By admin When planning my itinerary, Kyoto was obviously a must-see destination. I had originally planned to spend just two nights in Kyoto before heading to Nara for another two nights, but about a month before our trip, Lauren convinced me that we should stay longer in Kyoto. There is so much to see in the city that is called the ancient capital of Japan, and Nara can be done as a day trip from Kyoto. Fortunately, hotel reservations could be revised, and I’m so glad we made the change. I’d recommend the same to anyone visiting Japan: you will want at least 2.5-3 days in Kyoto, and it’s not really necessary to stay in Nara.
Day One: Kinkaku-ji, Keiseiki Dinner at Roan Kikunoi
We arrived in Kyoto in the early afternoon. After leaving sleet behind in Kanazawa, we were so happy to see sun and blue skies in Kyoto, even though the air still felt crisp. Upon arrival at the train station, we made our way to the taxi line, where we also made our first mistake in the city. In all of Japan, Kyoto was the only place where I saw taxis specified as “foreign-friendly.” These taxis are advertised as having drivers that speak basic English, at no additional price. However, they are also in pretty short supply. We didn’t even realize that the Kyoto Station featured two different taxi queues: one for foreign-friendly taxis, and one for “normal” taxis. We just stood in the first line that we saw, baffled at how slowly it was moving. Then it became apparent that there was a second line that was much longer, but that also moved much more quickly. Lauren hustled over to the second line, and we ended up in a “normal” taxi, despite the fact that I only had two parties in line in front of me when Lauren left to join a line of about 20 parties.
For our hotel in Kyoto, I had selected the Kyomachiya Hotel Shiki Juruaku for the first two days. It is a newer boutique hotel that I read about in Conde Nast Traveler, and when I looked at the pictures, I was sold. The location is a bit farther away (northeast) from central Kyoto, but it is also closer to a couple of the main attractions, such as Kinkaku-Ji and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The hotel itself is very chic: staff dressed in edgy black uniforms, a bar stocked only with local, obscure whiskeys and gins, minimalist rooms that combine traditional Japanese design with modern comforts and pops of color, and an incredible breakfast of fresh vegetables, fruits and local, seasonal flavors.
After enjoying our standard welcome tea and sweets, we wanted to get to our first sight: Kinkaku-ji. Known in English as the Golden Pavilion, it is a Zen Buddhist temple dating back to 1397 that is literally gilded in gold leaf. Similar to the Kanazawa Castle, the original structure burned down and was subsequently rebuilt several times (the current structure dates back to 1955).
We mapped our route and determined that the bus was the best way for us to get there. Time for us to figure out how the bus system worked in Kyoto. It turned out to be relatively easy, but we learned a few things should you need tips:
- The buses in Kyoto do not run like clockwork like the trains in Japan do. We ended up taking the bus several times, and it was always at least a couple minutes late.
- It is a flat fare (230 yen) to get anywhere in Kyoto, regardless of whether you’re going two stops or twenty.
- You need to pay your fare in exact change. If you don’t have exact change, there is a machine on the bus that will make change for you, but you may need to exchange both paper notes and coins, depending on what you need.
- You can get an IC card to use on both buses and subways, or you can buy a day pass, but you can’t buy either on the bus. We did get IC cards once we rode the local train in Kyoto, but we filled them with way too much money.
Forty five minutes later, we were at the entrance to Kinkaku-ji. We joined the crowds entering the gates and bought our tickets. The temple was beautiful, and there was a nice path to explore the grounds, but it was a crowded space full of people taking selfies and bumping into each other. There were even two girls lugging their wheeled baggage down the gravel walking path. WTF? I don’t do well with crowds, so I was fine snapping a few pics and getting on our way. All in all, we spent less than 30 minutes at the temple.
