Geisha have a sorted history, people confuse them with earlier versions of courtesans, but the geisha emerged in the 1750-60s as an occupation and were actually forbidden to provide sexual favors (they weren't supposed to compete with the prostitutes) they were entertainers.

The world of the geisha has its roots in Kyoto where the imperial court was, but they are present in other parts of Japan (around 2000 in total), although Kyoto is where you will find the large majority (even if that is only a couple hundred).

I had read so many stories about the paparazzi-style problems that the geisha have these days (like this NY Times piece), that Mr. Misadventures and I had no intention of “hunting” them down. In fact, we barely stepped foot in Gion, just a few strolls as we were crossing into other neighborhoods.

So we could not have been more surprised to come upon two geisha (the way to tell a geiko from a maiko is the lipstick [if you get close enough] red lips mean she is a full geisha, if only the lower lip is red, she's a maiko) making their weekly offerings on a Thursday morning in the quiet neighborhood near the Kodaiji Temple.

I had just shopped (ok, buying another scarf) at the most adorable little shop called Dot Dot when I spotted them across the street. I wanted to be as respectful as possible, I crossed the street (we were going to head that direction anyway) and walked behind them heading to the temple.

I was amazed to see how revered they are by the locals, bowing in respect as they passed. One Japanese woman spoke with them for a moment and asked if she could take their photo with her phone. At that point I had passed them, but turned around to look at them and pointed to my camera, they smiled and gently nodded their head, I took a few photos (although they continued to look at the other woman) and bowed to them in thanks.

It all happened in a second, Mr. Misadventures was still across the street at the store, he hadn't really registered that it was happening. Although he did capture this shot (which is still great):

I am not a good photographer, I am making baby steps, but I am really proud of the two photos I got because they were under pressure!

More geisha reading:

> Wikipedia
> Beautiful slideshow from BBC News
> Article about the documentary Real Geisha Real Women
> More gorgeous photos from photographer Peter Macintosh

How about you? Have you ever seen a geisha in real life?

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While researching for my trip to Kyoto I learned that the city was the ancient capital of Japan. Also, Kyoto has hundreds of temples and shrines, which served as Japan's main seat of government from the 8th to 17th centuries.

People with social status such as the emperor and his family, shoguns, priests, and politicians required beautiful clothing, and Kyoto, therefore, became a major center for the textile industry, and by default the center for kimonos.

Currently, in most of Japan, kimonos are mainly worn for special occasions such as official holidays, however, Kyoto remains one of the few cities where people wearing a kimono can still be seen frequently.

After discussing the topic with Gavin (our docent from our Context Travel Kennin-ji Temple tour) it seems that kimono-wearing is very much in decline in Kyoto. The world is changing, with Starbucks and anime; and Kyoto's own “millennials” see fewer opportunities to wear kimonos and wear western clothing for the most part.

So what to do?

In order to safeguard the traditional industries and retain the artistry involved in this cultural icon as well as to promote Kyoto's heritage, the city officials developed programs that encourage people to wear kimonos more often. Many temples, museums, and transportation methods such as the subway, now offer discounts to [men] and women wearing kimonos.

Restaurants are now doing the same. And for not only residents as well. Tourists are encouraged to rent (or buy) kimonos to wear and receive the same discounts.

Kimono Rental Kyoto: What You Need to Know

Renting a kimono in Kyoto is pretty easy to do and is a great cultural experience, here is a listing of a few spots that rent them. Above and beyond the discounts you'll get while wearing one, they make beautiful photos, so make sure you do some fun photo shoots! It's the ultimate kimono experience!

Every time I saw people wearing kimonos, I could not help but stop and stare (and photograph). These are truly mobile works of art. For a little more reading on the art of it all, here is a great slideshow from the New York Times and an article on one of the master artists from the Washington Post, I encourage you to check them out.

Kimonos come in a wide variety of styles. Even the very “simplistic” kimonos worn by the priests were beautiful in their austerity.

