Relaxing Osaka

Staying in our Mitsui Garden Hotel in Kyoto, we decided to venture to nearby Osaka. Osaka is known for its fantastic restaurants and is considered the culinary capital of Japan.

On arriving at Osaka Station by train from Kyoto, our first stop was the Kuromon Market. This was a large outdoor market with roofs (to protect from rain).

Like the Kyoto market, Kuromon had an enormous variety of seafood on display.

There were all kinds of tuna, salmon, and every imaginable type of fish. Ready-to-eat sushi was prepared, and many street vendors were selling every type of delicacy.

Since Inna heard that Kobe beef was the best in the world, she was eager to try it in Japan. When she saw a small street vendor selling it, she had to have a taste.

It was expensive - ¥2,500 (about $25) for a tiny portion of 4 grilled cubes. Inna and Alex loved it!

In addition, since Inna and I are aficionados of scallops, we had to try the freshly cooked scallops. Large scallops were being cooked right in front of us. They were cooked under a flame and on top with a gas burner.

They were really delicious, and Inna and I shared the large scallop.

While reading a Kyoto/Osaka guidebook, Inna discovered that Osaka had a unique Owl Cafe where patrons could pet lifelike owls. From the Kuromon market, we took the metro to the Happy Owl Cafe Chouette.

After washing our hands, we were told where to touch the owls and how to pet them correctly. We were only allowed to gently rub them on the head or beak (in a particular direction only). There were a total of 22 owls on display.

The owls were terrific. They stood still most of the time, though they occasionally opened their wings. I did not realize that there were so many different varieties of owls.

Inna liked to pet their heads and beaks. The owls did not seem to mind.

We enjoyed our time there but only had one hour with the owls.

We finished with owls at around 13:00 and ate lunch at the well-reviewed Nishiya Honten Restaurant. Both Inna and Alex were expecting a gourmet quality lunch, but they found out that they do not like Udon (thick noodles). The lunch was decent, but nothing extraordinary (as hoped for).

After lunch, it was time to head to Spa World.

Spa World was a large complex with separate floors for men and women. There was also a different floor with pools and giant slides. We had to purchase tickets using a vending machine. It was complicated.

On the 4th floor, Spa World featured European Zone, which included the following spas:

• Ancient Rome
• Greece
• Atlantis
• Blue Grotto
• Spain
• Mediterranean Sea
• Finland

It was all a bit "fake," as the sculptures were unreal. However, Alex and I enjoyed the European spas, especially the cold plunge.

On the 6th floor, Spa World featured Asian Zone, which included the following spas:

• Japanese Outdoor bath
• Islam (stone bath)
• Persia
• Bali
• Dr. Spa
• Japanese Hinoki Bath (Cypress bath)

Inna liked the Asian Spas but preferred Spa LaQua in Tokyo (it was more luxurious).

After a few hours in the spa, we met on the top floor to explore the pools and slides in the Amusement Zone.

There were two giant slides: The Panic Tornado and The Pinnacle Burn. We tried each of the slides multiple times. It was like being in an amusement park.

After finishing with Spa World, we returned to the Osaka train station since Alex wanted to try Grom Gelato (one of his favorite Gelaterias). We had a difficult time finding it at the Osaka station. There was a floor map, but it was all in Japanese.

Eventually, we located Grom Gelateria. However, we wanted to eat dinner before dessert, so we stopped at the nearby Soup Stock Tokyo. We ordered some unique dishes, and they were delicious and relatively inexpensive.

It was time to taste gelato!

We tried multiple flavors, and they were delicious!

We had a relaxing time in Osaka and hoped to return, as we missed many attractions, including Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, and Osaka Aquarium.

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Delicious Kyoto

We arrived at Kyoto Station from Kanazawa (our last major stop on our two-week tour of Japan). We removed our luggage from the train and headed to the Kyoto subway station to get closer to our Mitsui Garden Hotel. The hotel was near our subway stop at Karasuma Oike Station. I was relieved that my Pasmo travel card still worked in the subway!

Since we arrived too early for regular check-in (usually at 15:00 or later), we put our luggage in temporary storage and headed out to grab lunch.

Inna thought we might stop by at the Karafunya Cafe, but when we found it, we realized it was primarily oriented to sweet desserts.

We decided to return to some of the other restaurants we noticed on the way and eat lunch there. We settled on Franz & Evans since this establishment had a wide assortment of delicious salads, sandwiches, and desserts.