We considered taking the bus back to the hotel, but saw some taxis queued at the exit and decided to take the quicker and easier mode of transportation for the return trip. We had dinner reservations at 8pm that evening, and our plan was to change and then find a cocktail bar by the restaurant for an aperitif. The friendly men at our hotel provided a suggestion for a gin bar that was supposed to open at 6pm. Lauren also found a bar in the area with great reviews, but it didn’t open until 8pm. We found that this wasn’t uncommon in Japan; while we were used to bars opening at 4pm or 5pm (or staying open all day) in the States, many Japanese bars didn’t open until later in the evening.
The Kyomachiya hotel staff helped us to call a taxi and explain our destination to the driver. We were finding that it was very difficult to explain to our Japanese-speaking drivers where we wanted to go, even when showing the destination on a map. They used their own navigation system, and had a hard time translating from Google Maps or a paper map. It didn’t help that a lot of bars and restaurants were located in obscure alleys. Watching the Japanese man from the hotel explain the location of the bar to our Japanese driver even seemed to be a complicated event. Before we left, we asked our hotel for a card with directions in Japanese that we could hand to taxi drivers when we wanted to return home. We found this to be a big help for the remainder of the trip.
The drive itself was pretty uneventful until we arrived at the street where the bar was located. The car couldn’t turn down the narrow street, but we could tell from Google Maps that we were less than a block away, so we tried to explain that we could just get out and walk from there. Our driver didn’t want to hear it. He proceeded to get out of the car and run down the block. Lauren and I just looked at each other, confused and still sitting in the back of the taxi. Then we saw the driver run the other way. What was going on? Finally, he returned, a big smile spread across his face. “To the left, to the left!” He told us. Ah, he wanted to be sure that he was bringing us to exactly where we wanted to go. We were quickly learning that many of the Japanese were perfectionists, almost to a fault.
We paid our fare and got out of the taxi, walking to the left. The tiny gin bar was exactly where it was supposed to be, but something else was wrong. The lights were off and there was nobody inside. Huh? It was after 6:30, and all reliable sources (our hotel staff, the internet) said that the bar was supposed to open at 6pm.
“It’s definitely closed,” an American guy said, walking down the outdoor stairwell from the bar’s upstairs neighbors. “We even asked the people that live upstairs,” said the American girl with the guy. “Guess we’ll have to find somewhere else for a gin cocktail.” We chatted briefly, realized that we were both from New York and had a laugh that of course the New Yorkers were the ones desperate to find a cocktail bar in Kyoto that was open at 6:30pm.
Going on our way for a few minutes, we found a cozy French wine bar on a charming pedestrian street along a small, cherry tree-lined river. They were definitely open and they had room for us at the bar. Crisis averted.
A glass of wine and a Negroni later, it was time for dinner. Kyoto is known as the top place in Japan to have a keiseiki dinner (keiseiki is basically just a multi-course Japanese meal produced with local, fresh, seasonal ingredients), and two-Michelin-starred Roan Kikunoi had come highly recommended from my friend Heather. It has a sister restaurant simply named Kikunoi that has three Michelin stars, but Kikunoi is supposed to be the more formal of the two, and the only seating available is in private rooms. Lauren and I didn’t need to have another romantic solo dinner together after our previous night’s meal served in our ryokan room in Kanazawa, so bar seats at Roan Kikunoi were perfect for us.
Reservations can be very difficult to make in Japan, with very few restaurants offering online bookings. In fact, most don’t even accept reservations by email. Instead, you have to call during very specific times of the day, which is a challenge for someone living in a timezone 13 hours behind Japan who also doesn’t speak Japanese. I had attempted to use the American Express Platinum Concierge service to make my dinner reservations in Japan, but even that didn’t work for many restaurants. Some restaurants would not accept any third party reservations (like Den in Tokyo, which I finally aborted after calling them 200+ times at 1am in the morning, 30 days before my desired reservation date). Others would only make a reservation through a local hotel. So, Amex would contact my hotels, who would then contact the restaurants. If I had known that in the first place, I would’ve skipped Amex altogether, although I suppose it was nice to only have to deal with one party vs. several different hotels.
