A Japan Celebration: One Week in Kyoto

After our Europe trip, my mom hit her lifelong goal of visiting 100 countries and I accepted an offer to return to work after I had taken a break (in case you haven't heard... I've since been promoted to Director, Global Sales and I'll be creating custom trips to Africa and Asia, as well as selling trips to other destinations we operate in! I am SO excited.) To celebrate my mom's 100th country and my return to work (pre-promotion), we thought, "what better way to celebrate these life moments than a spontaneous trip to Japan?!" So, I planned, booked, and organized, a last-minute one-week trip to our favorite city in Japan: Kyoto. 

We left Los Angeles on Thanksgiving day, departing from a virtually empty Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. We got our first taste of much missed Japanese food on our half-full flight and arrived the next evening in Osaka. We walked across the street to the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport, where we had stayed before. We arrived just thirty minutes before the final call in the restaurant, so we rushed to check in and didn't even go to to the room before heading to dinner. The following morning, we walked around the train station (in between the hotel and the airport) for a leg stretch and had our first Japanese breakfast. The hotel has a pretty extensive Japanese breakfast buffet, with way more options to choose from than most hotels. The food is always replenished when it's low, and it is delicious. Because we had a large suitcase, we didn't want to have to deal with our suitcase on the Shinkansen. So, I had booked a private car to drive us from Osaka to Kyoto. Without traffic, the drive is approximately 90 minutes but it ended up taking us close to 2 1/2 hours on a two-lane highway. Finally, we arrived in Kyoto at my mom's favorite hotel in the world: The Ritz Carlton Kyoto. 

Entrance to the Ritz Carlton Kyoto.

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am not a Ritz Carlton person—we are not fancy and often prefer less populated hotels to the major name brands. However, it was love at first sight with the Ritz Kyoto when we first visited in 2015 as part of a group trip. It's modern yet traditional, with beautiful touches of Japanese architecture, art, and design elements. The hotel also has a Michelin starred restaurant (it didn't when we first started visiting!) and a relaxing spa, that we had never taken advantage of until this celebratory trip. Even though we arrived several hours before the official check in time, the hotel staff said that our room was ready. Home sweet home! In all my visits here, I had never taken room pictures, so enjoy those below. 

Our Kamogawa River view room had two double beds, a great couch, and a nice seating area.

There are control panels next to each bed to operate the blinds, curtains, and lighting (including a night light so you can see to walk around at night!)

Super comfy couch near the ceremonial tea set up.

My favorite part of the room is the bath tub... It's in the same room with the shower (a glass door surrounds the bathtub and stand alone shower) and the hotel has the best yuzu bath salts! I love the cherry blossom petals on the wall too.

View from the room.

I also had a little surprise waiting for my mom on the table... 

I had emailed the hotel's concierge asking if they could place this note in the room prior to our arrival... They were happy to accommodate the request!

It might seem silly, but one of my favorite things to do when staying at the Ritz Kyoto is to order their room service tempura udon. The tempura comes straight from their Michelin starred tempura restaurant (the best tempura you'll ever have anywhere in Japan!) and the udon noodles have just the right consistency. I crave this udon whenever I'm not in Japan, and it always lives up to my memory of it. 

Room service udon with tempura from Mizuki.

Of course, after lunch we wanted something sweet. After looking out the window to a beautiful rainbow (and frantically realizing I had uncharacteristically left a vital piece of camera equipment in LA and realizing I wouldn't be able to use my camera AT ALL on this trip), we walked to our favorite dessert shop: Nanaya. 

Rainbow from the room.

Nanaya is popular with locals, though it is growing in popularity with tourists as well. A short 15 minute walk from the hotel, it's famous for having seven levels of matcha ice cream and the strongest matcha ice cream in the world. Nanaya also sells tea, chocolates, cookies, and other sweets at the back of the shop. While they're known for their matcha, they have other flavors including azuki red bean (which I tried for the first time), black sesame (one of my personal favorites here) and some seasonal favorites like walnut, sweet potato, and pumpkin. The inside of the shop has a few chairs side-by-side and the outside of the shop has about six chairs outside. 

Nanaya is located on an unsuspecting side street, not far from Teramachi-dori.

Some of the many levels of matcha! 

Azuki red bean and premium number 7 matcha gelato.

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at my most frequented Japanese vending machine, which is the only one in the area carrying the melon cream soda I like... A brand I still can't find in the US! 

We walked into this little garden next to the hotel on the way back.

For dinner tonight, we dined at the Ritz's exclusive Chef's Table. When I first emailed for a reservation, I was told that the experience was fully booked (as I had expected). Imagine my surprise when the hotel emailed back saying they had personally talked with the executive chef who very generously added extra seats just for us since we are repeat guests. We entered the soundproof room to a table set for just six guests, with a nature soundtrack playing and all the ingredients for tonight's dinner displayed on the table. Created in collaboration with the Ritz Carlton gardener Kohki Suzuki, the focus on sustainability is evident from the minute you sit down. Soft mounds of living moss, textured wood pieces, and artfully arranged rocks and leaves create a botanical paradise of tranquil beauty. True to his belief that cooking should be good for you and good for nature, Chef Inoue finds inspiration for his evolving menu from the "together, strive for better" attitude that has held true in Kyoto for centuries. 

The ingredient display of skewered fish stomach, wagyu beef, pear, parsnip, white fish, crab, Italian truffles, and more.

Each day, leaves are handpicked for the table arrangement.

Throughout the night, Chef Inoue blended Italian and Japanese flavors and took us on a culinary journey of Japan's 72 micro seasons. A note was waiting for us on the table, explaining the concept for the Chef's Table... A thoughtful touch!

Chef Inoue's concept note.

Every ingredient used is handpicked by Chef Inoue himself. Aside from seeking fresh, seasonal items, he also takes a careful look into how produce is grown and harvested, how livestock is treated, and the health of the soil itself. He takes a zero-waste approach in his cooking, whether it's using yeast from overly harvest vegetables to bake focaccia or unsold fish from the market to use a dish (or unwanted pieces of fish, like stomach... I could have done without the fish stomach dish). On any given day, the menu may feature Kyoto's kyo-yasai heirloom vegetables, fish from Japan's shinkeijime masters, local dairy, ethically raised wagyu, and imported Italian truffles. Small plate after small plate, the plating was stunning and the flavor combinations were incredibly unique. Here are just a few pics... And I'm definitely regretting not writing down what everything was! I was too blown away by the innovate creations and presentation!

This dish had parsnip and caviar in it, to be eaten in one big bite.

A fish stomach gazpacho.

Focaccia made with yeast from vegetables, and served with whipped ricottta.

I wish I remembered what this was (the dish on the left had crab in it), but the concept was that you took one bite from the dish on the left, and then a sip of the soup stock on the right. You continued alternating until finished.

This dish incorporated a ton of fresh uni, so of course mom enjoyed this one!

Akashi Densuke Fried Conger Eel with Cratello and Herb

Italian truffle pasta... a favorite of mine!

A stunning prawn dish.

The cooked prawn was then served on our plate with a creamy sauce.

Mountain yams cooking with truffle shavings.

Mountain yam with truffle shaving once plated.

The best slice of wagyu beef ever... By now, I was so full from the dishes pictured above (and many aren't even pictured!) but this was to die for.

Squid ink risotto.

A beautiful dessert using dry ice, cheese, and pear.

Side view of dessert!

To end the meal, the chef brought us a beautiful box with two pieces of chocolate... The prettiest chocolate presentation you'll ever see!

The entire meal lasted about three hours, as there is only one seating per night. By the end of the meal, we were completely exhausted. We had only arrived in Japan 24 hours before! We said goodnight to the chef, and made our way to our room.

Chef Inoue bidding us farewell. Chef's Table is located inside the Italian restaurant, La Locanda, but has a separate entrance made to feel like a house. You're required to take off your shoes and wear Japanese slippers for the experience.

The following morning, we sat down for Japanese breakfast. We were unfortunately a bit disappointed, as the Japanese breakfast used to be downstairs in Mizuki (which has Japanese decor) while the Western breakfast used to be held upstairs in La Locanda, the Italian restaurant. Now, Japanese and Western breakfast is served in the same location, and it's not as relaxing. The Japanese breakfast also doesn't have the diversity it used to... The menu used to change daily and it had more dishes. Regardless, it was still oishii! 

A beautiful Japanese breakfast of yellow tail, pickles, tofu, fruit, beef, Japanese omelette, a salad, and miso soup. I had way too many iced coffees at this meal... The Ritz just makes them so well!

