Sushi, Shrines and Shinkansen; 8 Days in Tokyo and Kyoto
Jun 13th, 2011, 06:42 PM
#61
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Taking the Bullet Train from Tokyo to Kyoto
Our reservation is on the 8am Shinkansen train from Tokyo station to Kyoto and it’s raining. Hard. On a nice day, without luggage, it’s about a 10 minute walk from the Tokyo Hilton to the Shinjuku station where we could have used our JR passes on a JR rail commuter train to connect to the Tokyo station. But today, the thought of fighting the crowd against the tide in the rain, with luggage, is just too much.
Fortunately, the Nishi-Shinjuku subway station is connected to the hotel by an underground walkway. From there, we can take the subway to Tokyo station and connect with the Shinkansen. We allow ourselves about an hour to get from the Hilton to Tokyo station and make it with only a few minutes to spare, just enough time to buy a couple of chocolate croissants at a French bakery in the station, but not enough time to buy coffee.
For the experience of riding the Shinkansen train, see my Japan Tips and Observations post. The train is incredibly fast and the countryside whirrs by us at breakneck speed. Views from the train are a mix of farmland, small towns and light industry. Many of the houses in the smaller villages look very close together, almost like townhouses, but I also notice what looks like a lot of community garden spaces.
On arrival to Kyoto station, we take the hotel shuttle bus to the Westin Miyako Hotel. My full review of the hotel to come soon.
Our reservation is on the 8am Shinkansen train from Tokyo station to Kyoto and it’s raining. Hard. On a nice day, without luggage, it’s about a 10 minute walk from the Tokyo Hilton to the Shinjuku station where we could have used our JR passes on a JR rail commuter train to connect to the Tokyo station. But today, the thought of fighting the crowd against the tide in the rain, with luggage, is just too much.
Fortunately, the Nishi-Shinjuku subway station is connected to the hotel by an underground walkway. From there, we can take the subway to Tokyo station and connect with the Shinkansen. We allow ourselves about an hour to get from the Hilton to Tokyo station and make it with only a few minutes to spare, just enough time to buy a couple of chocolate croissants at a French bakery in the station, but not enough time to buy coffee.
For the experience of riding the Shinkansen train, see my Japan Tips and Observations post. The train is incredibly fast and the countryside whirrs by us at breakneck speed. Views from the train are a mix of farmland, small towns and light industry. Many of the houses in the smaller villages look very close together, almost like townhouses, but I also notice what looks like a lot of community garden spaces.
On arrival to Kyoto station, we take the hotel shuttle bus to the Westin Miyako Hotel. My full review of the hotel to come soon.
Jun 14th, 2011, 05:41 AM
#62
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No Name Restaurant
After getting settled in our room, it’s time for lunch and we take the hotel’s shuttle bus to the Gion stop. We wander around a bit, taking in the sights of the old town and trying to find a tofu restaurant I’d read about. We finally find it, only to discover it closed.
We walk around some more and then we accept a hand-out for a restaurant from a young man on Shijo-dori (don’t ask me why because normally we would never do this) . The yellow sheet of paper is mostly in Japanese (which we don’t read) but also has some English on it, advertising set lunches. He leads us down an impossibly narrow alleyway to the back of the building, around a corner and into a teeny-tiny restaurant, which has 4 tables and 5 counter seats. We sit at the counter and order a lunch special set which includes both tempura and sashimi, miso soup, rice (David gets the extra special red rice). This is definitely a “mom and pop” place and I think their son was the kid on the street, but the food was very fresh and nicely presented and prepared. Lunch, with tea, was about 1575 yen per person.
They had no cards so I have no idea of the name of this place or how to explain how to find it. Now I can see that it’s not surprising that they had someone handing out fliers on the street.
After getting settled in our room, it’s time for lunch and we take the hotel’s shuttle bus to the Gion stop. We wander around a bit, taking in the sights of the old town and trying to find a tofu restaurant I’d read about. We finally find it, only to discover it closed.
We walk around some more and then we accept a hand-out for a restaurant from a young man on Shijo-dori (don’t ask me why because normally we would never do this) . The yellow sheet of paper is mostly in Japanese (which we don’t read) but also has some English on it, advertising set lunches. He leads us down an impossibly narrow alleyway to the back of the building, around a corner and into a teeny-tiny restaurant, which has 4 tables and 5 counter seats. We sit at the counter and order a lunch special set which includes both tempura and sashimi, miso soup, rice (David gets the extra special red rice). This is definitely a “mom and pop” place and I think their son was the kid on the street, but the food was very fresh and nicely presented and prepared. Lunch, with tea, was about 1575 yen per person.
They had no cards so I have no idea of the name of this place or how to explain how to find it. Now I can see that it’s not surprising that they had someone handing out fliers on the street.
Jun 14th, 2011, 06:17 AM
#63
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<b>Objects on the map may be farther than they appear</b>
After lunch we look at the map and decide to walk toward Nijo Castle. There are some interesting old buildings with varying architectural styles near the river and when we try and take a short cut, we get sidetracked by a long covered shopping arcade (which we later figured out crosses the food market street).
There are all sorts of cool shops to explore here and also little temples, squeezed in between clothing stores and food shops. By the time we exit it, the weather had started to turn cold, windy and rainy.
We push on, mini umbrellas bending backwards with the force of the wind, but finally abandon the task when we realized that <i>objects on the map may be farther than they appear.</i>
What looked like a few blocks turned out to be more than a dozen more to go (after stopping and asking someone) and in the end, we hop on the subway back to the hotel where we arrive in time for a short nap and then a visit to the Club Lounge for cocktail hour.