Anyway, Kyomachiya had managed to get us a reservation at Roan Kikunoi, so all was good. At the time of making our reservation, we were presented with a choice of four different menu prices ranging from JPY 13,000-25,000. The quantities wouldn’t change based on price, just the quality of the ingredients. First time I had heard that before. We decided to go with the second option (second least expensive, that is). I figured the food would be very good, regardless of which menu we chose.
The dining room at Roan Kikunoi was very small, with just eight bar seats and two small low tables. We were seated next to an American couple at the far right side of the bar (I’m guessing they wanted all of us English speakers together). The ambiance was unsurprisingly clean, elegant and hushed. Although I’ve eaten sushi in the States hundreds of times, I found myself self-conscious at first dining at the small, high-end restaurants in Japan. I know they are so orderly and precise, and I wanted to be sure I was doing everything just right according to their rules and customs.
We were given hot hand towels, as is customary before every meal, and our dietary restrictions were confirmed. Thankfully, Roan Kikunoi also gave us a menu so we could follow along with each dish. Our server behind the bar (we asked his name twice and I still couldn’t figure out exactly how to pronounce it so I’ll just call him “A”) was great at explaining not only what each dish was, but how we should go about eating each item as well. Some we ate with our hands, some we ate with our chopsticks, some we slathered in sauce, some came pre-seasoned so no sauce was necessary. At one point A saw me struggling to bring a saucy item to my mouth without dripping, and he reminded me that in Japan, it wasn’t bad manners to pick up your bowl to bring it closer to your face. Invaluable tip for the remainder of my stay.
I was disappointed that Roan Kikunoi did not offer a wine or sake pairing with their menu, but I guess I should’ve known that is not a traditional practice in Japan. Instead, we just ordered a small bottle of sake to share… then another one, and another one.
While the meal had begun on a very formal note, we gradually eased in and became more friendly with our American bar-mates (they were married and had just moved to Jersey City from the Upper East Side… more New Yorkers), as well as with A. Originally from a small town in Japan, A had moved to Kyoto in search of a restaurant job and started on the ground floor at Roan Kikunoi. He had been working there for several years now, and he worked six days a week (they are closed on Wednesdays), 11-12 hours a day. He was also working to perfect his English, which was probably the reason he was serving us Americans. Eventually he told us the story of how he met his girlfriend; she was visiting Kyoto from China and was dining in the restaurant. They started talking… and the rest is history (that is obviously the condensed version of the story). A hoped to eventually move to London (where his girlfriend now resides), New York or China. He seemed like a hard worker and a very sweet guy, so I hope everything works out well for him.
We ended the meal by splitting the two dessert options. The “cold sweet beans soup, milk ice cream, rice flour dumpling and white wood ear mushroom” dish scared me, but actually tasted good. However, the almond jelly with lemon curd took the cake. My only regret is that the dish didn’t include the perfect dessert wine pairing, as I think that really would’ve complemented the tartness of the dessert. Oh well.
While we originally had aspirations to check out a cocktail bar after dinner, we decided to just call it a night. We had big plans for our next day in Kyoto.
Day Two: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Zen Vegetarian Restaurant, Philosopher’s Path, Sake Tasting, Italian Food
We awoke the next morning to rain. RAIN?! The weather report didn’t say anything about rain, and we had a full day of outdoor activities ahead of us. Fortunately, the drizzle cleared within thirty minutes and the skies started to clear. Phew. I was eager for warmer, sunnier weather in Japan.
