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Kyoto & Nara in Spring

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Hoptale traveler profile
triptsy

Visiting Kyoto (the old capital of Japan) and Nara (the old old capital of Japan) during cherry blossoms season. #historic #temple #flower #park #food

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Nara

Day 1 Itinerary

Places visited: Shunnsai Kanon - Nara Hotel

Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon
Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon

Dinner at Shunnsai Kanon

arrived in Nara past 9pm ... not a lot of dining options are still open but we found a cute local establishment 5 mins from Nara Hotel, Shunnsai Kanon. We each ordered the most expensive set on the menu (<$30pp) which was pretty good.

Nara Hotel

Nara Hotel

trip-journal-location
Nara

Day 2 Itinerary

Places visited: Naramachi - Naramachi museum - Naramachi Koshino Ie - Kōfuku-ji - Kitahara Soba - Isuien Garden - Tōdai-ji - Nara Park - Kasuga-taisha - Nara Hotel - Tsuru Yoshi

Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area
Walk around Namarachi Area

Walk around Namarachi Area

Namarachi is a quaint district in Nara filled with small alleys and little hidden gems. We checked out two merchant residences ... free admission and you are allowed to go roam around inside the house (with shoes off). One is called Naramachi Nigiwai-no-le and the other called Naramachi Koshi-no-le. Both are interesting to check out but the former is clearly for a richer family. There are also a lot of well-kept small temples free to enter in the neighborhood. Naramachi Shiryi-Kan is a store selling the red monkey charms.
Naramachi museum

Naramachi museum

red monkey charms

Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie
Naramachi Koshino Ie

Naramachi Koshino Ie

Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji
Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji

Feeding Deers at Kōfuku-ji

Many wild deers roam freely around this temple asking tourists for deer crackers. They actually bow to you with their heads as a signal of asking for crackers which is cute, but some of them are more aggressive and will chase you around.
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba
Lunch at Kitahara Soba

Lunch at Kitahara Soba

Kitahara is a famous soba spot near Nara Park. We got there 1130 and only one group in front of us, yet we still waited for 15 mins to get seated. There was a 2-person table available (the restaurant only had 3 4-person tatami tables and 3 2-person tables) but the group before us was 4-person so they wouldn't seat us until that group was seated. An efficient system to us but well, Japanese people are known for sticking with their rigid rules.
Isuien Garden

Isuien Garden

Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji

Tōdai-ji

Nara Park
Nara Park
Nara Park
Nara Park
Nara Park
Nara Park
Nara Park

Nara Park

Nara Park is a huge park with a lot of deers roaming freely. By the end of the day, the novelty of seeing free-roaming deers was gone and we were tired of seeing deers and had to tiptoeing around deer feces all the time!
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha
Kasuga-taisha

Kasuga-taisha

Kasuga Taisha was well worth a visit with the rows of stone lanterns along the entry road and beautiful orange-red shrine structure. Also a good place to play hide and seek with deers among the stone lanterns.
Nara Hotel

Nara Hotel

Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi

Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Tsuru Yoshi

A local omakase place ... staff almost don't speak English at all. Despite the language barrier, the friendly chefs tried to explain every dish to us using highly animated gestures. Food was great too ... we were stuffed by the end. Favorite plates included crab with roes, freshly-grilled eel, monkfish liver, and marinated duck slices.
trip-journal-location
Kyoto

Day 3 Itinerary

Places visited: Fushimi Inari Taisha - Kiyomizu-dera - Sannenzaka - Tempura Endo Yasaka - Kinkaku-ji Temple - Ryōan-ji - Bijuu Residence Kyoto - What’s Matsusaka Beef

Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera Temple was largely under renovation during our visit. What we found more interesting was the road leading to the temple - an uphill street filled with boutique shops on both sides.
Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka
Sannenzaka

Sannenzaka

Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka
Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka

Lunch at Tempura Endo Yasaka

Good-value 5,500 lunch set but they added ~20% services charges + taxes. With drinks and that, then bill came out close to $150, which is New York price for an expensive lunch.
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji Temple

Kinkaku-ji Temple

Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji

Ryōan-ji

Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence
Stay at Bijuu Residence