After lunch we look at the map and decide to walk toward Nijo Castle. There are some interesting old buildings with varying architectural styles near the river and when we try and take a short cut, we get sidetracked by a long covered shopping arcade (which we later figured out crosses the food market street).
There are all sorts of cool shops to explore here and also little temples, squeezed in between clothing stores and food shops. By the time we exit it, the weather had started to turn cold, windy and rainy.
We push on, mini umbrellas bending backwards with the force of the wind, but finally abandon the task when we realized that <i>objects on the map may be farther than they appear.</i>
What looked like a few blocks turned out to be more than a dozen more to go (after stopping and asking someone) and in the end, we hop on the subway back to the hotel where we arrive in time for a short nap and then a visit to the Club Lounge for cocktail hour.
Jun 14th, 2011, 06:19 AM
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<b>Okonomiyaki Kiraku</b>
There is free wifi in the lounge, and I use the time to investigate our dinner offerings. We wanted to try Okonomiyaki, a sort of Japanese savory pancake/pizza cooked on a flat top griddle. By chance, I’d come across the mention of a place which was supposed to be near the hotel. After more googling, I was able to pin it down, and we walked about 3 blocks downhill from the hotel to find Okonomiyaki Kiraku, at the corner of Sanjo Street and Okazakimichi St. They are open for both lunch and dinner (until midnight), closed on Mondays.
The restaurant is small, 8 seats at a counter and 4 tables, but the waitress and the guys cooking behind the griddle were friendly, generous, and patient with our attempts to order. They have an English menu which was greatly appreciated, yet I think we were the only tourists in there at the time. This place has figured out how to handle the big hotel down the street for those travelers willing to forgo the hotel restaurants in search of something different, yet maintain its own local flavor.
For our first experiences eating Okonomiyaki, I was very happy to have them cook it for me, but I understand that some places they give you the ingredients and you make it yourself.
We each ordered a “single”, mine with pork, shrimp and squid, and David’s with pork and shrimp. I also ordered some eggplant, which turned out to be two short Japanese eggplant, sliced in half and cooked on the griddle with some soy sauce and topped with shaved bonito. They arrived soft and perfectly cooked to the center, a little sweet from the caramelized soy sauce and nicely balanced with the saltiness of the shaved bonito.
Then came the Okonomiyaki, served up on the griddle in front of us to stay warm, and with a squeeze bottles of sauce (sweet soy and a mayo) to put over it. It was surprisingly filling and I can’t imagine eating a large one.
Watching the guys cook was fun; they weighed and measured everything before putting it on the grill. We watched as they made another dish, like a very thin crepe, covered with about 2 cups of sliced green onions or small leeks, and when they cooked down, covered with another crepe. This was served up to the guy at the counter next to us, who offered us a taste of his meal (it was excellent) and the line cook pointed out what it was on the menu (some sort of vegetarian dish). Along with 2 beers, 2 Okonomiyaki and the eggplant, dinner was about 3000 yen.
Photos from this day are now on my blog:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...t-okonimiyaki/
There is free wifi in the lounge, and I use the time to investigate our dinner offerings. We wanted to try Okonomiyaki, a sort of Japanese savory pancake/pizza cooked on a flat top griddle. By chance, I’d come across the mention of a place which was supposed to be near the hotel. After more googling, I was able to pin it down, and we walked about 3 blocks downhill from the hotel to find Okonomiyaki Kiraku, at the corner of Sanjo Street and Okazakimichi St. They are open for both lunch and dinner (until midnight), closed on Mondays.
The restaurant is small, 8 seats at a counter and 4 tables, but the waitress and the guys cooking behind the griddle were friendly, generous, and patient with our attempts to order. They have an English menu which was greatly appreciated, yet I think we were the only tourists in there at the time. This place has figured out how to handle the big hotel down the street for those travelers willing to forgo the hotel restaurants in search of something different, yet maintain its own local flavor.
For our first experiences eating Okonomiyaki, I was very happy to have them cook it for me, but I understand that some places they give you the ingredients and you make it yourself.
We each ordered a “single”, mine with pork, shrimp and squid, and David’s with pork and shrimp. I also ordered some eggplant, which turned out to be two short Japanese eggplant, sliced in half and cooked on the griddle with some soy sauce and topped with shaved bonito. They arrived soft and perfectly cooked to the center, a little sweet from the caramelized soy sauce and nicely balanced with the saltiness of the shaved bonito.
Then came the Okonomiyaki, served up on the griddle in front of us to stay warm, and with a squeeze bottles of sauce (sweet soy and a mayo) to put over it. It was surprisingly filling and I can’t imagine eating a large one.
Watching the guys cook was fun; they weighed and measured everything before putting it on the grill. We watched as they made another dish, like a very thin crepe, covered with about 2 cups of sliced green onions or small leeks, and when they cooked down, covered with another crepe. This was served up to the guy at the counter next to us, who offered us a taste of his meal (it was excellent) and the line cook pointed out what it was on the menu (some sort of vegetarian dish). Along with 2 beers, 2 Okonomiyaki and the eggplant, dinner was about 3000 yen.
Photos from this day are now on my blog:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...t-okonimiyaki/
Jun 14th, 2011, 02:29 PM
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A cold somen salad would go nice right now for lunch on this hot and humid summer day....think I'll go get one 
They are served with varying ingredients in the different prefectures throughout Japan but always a favorite especially right now in the summer. I'm gonna have to buy that cookbook so we can try out your recipe!