Of course, as with anything, the higher up the food chain (even the religious one) the “uniform” becomes a little fancier.

But one thing is for sure, the “selfie” is a global phenomenon, especially when you are wearing a kimono!

If you are visiting Kyoto and want to learn more about the history of the kimono, visit the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts where you learn about the different types of kimonos, the dyeing techniques, and the painting styles. You can also try your hand at dying one yourself at Marumasu Nishimuraya (I didn't get to do this and want to next time!).

Also, if you visit and are interested in buying a kimono, I found this great post from a local Kyoto blogger on where to go.

Looking for some spots to wear your kimono in Kyoto? How about Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, or the Nishiki Market? Not only in Kyoto but in Osaka or Tokyo as well. In spots like Osaka’s Kuromon-Ichiba Market, you'd fit right in!

How about you? Have you ever seen a kimono in person? 

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As the world gets smaller and a large variety of food is available all year, we lose our respect for the seasons, traditional foods, and the unique local characteristics of food that makes regional differences regional.

When the Misadventures family plans its trips, my husband focuses on the activities and sites (particularly from a photographic perspective) and I focus on the food (and all things related to food, although the Misters definitely contribute).

As I was preparing for my trip to Kyoto I was doing my typical research, checking out what other bloggers have had to say about this area of Japan,  I came across a truly exceptional piece written by Matt Goulding of Roads & Kingdoms about Japanese cuisine and Kyoto in particular. If you have any interest in Japanese food at all, I implore you to read it.

Kyoto approaches food the way it should be. Seasonally. Locally.

But don't get me wrong. There are more Starbucks in Kyoto than in my own town of Berkeley, they have made their presence known, but after spending a week eating in the city, I can tell you that Starbucks is not a driving force in the lives of the people in this town. However, there is a real danger that it could be. The youth, like everywhere else in the world, may abandon their regional and cultural roots if Japanese cuisine is not protected.

I digress, this is not a post on food politics, it is a love letter to Kyoto and in particular to Nishiki Market, the city's food center for 400 years. Before heading to Kyoto I reached out to my friends at Context Travel to organize a few tours.

As it is a city of temples, I wasn't surprised that there were plenty of tours associated with visiting temples, but I was disappointed there was nothing focused on cuisine. No problem. The wonderful, amazing, smart folks at Context Travel created a custom tour for us focused on Nishiki Market (or Nishiki Ichiba in Japanese) and its surrounding area.

We decided to do the tour first thing in the morning on our first full day. It was my intent to get the lay of the food land at the beginning of our stay so that we could leverage the knowledge for the remainder of our stay.

We met our guide Daniel at the Teramachi arcade on Shijo Dori, one of the main thorough ways in town. As we entered the arcade we visited the Nishiki Tenmangu shrine which faces the Nishiki Market. Before refrigeration, the temple was the source of cold water for the shops and for drinking. And despite the fact that the market now has plumbing, many of the merchants still come for drinking water as it is a source of good luck.

In fact, Kyoto's water is famous (again, if you are interested, read the piece from Roads & Kingdoms) which is why they say the rice and vegetables, well heck everything is so tasty in Kyoto.

As we made our way into the Market, and throughout the morning, Daniel pointed out food history, local specialties, and preparation techniques. As is usual with Context Travel, like all the other docents I have encountered on all my other Context travel tours, Daniel was quietly brilliant. Daniel has lived in Kyoto for 9 years and has a Ph.D. in tourism with a focus on sociology and anthropology. He shared a great deal of detail on the market and the foods we utilized all week.

[In fact, we ate at the market and/or the food courts at the bottom of the Takashimaya department store for nearly the entire week. (We also did this in Osaka.) The result? We brought back half of our vacation budget money!]

The market is a dream for foodies. A whirl of activity and very friendly merchants. There is no way to get lost, just follow the beautiful glass roof.