Stay at Bijuu Residence

We got the largest suite (#501) at Bijuu (not by choice but it’s the only room left because it’s the cherry blossom peak season). Bijuu is not really a hotel but more like a bed and breakfast in a modern apt building. Our suite turned out to be totally worth the money ... it is huge and beautiful, and centrally located to explore Kyoto on foot. Eri at front desk was also super helpful in getting us anything we needed which made our stay even better.
Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef
Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef
Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef
Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef
Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef

Dinner at What’s Matsusaka Beef

What's has a great ambience and the beef was top quality too. We had the two most expensive cuts (chateaubriand and sirloin) and both were delicious.
trip-journal-location
Kyoto

Day 4 Itinerary

Places visited: Bijuu Residence Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Grove - Tenryu-ji Temple - Okochi Sanso - Katsura River - Arashiyama Station - Otsuka - Kyoto Art Theater Shunjuza - Pontocho Alley - Tousuiro Kiyamachi

Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence
Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence
Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence
Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence
Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence

Included Breakfast at Bijuu Residence

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji Temple

Tenryu-ji Temple

It was a beautiful day in terms of weather and Arashiyama was truly worth a visit despite our bad luck of delayed cherry blossoms season. We could only imagine how much more beautiful this area would look like when cherry trees are in full blossom. Tenryuji is probably one of the prettiest parks, if not the prettiest, that we visited in Japan.
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso
Okochi Sanso

Okochi Sanso

Okochi Sanso was an interesting place to visit ... this old Japanese movie star basically picked a gorgeous site and built himself a zen sanctuary. You get a beautiful view of Kyoto city center too. Near the end of the garden route, don't miss this little calligraphy/meditation space called 妙音庵...many people missed it and we had the whole space to ourselves for a good 10 minutes to meditate and soak in the tranquillity.
Katsura River
Katsura River
Katsura River
Katsura River
Katsura River
Katsura River
Katsura River

Katsura River

Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Station

Arashiyama Station

Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka
Lunch at Otsuka

Lunch at Otsuka

Miyako Odori Geisha Performance

As Kyoto is considered the birthplace of Geisha culture, we couldn’t visit this city without catching a Geisha show. The Miyako Odori is pretty reasonably price ($40pp) but one can also splurge a couple thousands of dollars to have a private dinner/performance with a Geisha. The Geisha performance was interesting but we were still quite jet lagged that we couldn’t help falling asleep whenever the stage setting turned dark :).
Pontocho Alley
Pontocho Alley
Pontocho Alley
Pontocho Alley
Pontocho Alley

Pontocho Alley

On our way to dinner, we walked through this cute and happening area called Pontocho Alley. The alley expands into many small narrow lanes filed local eateries. We almost wish we didn’t have a dinner reservation so we can just go in one of the places there.
Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi
Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi
Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi
Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi
Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi

Dinner at Tousuiro Kiyamachi

trip-journal-location
Kyoto

Day 5 Itinerary

Places visited: Bijuu Residence Kyoto - The Philosopher's Path - Maruyama Park - Hanamikoji Dori - Kamo River - Nishiki Market - Jiki Miyazawa

Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu
Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu

Beautiful Morning View from Bijuu

The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path

The Philosopher's Path

The Philosopher's Path is famous for the cherry blossom trees lining both sides of the path. Due to delayed cherry blossoms, there were only a couple of trees that were in full blossom but most of them were bare or only a few buds started blossoming. Otherwise, the path was a romantic walk along a pretty little stream, with a few cute boutiques to enjoy a break along the way.
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park
Maruyama Park

Maruyama Park

Maruyama park is not a famous park but don’t miss it if there is a food fair going one. We stumbled upon it on our way back to hotels - many street food vendors lined up the park all the way to Yasaka Shrine. You get a good sample of various local delicacies.
Hanamikoji Dori
Hanamikoji Dori
Hanamikoji Dori
Hanamikoji Dori
Hanamikoji Dori

Hanamikoji Dori

Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River
Kamo River

Kamo River

Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market

Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa
Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa

Lunch Tasting Menu at Jiki Miyazawa

We had our best meal on this trip at Jiki Miyazawa. It deserved its Michelin star and the signature tofu dish was also worth the hype. It had such a unique and complex flavor!
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