The Japanese obsession with mayonnaise amazes me. Eggs(tomago) in every shape and form from raw to mayo are revered. Okonomiyaki is a fun and filling meal. Glad to see you got to try all the good things while you were there....Any plans on a return trip??? Next time its out of the cities and into that countryside you saw a little of zooming by on that shinkansen,lol.
How did you like the Westin Kyoto? (I know.....patience you'll get there)
Aloha!
They are served with varying ingredients in the different prefectures throughout Japan but always a favorite especially right now in the summer. I'm gonna have to buy that cookbook so we can try out your recipe!
The Japanese obsession with mayonnaise amazes me. Eggs(tomago) in every shape and form from raw to mayo are revered. Okonomiyaki is a fun and filling meal. Glad to see you got to try all the good things while you were there....Any plans on a return trip??? Next time its out of the cities and into that countryside you saw a little of zooming by on that shinkansen,lol.
How did you like the Westin Kyoto? (I know.....patience you'll get there)
Aloha!
Jun 15th, 2011, 06:42 AM
#67
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HT- Yes, we will definitely go back someday, just not sure when yet. I've got a couple other trips in the works. The Westin review is coming next, either later tonight or tomorrow.
LCI- You know I love my eggplant too and this was tasty!
LCI- You know I love my eggplant too and this was tasty!
Jun 16th, 2011, 05:52 AM
#68
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<b>Kyoto; Westin Miyako Hotel Review</B>
We arrive into Kyoto station on the Shinkansen train from Tokyo and head outside to in search of the hotel’s free shuttle bus which turns out not to be clearly marked.
It’s located where all the other buses stop on a small traffic island across from the Harvey’s grocery store in the station. The bus leaves the station on the hour and the half hour. Though we did not discover this until our last day, there is a satellite concierge office inside the station which can guide you to the bus stop and store luggage if you need it.
The drive to the hotel takes almost ½ an hour in traffic, but the ride can also take as little as 15 minutes.
In the opposite direction, from the hotel to the station, the bus makes a stop in Kyoto’s Gion neighborhood, but only to let people off, and does not allow guests back on to go back to the hotel (I never quite understood this).
The Westin Miyako is a Starwood property and I had booked a standard room, using cash plus SPG points ($60 plus 4000 points per night) for 3 nights.
I have SPG Gold status and at check-in we ask about getting access to the Club Lounge and are told it is only given to Platinum level guests. When we ask about the cost of an upgrade to a club level room which would give us access to the lounge, we’re told we can have that for an additional 1500 points a night. The upgrade gives access to the lounge for breakfast, coffee throughout the day, and evening cocktails.
The lounge has free wifi and in addition, we could use our breakfast vouchers for the buffet breakfast in the main part of the hotel which is substantially better than the lounge’s continental offerings.
<b>The Rooms:</b>
We accept the upgrade, and head up to our room on the 5th floor. The room is nice and has a view over the valley and hills, but has a very small bathroom. We felt that for the added expense of 1500 points a night, perhaps the room should have been better than standard.
It can’t hurt to ask, right?
I’d read that Club Level rooms were on the top floors so I didn’t understand why we were on the lowest guest floor. Still, it did seem to have some of the upgraded amenities of the club level rooms (robes, pajamas, etc.) which are not included in the standard rooms. We debate for a while about what to do and decide to go ask if this is indeed a “Club Level” room.
The young woman who had checked us in was still at the front desk, and when we ask about the room, she admits it is not a Club room.
But there is also a bit of a language break down (we speak no Japanese and her English is not very strong).
What we learn is this; official “club” rooms are on floors 9 and 10 but only have views of the interior courtyard and mountains andshe knew we wanted a room with a view over the city.
In addition, Club rooms aren’t really any larger than the standard room. She thought the view was more important to us so that’s why she had given us the room on the 5th floor.
She then starts offering us other rooms, including one on a corner on a higher floor with a view and another which is a Junior Suite.
When I ask about the Junior Suite, she picks up the phone, speaks to a supervisor and then says she could offer it to us, on the 8thfloor with a view of the city. All this for the same 1500 point upgrade. It does make one wonder why it wasn’t offered from the beginning.
We say ok, sight unseen, and are taken back to our old room by a trainee with a luggage cart who moves us to the new room.
We arrive into Kyoto station on the Shinkansen train from Tokyo and head outside to in search of the hotel’s free shuttle bus which turns out not to be clearly marked.
It’s located where all the other buses stop on a small traffic island across from the Harvey’s grocery store in the station. The bus leaves the station on the hour and the half hour. Though we did not discover this until our last day, there is a satellite concierge office inside the station which can guide you to the bus stop and store luggage if you need it.
The drive to the hotel takes almost ½ an hour in traffic, but the ride can also take as little as 15 minutes.
In the opposite direction, from the hotel to the station, the bus makes a stop in Kyoto’s Gion neighborhood, but only to let people off, and does not allow guests back on to go back to the hotel (I never quite understood this).
The Westin Miyako is a Starwood property and I had booked a standard room, using cash plus SPG points ($60 plus 4000 points per night) for 3 nights.
I have SPG Gold status and at check-in we ask about getting access to the Club Lounge and are told it is only given to Platinum level guests. When we ask about the cost of an upgrade to a club level room which would give us access to the lounge, we’re told we can have that for an additional 1500 points a night. The upgrade gives access to the lounge for breakfast, coffee throughout the day, and evening cocktails.
