Talking over a cup of Japanese green tea in the garden

On a brisk autumn day, I was a guide of a couple from UK. Though it was a little earlier for colored autumn leaves, we fully enjoyed the tour.

This is their first trip to Kyoto. I took a typical course including the world heritage sites.
Unlike usual, I took the course to Kiyomizu temple by way of passing by Yasaka Pagoda. Yasaka Pagoda is located near Sanneisaka and Nineizaka. However, we usually take the course of walking up to Kiyomizu temple along Chwanzaka with many pottery shops along.

After visiting Kiyomizu temple, we walked along Sanneizaka and Nineizaka as usual. This time, we stopped to see Entokuin temple across from Kodaiji temple. Kodaiji temple was named after KODAI-IN, the official wife of TOYOTOMO HIDEYOSHI.
The inside of this temple was renovated a little, and the rooms are very new. However, the number of visitors is comparatively small, and the people of the temple sometimes give us an explanation of the garden and its history. They were really kind to visitors unlike those of the famous and crowded temples.
We wanted to enjoy Tea ceremoney in the typical tea room in the garden. Unfortunately, on the day, the roof of the room was being checked and repaired. It was unlucky for us but we still enjoy talking over the typical tea, seeing the beautiful garden.
We spent a little while there, the person of the temple show their kindness to lead us to the tea room to see inside, and I had a chance to explain to them tea ceremony and what tea room is like. It was really quiet time in Autumn.


Later we visited Nijo castle and saw the Ninja like gardener climbing up the wall of the castle.
At that time, I was talking about how hard it was for warriors to attack climbing up the wall and how protective it was, saying that probably only NINJAs were able to climb it easily....
But, from behind me, the husband asked me if he ( the gardener ) was a Ninja.. HE was climbing EASILY to pull weeds and cut a small bushy trees off.

As a results, he spoiled my story .......

In the rock garden, I talked about Zen spirit, and they talked about Christianity and its history.
Such mutual interactions and understandings are also fun in doing the guide.



Date ; Oct. 26th
Tourist ; a couple from UK
Tour ; Yasaka pagoda, Kiyomizu temple, Gion, Nijo castle, Golden pavillion, Kyoto handicraft center

Sightseeing in the rain

Everyone hopes to go sightseeing under the fine weather. However, my last guide of last year was in the rain. Things have both good aspects and bad aspects. Right. The sightseeing under the bad weather was, of course, not comfortable, but wherever we went, there were not so many people as usual.

I showed a couple from Spain around in Kyoto on Dec. 13th. And it was raining.
This was their first visit to Kyoto. So, we chose the typical course. The first leg was Kiyiomizu temple. In Kiyomizu temple, in December, one kanji letter expressing that year was shown. The letter of 2010 was "暑" , which means "hot". As we spent the days in the cold climate in December, I almost forgot it was extremely hot last summer. The letter "hot" at the TV news reminded me of the harsh weather when I was doing the guide during the summer time.


Luckily, we enjoyed some of the red-colored leaves in the tree and on the ground there.


The long path from Kiyomizu temple to Yasaka shrine was good for finding souvenirs. They got interested in wind bells. The people a long time ago living without airconditioning tried to feel cool with various devices, like wind bells. Cool sounds from the bells will refresh us in summer time, not... in winter. But actually they gave us clear sounds.

We had Okonomiyaki lunch. As they live in China, we talked about the life in China and I got to know the internet environment in China.




We visited Nijo caslte, Golden pavillion and Ryoanji rock garden.
These places are usually crowded with a lot of tourists. However, to my surprise, there are few people in each place. Though tourists usually have to wait for a while to have the pictures of them taken with the Pavillion as their backdrop, this time we were able to take photos as we liked.
Sometimes I feel too many people viewing the rock garden spoils its beauty. This time, after I explained Zen spirit and what this garden showed, I thought they felt something zen.




Date : Dec. 13th
Tourists : a couple from Spain
Tour ; Kiyomizu temple, Sanneizaka Nineizaka, Ishibekoji, Yasaka shrine, Okonomiyaki lunch, Nijo castle, Golden Pavillion (Kinkakuji temple), Ryoanji rock garden

Tea ceremony and Silver pavillion on a beautiful autumn day

As I wrote before, a typical tea room is in the garden, and stepping stones lead you to the room, which consists of a few tatami mats. Its window-like square door is very small. Of course, it has a reason why it is so small. Actually I hit my head against the upper frame of the door when I got out of the room. It seems too small for me... probably...





Entoku-in temple we visited on that day serves tea for tea ceremony in the typical tea room in the garden. It is a simplified ceremony, but you can enjoy it at ease.
The experience of having traditional tea in the traditional room counts so much. In this temple, tea was brought by a woman from out of the room. In the traditional way, of course tea is made in front of you and the way of making tea has a rule to be followed. But with just 500 yen for tea, I think it sufficient to have a slight touch of Japanese culture.
I told them how to have the served tea. The girls seemed to have a little knowledge of tea ceremony, and fully enjoyed it. After having tea, the host came and explained to us the meaning of hanging scroll, and of the flowers in the alcove, which made us feel the season we were in.


On the way to Yasaka shrine, I usually take a course walking along Sanneizaka and Nineizaka to Nenenomichi and Ishibekoji. This part has an old Japanese atmosphere and these streets have tiny shops and restaurants on the road sides. Just walking is much fun. Among them, especially for young girls, Totoro of Miyazaki animations draws their attention. In the shop, there are a lot of goods of Miyazaki animation films' characters, though they are a bit expensive for me...

The last leg of our tour was Ginkakuji temple, or Silver Pavillion. It was in late afternoon that we visited there. The sunlight shone directly to the leaves as if it were a spot light.

That was the most beautiful scene of this temple I have ever seen. I recommend you to visit in late afternoon on an autumn sunny day.

The conbination of green of the pine trees and red or yellow of the Japanese maple leaves made a beautiful contrast.

Date ; November 18th

Tourist/ girls from Singapore and a French couple from Singapore

Tour : Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu temple, Sanneizaka Nineizaka, Entokuin temple( tea ceremony), Ishibekoji, (Okonomiyaki), Nishiki food market, Silver pavillion

Shaven Bonito and sea weeds, autumn leaves

As this was the first time for them to visit Kyoto, I made a typical tour plan. The tour date was Novemeber 1oth, when leaves started to change their color. This time , I was a guide of a family from Malaysia. I found she took a photo of red or orange leaves in every place. I was wondering why she stopped so often because autumn leaves can be seen every place. Some of them are so beautiful but others are just show us their beauty alone. She said that was the first time to see the colored leaves. Yes, I understand why. They came from the country with a warm climate.


Thank you for reading my blog. When I asked them what they wanted to have for lunch, they said "OKONOMIYAKI" That's because of this blog. I took them to the OKONOMIYAKI restaurant near Nishiki Market.





Then we enjoyed Nishiki food market. Look at the price of Matsutake mashroom. Yes, that was the highest price I have seen in my life. It is said that Matsutake produced in Kyoto has a high quality with a nice matsutake smell. Even after it is cooked, we can still enjoy its smell along with its light resilient texture. Anyway, the price was surprising. ...







Asian people sometimes know very much about Japanese food. They are not an exception. She said the price of sheven bonito was cheaper than that sold in her country. She bought sea weeds and shaven bonito there.





A baby boy was so cute. I sometimes played with him during the tour. Just before I had to say good bye to them, he called me antie! That's the way they call a woman. Still now, when he sees me in the photos, he calls me "Antie" , of course, which pleases me a lot.













Date : Nov. 10th
Tourist : a family from Malaysia
Tour : Fushimi Inari shrine, Kiyomizu temple, ( OKONOMIYAKI )Nishiki food market, Golden Pavillion ( later they visited Ryoanji rock garden by themselves)

KENDO - Japanese fencing style

Are you interested in martial arts or Samurai? If so, taking a look at Kendo practice may be interesting. Butokuden is the traditional training center. Sometimes, high-ranked kendoists practice there in the DOJO or training hall.

When we stood in front of the door, I felt intense atmosphere. One of them walked to us and talked to me with a smile. He explained a little about them . Most of the kendoists we saw on the day were high-ranked. Especially three of them are ranked in the 8th grade. He said just 1% of 7th grade applicants can pass the so-called promoted test.


Actually the opponent of the 8th grade kendoist could not move due to his strong consentration giving no chance for attack. It was very impressing and I just did sit and stare them fogetting time to tick away.

In front of the Kendoists in the picture above is the place for Emperor when he came to see the match. A few decades ago, then Emperor came there and saw the matches held there.

If you have further interest in swords or Samurai, visiting the sword shop near the training center is also fun. You can see a suit of feudal arm and sword guards or dogi ( Aikido or Kendo outfits ) The swords in the picture are the ones for practicing Iaido or sword drawing.


This time, I was a guide of a couple from Canada. They showed many interests and I had made a plan for them before their visiting Japan. On the first day, I took them to Arashiyama, Bamboo forest and what they call a small moss garden/ Gioji temple. At night we went to see Kendo practice. It was a long day, and we made the most of the time we had.

The next day another guide helped me for a part of the 2nd day tour. A lady of them got dressed as a Maiko or an apprentice of Geisha and enjoyed tea ceremony in a typical tea room . Later, I took them to Nijo castle and talked about the story of Samurai concerning to this historic castle.


Date : Nov. 4th and 5th
Tourists ; a couple from Canada
Tour ; 1st day =Gioji temple, Bamboo forest, Ninnaji temple, Golden Pavillion, Nishiki food market, Gion, Budoku den ( kendo practice)
2nd day = Kiyomizu temple, Maiko dressing, Entokuin tea ceremony, Sannenzaka Ninenzaka Ishibekoji, Pontocho, (by Ririko) Nijo castle, sword shop ( by Tomoko)

Autumn in Kyoto

The other day, I went to Arashiyama not as a guide, but as a woman who loves taking photos. The leaves in Arashiyama were at their best. Although there are so many people from inside and outside of the country walking everywhere, the vivid and bright colors in the scenery still impressed me so much!

Enjoying Jidai Matsuri(festival)

Jidai matsuri or Jidai festival is annually held on Oct. 22nd. The date of our tour was happenly on the day of 22nd. There is no choice but to go and enjoy the festival, isn't there? Jidai matsuri does not have a long history. Its origin dates back to 1895. Heian shrine was constructed to commemorate Kyoto's 1,100th anniversary as Japan's capital. At the same time, the festival started.
The date of Oct. 22nd is the day when Emperor Kanmu relocated the capital from Nagaoka to Kyoto in 794. The festival's main attraction is the parade of the people dressed in authentic costumes representing in various periods. You can give a glance at characters in Japanese fuedal history.


The 2 kilometer costume procession starts in the afternoon with about 2,000 comstume preformers dressed as a samurai, and common people from the earliest eras to the Meiji era ( which started in 1868). This is one of the three largest festivals in Kyoto.




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We started the tour from Fushimi Inari, and visited Kiyomizu temple, along with enjoying walking along the path from the temple to Yasaka shrine. Then we headed for Sanjo street to see the festival.
After that we visited Nijo castle. Walking in the castle and feeling atmosphere of those days after seeing the festival gave us something enough to imagine those days in the castle.







Tour date : Oct. 22nd
Tour : Fushimi Inari, Yasaka Pagoda, Kiyomizu temple,
Sanneizaka Nineizaka, Ishibekoji,
Jidai festival, Nijo castle.
Tourist : a family from Israel