As you often have to do in Kyoto with the increase in tourism and to avoid overcrowded sites, we left the hotel early (around 8:30 AM) to go to Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple"). The taxi dropped us off at the bottom of the shopping street and we slowly made our way towards the temple (which is much easier to do earlier in the morning since there are only a few people out). 

Approaching Kiyomizu in the taxi.

Walking towards Kiyomizu's Nio-mon gate.

The last time we had visited the temple, it had scaffolding on it and the street leading up to the temple was so crowded with tourists. The temple was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall and was originally associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest schools within Japanese Buddhism. Halfway up Mt. Otowa, visitors come to pay their respects to Kannon, a deity of mercy and compassion. Popular with tourists and locals alike, Kiyomizu is best known for its wooden stage outside the main hall, which affords panoramic views of the city and the foliage. For this reason, Kiyomizu is one of the most popular temples to view the fall foliage in Kyoto. Below are some photos. 

Sai-mon is the west gate. Reconstructed in 1633, it has long been considered a gateway to Paradise.

To the right of Sai-mon, there is a walking path and some stone benches.

Walking towards the main hall...

Everyone was taking photos of their ticket with the fall colors in the background, so I had to join the party too! The ticket was pretty cheap, and was required to visit Hondo (the main hall) and the best viewing platform at Kiyomizu.

iPhone panorama of the view from Hondo's first wooden platform.

Further along, there was another wooden platform looking towards Hondo (the main hall) and Kyoto city. This was my favorite view, but it is a bit of a trek to get here, especially when trying to dodge the crowds and minding your step with the randomly placed stairs on the platforms.

Prayer plaques at Kiyomizu.

I loved the various bonsai at Kiyomizu!

Bell tower at Kiyomizu.

Back at Sai-mon.

By the time we headed back down the shopping street (which leads from Kiyomizu to Gion), it was jam packed. Kiyomizu was already super crowded at 9 AM, as were the shopping streets, and it only gets worse as the day progresses (Kiyomizu also has a special autumn night time viewing which we did not attend). On the way down to the parking lot, we popped into a Japanese ceramics shop... my mom's weakness! She bought a beautiful one-of-a-kind ceramic (literally-- it was the only piece in existence) before we made our way to the Donguri store, an official retailer of Ghibli merchandise (even though we would be visiting Ghibli Park). 

Entering Donguri.

This felt like entering a forest in a Ghibli film.

Of course, there was a Totoro by the door!

We took a taxi back to the hotel, put the shopping bags away, and immediately set back out for our lunch spot. Because Nanzenji Junsei had been sold out of reservations, we had asked the Ritz to recommend a tofu restaurant. They suggested Tosuiro Kiyamachi which was tasty (and walking distance to our hotel), but definitely not as good as Nanzenji Junsei. We had a hard time locating the restaurant even with Google Maps because it was tucked away in an alley. I thought I had found it (my live location dot said I did) but it turned out to be another restaurant. In true Japanese fashion, the host put on his slippers and walked us over to the restaurant which was one alley over. 

The side street where the restaurant was located. We never would have found it!

When we sat down, we were the only tourists there. We opted for their autumn kaiseki special: appetizers, sashimi, oboro tofu hot pot, citron tofu with gingko, grilled tofu with miso paste and red konjac, tempura, yuba, miso soup, pickles, and apple sherbert. Below are some pics! 

Appetizers.

Tuna, octopus, and yuba (dried soybean skin).

Speciality boiled oboro tofu.

Soy milk steamed with citron tofu, lily bulb, and gingko. The texture was similar to chawanmushi.

Grilled tofu and red konjac with miso paste.

After a relaxing afternoon, the foodie tour of Kyoto continued at the hotel's tempura bar, easily our favorite tempura bar anywhere in Japan. Using seasonal ingredients, the tempura chef spoiled us with uni, wagyu wrapped in shiso, gingko nut, prawn, prawn head, sweet potato, scallop, white fish, and more. Some photos below, in case you weren't hungry enough already. 

The display of ingredients for tonight's meal.

A delicious bite of uni over rice with a sweet sauce.

Wagyu wrapped in shiso leaf, and then fried in tempura batter. This has always been a favorite of mine!

Fresh tofu salad in between tempura rounds.

Chesnut... a seasonal favorite.

Little did my mom know, but I had also planned one final celebratory surprise... But I didn't know the waiter would throw white flower petals all over us! It was quite the celebration.

Surprise!

When I made the reservation at the tempura bar, there was a field indicating if you were celebrating a special occasion. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate one more time!

The following day, we took a taxi to Kyoto Station to hop on the 9 AM shinkansen to Nagoya. Why? To visit Ghibli Park, of course! 

On our way to Nagoya!

First announced in 2017 with construction starting in 2020, Ghibli Park officially opened in November 2022. Located within the grounds of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro, is the park's director and lead designer. At the time of opening, there were three areas of the park: Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest. The second phase of opening of Ghibli Park was Mononoke Village, which just opened on November 1, 2023. Valley of the Witches has been delayed to mid-March, 2024. To visit Ghibli Park, you need to first get tickets... which can be difficult. By some miracle, tickets were still available when we first talked about returning to Japan so, without having even booked a hotel or air tickets yet, I bought Ghibli Park tickets and planned our trip entirely around that one day. Separate tickets are needed per area, though Mononoke Village is sold as a set with admission to Ghibli's Grand Warehouse. The Hill of Youth (mainly inspired by Whisper of the Heart) and Dondoko Forest (where Satsuki and Mei's house in My Neighbor Totoro is) were sold out, so we only visited Mononoke Village and Ghibli's Grand Warehouse. 

This map gives you a sense of how spread out the area is.

Due to time restraints, we took a taxi from Nagoya Station to Ghibli Park instead of transferring to the local train line which would have let us off right at the park's entrance but would have taken much longer. Our first stop was the Rotunda Kazegaoka at the north entrance. A ticket is not required for this shop, and it has a wide variety of Ghibli merchandise and snacks (as does the Lawson convenience store across the pedestrian street). We then made our way to Mononoke Village, which was a 10-15 minute walk downhill through the park. Prior to visiting, I had no idea how spread out Ghibli Park is. Because it was built at the Expo park, you'll be in a Ghibli area one minute and an ice rink the next!

We decided to go to Mononoke Village first, as there is a mochi cooking experience (at an additional cost) that sells out on a first come first serve basis. At Tatara-ba, made to look like a building in Princess Mononoke, visitors can make a local speciality called Gohei-mochi on a charcoal grill. 

Entering Tatara-ba.

Once inside Tatara-ba, you line up around the house. The line got pretty long after we arrived around 11 AM. At least it was shaded!

Gohei-mochi is made with white rice, lightly pounded and wrapped around a wooden skewer. It's then sauced and grilled. Popular in the hillside towns of Aichi and surrounding prefectures, this yummy treat is easy to make. We lined up outside the building and after waiting for 20 or so minutes in line, we reached the cash register. We chose our sauce (walnut miso, soy sauce, or a ketchup base Napolitan sauce), were handed our sticks, and directed to a grill. It was a fun experience, and pretty tasty! 

Each station had its own grill.

There were several rows of grills.

Almost ready to eat! Just a few more turns...

The experience itself took only 15 minutes, so when we had finished, we took our Gohei-mochi outside and sat at a table. 

Delicious! You can keep any excess sauce as a souvenir.

When we were done, we explored the rest of the small Mononoke Village. There are two sculptures in a kid's play area, which we took photos with. The kid's slide is Lord Okkoto, the boar god who turns into a demon. 

Lord Okkoto slide.

Lord Okkoto from a different angle.

The Demon Spirit (manifestations of grudge and a parasitic entity in the film) is for decoration only. 

The Demon Spirit is huge!

Time for a selfie!

Nearby, there is a watchtower from Emishi Village and a rest stop shop that sells original items that are all from Princess Mononoke.We made our way back uphill and had lunch at a small cafe. We had a bento box and soup along with iced coffee, from Uganda of all places! 

Walking back towards the main area.

Our lunch set! It wasn't anything special, but it did the trick.

Who knew I'd have Ugandan coffee in Japan?!

Of course, I had to get soft serve ice cream with warm azuki beans for dessert... in the interest of killing time, of course! Mom opted for a standard soft serve.

The azuki beans had fresh mochi, and the soft serve was served separately.

Soft serve with red bean powder.

At 1:30 PM, we made our way towards the Elevator Tower (inspired by the late 19th century sci-fi architecture that appears in films like Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle) and walked towards Ghibli's Grand Warehouse (located directly next to a still operating ice skating rink which has nothing to do with Ghibli Park). 