The lounge has free wifi and in addition, we could use our breakfast vouchers for the buffet breakfast in the main part of the hotel which is substantially better than the lounge’s continental offerings.
<b>The Rooms:</b>
We accept the upgrade, and head up to our room on the 5th floor. The room is nice and has a view over the valley and hills, but has a very small bathroom. We felt that for the added expense of 1500 points a night, perhaps the room should have been better than standard.
It can’t hurt to ask, right?
I’d read that Club Level rooms were on the top floors so I didn’t understand why we were on the lowest guest floor. Still, it did seem to have some of the upgraded amenities of the club level rooms (robes, pajamas, etc.) which are not included in the standard rooms. We debate for a while about what to do and decide to go ask if this is indeed a “Club Level” room.
The young woman who had checked us in was still at the front desk, and when we ask about the room, she admits it is not a Club room.
But there is also a bit of a language break down (we speak no Japanese and her English is not very strong).
What we learn is this; official “club” rooms are on floors 9 and 10 but only have views of the interior courtyard and mountains andshe knew we wanted a room with a view over the city.
In addition, Club rooms aren’t really any larger than the standard room. She thought the view was more important to us so that’s why she had given us the room on the 5th floor.
She then starts offering us other rooms, including one on a corner on a higher floor with a view and another which is a Junior Suite.
When I ask about the Junior Suite, she picks up the phone, speaks to a supervisor and then says she could offer it to us, on the 8thfloor with a view of the city. All this for the same 1500 point upgrade. It does make one wonder why it wasn’t offered from the beginning.
We say ok, sight unseen, and are taken back to our old room by a trainee with a luggage cart who moves us to the new room.
Jun 16th, 2011, 06:18 AM
#69
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The new room is huge, with 1960’s furniture and a king-sized bed. It’s connected to a very large suite (via internal door) on one side andanother room on the other.
On one side of the entrance hallway was a dressing room with closet and vanity.
On the other side is the bathroom with a separate glassed in room for the toilet, another marble walled room with two sinks, anda third room with more marble and glass which had a walk in shower and tub. The amenities were upgraded large size Bulgari toiletries.
Besides the king sized bed, the bedroom has a writing desk, two low slung vintage chairs with a small table and a stunning view over the valley, city and small temple next door.
A wide sideboard has a large flat screen tv, coffee maker, minibar and safe. The only drawback to the room is a lack of available outlet plugs near the desk and bed for charging our electronic gizmos.
We love this room, including the 60′s vintage decor, and it just goes to show if you are polite and pleasant, it can never hurt to ask about other options at check-in.
<b> Club Lounge:</b>
The club lounge is located on the 10th floor and has an amazing view over the entire city. It’s fairly small, with 12-15 tables, and not much on offer in terms of the complimentary drinks and snacks of other Starwood Lounges we’ve visited.
During the evening cocktail hour, they provide each guest with a small plate of 4 canapés. That’s it for food, except for some mixed nuts, crackers andone plate with a wedge of cheese on it. There’s a small selection of beer and wine, a coffee machine, and a few different liquors for make-your-own cocktails.
We are forever spoiled by the generous offerings of the Club Lounges at the Sheraton Saigon and Panama City.
<b>Breakfast:</b>
Breakfast in the buffet on 2nd floor has ten times the continental offerings of the Club lounge. The buffet breakfast is normally 3600 yen and therefore made the “cost” of our room upgrade worth it for breakfast vouchers alone.
The Japanese breakfast options outshine the western offerings and I find myself eating cold poached tofu with ginger and soy sauce every morning, along with some picked vegetables. There are three kinds of rice (red rice being very popular and local here in Kyoto), miso soup and congee.
In addition to the Japanese choices, there’s yogurt and fruit and all the traditional starches; French toast, hash browns and pastries and it’s easy to try small bits of everything. It’s a little eclectic but it works for me. The bacon seems very undercooked for American tastes as are the scrambled eggs, though eggs cooked to order and omelettes are available.
There are also salad and cold cut offerings and I notice many of the Japanese guests having the salads along with the Japanese choices.
In the end, we enjoyed our stay in this hotel.
I realize the vintage (some might say “not updated” ) decor of the room might not be for everyone, but we liked it, and since the bathroom had been updated, we thought it was quite nice. The location is a bit far from the center, but the subway stop next door is convenient as well as is the free shuttle bus.
The hotel is right across the street from the “Philisopher’s Path,” a winding path along a canal lined with cherry trees and several temples and has its own nature trail behind it which supposedly has good bird watching opportunities. Unfortunately, due to time and weather, we were only able to see one of the temples in the neighborhood, but probably could have spent an entire day wandering just the nature trail and the Philosopher’s Path.
Finally, there are several small, inexpensive restaurants in the area and the front desk has a map with all their locations.
Photos at:http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...-hotel-review/
On one side of the entrance hallway was a dressing room with closet and vanity.
On the other side is the bathroom with a separate glassed in room for the toilet, another marble walled room with two sinks, anda third room with more marble and glass which had a walk in shower and tub. The amenities were upgraded large size Bulgari toiletries.
Besides the king sized bed, the bedroom has a writing desk, two low slung vintage chairs with a small table and a stunning view over the valley, city and small temple next door.
A wide sideboard has a large flat screen tv, coffee maker, minibar and safe. The only drawback to the room is a lack of available outlet plugs near the desk and bed for charging our electronic gizmos.
We love this room, including the 60′s vintage decor, and it just goes to show if you are polite and pleasant, it can never hurt to ask about other options at check-in.
<b> Club Lounge:</b>
The club lounge is located on the 10th floor and has an amazing view over the entire city. It’s fairly small, with 12-15 tables, and not much on offer in terms of the complimentary drinks and snacks of other Starwood Lounges we’ve visited.
During the evening cocktail hour, they provide each guest with a small plate of 4 canapés. That’s it for food, except for some mixed nuts, crackers andone plate with a wedge of cheese on it. There’s a small selection of beer and wine, a coffee machine, and a few different liquors for make-your-own cocktails.
We are forever spoiled by the generous offerings of the Club Lounges at the Sheraton Saigon and Panama City.
<b>Breakfast:</b>
Breakfast in the buffet on 2nd floor has ten times the continental offerings of the Club lounge. The buffet breakfast is normally 3600 yen and therefore made the “cost” of our room upgrade worth it for breakfast vouchers alone.
The Japanese breakfast options outshine the western offerings and I find myself eating cold poached tofu with ginger and soy sauce every morning, along with some picked vegetables. There are three kinds of rice (red rice being very popular and local here in Kyoto), miso soup and congee.
In addition to the Japanese choices, there’s yogurt and fruit and all the traditional starches; French toast, hash browns and pastries and it’s easy to try small bits of everything. It’s a little eclectic but it works for me. The bacon seems very undercooked for American tastes as are the scrambled eggs, though eggs cooked to order and omelettes are available.
There are also salad and cold cut offerings and I notice many of the Japanese guests having the salads along with the Japanese choices.
In the end, we enjoyed our stay in this hotel.
I realize the vintage (some might say “not updated” ) decor of the room might not be for everyone, but we liked it, and since the bathroom had been updated, we thought it was quite nice. The location is a bit far from the center, but the subway stop next door is convenient as well as is the free shuttle bus.
The hotel is right across the street from the “Philisopher’s Path,” a winding path along a canal lined with cherry trees and several temples and has its own nature trail behind it which supposedly has good bird watching opportunities. Unfortunately, due to time and weather, we were only able to see one of the temples in the neighborhood, but probably could have spent an entire day wandering just the nature trail and the Philosopher’s Path.
Finally, there are several small, inexpensive restaurants in the area and the front desk has a map with all their locations.
Photos at:http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...-hotel-review/
Jun 17th, 2011, 06:58 AM
#70
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Thanks for the review and fab pics. Good deal on the upgrade! We always ask for an upgrade when checking in at a hotel in Japan. We use Hyatt's(Diamond status) mostly but when there are none around I look for an SPG hotel to utilize our points and status.
Have walked by the Westin many times but never went in. I've always wondered about that hotel seeing the varying reviews on TA. Now I have one I can trust.
We have walked the Philosophers Path three times in different seasons and I do love that neighborhood feel of the area around the Westin. Every time we walk the PP I try and let my mind wander back to the 18th century and try to imagine how it looked then. Easier to do in Kyoto than most cities in Japan as lots of older buildings, structures and shrines still remain intact. The location is what always puts me off of staying there and now that we have experienced the Hyatt Kyoto it will be hard to change.....maybe this fall,lol.
Aloha!
Have walked by the Westin many times but never went in. I've always wondered about that hotel seeing the varying reviews on TA. Now I have one I can trust.
We have walked the Philosophers Path three times in different seasons and I do love that neighborhood feel of the area around the Westin. Every time we walk the PP I try and let my mind wander back to the 18th century and try to imagine how it looked then. Easier to do in Kyoto than most cities in Japan as lots of older buildings, structures and shrines still remain intact. The location is what always puts me off of staying there and now that we have experienced the Hyatt Kyoto it will be hard to change.....maybe this fall,lol.
Aloha!
Jun 21st, 2011, 06:18 AM
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<b>Kyoto’s Nishiki Market Street</b>
If you’re interested in food, when researching Kyoto, it’s almost impossible not to come across references to Nishiki street. This market is often referred to as an “alley” but really, it’s quite clean and comfortable because it’s located one of the covered arcade streets running parallel to Shijo St between Teramachi St and Takakura St.
While the surrounding streets are also covered arcades (which is great in inclement weather like we had), those streets are bursting with clothing shops, souvenir stands and restaurants. Nishiki is all about the food; it’s filled with market stalls catering to every kind of Japanese specialty imaginable, many of them unique to Kyoto. There are all manner and variety of pickled vegetables, fresh tofu and yuba (tofu skin), fish mongers and butchers. There are a couple of well known knife shops here though our budget prohibited any purchase.
If you visit, go when hungry. I wish I’d realized this, but we’re full from the big breakfast at the Westin and thus do not try any of the goodies on offer. There are fried things on sticks (always a good thing if you ask me), sashimi on a stick, samples of dozens of different pickled vegetables, and even sweets to try.
In one of the shops is a machine making bonito flakes like the ones which covered our eggplant dish the night before. I am still kicking myself for not buying a package to bring home.
If you’re interested in food, when researching Kyoto, it’s almost impossible not to come across references to Nishiki street. This market is often referred to as an “alley” but really, it’s quite clean and comfortable because it’s located one of the covered arcade streets running parallel to Shijo St between Teramachi St and Takakura St.