We sampled and tasted so many new things (so much fresh seafood!) as well as old favorites seen in a new light and with much more appreciation. For the less adventurous, there are still food items and treasures to try like rice crackers that you can find in dozens of varieties, soy sauce

As I have a ton of Nishiki market photos, I am going to share some photo essays below which will allow me to show more food stories from this special place (see photo grid below). Not only is Kyoto a place to have epic culinary adventures, but Japan as a whole!

• Kyoto Food – My Favorite Eats
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – Tamago
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – The Fish
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – Vegetables
• Sushi Pops in Nishiki Market in Kyoto
• Jakuchu Museum And Wine Shop at Nishiki Market

Here is a really great list of delicious Japanese food to try at least once in your life, although in my book you should eat them over and over again!

Practical information & FAQs:

How about you? Do you like food markets? Where is your favorite one?

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There are hundreds of temples in Kyoto and like any public building we could have visited any one of them, but there is something to be said for visiting a museum, a bakery, or a temple with someone who is not only local but offers a unique perspective.

I learned that in Paris when after visiting the Orsay many times I spent a magical afternoon in the presence of Katherine, another Context Travel docent, who had just finished her doctorate in a 15th-century Italian impressionist painting. It was like seeing the museum for the first time.

The benefit of doing this particular tour (along with the Nishiki one) on the first day is that we can pick these locals' brains for all kinds of tips and tricks. Gavin helped us narrow down our temple choices by offering alternative locations or insider tips for temples throughout the city as well as outside.

We left downtown, walking from the Geisha district, and headed to Kennin-ji Temple. It was raining and getting wetter by the moment, but we escaped the downpour in the shelter of this 13th-century temple.

All the temple gardens we visited in Kyoto (and outside) were beautiful. You can not help but feel relaxed and reflective while visiting. Kennin-ji is the oldest Zen Buddhist temple anywhere in the world.

Gardens in Zen Buddhist temples are raked which is quite hypnotic when you sit down and just look at it.

There was also something so serene about sitting on a tatami mat, next to a zen garden while learning about some of the histories of Buddhism as well as the cultural and architectural aspects of Zen Buddhist temples. I now understand Mr. Misadventures' desire to spend a week in a temple to completely unplug!

As with all Context Travel docents, Gavin is an expert in his field. So to visit the temple with a professor of faith traditions was a real treat. I learned so much more than from a guidebook!

We spent some time wandering around and then headed for the exit while discussing which temple we wanted to go to next. Gavin spotted a sign for a tiny temple (Seira-In) located on the grounds next to Kennin-ji and discovered that it was open. It is an extremely rare occurrence, this temple is only open about 10 days a year (and we were smack in the middle of them) for the fall leaf changing.

We quickly decided that we would not pass the opportunity up (plus it was pouring buckets) and we ducked inside for a special visit. We sat on the edge of the wooden platform, watching the raindrops hitting the gorgeous red Japanese maple leaves, took in an art installation of silkscreens depicting the story of several significant historical events, and laid out a map of Kyoto on the tatami to pick Gavin's brain.

At the end of the afternoon, we walked back downtown, with Gavin pointing out interesting places to check out including the food court at the bottom of the Takashimaya department store.

Jetlag was beginning to hit and we headed there, picked out a delicious gourmet Japanese picnic, and headed back to our hotel for the evening. We had one more tour, the following day, more temples, before exploring Kyoto entirely on our own.

How about you? Have you been to any temples? Have a favorite?

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I've often written that Paris has my heart. But I bet you didn't know that Japan has my soul. My husband often jokes that I was Asian in another life, and my love of Japanese culture and food certainly serves as a testament to that. Throughout my professional career, I've had the privilege to travel to Tokyo on multiple occasions, and I've always extended my trip to explore more.