Approaching the Elevator Tower.

The Elevator Tower only has two elevators down to the Warehouse, but you could also walk ~20 minutes downhill (past Mononoke Village) and end up in the same spot.

Because the tickets are timed, you are not allowed to enter the warehouse before your ticketed time. While our entrance time was 2 PM, everyone started lining up early. There's nowhere to sit, however, so for someone who can't stand for too long it's not very ADA friendly. At 2 PM sharp, the line started moving. The staff checked our passport details (the names on the tickets have to match the passport name for foreign visitors) and in we went!

Going in to Ghibli's Grand Warehouse.

Immediately, I was shocked at how unorganized it was. Compared to the Ghibli Museum, which is so orderly, Ghibli's Grand Warehouse was a free for all. I first went to see the famous mosaic tile staircase, which connects the first and second floors of the warehouse, but it was so overly crowded that it took away from the Ghibli magic. If it were less crowded, I think I would have enjoyed all the little mosaic details, similar to Ghibli Museum, and the Giant Flying Ship with its propeller on. 

The Grand Staircase from above.

The Grand Staircase from below.

I could see this being really magical when it's not so crowded... which is probably only for the first entrance time of the day (we were the second to last time and slots open every two hours).

Tree spirits from Princess Mononoke.

The special exhibits at Ghibli Park are basically tourist traps. The "Becoming Characters in Memorable Ghibli Scenes" exhibit is basically a bunch of interactive exhibits (14 scenes from 13 films) where people line up for 30+ minutes just to take a photo of themselves next to the characters. I passed some of the exhibits just to take a photo without myself in it, but it felt more like Disneyland, and not in a good way. 

A life size recreation of Arrietty.

A life size recreation of Arrietty.

Yubaba's office from Spirited Away.

There was also a food exhibit, which we had already seen at Ghibli Museum the first year we went. At Ghibli Museum, you could easily observe every detail but at the park, it was hard to see anything because of all the people and lack of wayfinding. At the museum, exhibits can only be entered and exited through designated areas. At Ghibli Park, anyone can enter from anywhere. So, it's complete chaos. I was so shocked and disappointed that the warehouse didn't live up to the hype, so we made our way to the "Adventurous Flying Squadron" gift shop... which is nothing like "Mamma Auito" at the Ghibli Museum. The shop was so crowded you could barely move, and carried items that were not as interesting as the museum. I thought we were going to do a lot of shopping damage, but we only bought some patches, a cake, tea cookies, and a book end that had to be assembled (it literally came in 100+ pieces that I spent weeks hot gluing together when I returned home). Pics of the goods below! 

Between the store outside the park and the Adventurous Flying Squadron gift shop inside Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, this was all we bought! I was anticipating more...

Enjoy some behind the scenes pictures of putting together my book end back in Los Angeles... I will never do that again! 

There were a ridiculous amount of pieces, some so small you had to use tweezers to pop them out.

The directions were not much help... It was mainly just photographs! I ended up having to checkmark the steps once completed, because I kept losing my place.

The model they sell is 100% smaller than the one on display... without question. I already knew it wouldn't look perfect, but I was determined to put this thing together one way or the other.

After several weeks and 10+ hours, I finished it. It now lives in my book nook!

Back to Japan... We left the park sadly unimpressed, a bit depressed, and wanting to go back to the Ghibli Museum to make up for the lack of excitement and wonder at the park. We returned to Kyoto via Shinkansen, and prepared for the next day. The following day, we headed back to Kyoto Station to meet one of my mom's friends from when she taught English in Japan. While we waited for her shinkansen to arrive, I ducked into Mister Donut for their Pokémon donut series. The Poké Ball Ring is a soft choux pastry coated with strawberry chocolate and white chocolate, topped with sweet and sour strawberry sugar. 

Poké ball donut from Mister Donut in Kyoto Station.

Shortly after, Mihoko-san arrived and we all went to Tofuku-ji Temple to see some fall colors. A large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto, it was founded in 1236 by the Fujiwara clan. Its name is a combination of the names of two temples in Nara that were also associated with the Fujiwara clan, Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple. In autumn, people come from all over Japan to see the autumn colors, with the most popular view on the Tsutenkyo Bridge because it overlooks a valley of maple trees. To get there, you first take a short walk through the forest (this is not mobility impaired friendly as there are lots of stairs. If someone is in a wheelchair, the staff direct them against the flow of traffic and take them straight to the bridge for fall color viewing). 

