When in the US, the first thing on our minds when we wake up is: Coffee. It’s a strange addiction! Who brews ground roasted beans husked from a tree? Regardless, that was the first thing on Brett’s agenda. And since we had a full day to spend, we should have some time to search out a stellar coffee house.
However, (!) we also needed to get over to Arashiyama and begin the day’s events before things got busy with the tourists. So, reluctantly, we headed to the train station and hopped on a local train.
Arashiyama is a fantastic little part of Kyoto that hugs the Katsura river. It houses some very cute little restaurants, street food & houses, a small shrine butting up against a traditional bamboo forest, and steam engines.
Brett was getting a little grumpy without his coffee, so we walked straight to % Arabica overlooking the river. I had a good feeling it was going to be amazing, since the coffee grinder was working it’s magic at the back of the shop, and we were told that “we only have one size” when ordering a cappuccino.
The guy running the shop was extremely nice, as he should be, since he has the best job in the world. Do you think you could top this view making coffee all day??
And, as an added surprise, we felt like special customers when we were asked to be part of % Arabica’s Facebook page. It may have had something to do with the fact that we returned for more coffee, and laid-out the complements pretty thick.
I think the guy forgot to write our names down… but hey! The guy has a ton of customers!!
As soon as we had our coffee and admired the river view, we walked over to the nearby temple, Tenryu-ji. Inside, we removed our shoes (getting use to this by now), and explored the amazing interior of the temple.
The floors didn’t squeak like the nightingale floors of the Shogun, but the artful craftsmanship of the building and rooms was truly special, including the art having on the walls, and the murals that spanned whole rooms.
Outside, we were thrilled to see a fantastic garden, full of a variety of flowers and trees, and….our first real impressive blanket of cherry blossoms (Sakura).
After wandering around in circles, staring up into the blossoms, we remembered that an equally amazing sight was to be found around the back of the temple’s gardens. The bamboo forest was clearly a special patch of ground, housing nothing but towering, rich trunks of green.
It’s hard to describe, but the photos can give you a quick feeling of the expansive nature of the forest. The funny thing was, EVERYONE was there on the path through the forest, including about four groups of photographers and their clients (newlyweds, senior portraits(?), and the like) trying their best to take shots in the forest with packed crowd. We wondered if having casually dressed strangers in their photos was just something that people in Japan just accepted as inevitable.
Behind the bamboo forest, a private zen garden was available to tour which we discovered was not as popular than the free-access forest. Inside the Okochi Sanso Garden, a small tea shop was situated next to the bamboo, where you could enjoy Matcha and a light treat amidst the tranquil forest.
But wait! There was plenty more to visit and admire. The zen garden had a lovely little path that guided you to the different parts of the property, which is the former home and garden of the Japanese period film actor Denjirō Ōkōchi.
Lunch was on the agenda next, and we ended up taking a yelp recommendation for a cold soba restaurant overlooking the river. We waited about a half-hour, which didn’t seem to be unreasonable, given the popularity of the restaurant.
Eating soba is a unique experience, since the cold noodles are served on a plate with a container full of hot broth and an array of spices and toppings. It was a little nerve racking not to “do it wrong” and look like a tourist (hard to escape that!) but it was truly a fun experience – and delicious!
After lunch, we walked toward the train station to take the romantic train ride at the Saga Torokko station. We passed through the bamboo forest path again, and rounded a few corners on our way back to the train station. As we walked we passed a neat little shrine (where a Sakura festival was brewing) containing a wall of wooden wishing plaques called Ema.
Throughout the day we also passed many Japanese rickshaws, which were very entertaining to see. The guys pulling wore spandex and what looked to be a special kind of soft toe-shoe.
This train was made specifically for scenic rides through the magical river gorge, which was purposefully lined with Sakura trees. It was pretty awesome, including a very funny guy dressed in a mask, who playfully invaded our photos. It was awesome!
After the train ride, we wandered the town a bit, tried some amazing street food of filled pancakes in the shapes of fish, some bbq’d chicken on a skewer, and some bbq’d mochi. Amazing stuff!
While moseying around, we observed a few Geisha that were walking the streets and across the bridge. We couldn’t figure out whether they were there to take photos with people, or if they were just too nice not to decline. However, Millie did have a respectful opportunity to take a photo with the Geisha below, who seemed to be happy to participate with the crowds.
The day was not over, though. No way! Millie convinced Brett to take a side trip to Osaka for dinner and to try Takoyaki. What we didn’t expect was the amazing nightlife and fantastic castle. We boarded the JR and headed out!
We arrived in Osaka and decided to visit the Osaka Castle. It is situated in a dual moat system, with a few large bridges and amazing gate houses. The castle was first constructed in 1583, later burned down in 1615 and was rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada in the 1620s. But the main castle tower was struck by lightening in 1665 and…burnt down. It was not until 1931 that it was rebuilt as a more modern structure.
As we approached the castle, we found an irresistible street vendor (again, it was Sakura festival season) with Takoyaki. Takoyaki is a round pancake batter type food with a small bit of octopus (Tako) inside. It’s covered with sauce and toppings and it’s amazing.
Inside the castle grounds, some amazing street artists performed a variety of tricks, including those rubix cubes behind the performers. They were very fast.
After the expansive walk around the castle, we headed to the night scene. And what a scene it was! I am not sure we have been in an indoor mall with more lights and sounds, and the outdoor mall full of vendors of food, and restaurants. I think Yelp blew up with the density of suggestions, most of which were 4 or 5 stars.
A friend from work had recommended Ichiran, a raman house with booths to sit in. The wait was about 45 min, but the experience of messing up the machine to order our food and the amazing taste was well worth the effort.
Ichiran overlooked the river, which made the experience of waiting that much easier. Wow what a place!
We headed out from Osaka back to Kyoto and hit the sack. Wow WHAT A DAY!