I loved visiting the capital city, but when it came time to visit Japan for pleasure, my husband and I chose Osaka as one of our destinations. Japan's third largest city is proudly known as the city of the merchant class. Today, that translates to a place that works hard and plays hard, but you could probably throw in eats hard as well. Osaka is known for “kuidaore,” which means “eat till you drop.” My kind of place!

But beyond eating, which I can write about 24/7, Osaka has lots to offer particularly when it comes to the camera. Whether you're an amateur or a pro, you'll have an endless supply of content for your lens. Based on our trip, I want to share five awesome things to photograph in Osaka.

Namba Parks

The InterContinental Osaka made it convenient for us to get to Namba Parks via a short walk and subway ride. When my husband first suggested going to a shopping mall, I thought he was crazy. But Namba Parks isn't just a luxury goods center. It also has great restaurants, movie theaters, and one of my favorite things in the world, a baseball museum!

That's because Namba Parks used to be a baseball stadium. After years of neglect, the city hired an amazing architect and rebuilt the center to what it is today, an architectural wonder and a great place to take pictures. Whether you capture the buildings from below or some of the wondrous parks from above, you will get a great shot at Namba Parks.

Umeda Sky Building

If you don't mind heights, then there's no better place to see Osaka at your feet than the Umeda Sky Building. It's quite an adventure getting to the top of the two 40-foot towers. Take elevators and escalators, go through a floating garden observatory, cross a bridge, and take another elevator, and you're there!

But oh, is that view worth it. The city surrounds you, waiting to be captured, particularly at sunset. The mirrored glass on top of the atrium is perfect for reflection shots. Plus, when you're finished, you'll be right next door to the ramen district, with hundreds of stands.

Kuromon-Ichiba Market

Wait, no, it's not what you think! I'm not just talking about eating food at the market, although, I did do lots of that. With close to 200 years of history, the beautifully covered Kuromon-Ichiba Market, also known as Osaka's kitchen, is a great place to take photos.

There are a myriad of magnificent munchies on display like the photo above, but there are also the people and the traditions of knifework and craftsmanship that make awesome portrait shots. If you get hungry after taking all those pictures, just throw a dart and you'll find something great to eat!

Street Scenes

Osaka is a frenetic place, a city of extremely densely populated areas and very few places to breathe. I think that's why the city's luxury hotels do such a great job of creating an oasis of zen and why the people of Osaka deeply love those limited green spaces for parks. They're rare and should be enjoyed to their fullest.

However, the craziness of the street life and the street signs are awesome subjects for the camera, especially in Dotonbori, the entertainment district. While harder for amateur photographers who may not know how to manipulate their settings for the dark, nighttime is the best time to capture all those neon signs!

The People

I've always worshiped the Japanese sense of style. In a country where conformity in your work environment is essential, the only way to truly express your personality is through your clothes outside of work. I had such a great time people-watching and snapping photos of all the sassy styles.

When walking down the street, have your camera settings prepared for action shots. Otherwise, you'll get a lot of blurry shots of really great outfits!

Japan is such a fun culture! Thought you might also appreciate 40 fun facts about Japan to get to know the people and the culture a bit more!

Bonus: The Food

Oh, where to start? Osaka has the second-largest fish market, so the sushi is great and makes for great photos. So does the delicious ramen, which locals take seriously. Who doesn't love pretty-bowls-of-noodles-dressed-with-amazing-things photos? Takoyaki, the must-try Osaka street food, is perfect for gritty street scenes.

And the list goes on. Not only is the food delicious, but it also looks great on camera.

The One We Missed

There was one spot in Osaka that we missed getting to, and that's Osaka Castle. We would really love to visit during the cherry blossom season. I've seen stunning photos and think it's the perfect reason to return to Osaka. Well, and maybe the food…

How about you? Have you been to Osaka and taken great photographs? Where did you take them? If you haven't been to Osaka, do any of my photo subjects tempt you to go? Do tell!

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Instead, we walked around Namba, Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, and Tenjimbashisuji Shopping Street (the longest covered shopping arcade in Japan – 1.6 miles long!)