Most of our hotel reservations included breakfast, and Kyomachiya was no exception. When checking in for our first night at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, we were informed that the Japanese ate breakfast at home, and that going out for breakfast simply wasn’t a thing. Well, the breakfast at Kyomachiya was an absolute delight – possibly my favorite of all the places we stayed. While it wasn’t exactly a traditional “Western” breakfast like many places offered (massive plates of eggs, meat, fruit, yogurt and pastries), it appealed to a healthy Western diet. The colorful plate contained small portions of wonderfully seasoned dished such as carrot with orange, herbed quinoa salad and snap peas with parmigiano reggiano. Such a great way to start the day.
After breakfast it was time to take the bus again, and by now we were pros.
We arrived at Arashiyama without incident and ventured into the famous grove of bamboo trees. Once again, we were inundated with crowds of people, which did detract a bit from the experience, but oh well. The nice thing about the bamboo grove is that it is open 24 hours (and free), so if you’re so inclined, you can arrive early and beat the crowds. We clearly were not that motivated. We walked the path through the grove and did our best to take nice pictures that didn’t include selfie stick-wielding tourists in the background.
Fortunately, there is a lot more to do around Arashiyama. Looking back, I wish we had arrived earlier so we could spend more time enjoying the entire area, but then we would’ve been dealing with rain… so we did the best that we could with the limitations that we faced. Once we walked through the grove, we opted to pay an additional fee to see the Okochi Sanso Garden, which was a worthy investment. The grounds were impeccably maintained, and the entrance fee deterred many people, so we were able to explore crowd-free.
Our ticket also included a cup of green tea (served with a sweet) at the teahouse, which was a welcome respite. However, we had lots more to do, so we downed our tea and were off once again.
The main factor that our schedule was based around was our noon reservation at Shigetsu, a restaurant on the grounds of the nearby Tenryu-ji Temple. The place had come highly recommended from one of Lauren’s friends, it only served vegetarian food (which scored big points with me) and when else would we be able to eat a meal in a Buddhist temple??
However, we also really wanted to make it to the monkey park before lunch, so we had some work to do. I had determined that the best route was through Kameyama Park which would bring us along the Katsura River. It was a beautiful route, and if we had more time, we could have explored even more of the winding paths.
We also walked by the Suiran Hotel, a Luxury Collection property. I had very seriously considered staying at the hotel (to the point where I made a reservation that I later canceled once I realized how far the location was from central Kyoto). Looking back, I think it would have been a wonderful place to stay for a couple nights, with a move to a more central location for the final nights. The location on the river was stunning, and it was also extremely convenient to all of the Arashiyama sights (I.e. that early morning bamboo grove shot before the masses arrive). I didn’t regret my choice to stay at Kyomashiya, but I think I would have been very happy at Suiran.
We arrived at the entrance to the monkey park, where signs suggested 25-30 minutes uphill to the park, and one hour minimum for the entire experience. Doing the math, we’d be about 15 minutes late for our lunch. And we were in Japan, where punctuality is a way of life. Shiiiiitttt. Well, I hadn’t done any cardio since the Park Hyatt Tokyo, so I was willing to motor up the hill.
I’m proud to say that we made it to our lunch reservation just a few minutes late, despite what everything else (Google Maps, monkey park signs) was telling us. Once at the temple, we paid for entrance to the garden, then entered the restaurant and took off our shoes. At reception we ordered some hot sake to pair with our meal and then were brought to our “table,” essentially raised trays set against the walls of a large room. We appreciated the warmth of the room and the sake. Even though vegetarian, the food wasn’t completely aligned with our tastes. That being said, the experience was very unique and I would still recommend the restaurant to anyone visiting Arashiyama.
After lunch, we wanted to head toward central Kyoto. The Philosopher’s Path was high on our list of things to do, and we had slated the afternoon to check it out. And we got to use our expert bus skills to travel all the way across town to see it!
The attraction is basically just a pedestrian path between two of the numerous temples in Kyoto, named “Philosopher’s Path” because it is believed that a famous Japanese philosopher named Nishida Kitaro used it for meditation. Well, it was pretty, but mainly because the cherry blossoms were near full bloom along the riverwalk and the sun was finally shining. It also came across as rather commercialized with all the shops and cafes located along the walk… so much for that zen, philosophical feeling. I don’t know that I would go out of my way to see it during a different season.