While the surrounding streets are also covered arcades (which is great in inclement weather like we had), those streets are bursting with clothing shops, souvenir stands and restaurants. Nishiki is all about the food; it’s filled with market stalls catering to every kind of Japanese specialty imaginable, many of them unique to Kyoto. There are all manner and variety of pickled vegetables, fresh tofu and yuba (tofu skin), fish mongers and butchers. There are a couple of well known knife shops here though our budget prohibited any purchase.
If you visit, go when hungry. I wish I’d realized this, but we’re full from the big breakfast at the Westin and thus do not try any of the goodies on offer. There are fried things on sticks (always a good thing if you ask me), sashimi on a stick, samples of dozens of different pickled vegetables, and even sweets to try.
In one of the shops is a machine making bonito flakes like the ones which covered our eggplant dish the night before. I am still kicking myself for not buying a package to bring home.
Jun 21st, 2011, 06:32 AM
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<b>Daimaru Depachicka (Food Hall)</b>
At the end of Nishiki street we hit Takakura street and turn left, intending to make our way to a subway stop and then to Nijo Castle. Along the way we pass Daimaru Department Store and duck inside to find a restroom. Suddenly we are in another wonderland of food, not exactly unique to Japan, but certainly more common here than in the US; the department store food hall.
In Japan this is called a <i>depachika</i>, and according to the book "Food Sake Tokyo" the word comes from “the words for department store (depa-to) and basement (chika).” This is no mall food court, oh no. Imagine a high end grocery store surrounded by food counters with every possible prepared and raw food, packaged in impossibly beautiful presentations.
There is a grocery store section filled with imported foods, wines, cheeses, and snacks of all kinds. There’s a butcher where you can buy thinly sliced beef, ready for shabu-shabu. Of course there’s a bakery filled with French pastries, many different kinds of bento boxes, sushi and sashimi, fried items, and beautiful fresh salads. Anything you might want. This is also where we found the $150 melon, perfect, fragrant strawberries and individually wrapped mangos.
What we do not see here are places to sit and eat the food one buys at the counters. There are a couple of places selling hot food with a few tables, but from what I understand it’s expected that all the food is takeaway to be eaten at home. I’ve also read that, except for picnics in the park, eating on the street and out in public is just not done.
In the end, I am struck dumb with awe and overwhelmed by choice. There are samples galore and we try gyoza, and flavored vinegars and donuts.
<i>Sigh, can I just move in here for a few weeks?</i>
We wander for almost an hour and in the end, we choose not to buy our lunch here because we don’t want to carry it around with us at the castle and we don’t know if we’ll be able to eat inside the castle grounds. This is a big mistake and I will later have (many) pangs of regret (and hunger).
Many photos of the food on today's blog post at http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...cka-food-hall/
At the end of Nishiki street we hit Takakura street and turn left, intending to make our way to a subway stop and then to Nijo Castle. Along the way we pass Daimaru Department Store and duck inside to find a restroom. Suddenly we are in another wonderland of food, not exactly unique to Japan, but certainly more common here than in the US; the department store food hall.
In Japan this is called a <i>depachika</i>, and according to the book "Food Sake Tokyo" the word comes from “the words for department store (depa-to) and basement (chika).” This is no mall food court, oh no. Imagine a high end grocery store surrounded by food counters with every possible prepared and raw food, packaged in impossibly beautiful presentations.
There is a grocery store section filled with imported foods, wines, cheeses, and snacks of all kinds. There’s a butcher where you can buy thinly sliced beef, ready for shabu-shabu. Of course there’s a bakery filled with French pastries, many different kinds of bento boxes, sushi and sashimi, fried items, and beautiful fresh salads. Anything you might want. This is also where we found the $150 melon, perfect, fragrant strawberries and individually wrapped mangos.
What we do not see here are places to sit and eat the food one buys at the counters. There are a couple of places selling hot food with a few tables, but from what I understand it’s expected that all the food is takeaway to be eaten at home. I’ve also read that, except for picnics in the park, eating on the street and out in public is just not done.
In the end, I am struck dumb with awe and overwhelmed by choice. There are samples galore and we try gyoza, and flavored vinegars and donuts.
<i>Sigh, can I just move in here for a few weeks?</i>
We wander for almost an hour and in the end, we choose not to buy our lunch here because we don’t want to carry it around with us at the castle and we don’t know if we’ll be able to eat inside the castle grounds. This is a big mistake and I will later have (many) pangs of regret (and hunger).
Many photos of the food on today's blog post at http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...cka-food-hall/
Jul 9th, 2011, 04:15 PM
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<b>A Visit To Kyoto’s Nijo Castle</B>
After our morning filled with food, we finally make it onto the subway and exit across the street from Nijo Castle where we’d attempted to walk to the day before in driving wind and rain.
<i>Tip: we bought a 600 yen subway day pass. This is a good value because the least expensive trip is 210 yen so anything after 3 rides in a day is bonus.</i>
Nijo castle is surrounded by high walls and betrays little of what lays inside. The castle complex was built by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late 16th century. Like most of the ancient structures we’ve seen, this is a series of wooden buildings set on elevated platforms connected by covered halls and walkways.
Inside, everything is serene and there are extensive gardens. The cherry blossoms are still in bloom here. The main buildings which were used for living and political functions are filled with beautiful murals as well as some odd life-size model reproductions of the shogun and his “people.”
After touring the living and administrative quarters of the shogun, we are approached by a group of school kids on a tour. They are from a town in the Southern part of the country and ask if they can interview us. They read questions to us from a sheet of paper, asking us how we like Japan, where we’ve traveled and when they find out David is a teacher they’re thrilled. We wish them well, tell them to keep practicing, and move on into the gardens.