We walked through a little bit of Shinsekai, a strange area developed in 1912 with streets were modeled after New York and Paris. Same for America Mura or American village, an entertainment district popular with young people and foreign residents.

You can see the Statue of Liberty on top of one of the buildings from afar, notice the groovy light post as well:

Up close the statue with the Coca-cola billboard, ah Americana…

A lot of these areas are like Times Square, I love the contrast of the river running through and the soft clouds in this photo.

Everywhere we went Mr. Misadventures took great photos of the architecture. He also did some really fun post-processing. Take a look.

And this.

This one is one of my favorites and well represents Osaka to me.

I'm glad we spent a few days in Osaka, I think a few days is probably my limit, or at least I can't have just spent a week in a zen-like place (Kyoto) ahead of time. It is large, loud, crowded, frenetic. Like Vegas, good for a few days but then I need a break!

How about you? Have you visited any cities that make you feel the same?

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Let's take a look.

I know what you are thinking, but these are not prostitutes! They just look like that to you and I. Besides being deeply hygienic (the girl on the left likely has a cold and the Japanese are very courteous when it comes to spreading germs) this is just a style.

One that I saw a lot of.

These girls are a little more rocker chick.

And it seems to be okay for friends to have mixed styles. Not like high school where your entire crew dressed alike, nope these chicks got individual styles going on!

I loved the schoolgirl style (at least looking at it). Japanese students do wear uniforms, but the schoolgirl style of short skirts and sexy thigh-high socks is more of a fetish.

Still, it is bold and I love seeing it on the street. Hosiery in general is a source of self-expression and I would kill to be able to walk around San Francisco in them without big stares! We need to bring these to the U.S. mainstream!

It seems to be “to each his own”  I did not see a lot of people staring at anyone, no matter what they were wearing. This photo I took in the subway station is actually a gentlemen.

Because it is not just the women who express themselves when it comes to fashion. Plenty of the guys do as well. I saw many great-looking couples. This guy's purse was a little too girly to be a man-purse though!

But love this guy…plus the pop of red! Sorry for the blurriness, you got to be fast with the camera with people walking by!

This guy is dressed pretty snazzy too! European?

My all-time favorite while visiting Osaka is more in the fantasy bucket. This lovely lady was shopping in the Kuromon-Ichiba Market one of the times we were grazing through.

I watched her for several minutes. She interacted with several store merchants and not one person looked at her funny.

I tried to get a photo of her face as her make-up was incredible, plus she had a really cute hair ribbon, but I did not want to be disrespectful of her so the best I got has just a hint. She was about 50 and working it!

If I could easily pop back in forth between shooting food or other stationary objects and action walking shots I would have taken a lot more photos, I am just not that skilled! But I am always inspired by the Japanese fashion sense, it is so creative and so I was happy to get the few shots I did.

What about you? Do you like to people-watch? Do you like the Japanese style of dressing?

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The building consists of two 40-story towers that are connected with each other by the “Floating Garden Observatory” on the 39th floor at the top with bridges and an escalator crossing the atrium in the center. It is scary looking, to say the least, although the website claims superior safety!

Although the building can be reached via an underground passage that starts just north of both Osaka and Umeda stations. We took the subway to Herbis Plaza, a giant luxury shopping center so that we could see the Umeda Sky Building as we approached it.

Once we got to the base of the two buildings (there was a really fun marché de Noël/Christmas market going on) looking up made you think about whether you really want to go to the top!

But up we went once we found the right entrance! Here is a shot of the escalators that go up and down that start at the 39th Floor. The distance between the 39th and 40th floors where the observatory is located is significant. (Not meant for people with vertigo!)

But once you make it up and get through the crowds on the inside who are there to drink a cocktail as the sun sets, the view is spectacular, both inside where the mirrored windows reflect the sunlight.

And the view of the city is spectacular.