Our final stop was the Imperial Palace to see some more cherry blossoms, and to where we would get to take yet another bus! On the walk to the bus stop we deemed the weather finally warm enough to indulge in a soft serve ice cream cone… the treat had been advertised everywhere and was seemingly mocking us when the temperatures were cold and miserable.
The grounds of the Imperial Palace were also very pretty, especially given the season. We particularly appreciated the famous weeping cherry tree close to the entrance. However, we opted not to enter the palace as I had read reviews that other travelers found it underwhelming compared to the grounds themselves.
From the Imperial Palace we could easily walk back to our hotel for a brief respite before our next excursion: a sake tasting activity booked through Airbnb Experiences. We then got to finally take the Kyoto subway to the meeting point. The experience matched our previous Japan train experiences: clean, punctual, efficient, etc. Basically all the things that the NYC subway system is not.
I will not dwell on our sake tasting for long since it was honestly the worst Airbnb Experience that we booked on the trip. We were supposed to meet our guides at a JR gate in Kyoto Station that was impossible to find, then they took us to a sake bar in a shopping mall and proceeded to give us an awkward lesson on all things sake, including polish, sweetness, alcohol content and some other things I’ve already forgotten. Our guides were well-intentioned, but the execution was not the best.
However, we did get to drink a decent amount of sake over the course of the 1.5 hour “tour,” which left us with a nice buzz. Being in a shopping mall, we of course decided to indulge in a little retail therapy once we were done sake tasting. One of the things we had heard about the Japanese was their obsession with KitKats (or Kit-o Kat-o as our hotel staff members called it), and we were on a quest to find some matcha-flavored KitKats. I also find it very entertaining to go grocery shopping in foreign countries. It is so amusing to see the different kinds of products that they sell, and Japan probably has some of the weirdest/coolest grocery stores I’ve seen. We scored in the KitKat department and I ended up with matcha, green tea and sakura sake flavored chocolate candies.
After four traditional Japanese dinners in a row, we were ready for a break. American Express had sent me a ton of recommendations for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and I recalled seeing an Italian restaurant in the Hyatt Regency listed. We called and they could take us at 9pm. Perfect. While it is possible to hail a taxi from the street in Japan just like one would in New York, we didn’t see any available taxis driving down the street, so we made the short walk back to Kyoto Station and its taxi queue. “Hyatt-o!” we informed our driver, having learned the Japanese pronunciation of the hotel brand during our earlier stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. And we were off to a delightful dinner of Cacio e Pepe, Margherita pizza and Montepulciano.
Day Three: Gion, Higashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Ritz-Carlton, Mexican Food
We started the morning of our second full day in Kyoto with another incredible, healthy breakfast at Kyomachiya. We were also giddy to see blue skies and feel the warm sun. After a week of cold, mostly gloomy weather that we weren’t prepared for, a sunny day was a very welcome sight (especially since we had a walking tour planned for the morning).
We had to transfer hotels for our final two nights in Kyoto since Kyomachiya didn’t have availability by the time we decided to make the switch to stay in Kyoto instead of Nara. After much deliberation, I decided to splurge and book the Ritz-Carlton. It was a pricey option in a city and season that was already expensive, but the reviews were stellar and I’d get to enjoy all my Marriott benefits. The location on the Kamo River was also closer to a lot more sights, and would give us an opportunity to explore a different part of town.
Our original plan was to get up early and schlep our luggage to the new hotel, but then we remembered the luggage courier services that Japan offers. Pro tip: take advantage of this! I wish we had used the convenient service more, but it was difficult when we were moving around so much. However, we only needed to pay 800 yen (less than $8) per bag to have our luggage transferred from hotel to hotel in Kyoto, which we probably would’ve come close to spending on taxi fare alone. Instead, we got to enjoy a relaxing morning and just had to get ourselves (via subway) to the meeting point for our free walking tour at the Izumo no Okuni statue on the bank of the Kamo River.