The gardens surrounding the castle are quite extensive, and include a very serene small lake and many pathways lined with cherry trees which are still filled with blossoms.
We wander through the gardens after touring the palace, and I’m now wishing I’d bought lunch in the depachica as there are places to sit along the way. Instead, we find ourselves outside the palace after lunchtime with no idea of where to go for something good to eat. Searching bento.com using my phone and the MiFi unfortunately yields nothing of interest in the immediate neighborhood.
We get back on the subway and then off again at one of the larger stations to see if we could find something inside the station. Unfortunately, this turns out to be an error in judgement and a waste of time. In the end, we buy a few sandwiches and some Crispy Creme donuts from shops inside the station (after wandering for 20 minutes in search of something better) and take them back to the hotel. While the egg salad sandwiches are actually pretty good, I am kicking myself for not getting something at the Daimaru Depachicka with all its beautiful offerings.
Lots and lots of photos of Nijo Castle and the gardens at:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...s-nijo-castle/
More to come tomorrow; Nanzen-Ji Temple.
After our morning filled with food, we finally make it onto the subway and exit across the street from Nijo Castle where we’d attempted to walk to the day before in driving wind and rain.
<i>Tip: we bought a 600 yen subway day pass. This is a good value because the least expensive trip is 210 yen so anything after 3 rides in a day is bonus.</i>
Nijo castle is surrounded by high walls and betrays little of what lays inside. The castle complex was built by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late 16th century. Like most of the ancient structures we’ve seen, this is a series of wooden buildings set on elevated platforms connected by covered halls and walkways.
Inside, everything is serene and there are extensive gardens. The cherry blossoms are still in bloom here. The main buildings which were used for living and political functions are filled with beautiful murals as well as some odd life-size model reproductions of the shogun and his “people.”
After touring the living and administrative quarters of the shogun, we are approached by a group of school kids on a tour. They are from a town in the Southern part of the country and ask if they can interview us. They read questions to us from a sheet of paper, asking us how we like Japan, where we’ve traveled and when they find out David is a teacher they’re thrilled. We wish them well, tell them to keep practicing, and move on into the gardens.
The gardens surrounding the castle are quite extensive, and include a very serene small lake and many pathways lined with cherry trees which are still filled with blossoms.
We wander through the gardens after touring the palace, and I’m now wishing I’d bought lunch in the depachica as there are places to sit along the way. Instead, we find ourselves outside the palace after lunchtime with no idea of where to go for something good to eat. Searching bento.com using my phone and the MiFi unfortunately yields nothing of interest in the immediate neighborhood.
We get back on the subway and then off again at one of the larger stations to see if we could find something inside the station. Unfortunately, this turns out to be an error in judgement and a waste of time. In the end, we buy a few sandwiches and some Crispy Creme donuts from shops inside the station (after wandering for 20 minutes in search of something better) and take them back to the hotel. While the egg salad sandwiches are actually pretty good, I am kicking myself for not getting something at the Daimaru Depachicka with all its beautiful offerings.
Lots and lots of photos of Nijo Castle and the gardens at:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...s-nijo-castle/
More to come tomorrow; Nanzen-Ji Temple.
Jul 10th, 2011, 09:28 AM
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<b>Nanzen-Ji Temple and Dinner at Asuka</b>
Across the street from the Keage Subway station and the Westin Miyako Hotel, is an arched entrance to a brick lined tunnel with leads to the Southern end of the Philosopher’s Walk. This pathway follows a canal lined with cherry trees and temples.
We arrive in the late afternoon as the weather is turning overcast and chilly so we stick to the closest temple to the Southern entrance which is also one of the most popular, Nanzen-Ji. If we had more time and better weather, we would have loved to spend the day checking out all the temples along the path.
While we never actually saw the canal as it’s North of nanzen-Ji temple, there was water running everywhere; along the sides of the road, out of private gardens, most of it probably coming from the nearby aquaduct (more on that below).
Walking up to the main gate of the temple, a gigantic two story structure, we see three young women in kimonos taking pictures of eachother. I offer to take their picture of the three of them together with their camera and then ask if I can take one with mine. They happily oblige.
The temple itself appears closed to the public, but the abbot’s quarters are open for a fee of 500 yen per person. We have to leave our shoes at the front while we walk through the compound on elevated wooden walkways. There are numerous serene gardens and we saw several grounds keepers cleaning and pruning with what looked like tweezers and scissors!
Outside the temple is a Meiji era aquaduct dating back to 1890 which still carries water in it today.
After such a long day of walking around, for dinner we opt to keep it close to the hotel (after, of course, enjoying pre-dinner drinks in the hotel’s club lounge). Down the road, very near Okonomiyaki Kiraku, is a small family run udon noodle and tempura house called Asuka. Inside, there is a counter and 4 tables all on raised platforms with mats to sit on. If you go, please remove your shoes as is the norm here (unfortunately, some Italian tourists sitting next to us did not get the memo on this and were oblivious to the custom).
I order the udon with shrimp tempura and David gets a set menu with tempura, miso soup, rice and pickles. The udon soup is flavorful with perfectly cooked noodles, but next time I will opt to keep the tempura on the side as the tempura coating gets too soft, too fast, for my taste when it’s put directly in the soup.
Asuka, near the corner of Sanjo and Jungumichi Streets, Open 11am-11pm, closed Mondays. Our dinner for two, including a small sake, was 2400 yen.