Fall colors at Tofuku-ji.

Entering the path through the forest.

Compared to many other places in Japan, the path didn't feel that crowded.

Many leaves had already fallen, but there were still plenty of leaves on the trees.

There are many stairs, but they're not steep. I took a quick photo break!

Looking towards the bridge from the path.

A cute family kept taking photos of us. They got creative by holding some leaves in front!

My favorite view... I squatted and stuck my phone out through a railing for this one! Just another day in the life...

Beautiful mid-morning lighting. 

Looking towards the main hall.

The 300 foot long covered walkway becomes crowded when the colors reach their peak, but with a strict one way loop I found that everyone who visited Tofukuji was respectful of others taking photos. People were either offering to take photographs of you or patiently waited while you snapped a few shots! Pics from the bridge portion below.

Selfie from the walkway.

I sat on the floor and pointed my phone up as much as possible to get the framing of the roof with the trees.

I loved all the red and yellow hues!

We then all proceeded to Omen Shijo-Pontocho, after learning the Omen Kodaiji shop permanently closed during Covid. Thankfully, this udon shop is a chain (with one location even in New York) and we were able to fulfill our udon craving. The restaurant isn't large, so you basically play musical chairs as the line progresses. They have English menus now, which they didn't when we first started going! Unlike the US where the noodles are soaking in dashi broth getting soggy, the noodles and broth are served separately. You take your noodles and dip it into the dashi broth (you put green onion, ginger, and sesame seeds in the broth) and then slurp your noodles. The set we always get comes with a side of tempura, and we shared delicious daikon chips. 

A delicious meal!

Mom and Mihoko-san.

If that wasn't enough, we walked to Qu'il Fait Bon, rated one of the best patisserie/cake shops in Kyoto. The shop did not disappoint! Decorated for Christmas, this festive shop had just about any cake you could ask for: sweet potato and azuki bean cream tart; persimmon chocolate tart; strawberry with pistachio custard tart; pear and cheese mousse tart; apple and strawberry tart; and so much more! 

The outside of Qu'il Fait Bon.

The front of the shop.

All decked out for Christmas!

A small sample of the many cases of cakes and tarts.

Some looked too pretty to eat...

...Especially this one.

We played musical cake, each taking a bite of one of three cakes before rotating them on the table. We tried the pear, persimmon with chocolate, and sweet potato with azuki bean... yum! 

The interior. 

Oishii!

It felt like a winter wonderland.

Closeup of the tart with pear.

Closeup of the chocolate cake with persimmon.

The incredible azuki bean and sweet potato tart.

Of course, we also had coffee. After a successful day with Mihoko-san, we parted ways and walked back to the hotel... Just in time, too, because we caught this rainbow from our room (the second one of the trip)!

Another rainbow as seen from the hotel.

Rainbow selfie!

Late in the afternoon, we tried something we had never done at the Ritz: we headed to the spa. We were greeted with green tea before changing into a bathrobe and slippers. My mom opted for a 60-minute scalp massage, and I had a 60-minute facial which was SO much more for a facial... My massage therapist massaged my neck and upper back, completely eliminating a knot in my back that has been bothering me for months. I was in heaven. Our original plan was to go to a night lighting of the fall colors after dinner, but after the heated blankets of the spa, we didn't want to go back out in the cold. So, we stayed in and prepared for our last full day in Kyoto.

Up until now, we had done all of the Kyoto touring completely on our own. When I planned the trip, I knew we wanted to return to Uji (famous for its matcha) and was looking at alternative ways to visit besides taking the local train as we did last time. We loved the train, but we were also trying to see something new. I came across a tour on Viator, operated by a Japanese local who started tours to off the beaten path locations during Covid (inspired by his Covid lockdown adventures, when he explored more of his country). We had the most incredible tour and saw so much of Ujiwara that we couldn't have possibly seen any other way. After a leisurely morning, we left the hotel at 12:30 PM for the 40 minute drive to Uji. We returned to my favorite matcha soba shop, Itohkyuemon, where we had delicious matcha soba and the famous Itohkyuemon parfait once more. 

Matcha soba, fried rice, and yuba.