I selected a couple of salads and a lasagna. While the lunch portions were modest, the salads and the lasagna were exceptional.

Inna and Alex selected other salads and croissant sandwiches.

What a fantastic place for lunch! We had to return (many times). We saw some delicious cakes and pastries and had to try a couple samples.

After lunch, we explored the Gion district (famous for Geishas). On the way there, we saw an attractive "Cat Cafe." In this cafe, one could play with cats. Since we did not have much time, we returned sometime later (but never did).

We crossed the Kamo River into the Gion district of Kyoto.

The streets were quite busy as before, and many Japanese dressed in traditional kimonos.

Our first stop was the beautiful Kiyomizu-Dera - an independent Buddhist temple in Eastern Kyoto.

According to Wikipedia:

Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period.[2] The temple was founded in 778 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu.[3] There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.[4][5]

There are many beautiful orange-colored buildings throughout the complex.

Lots of Japanese tourists, dressed in traditional kimonos, were posing for photos in front of all the beautiful buildings:

We enjoyed exploring the extensive grounds of the temple.

In one part of the complex, precise, drinkable water poured down, and everyone lined up to drink and fill their drinking bottles on a hot, sunny day.

After refreshing drinks, we decided to stop by the nearby shaved-ice establishments to cool off. It was a scorching, somewhat humid day, and we were sweaty.

On the way back, we took another look at the beautiful statue of Buddha:

We decided to return back to Gion. We stopped by a small restaurant for a quick bite on the way out.

Many restaurants were already closing (lunch usually runs until 14:00), but we found one in Gion that was still open.

We decided to walk over to the nearby Yasaka shrine.

Unlike Kiyomizu-Dera, Yasaka was far less crowded.

While it was scenic, it did not have the presence of Kiyomizu-Dera.

The small lake and surrounding garden were still very picturesque.

Finishing with the shrine, we wandered around Gion, hoping to glimpse a "real" geisha.

Inna spotted three apprentice geishas ("maiko") strolling through Gion. I was too late to take their photos. Their faces and necks were fully painted white.

Geiko wear red or pink nagajuban, or under-kimono. A maiko wears red with white printed patterns. The junior maiko's collar is predominantly red with white, silver, or gold embroidery. Two to three years into her apprenticeship, the red collar will be entirely embroidered in white (when viewed from the front) to show her seniority. When she becomes a fully fledged geisha her collar will turn from red to solid white.

As you can see from the photo below, two of the maikos on the right have red collars, while the one on the left has a white collar.

Geisha (芸者) (/ˈɡeɪʃə/; Japanese: [ɡe̞ːɕa̠]), geiko (芸子), or geigi (芸妓) are Japanese women who study the ancient tradition of art, dance and singing, and are distinctively characterized by traditional costumes and makeup. Contrary to popular belief, geishas are not the Eastern equivalent of the prostitute; a misconception originating in the West due to interactions with oiran, whose traditional dress is similar to that of geisha.

Feeling a bit peckish, we decided to try gyoza at the Hohei Restaurant in Gion. We knew it had to be a well-regarded establishment of the long line before the entrance. We waited and were eventually admitted.

After trying some delicious cucumber samples, we ordered and were treated with freshly made gyoza.

While I am not an aficionado of gyoza, these were, by far, the best gyoza I have ever eaten.

The beer was quite delicious, too! After dinner, we returned to our hotel; through the nighttime, Kyoto Streets were still crowded with people.

We decided to stop by the Fukunaga Bakery to taste their delicious-looking cakes and tarts. The American cherry tart was so delicious!

The peach and lemon tarts were also out of this world!

Finishing with a delicious dessert, we returned to our hotel room, which was already prepared (with pajamas provided). It was time for rest and relaxation, although I still wanted to watch the ongoing FIFA World Cup matches on television.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

We decided to eat breakfast in the morning at our favorite Paul Bakery. There were many delicious pastries and desserts, and we had trouble deciding on our favorite.

Eventually, I selected an apple tart, while Inna selected a croissant with cheese. It was so fresh and delicious! (We ate breakfast at Paul's daily, as it was our favorite local bakery!)

We decided to explore the nearby Kyoto Imperial Palace. It was not far away, but I was concerned about the weather since the forecast called for rain.

The walk from Paul's Bakery to the south side of the Imperial Palace was pleasant. We saw some beautiful gardens near the Itsukushima-jinja Shrine as we entered the large area.

It started to rain slightly, and we hid behind trees for a bit (as we forgot to bring our umbrellas).

The Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所 Kyōto-gosho) is one of the active palaces of the Emperor of Japan and has the longest history as the capital of Japan. The Emperor declared Meiji Restoration and Charter Oath at this place in 1868.[1]The following year, the Emperor moved into Edo castle, currently Tokyo Imperial Palace, but he ordered the preservation of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1877, which is still used as an active palace.[2][3]. Today, the grounds are open to the public, and the Imperial Household Agency hosts public tours of the buildings several times a day.

As the rain slackened, we proceeded north to the main palace, but most entrances were closed. We thought that the palace would be closed to the public. However, we discovered that it was open at the Northeast entrance.

We walked in and joined a tour group that discussed the history of the Imperial Palace.

While the palace was beautiful with Japanese sensibilities, it did not have the raw grandeur of European Royal palaces, like the Place of Versailles. We liked the serene beauty, but the Buddhist sensibilities were evident throughout.

We finished with the palace and took the nearby subway to the Nishiki market. Some unique street vendors were selling special (to us) seafood delicacies.

As we grew increasingly hungry, we decided to try tempura in the Tempura restaurant in the Nishiki market.

The tempura (vegetables fried in batter) was quite delicious, and we enjoyed the variety of tempura vegetables.

Inna also tried many different tempura vegetables and meats.

After lunch, we walked a bit more around the market, waiting for the rain to stop. There were lots of freshly caught seafood for sale. Yummy!

We left the market and walked around undercover (to hide from the rain). We ran into an eclectic Shin-Setsu soda cafe. Alex and Inna wanted to sample the various sodas there.

Alex selected a cream soda with Ice Cream. We had one hour to enjoy our sodas (our first restaurant with a time limit!)

I decided to try the pancake with ice cream, and it was delicious!

Inna and I also tried the cherry soda.

Since we still had lots of time left, we decided to take the subway to Nijo Castle.

We purchased three umbrellas one way out of the market, a great idea).

It was pouring heavily, and we used our cheap, transparent umbrellas. We didn't have much time to see Nijo Castle, which was closing soon. We quickly walked around the territory, enjoying the beautiful gardens.

We enjoyed our quick, run-around tour of Nijo, though we will allocate more time to it next time.

When the rain stopped, we explored another shrine - the famous Fushimi-Inari Shrine. When we arrived there, it was mobbed by tourists.

We proceeded into the shrine, not realizing that the overall hike could take 3 hours. We were already a bit tired and continued for a while. The brightly colored orange gates never seemed to end.

However, after about two hours of walking, we decided to turn back, as it was getting dark.

The view of Kyoto from one of the shrine's many overlooks was quite impressive, though a bit of haze settled on Kyoto.

As it started to get dark, we returned to downtown Kyoto and decided to eat dinner at Pizza Salvatore Cuomo & Grill. Alex was eager to try pizza in Kyoto and was not disappointed. The pizza was quite delicious.

After pizza, we purchased a few desserts at the Fukunaga Bakery to eat with tea at our hotel.

My "American Cherry tart" was terrific! The fresh cherries were outstanding!

Inna and Alex had their favorites and claimed the peach version was even better.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

We stopped by for breakfast at our favorite Paul Bakery in the morning. The freshly baked croissants, apple tarts, and other pastries were delicious!

I don't recall even bakeries in Paris being this good. After researching what to see next, we settled on Tenryu-Ji Temple.

Although it was hot in the open sun, the temple and the garden provided ample shade for walking around.

All of the flowers, trees, and shrubs were trimmed to perfection.

After exploring the beautiful gardens, we decided to head to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.

Long stalks of Bamboo grew relatively high, and hundreds of tourists were around.

We walked along the grove to another private Okochi Sanso Japanese garden. These gardens were built by the famous Japanese actor Okochi Denjiro.

This is a famous garden with a beautiful tea house and incredible views of the surrounding area. We enjoyed our Matcha tea and the luscious surroundings.

After tea, we toured the beautiful gardens and the surrounding buildings. Everything was so well trimmed and manicured.

The views of the nearby Arashiyama suburbs and surrounding mountains were sublime.

After finishing the gardens, we returned to Kyoto for lunch and to tour other shrines. On the way there, we stopped by a small restaurant to try Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes).

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