Cherry blossoms, temples, and endless kaiseki dinners.
We arrived in Kyoto and checked into our hotel Bijuu. This hotel only has two rooms, one on the 5th floor and one on the 3rd floor. We were staying on the 5th floor, which is the designer suite.
There was a hot bath in the center of the living room and a sauna in the room as well.
And the room photos still don’t do this place justice:
After admiring the room we went downstairs to the Kiln cafe which was also owned by the Bijuu to eat a snack and begin our exploring.
The streets outside our hotel were lined with cherry blossoms and the people were in a frenzy.
It was time for dinner and we were about to experience our first kaiseki dinner. Our reservation was at Gion Nishikawa (we collected two michelin stars here, part of a larger attempt to win all the michelin stars in Japan).
We were a few minutes late and started receiving our courses immediately.
We made it! We concluded the evening with a relaxing hot bath and sauna.
The next morning we left the room to find the cherry blossoms were blossoming at an exponential rate.
As we entered the subway station I randomly discovered the most amazing vending machine.
This machine yielded a bed for your iPhone! I bought one of the remaining beds as the box was almost completely sold out.
We got off at the stop for the Nanzen-ji Temple and walked the wrong way only to discover a set of historical train tracks lined with cherry blossoms.
Entering Nanzen-ji Temple
After exploring the beautiful temple, we were starving. We found this wonderful coffee shop and the sound of cutlery on plates piqued our interest.
There were two seats left at the counter and we were able to watch the husband and wife owners prepare our food and drinks.
We entered philosopher’s path, which had a mix of cherry blossoms in full bloom and some that were just starting. The temperature was perfect and the walk was very enjoyable.
We noticed a small mouse statue and continued to walk up the hill, which led us to the Otoyo Shrine. It is said that mice will bring health, long life, and happiness.*
Continuing down philosopher’s path, locals had their shops open with all types of small gifts for purchase. They were also very stylish.
Walking the complete path from Nanzen-ji will lead you to a great zen temple named Ginkaku-ji.
We walked around the zen temple and still had some time and daylight before dinner. Since the temple is not near any public transit, we jumped in a cab and went to the Kodai-ji Temple. This was significantly less busy as it had an entrance fee (less than $10).
It was here where we saw the most beautiful cherry blossoms.
As the sun was setting we explored the grounds and found a sakura zen garden in the main hall. You had to take your shoes off when entering which added to the experience.
On our way out we noticed a gigantic buddha, I was able to get a photo through the door, since the temple was closed.
We left the temple and headed back to Gion for our next dinner reservation.
Dinner was at Kodaiji Wakuden. Another traditional Japanese meal, which we were now prepared for. This restaurant also had two michelin stars, bringing our count to 4 stars. Still a long way from collecting them all.
We took a taxi back to the hotel and were hypnotized by the cherry blossoms at night.
According to my iPhone we walked 20,000 steps that day. It was time for a hot bath and sauna.
The next day it was time to leave Bijuu. We said bye to our friend who accommodated us, had one last cup of iced tea at Kiln and set out for Hoshinoya in Arashiyama.
After dropping our bags off at the hotel’s boat station, we went back over the bridge to get some lunch and see some temples.
This temple was also connected to the bamboo forest.
Exiting the bamboo forest we noticed another small zen temple named Okochi Sanso, which is the former home and garden of the Japanese film actor Denjiro Okochi.
It was getting late and we were cutting it close for the last boat departure to our new accommodation.
We had to stop along the bridge to try some refreshing Japanese ice-cream, which is actually a lot tastier than in the U.S.
Heading up the river!
As the sun set, we were instructed to put on our relaxing outfits and head to the cherry blossom lounge.
Since we arrived late we decided to have dinner in our room. The presentation was beautiful.
That was the largest room service we have ever had. More relaxation occurred following dinner in our relaxation outfits.
After a ten course breakfast, heavy rain set in, but since this ryokan was so peaceful, the rain only enhanced the experience. Mountain fog also rolled in, painting a tranquil picture of our environment.
We only stayed at the Hoshinoya for one night and it was time to head back down the river to Arashiyama.
We had tickets to the Geisha dance and tea ceremony. Like usual, we were cutting it very close. We made our way to the train station and headed back to Gion.
We made it back just in the nick of time.
After the Geisha dance (photos were prohibited), we hopped on like this crow and went to the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine.
However, it was time to eat, again, and we found this small bar next to the train station.
A nice long walk through the gates was the best way to conclude the afternoon. We headed back to the train station for our last night in Kyoto.
Back in Gion, the setting was a bit ominous.
We checked into our hotel and did some laundry. We were lucky because there was a ramen restaurant right across the street.
After dinner we decided to check out the 7–11 next to our hotel. I guess people buy t-shirts at their 7–11 because they were out all night drinking and need some fresh clothes for the next day.
Our last day in Kyoto was a busy one. We picked up the morning paper, had a snack for breakfast, and decided we would have a bigger meal next to the temple.
We hopped on the bus and made our way to the Kinkaku-ji Temple. When we got off the bus we noticed a beautiful coffee shop and decided we would eat there.
Our next stop was Ryoan-ji Temple with a beautiful zen garden.
We hopped in a cab and made our way to the final tourist spot of the day, the Nishiki Food Market.
Leaving the market we found ourselves in some type of outdoor shopping area. We walked into a manga store and were very entertained.
We went to pick up our bags and took a taxi to Kyoto train station.