The Itohkyuemon parfait... Most people order this to share! 

For scale!!!

This time we bought soba noodles to take home, too! Many stores in Japan like the shop at Itohkyuemon are duty free, so anything you purchase is sealed in a bag for you to carry through customs. This meant the manjū we bought (a Japanese confection similar to mochi with a filling of anko, and in this case Uji matcha and seasonal chestnut) had to be eaten on the plane home because we couldn't get it out of the bag! From Itohkyuemon, we drove almost one hour on a beautiful mountain road to Shoju-in Temple in Ujitawara. 

This was the road next to the parking lot at Shoju-in.

Built around 800 years ago, the Shoju-in Temple apparently caught fire twice and was rebuilt in 1596 by the monk Yuin. There are over 2,000 wind chimes in the temple during the summer and every year there is a wind chime festival from July 1 - September 18. 

A true taste of local life, and the way to part of the temple.

When we were handed our ticket, we were also handed these hard cookies.

Entrance to Shoju-in.

The trees were gorgeous here!

You could see the various changes of color on the same tree.

Not one person was around.

You can create your own flower arrangement outside the ticket booth.

One of the main halls.

Looking out towards the garden.

Inside the hall.

It's all in the details...

Scenes from around the garden.

iPhone panorama, still with no people!

Across the way, there is a side hall with a separate entrance. Walking up to it, you're surrounded by changing leaves.

Entering the other hall.

I loved how the leaves fell onto the moss. It reminded me of our Chef's Table dinner!

More close up of leaves.

In the side hall, there's a heart-shaped window from which the pink cherry blossoms, green summer grass, red autumn leaves, and the white snow of winter can be seen. The heart shape is a traditional pattern used for fortunes and blessings, so this window is known as the "Window of Happiness". 

Shoju-in's famous heart window.

A combination of tatami and wood, you're required to take off your shoes.

On the ceiling, there are 160 different pictures of flowers and Japanese scenery... all hand-painted! 

I sat down on the tatami just admiring the ceiling and the window. This experience is up there for the most peaceful moments of my life.

The stunning ceiling. I could've looked at it all day!

This temple has easily become my favorite hidden gem in all of Japan. We were the only tourists there, and had the temple to ourself most of the time! At one point, we saw two Japanese tourists but otherwise it was just us, the temple, and nature. 

Garden details.

We continued driving the scenic route through Ujitawara, stopping to have some matcha ice cream. 

Driving in Ujitawara.

When we purchased our ice cream, we were handed this sign. What does my mom do? Proceeds to choke on the matcha powder... It gets caught in your throat easily!

As the sun was setting, we reached the "green tea fields to the sky!" as our guide Daiki enthusiastically called the location (which has no set name). We stopped at a small parking lot at the side of the road in a local farmers' village and admired the view. 

The tea leaves were in neat little rows by the parking lot...

... And across the street, the view was incredible.

Of course I had to take a photo! And yes, the green was very much intentional.

By the time we left, we had ended up not far from Nara. This meant we had an even longer drive back, but coupled with traffic, it took so much longer than planned. We ended up eating a room service because we were exhausted from all the time spent in the car! But, this tour was certainly worth it. 

On our last morning in Kyoto, we tried another Ritz first: Japanese breakfast in the room. 

Room service Japanese breakfast.

With the sun rising as we ate, it was the perfect ending to a great trip. We spent the morning packing before taking one last walk. 

I always take a photo of the bonsai in the Ritz Carlton Kyoto's lobby!

Walking towards Omen.

Where to? Omen for more udon, of course! We arrived shortly after the shop opened and didn't have to wait too long. We ordered the exact same set that we had with Mihoko-san complete with the same daikon chips. 

This is the entire downstairs area of Omen.

The perfect last meal in Japan!

When we were done, we went back to Qu'il Fat Bon for one more slice of cake... This time, I got their featured seasonal cream cheese tart with green grapes. This was by far my favorite! 

This one was definitely too pretty to eat... But we devoured it.

We took one last walk by the canal, returned to the hotel, met our driver who would take us from Kyoto back to Osaka, and said "see you later" to Japan. 

Walking along the canal.

Thanks for following along with our adventures. As always, follow my Instagram @elissatitle for photos. This blog has taken so long to write, that our next adventure starts in just a few days, so stay tuned for more!