Many photos at:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...nner-at-asuka/
Across the street from the Keage Subway station and the Westin Miyako Hotel, is an arched entrance to a brick lined tunnel with leads to the Southern end of the Philosopher’s Walk. This pathway follows a canal lined with cherry trees and temples.
We arrive in the late afternoon as the weather is turning overcast and chilly so we stick to the closest temple to the Southern entrance which is also one of the most popular, Nanzen-Ji. If we had more time and better weather, we would have loved to spend the day checking out all the temples along the path.
While we never actually saw the canal as it’s North of nanzen-Ji temple, there was water running everywhere; along the sides of the road, out of private gardens, most of it probably coming from the nearby aquaduct (more on that below).
Walking up to the main gate of the temple, a gigantic two story structure, we see three young women in kimonos taking pictures of eachother. I offer to take their picture of the three of them together with their camera and then ask if I can take one with mine. They happily oblige.
The temple itself appears closed to the public, but the abbot’s quarters are open for a fee of 500 yen per person. We have to leave our shoes at the front while we walk through the compound on elevated wooden walkways. There are numerous serene gardens and we saw several grounds keepers cleaning and pruning with what looked like tweezers and scissors!
Outside the temple is a Meiji era aquaduct dating back to 1890 which still carries water in it today.
After such a long day of walking around, for dinner we opt to keep it close to the hotel (after, of course, enjoying pre-dinner drinks in the hotel’s club lounge). Down the road, very near Okonomiyaki Kiraku, is a small family run udon noodle and tempura house called Asuka. Inside, there is a counter and 4 tables all on raised platforms with mats to sit on. If you go, please remove your shoes as is the norm here (unfortunately, some Italian tourists sitting next to us did not get the memo on this and were oblivious to the custom).
I order the udon with shrimp tempura and David gets a set menu with tempura, miso soup, rice and pickles. The udon soup is flavorful with perfectly cooked noodles, but next time I will opt to keep the tempura on the side as the tempura coating gets too soft, too fast, for my taste when it’s put directly in the soup.
Asuka, near the corner of Sanjo and Jungumichi Streets, Open 11am-11pm, closed Mondays. Our dinner for two, including a small sake, was 2400 yen.
Many photos at:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...nner-at-asuka/
Jul 10th, 2011, 09:41 AM
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So much wonderful information here, Kristina! I'm just catching up with you again and also appreciate the Westin review as well as all the temples and food. One of these days, we'll get to Japan and I'm accumulating lots of information.
Jul 10th, 2011, 07:44 PM
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Thanks Kathie! I think you'd like it even though it's so different from South East Asia. I can honestly say I enjoyed myself more than I expected and would really like to return to see other parts of the country.
Aug 4th, 2011, 05:40 AM
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Ancient temples? Check. World’s largest bronze Buddha? Check. Sacred deer roaming the streets who will eat our of your hand? Che...<i>whoa...what?</i>
The next installment from Japan is now up on my blog and covers a day trip to Nara.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...a-bus-station/
The next installment from Japan is now up on my blog and covers a day trip to Nara.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...a-bus-station/
Aug 8th, 2011, 08:05 PM
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There is a new post on my blog today on visiting the Fushimi Inari shrine outside of Kyoto to walk the mountain path and see the 1000 torii (prayer gates).
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...-inari-shrine/
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2011/0...-inari-shrine/
Aug 9th, 2011, 05:31 AM
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I'm continuing to enjoy your blog--interesting posts, and very nice pictures. We too went to Fushimi Inari Shrine on our recent trip--had been looking forward to it for a long time and were not disappointed. The weather was rainy, unlike the beautiful sunshine you had, but the photo ops were still stunning. Nice to see your pictures with the orange torii contrasting with the brilliant blue sky. We got to the lake as well (loved the small shrines up there, which were serene in the rain) and then turned back. We had arrived at Kyoto train station too early to check in to our hotel and had stashed our bags in a locker while we took the short local train ride to Inari. I agree that it would make a fabulous full-day visit.
I also see you captured a young woman wearing over-the-knee socks with her short dress (a Tokyo escapee?). Wonder if that fashion trend will ever reach New York.
My own pictures of the shrine are on my share site at http://aprillilacsphotos.shutterfly.com. I really like your blog because you can combine the commentary with the pictures. I'm going to emulate you on our around-the-world trip (4 months, starting the end of this month). Thanks!
I also see you captured a young woman wearing over-the-knee socks with her short dress (a Tokyo escapee?). Wonder if that fashion trend will ever reach New York.
My own pictures of the shrine are on my share site at http://aprillilacsphotos.shutterfly.com. I really like your blog because you can combine the commentary with the pictures. I'm going to emulate you on our around-the-world trip (4 months, starting the end of this month). Thanks!
Aug 11th, 2011, 08:46 PM
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aprillilacs- Thanks for the nice comment. Good luck on your RTW trip! I highly recommend starting a blog if you want a way to combine text and photos, it's really fun!
Just wanted to add a "thank you" to everyone who has continued to follow along with this report. I know it's taking me a very long time to complete, but real life intrudes and I'm too much of a perfectionist to just slap it up there and be done with it. But soon, very soon, it will be finished because I'm off to Italy in the fall and I must be done before then!
Just wanted to add a "thank you" to everyone who has continued to follow along with this report. I know it's taking me a very long time to complete, but real life intrudes and I'm too much of a perfectionist to just slap it up there and be done with it. But soon, very soon, it will be finished because I'm off to Italy in the fall and I must be done before then!