Lauren’s friend had highly recommended the walking tour, which started in Gion and covered Kyoto’s geisha culture, and then winded through Higashiyama to see some temples and shrines and learn more about Japan’s confusing but fascinating perspective on religion. After days of self-guided tours, we were both craving an experience where someone knowledgeable would spoon-feed us all the information we needed to know.
And the free walking tour was exactly what we wanted! Maybe even better. Our adorable guide, Dominic, was a chef from Australia who had also lived in London and had been in Kyoto for the past two and a half years. He was like the younger, skinnier, gay version of Ashton Kutcher with a cute accent. The group was larger than I would have liked (about 25 people), but Dominic did a good job of projecting his voice and corralling us in through all the narrow, crowded streets.
As mentioned, we started in Gion and learned all about geisha culture. So interesting. Basically, young girls (typically age 15) come from all over Japan to knock on the doors of geisha houses and convince the owner that they are worthy of the investment to be taken in as a “maiko” (or geisha in training). If accepted, the maikos go through a period of intense training, during which they need to repay the owner of the geisha house for all the debts related to their training period. They only become full-fledged geisha after their debt is paid off, which usually takes about five years. The typical image that we Westerners have in our heads of geisha (colorful kimonos, elaborate hairdos, white makeup) are actually that of the maiko. Geisha are typically more understated, as they have mastered their craft and don’t need to rely on fancy attire to impress.
Also, while Westerners sometimes think that geisha are actually prostitutes, or some kind of repressed female in society, this couldn’t be further from the truth in Japan. Geisha are revered as savvy, independent businesswomen. They are hired for thousands of yen per evening and are expected to be well-versed in current affairs so they can make conversation with their wealthy and powerful clients (and it is assumed that geisha are often privy to some of the most secret wheelings and dealings that take place at the tea houses where they entertain).
The second part of the walking tour took us through numerous shrines and temples. Honestly, it is easy to get a little bit jaded seeing so many fantastic religious monuments in Japan, especially in Kyoto (there are over 2,000 in Kyoto alone). I recall Lauren being incredibly dazzled by the first temple that we saw in Tokyo, as she had never seen anything like it. She was running around the grounds with a huge smile on her face, taking pictures from every angle. By the end of the trip, we would walk by temples unfazed, maybe snapping a picture if something struck us as unique.
Dominic did teach us more about religion in Japan, which I found to be one of the most interesting things about the country. Shintoism is the official religion of the country, but Buddhism is also very prominent, and you see the two religions intertwined everywhere. With all of the temples and shrines, you’d think that the Japanese people would be very religious people, but the majority of them actually identify as “non-religious.” However, they pick and choose the elements of religion that they wish to practice, and you will see Japanese people everywhere praying to a particular “kami,” (or god) at a shrine, or making an offering and then making a wish.
After two and a half educational and entertaining hours, we bid our farewells to Dominic (the walking tour was the one exception that we made to the no tipping policy in Japan, as Dominic had made it clear that he worked for gratuities). Our plan was to find lunch at the Nishiki Market, a vast stretch of stalls and stores full of every kind of Japanese street food you could imagine.
At this point, our adventurous food spirits had waned, and I in particular struggled to find something vegetarian and healthy to eat. Lauren grabbed some skewered shrimp and I found a stall with fried and battered vegetables and cheeses (kind of like quiche on a stick). Vegetarian? Yes. Healthy? No. Interestingly, all of the stalls had signs clearly instructing you to not walk and eat (apparently that is considered rude in Japan).
Our final sightseeing destination for the day was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Google Maps told us we could take the train about twenty minutes south, and then walk a short distance to the shrine. Perfect. We found the train station and inserted our IC cards into the gates. “Check card,” flashed back on the screen of the gate as the barriers remained steady in place. Huh? I still had thousands of yen on my IC card.