Totally worth the climb. Once you are back down on the ground, if you go below the towers, you'll find Takimi-koji Alley, a market street full of restaurants (especially udon) and izakaya joints.

For additional daytime photos of the Umeda Sky Building as well as Takimi-koji Alley, check out this great album by JPellgen on Flickr.

Umeda Sky Building
Address: 1-1-88, Oyodonaka, Kita-ku (Umeda District), Osaka
Public transportation: Eight-minute walk from JR Osaka Station, Subway Umeda station, and Hankyu Umeda Station.

After our visit, we crossed back over to the Herbis Plaza and had fun taking photos of this street nearby awash in a yellow glow.

What about you? What's the tallest building you have been on?

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Something wasn't right.

Had my hubby whacked his head? I am not much of a shopper and this is how all the shopping centers had looked like thus far:

So I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I heard shopping mall! I really should have known better. Mr. Misadventures wasn't really interested in torturing me. He wanted to see the fantastic architecture of Namba Parks Shopping Centre in all its glory (and before the shoppers arrived).

You see, Namba Parks is an extraordinary shopping and office complex consisting of 120 stores and 8 rooftop gardens. It is located where the former Osaka Stadium (baseball park) used to stand.

The former stadium itself has a little bit of weird history. After the Nankai Hawks baseball team left and before it became Namba Parks it was a model home showroom for a property developer…inside the stadium! Take a look at this photo from 1998/1999:

There is actually a baseball museum in Namba Parks which I later checked out while the hubby was photographing the exceptional architecture. I love baseball and would absolutely love to attend a Japanese baseball game!

They call it Namba Parks because of all the trees inside the parks around the upper levels. Every photo of the buildings looking up from the ground floor has trees.

The park gardens don't open until 10 (stores at 11) so we had plenty of time to take photos of the buildings without people popping in unexpectedly!

Some of the sides of the buildings reminded us of The Wave in Arizona.

The building was designed by an American architect named Jon Jerde who specializes in shopping centers. He and his firm have created beautiful buildings all over the world (more here) as well as several spots in San Francisco Bay Area including the shopping center I go to several times a month to see movies – small world!

After wandering around for an hour or so we headed to back Kuromon-Ichiba Market for a little snack. It's only a short walk from Namba Parks. We later returned to Namba Parks to access the upper terraces.

Big cities like this in Japan city are densely populated and nature is pretty nonexistent, so the rooftop gardens that flow through eight levels covering several city blocks and which eventually connect to the street are extraordinary. They've made it easy for pedestrians to slip in and out of little havens of green grass, trees, rocks, cliffs, streams, waterfalls, and terraces. I have never seen anything like it.

Watching Mr. Misadventures work makes me hungry and thirsty. In the morning before the shops opened, I had my eye on Saryo Cafe, an organic cafe that served donuts fried in olive oil. Which to choose?

The kitchen inside was minuscule and it was incredible to observe the cook as she prepared orders all while keeping her tiny space spotless. She was literally working on one burner!

I dragged the hubby inside and had one of the donuts along with a warming cup of matcha green tea. My sweet reward for all that photo assistant work!

There is something for everyone at Namba Parks. Shops galore! Architecture. Nature. Organic donuts (and many more restaurants). There are concerts and light shows, it is definitely a destination. It is also super easy to get to.

Namba Parks
Address: 2-10-70 Nambanaka, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 566-0011
Public Transportation: Subway Midō-suji, Sennichimae, Yotsubashi line to Namba

How about you? Have you ever been to any place like Namba Parks?

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Osaka was mainly a transition point for us as that is where we flew in and out of. Except for the food market, you know, I have my priorities.

After two and a half days in Osaka, I came to the conclusion that it is a mini-Tokyo. I apologize to all my friends in Tokyo and anyone in Osaka who might be offended by that statement, that was just my impression.

