and the sounding of the bell at the temple next door, then to the drinks do we had afterwards until 3 AM. Quite an introduction to the real Japan for an 18 years old who has never been outside home without mom before ... she seems to like it until now, and she`s wise enough to follow me and to look around before starting to buy everything she sees.
Today was Tokyu Hands in Ikebukuro and a view of Mt Fuji from the Sunshine 60 observatory. It was sunny and very clear, with no fog over the city, and Fuji-San was very visible.
In Tokyu Hands, I found all the sewing accessories I couldn t get from any shop in France and Switzerland ("it doesn t exist/we can t order it"). As I told Celine, it s better we didn t get to the bigger shop in Shinjuku (although, later ...).
Well, signing off, will be back later.
I miss Florence. She never finished this trip report.
I am thinking of going back to Japan and have been reviewing her posts, and KimJapan's (who also is MIA around here). I miss how Florence always started her posts with "bonjour."
Florence, where are you? I hope your ears are burning, as I've been thinking about you lately. Someone posted asking for gift ideas from Japan and it made me think about your last trip to Toji market that you documented in this unfinished trip report.
I am thinking seriously of taking my husband to Japan (his first trip) next fall in Nov.
I hope you come back here and check this post...
OH...This got me so excited thinking this was a new post!!
I also miss Florence.
me too!
If we all think about her and send vibes, she will come check the forum. At least it worked on KimJapan.
When she comes back we will get to say "Bonjour, Florence."
I miss her also - it was her post that got me to stay at the Annex Katsutaro in Yanaka Tokyo back on my first trip to Japan in 2004. I will stay there again this year for two nights....
se trois!