Well, it turns out that the Keihan Main Line is actually a private train line operated by an entity separate from the governmental agency that runs the Kyoto local train and bus system. Seriously? How many cards and passes was I going to have to buy on this trip? We sucked it up and purchased our one way tickets to Fushimi Inari.
The path with thounsands of bright orange torii gates is one of the most iconic images that I’d seen of Kyoto, and it was a must-do for both Lauren and me. After the train ride and a shart walk, we arrived at the very crowded grounds and walked through the first set of gates, attempting to get pictures with as few people as possible.
Then we arrived at the next set of gates… and the next set. We finally reached a map and realized that we were only at the beginning of a long trek up Mt. Inari. Stupidly, neither of us had done much research on the shrine, and we assumed that it would be a quick twenty minute visit to see the gates, wander around, and then turn back. Nope. To get to the summit of the mountain and back takes between 2-3 hours.
Damn it. I would’ve loved to spend several hours hiking through the incredible gates, but neither of us were wearing appropriate footwear, and it was already getting to be later in the afternoon. We gave ourselves about 45 minutes, then decided to call it a day. We were both excited to check out the Ritz-Carlton and wanted to welcome ourselves to our new digs with an overpriced cocktail.
Another one way ticket on the Keihan Main Line and we were at our five star home for the next two days. I was upgraded to a Deluxe Kyoto room, and our bags were waiting for us in the room upon arrival. Off to a great start. The one interesting thing about our room at the Ritz was that it was the only place where we had to share a king bed instead of having two full beds. Everywhere else in Japan, it was standard to give two adults separate beds. I suppose it may be nice to be able to share a bed if you’re a couple, but Lauren and I were appreciating the standard separate setup.
Two $25 cocktails later and it was time to figure out dinner with the hotel concierge. Once again, we wanted a break from Japanese food, and Mexican was on both of our minds. I had seen a restaurant called La Jolla with decent rates on TripAdvisor, and the concierge recommended it as well. She told us we could walk about 20 minutes to the restaurant, but it was cold, so we asked for help getting a taxi, grabbed a card to help with our return ride and we were off.
La Jolla had been opened by a Japanese man who had been inspired by his visit to Southern California and wanted to bring the Mexican food he enjoyed in the San Diego area city to his home in Kyoto. Fine by me. It wasn’t the best Mexican of my life, but my vegetable enchiladas were very good, and the margaritas, chips and guacamole really hit the spot. We left the restaurant the most full we had been of any night in Japan. No going out tonight, maybe tomorrow.
Day Four: Nara, More Italian Food
We had planned a day trip to Nara for our final full day in Kyoto, which I’ve covered in a separate post here. Nara is a quick one hour train ride from Kyoto, and I highly recommend it as a day trip. As mentioned, I had originally planned to stay two nights in Nara, and I think we would’ve liked the hotel that I booked, but we ultimately decided that there was so much to do in Kyoto that we needed some extra time there.
Unfortunately, Lauren was not feeling well throughout the day, and just got progressively worse as we took the return train to the Ritz-Carlton. We had 8pm dinner reservations at the Italian restaurant at the hotel (we were still on our Japanese food hiatus), but Lauren decided she couldn’t handle a meal. She ordered some ginger tea to the room and I headed downstairs for a solo dinner, where I enjoyed my most expensive meal of the trip alone. The menu was not traditional Italian, but I was very happy with my fresh salad and risotto (and wine).
It was not the most exciting end to our stay in Kyoto, but we were both pleased with all that we had seen during our time (and thrilled that the weather had finally taken a turn). The walking tour, the morning in Arashiyama and the day in Nara were some of our favorite things that we did in Japan, and we were looking forward to our next six days in Osaka, Miyajima and Hakone.
