Kyoto, Japan

京都、日本 

It was spontaneous.

My parents and I decided to travel to Japan for a few days over thanksgiving break. It was the fastest trip and I do not recommend going for that short of a time (five days) ,  but I DO recommend going to the magical city of Kyoto, Japan. On one block there is a Buddhist temple with a vast garden and on the next block is filled with cosmopolitan restaurants and shops. The city had a true balance to it. Enjoy some of my stories, insights, and photos below…

京都、日本 

This was my first time in Asia, and I was in awe. I admired the perfect balance between nature and industrialization in Kyoto. It was probably the most clean city I have ever been to, and I appreciate how kind everyone was. Something that surprised me was that I thought the older generation were the ones who wore kimonos. It was common see young women wearing them. It was great seeing women rocking their kimonos (pictured above) , proving that through globalization, the traditional clothing thrives on. I ended up buying a magenta kimono for myself in a small kimono shop I walked by. Whenever I try it on I always reminisce my time in Kyoto.

京都、日本 

Here below is my friend Hiroko. The main reason we decided to go was to see our friends Pico Iyer and his wife, Hiroko. Pico is a well known travel writer who has been to every place on my travel bucket list and beyond. Both of them are admirable and some of the most intelligent people I know. I spent a good amount of time with Hiroko in her apartment. As an amazing, welcoming host, she served me sushi, presented me with small gifts ( green tea Kit-Kats), had her friend do my makeup on me Japanese style, and finally taught me how to do origami. She then took me to her favorite temple in her neighborhood and to the local udon noodle soup spot underground. By the end of the day, I was exhausted! We did so many things together.

I felt lucky that I was able to spend time with her and become immersed into the Japanese culture.

A place in the city I really enjoyed going to was the market. Think of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, but Japanese style. There were candy shops, rice stores, sushi restaurants, sake bars, clothing shops, and art galleries. The only problem was because it was a holiday in Japan, it was PACKED. People were shoulder to shoulder along the whole narrow market, and it was hard to find somewhere to eat. I ended up finding myself in a rice shop, and saw there was a small sushi bar in the back. Visually, it was not pleasing, but the sushi was insane. amazing. delicious. I didn’t realize how the quality of rice matters in sushi. This small sushi bar was a pleasant surprise!

京都、日本 

Next, I was determined to find a mochi stall, and I did, but it was not what I was expecting.

The mochi the girl made for me was a “Yomogi Yakianmochi”: charcoal filled Mugwort Mochi filled with sweet red bean paste (pictured below). I was in the “why not” mood, but after a bite, I realized mugwort and red bean was not my thing. It tasted like a bean burrito with sugar. I was happy I tried it though!

京都、日本 

To conclude, there were many things that surprised me about Kyoto like their clothing style to their street food. They were all good surprises though, and I wish I was back in the magical land of Japan.

ハッピー・フライデー！

Much Love and Peace,

Charlotte

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