Blog
Blog
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Tea Picking Experience
Wazuka Town is popular with foreign visitors as it is relatively close to Kyoto, offers scenic views, and provides the opportunity to experience tea picking. It is a frequent stop on tours. The chance to try tea leaf tempura and sample a variety of teas is particularly popular. At this time of year, the tea fields are covered with black sheets known as ‘kanreisya (cold-proof netting)’. This is to prevent sunlight from reaching the tea leaves, thereby bringing out the umami flavour of the ‘tencha’ used to make matcha. Due to the growing global demand for matcha, the use of…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Wild birds are drawn to dirty places
The source of the Hantavirus infection is rodents in South America, and there have been reports suggesting that the Dutch couple who died may have contracted the virus whilst taking part in a birdwatching tour in Ushuaia, southern Argentina. One of the places visited on that tour was a rubbish dump. Some of you may be surprised to hear that they went to such a place, but for us bird enthusiasts, it is perfectly natural. Rubbish dumps are teeming with insects and rats, attracting large numbers of small birds and birds of prey that prey on them. One of the…
- Birds
- Column
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Chii Hachiman Shrine
Chii Hachiman Shrine is situated to the east of the Miyama Thatched-Roof Village. It is said to have been founded in 1071, but was subsequently destroyed by a landslide and relocated to its present site in 1567. Furthermore, a legend of the Eight-Headed Great Stag is associated with this shrine. In the early 8th century, a demon in the form of a giant stag with eight heads appeared at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, causing immense damage by ravaging fields and killing livestock. Empress Genmei, who reigned at the time, ordered a military commander named Kaga Saburō Kaneie to subdue…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Michi no eki (Roadside Station) Woody Keihoku
When visiting the Miyama Thatched-Roof Village, a stop at Michi no eki Woody Keihoku is an absolute must. As it is about an hour’s drive from Kyoto, it is the perfect place to take a break. Michi no eki is a government-designated roadside station found along roads and highways in Japan. Like other Michi no eki, the premises are lined with locally grown seasonal vegetables, which are so popular that they often sell out before midday. You can also try Keihoku’s speciality: natto mochi, where salty natto is wrapped in mochi and coated in kinako. However, my personal recommendation is the local soft-serve ice cream.…
- Food
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato
About a 90-minute drive from Kyoto city centre brings you to this thatched-roof village, which could be described as a quintessential Japanese landscape. Nearly 40 thatched-roof houses stand side by side, with the oldest reportedly built over 200 years ago. Whilst Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its thatched roofs, this village, despite its proximity to Kyoto, sees few coach buses, allowing visitors to enjoy it at a leisurely pace. The downside is that it’s difficult to get there without a car, but there are day-trip bus tours available from Kyoto Station. We also organise car tours…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Imamiya Shrine Sinkō Festival (Procession Festival)
The 5th of May marks the Shinkō Festival at Imamiya Shrine. Its history is ancient, reportedly dating back to the year 1001. Three portable shrines—the Agui Mikoshi, the Taka Mikoshi and the Ōmiya Mikoshi—were prepared within the shrine grounds. The each weight of the Taka Mikoshi and the Ōmiya Mikoshi is said to exceed 100 kg, making them the heaviest in Kyoto. As Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second "Great Unifier" of Japan, played a pivotal role in the revival of Imamiya Shrine. The Ōmiya Mikoshi, which he donated, bears not only the Imperial Chrysanthemum crest but also the paulownia crests (Go-san-no-kiri…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Ma cantine
Naturally, anyone visiting Kyoto will want to try traditional Kyoto cuisine. However, this can be quite difficult to achieve. If you wish to dine at a traditional ryotei, a reservation and a certain budget are essential. If you’re looking for something more casual, your options tend to centre around obanzai. On the other hand, I get the impression that many people living in Kyoto prefer Chinese or French cuisine rather than Kyoto cuisine. When it comes to French cuisine, there are plenty of bistros where you can enjoy a casual lunch, and ‘Ma cantine’, located near our guesthouse, is a…
- restaurant
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Narcissus flycatcher
At the Kyoto Imperial Palace, narcissus flycatcher can be heard singing here and there. Perhaps their migration has started a little early this year, as their song could be heard even in central Kyoto as early as the beginning of April. Although they only stop off at the Kyoto Imperial Palace during their migration, they can be observed there until mid-May. As they breed mainly in East Asia, including Japan, and winter in Southeast Asia, they are rarely seen in Europe and America, with only a few records from southern Alaska. The ‘narcissus’ in their English name, ‘narcissus flycatcher’, refers…
- Birds
- Kyoto
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Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo shoots grow at an astonishing rate. At their peak, they are said to grow by more than 1 metre a day. Whilst other plants have only one growth point, bamboo shoots have growth points at every node, numbering around 60 in total. As these nodes undergo cell division simultaneously, the shoot grows rapidly. Each node is covered by a single layer of skin; if this skin is removed, growth is said to cease. From March to May, the process of bamboo shoots growing can be observed in various locations. The photograph shows Moso bamboo in Arashiyama. Although native to…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Chairman of the Neighbourhood Association
This year, I became chairman of the Higashi-Imadegawa Neighbourhood Association, where our guesthouse is located. My involvement with this neighbourhood association began ten years ago. When I purchased the property to open the guesthouse, I received a letter from the chairman at the time asking me ‘please do not operate a private accommodation business’. At that time, Kyoto was in turmoil over the issue of private accommodation which called minpaku in Japanese, and for local residents, the prospect of a complete stranger opening a guesthouse was nothing but a source of anxiety. I went to explain the situation immediately, and…
- Column
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Tripe and Liver Tempura
What has struck me most since arriving in Kyoto is the tempura made from tripe (the first stomach of the cow) , called ‘mino’ in Japanese, and liver. Although it is called ‘tempura’, it is clearly a deep-fried dish coated in breadcrumbs. In the past, you could find this tripe and liver tempura almost everywhere, particularly in the Tanaka district, near our guesthouse. Today, it can only be found in a few restaurants in the Sōjin district, near Kyoto Station. One of these is ‘Satake’. Perhaps because it has moved to new premises and the place has become cleaner and…
- Food
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Gionkaku in Daiun-in Temple
Daiun-in Temple is open to the public for special viewings in spring and autumn. The 36-metre-high Gionkaku pavilion within the temple grounds is often referred to as ‘Dōkaku-ji’ (Copper Pavilion Temple) due to its copper-clad roof. This Gionkaku pavilion was built by Kihachirō Ōkura, founder of the Ōkura Zaibatsu, inspired by the floats of the Gion Festival. It will be open daily during the Golden Week holiday period from 29 April to 6 May. As it is less crowded than other attractions and offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Kyoto’s cityscape from the top of the pavilion, it comes highly…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction