But the actual price was still good, and Yunluo and An Chuyu happened to meet a shopping guide who could give them another % discount. They were lucky. After a day of visiting attractions and buying lenses, they were basically exhausted, so they quickly returned to the hotel to take a bath and sleep.
Today is the day Yunluo is looking forward to the most, because she can wear kimono for a day and enjoy the tea ceremony in Kyoto. She still got up early and took the Hankyu Railway to Kyoto. In fact, it is more appropriate to set up Kyoto as the base camp in Kansai for this trip, because she needs to book the air tickets and hotels in advance when applying for a visa.
At that time, I also planned to go to Himeji, so the Kansai Sky would be Sky Kyoto, Sky Nara, Sky Osaka, and Sky Himeji, so considering Osaka is the center, I chose to live in Osaka. But later I gave up Himeji (Himeji Castle was under renovation) and added Sky Kyoto, which actually meant living in Kyoto. But when the visa was issued, the hotels in Kyoto on Jalan and booking were almost full.
So there was no time to change hotels. After picking out the kimono style I liked, the waiter used five or six ropes to tie it around Yunluo's waist. Even though they were skilled, it took them more than ten minutes to help Yunluo put on the kimono (some people on the Internet said it took hours to put on, but it actually seemed unnecessary).
Because of the cold weather, I also wore a kimono coat and fur collar outside, and put on beautiful hair accessories, thick hair! Yunluo was lucky to wear autumn clothes and woolen pants under the kimono after going out. Of course, a hot pack was also indispensable, because it was really cold in Kyoto with rain. Comrade Asong was really frozen to death because he wore the kimono with bare legs.
Don't think it's strange to wear kimono on the street, Kyoto is full of people wearing kimonos. The clogs should have been improved, and they are more comfortable than Yunluo imagined; but Asong is more miserable, they are really hardwood clogs. It's inconvenient to walk, and he wears the kimono with bare legs. He said that he didn't feel good. Because the time to change into kimono is faster than expected.
So I had plenty of time in the morning. I wandered around Kodaiji Temple and took photos. There were many small craft shops on the roadside. The things they made were very exquisite. I bought a few pairs of exquisite chopsticks to take back as gifts. The original plan for lunch was to try Kyoto cuisine at Hashibaya, which was recommended by my LP near Kodaiji Temple.
Since Yunluo and An Chuyu had a low opinion of Owariya the day before, everyone was shaken about LP's recommendation. Moreover, when Yunluo and An Chuyu passed by Hashiba's house, they found that it didn't look like a restaurant where they could eat freely (filling their stomachs was the first priority), so they decided to find a random izakaya on the street.
Finally, we had lunch at a restaurant that had a sign on the door saying "Yakitori Izakaya" but didn't serve yakitori for lunch. It tasted really good. The so-called Kyoto cuisine is actually tofu-based dishes, such as yudofu (boiled tofu in plain water) and yangdofu (fried tofu skin), so it's understandable that my wife would recommend it.
Tofu is still a novelty for foreigners, but for Chinese people, it is not special. So when tasting food in Japan, maybe LP's recommendation is not a particularly good choice. Of course, in order to make the trip to Kyoto worthwhile, Da Jiang still ordered a tofu skin rice bowl at the izakaya, and was laughed at by everyone when it first came up.
But in fact, tofu skin mixed with soft and tender eggs, covered on rice, is still very delicious. Elegant and lonely tea ceremony in Kyoto After lunch, we took a bus to the Kokoan Tea House of the Hosomi Museum of Art within the scheduled time to experience the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony teacher is said to have learned the tea ceremony for years and has an elegant temperament. Yunluo and An Chuyu explained at the ticket office of the museum that they wanted to go to the tea house.
After the receptionist confirmed with the tea ceremony teacher over the phone, Yunluo and An Chuyu were allowed to go upstairs without buying tickets to the art museum. The tea room was on the third floor, and Yunluo and An Chuyu walked up slowly, chatting and laughing all the way. When they reached the third floor, they found that the teacher had been kneeling at the door waiting for Yunluo and An Chuyu for a long time, and they immediately felt a little rude.
The Japanese tea ceremony is different from the Chinese tea ceremony. The Japanese tea is matcha, not brewed tea. Pour the tea powder into the tea bowl, pour in boiling water, and then use a tea brush to brush vigorously until bubbles appear, then slowly stop. The process of drinking tea is like this: the person who makes the tea turns the tea bowl twice, then passes it to the person who drinks the tea, and the two kneel down and salute each other.
The person drinking tea should pretend to let the person on his right drink first. The person on his right says "please", meaning that he should drink first. The person drinking tea turns the tea bowl twice and drinks it all. Then he bows to the person making the tea. It is said that the ancient teahouse was similar to the tavern in Yunluo country, and it was also a place for men to socialize. Matcha is actually green tea ground into powder, and it tastes really bitter.
It was totally different from the sweet and greasy taste in China. It was said that Yunluo and An Chuyu experienced the lighter flavor of matcha. The tea ceremony teacher also spoke English, so you could chat freely after experiencing the tea ceremony. Yunluo and An Chuyu took turns to speak Japanese and English. But it turned out that they asked the teacher non-professional questions, such as how to wear a kimono and what the meaning is.
All in all, the tea ceremony experience is quite interesting. The only drawback is that Guxiang Temple is too close to the street, and the cars coming and going outside are a bit noisy, which does not quite fit the quiet atmosphere of the tea ceremony.
Looking for the traces of geishas in Gion Hanami-koji After leaving the teahouse, we took a bus back to the Gion area and went to the beautiful and ancient Hanami-koji to look for the traces of geishas. The windows here are all nailed with wooden boards, and the winding paths are like going back in time. Walking on the small paths in Gion in a kimono feels like being in a movie.
However. Asong was almost frozen and had no mood to enjoy the scenery. Hahaha Because it was still afternoon, the probability of encountering geisha in Hanami-koji was not high. Yunluo and An Chuyu did encounter someone who looked like a geisha, who walked by hurriedly. However, her clothes were relatively simple, and she didn't seem to have any makeup on her face. I don't know if she was a geisha who was getting ready, or an apprentice.
Or maybe they were from a nearby tavern. However, on a small path leading to Kodaiji Temple, Yunluo and An Chuyu ran into a geisha who was filming a commercial, probably a red wine commercial. They imitated her movements and framing, and took a few photos.
After visiting Kodaiji Temple at the foot of Higashiyama, we headed to Kodaiji Temple for a tour. Kodaiji Temple is not very popular and there are not many people. Most people go here to enjoy the autumn maples or to see Nene. This is where Nene became a monk after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death. With the funding from Tokugawa Ieyasu, the temple was expanded to higher and higher specifications.
Ningning and Hideyoshi stayed together for their entire lives. She made great contributions to Hideyoshi's conquest of the world both in the court and behind the scenes, but she had no offspring. After Hideyoshi's death, she supported Tokugawa Ieyasu in seizing the world from Hideyoshi's son. All these things are left for future generations to judge. Kodaiji Temple is indeed high - because it is basically a mountain inside, it is indeed a bit tiring to climb the mountain after walking for a day.
Song was wearing wooden clogs and complained bitterly. Haha. After changing out of the kimono, we had a sumptuous yakiniku buffet. Oh yeah! I also saw a recommendation in other guides, at Chifuja near Shijo Kawaramachi Station, all kinds of meat, including beef, are all you can eat (all you can eat).
Yunluo and An Chuyu ordered barbecue crazily. Because they could only order three plates of meat each time, Yunluo and An Chuyu would order the next round as soon as the three plates they ordered last time were served. The waiter was almost tortured to death by Yunluo and An Chuyu. There were two Japanese girls at the next table. After they ordered barbecue once.
They ordered a bowl of rice each. Yunluo and An Chuyu were shocked. They wanted to not even eat the salad and drinks. How could they still eat rice? Yunluo and An Chuyu ordered a large steak as the final dish. It was recommended on the menu, but they were stunned when it came - this steak was too big.
Pork is not worth money, so you can't do this. Based on the principle that it is shameful to waste, Asong and Da Jiang stuffed it in. Then they said they could never bring pork ribs again, haha. After this day, Yunluo and An Chuyu began to feel a little unable to walk, and their soles hurt. Fortunately, they had enough time to rest, and they applied it at night. The pain was relieved a lot the next day. It is a must-have artifact for independent travel.
Today we are still visiting Kyoto. The first stop is Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Since Fushimi District is relatively far from the center of Kyoto, we need to go there specially. This time we took the Keihan Main Line. Speaking of which, the Umeda area where Yunluo and An first met is indeed the transportation hub of Osaka, but it is also because of this hub that the transportation nearby is easily confusing for tourists.
There are several stations called "Umeda" far from each other. The so-called sha is a shrine. Inari is the god of wealth, that is, the fox, so Fushimi Inari Taisha is a shrine for praying for wealth. It is said that this place is very effective, so it has developed into the largest Inari shrine in Japan, and many businessmen come to worship. Donated torii gates, so there are 1,000 torii gates like a time tunnel.
Torii gates look similar to the archways in the capital, made of stone or wood, and are usually found at the entrances of shrines, symbolizing the entrance and exit between the divine world and the human world. The Thousand Torii Gates are located on a mountain path, stretching endlessly. What is there at the end? It is said that there is nothing. So Yunluo and An Chuyu went down the mountain halfway. In addition, Yunluo and An Chuyu also saw a blessing ceremony here.
Several shrine maidens dressed in white played musical instruments and sang to bless the worshippers, but photography was not allowed. Various images of foxes can be seen everywhere in Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. The stone statues are solemn and dignified, and the portraits are generally very cute. Yunluo and An Chuyu asked for a fortune in the shrine. It is said that Yunluo's marriage this year is very good, which makes Yunluo, a mother, feel embarrassed.
Yunluo and An Chuyu also experienced Ema, which is to draw pictures on small wooden boards, write blessings on them, and hang them in the shrine. Yunluo and An Chuyu prayed for the safety of Yunluo's children. After leaving Fushimi Inari Taisha, they took a bus to Sanjo, planning to go to Sanjo Famous Shopping Street for food. It was sunny today, and Yunluo and An Chuyu both lamented that it would not be so cold if they wore kimonos today.
Passing by the Shimokamo River, the buildings by the river looked familiar. Suddenly I remembered that this was the place where a murder happened in one of the episodes of Detective Conan. The lunch place was Wakasa family, and the seafood rice was fresh. But Yunluo was not lucky enough to enjoy it, as this kind of raw food was a bit too heavy for Yunluo. But Da Jiang ate it so deliciously, the seafood rice was just hot rice covered with raw seafood slices.
You can choose salmon, tuna, sea urchin, etc., any combination, the price is different. This restaurant has a big stomach challenge rice bowl (I don't remember what it is called in Japanese), which is a super large rice bowl. If you fill your stomach within minutes, you can get it for free. After Da Jiang finished eating the seafood rice he ordered, he said with a lingering feeling that he probably could handle it.
After lunch, Yunluo and An Chuyu returned to the riverside of Xia Yachuan. The river was flowing, the clouds were light, and they just lay on the grass and slept soundly in the warm sun. When Yunluo and An Chuyu woke up, they suddenly felt birds flying around them. They looked up and found that there was an eagle flying at a height not far from Yunluo and An Chuyu, circling and singing with its huge wings spread.
It seemed that they could rush towards Yunluo and An Chuyu in an instant. This was not the most terrifying thing. After a while, Yunluo and An Chuyu found that several eagles had come, as if they were gathering for a meeting. Yunluo and An Chuyu even suspected that the eagles had escaped from a zoo, otherwise, how could there be so many birds of prey in the city. Japan's ecology is really good.
We reluctantly left "Small Bridges, Flowing Water and People". We visited the next attraction "Kiyomizu Temple". Kiyomizu Temple is one of the three major scenic spots in Kyoto (the other two are Kinkakuji Temple and Nijo Castle). It has the famous Kiyomizu stage, which is a temple built on a cliff, and the lower part is completely supported by pillars. It is similar to the Hanging Temple in Shanxi, but definitely not as suspended as the Hanging Temple.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
From the Kiyomizu stage, you can overlook the whole view of Kyoto. In the sunset, the small houses scattered high and low are like an ancient symphony, which is still very touching in the modern city. By the way, Kyoto and Osaka seem to have few high-rise buildings. Except for a few newly built apartments, most of the houses are two- or three-story buildings. Da Jiang said this is because Japan has many earthquakes.
High-rise buildings can easily cause great harm. Another attraction of Kiyomizu Temple is Otowa Falls, where three streams of water cascade down from the mountain. People go to the mountain stream to scoop water for blessings, but there are too many people in line, so Yunluo and An Chuyu can only watch from a distance. Kiyomizu Temple Kiyomizu Temple Kiyomizu Temple Jishu Shrine in Kiyomizu Temple.
Today is the weekend, Kiyomizu Temple and the Kiyomizu-zaka at the entrance are so crowded that it is almost impossible to walk, which slightly affects the sightseeing. Therefore, it is better to arrange famous attractions during non-holidays.
After coming out of Kiyomizu Temple, Da Jiang took Yunluo and An Chuyu to the "snack street": Jin Market, but when they got there, they found that it seemed to be a vegetable market, and everyone was closing their stalls. There was no place to find food. Maybe Yunluo and An Chuyu came at the wrong time. They were exhausted and wanted to find something to eat nearby.
But I found out that this street might be Kyoto's "Financial Street", which is full of offices such as Shenma Securities and Banks, and there are no restaurants. After several struggles, I had no choice but to choose the relatively cheap "Daikokuya" to solve the dinner. This "Daikokuya" is also one of the recommended restaurants that appeared in LP. As soon as Yunluo and An Chuyu saw the menu, they realized that it was bad.
All meals are marked with calories, it turns out this is a diet restaurant! . The portions are small and the taste is very light. The parent-child rice made with green onions is much worse than that made by Da Jiang. However, there are two very elegant Japanese grandmothers at the table next to us, who ordered two servings of soba noodles. They seemed very satisfied. Anyway, after this meal.
Yunluo and Anchuyu blacklisted LP's recommendation during their trip to Japan. They have lived in Osaka for days, but they haven't really visited Osaka yet. When talking about Osaka, the first thing that comes to mind is the food, and then Osaka Castle. So the first stop is Osaka Castle. The current Osaka Castle is actually a replica, but it does not prevent it from becoming the symbol of Osaka.
If you want to see a real castle, the most famous one should be Himeji Castle. But before the trip, I checked that Himeji Castle was under renovation until 2011, and the entire castle tower was covered by a big cover, so I gave up. Osaka Castle is now a park, including two walls and castle towers. Basically, you come here to see the castle tower. The castle tower is very beautiful.
The decoration is also very exquisite. It is said that when Hideyoshi built it, he mobilized manpower and material resources from all over the country. The current imitations are definitely not as grand as those of the past. The scene of the past can only be imagined. This year is the anniversary of the Osaka Summer Campaign. Osaka Castle Park has a series of activities. As soon as you enter the park, you can see a promotional screen showing a promotional video of the night view light show.
It was quite amazing. Yunluo and An Chuyu wanted to visit Osaka Castle at night, but unfortunately they gave up because they were too exhausted. In addition, after the Battle of Osaka, Tokugawa Ieyasu demolished the castle tower built by Hideyoshi and buried it underground, and then rebuilt the castle tower on top to show that the Tokugawa family would always defeat the Toyotomi family. Later, the castle where the Tokugawa family was on vacation was destroyed again by war.
It was rebuilt after the war, but by some strange mistake, the stones of the castle tower that Hideyoshi originally built were still buried underground. Da Jiang looked at the promotional materials and found that these stones would be dug out during the annual activities. In addition, I encountered a mobile shrine group in Osaka Castle, performing religious dances, which was quite interesting.
Eat in Osaka. After lunch, we wandered around and came to Dotonbori again. It was lunchtime and there were so many people. They were all tourists. Xiao Jin and Asong had a special liking for ramen and they kept asking for the famous Ichiran ramen. Yunluo was confused. What good could greasy ramen taste like? But she had no choice but to accompany them (of course, Da Jiang was also very happy to do so).
Ichiran is really famous. The line made a bend. While they were waiting, Yunluo ate octopus balls alone to fill her stomach. When Yunluo and An Chuyu finally entered the store, the layout of the store was still a typical ramen restaurant (service in the middle, noodles in the outer circle), and the ordering was still done by vending machines, which was different from the first time they ate ramen.
The service area in the middle is separated, and each person eating noodles has a small compartment. After you sit down, a waiter will take your receipt at the small window in front of you, and then close the small window after the meal is served. (~^~)