Compared to the relative calm and peacefulness of Kyoto, Osaka was frenetic. Loud, bright, crowded, again like Tokyo. Don't get me wrong, I love Tokyo. It was a matter of sequence. If I were to ever repeat my trip I would visit Osaka first and then head to Kyoto.

In the end, the one thing I did love about Osaka was Kuromon-Ichiba Market. Like Nishiki, it was just what a foodie needs. Food experiences for miles. New things to try, look at, touch, taste and of course, people watch. And like in Kyoto, we ate nearly all our meals in and around this market.

For instance, we didn't eat much sushi in Kyoto, it is just not something they have a lot of, they are more focused on seasonal foods and vegetables. With the river, their focus is on other preparations of fish and seafood.

Sushi is available, but not in the huge quantities that Osaka of Tokyo has. So when we saw this little “shop” servings huge bowls of tuna from different parts of the fish (maguro, toro, etc) for $20, we couldn't get our butts in one of the 5 seats fast enough!

The shop is a fish stall that happens to serve food – the sashimi is basically scraps from what they are butchering – damn good scraps and damn cheap.

$20 may not sound cheap, but we shared the bowl and with the amount they gave us, it would be double in San Francisco!

Most of the time we just grazed. Stopping here and there to pick up “snacks” as we went.

Seriously, there wasn't anything we didn't love!

Well, maybe this guy. This is Shioyaki, which is grilled seabream (I think) and is saltier than all get out.

But otherwise, who doesn't love freshly cooked scallops or baby octopus or in the far right corner, Takoyaki which is a snack with a piece of octopus in the middle?

If you are thinking, “What's with all the fish, I need something substantial!” then the market has you covered as well. Pick out your Kobe steak and have it on your plate in 5 minutes! No middleman restauranteur here, you get it straight from the butcher!

Of course, there are plenty of vegetables as well. They have them preserved in miso paste like we saw in Kyoto.

Or fresh like these shishito peppers which I love!

The two days we were in Osaka we ate at least one meal at Kuromon-Ichiba. Eating in and around food markets is one of my favorite ways to explore a city's food scene. Plus it is fresh and far more inexpensive than a lot of traditional restaurants. For us, it is a win-win.

Address: 2-4-1, Nippombashi, Chuo-ku Osaka-shi, Osaka, 542-0073
Hours: Open every day 9 am to 6 pm
The Kuromon-Ichiba Market website and Kuromon-Ichiba Market blog are only available in Japanese, but you can translate it very easily into English (or other languages using their online tool).
Public Transportation: Near the Nippombashi Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line (K17) or Sennichimae Line (S17) OR from the Kintetsu Nippombashi Station on the Kintetsu Namba Line or Kintetsu Nara Line.

How about you? Do visit food markets at home or during your travels?

Of course, we did more than eat in Osaka! We also visited Namba Parks, and the Umeda Sky Building, people watched and took lots of photos!

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Chestnuts

I have written about how important seasonality is to the Kyoto food scene. The people of Kyoto eat seasonally and during November and December, which means chestnuts. From our first meal that we took in the hotel (Westin Miyako) where we had chestnut ice cream for dessert to our last meal that included chestnut dumplings, we had glorious amounts of chestnuts in a variety of dishes.

Having only had roasted chestnuts (which we also had) and chestnut soup (one of my favorite fall foods in France) I was delighted with the opportunity to try other preparations. This is a hearty nut with full flavor and given the number of dishes we tried, very versatile.

Tempura

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of tempura. I think it's because I've had so many bad, greasy versions. Kyoto is all about fresh seasonal vegetables and I decided to try vegetable tempura in Ohara (a town about an hour outside of Kyoto). It was lightly fried (including the delicate shiso leaf) and made me really appreciate what food is done right can be. It's my opinion that I'm not going to find tempura done this well in the U.S., but someone may surprise me.

Fish on a Stick

Not a very sexy name, but that is exactly what is it. Whether it is an octopus, squid, or white fish, grilled (usually on a robata) on a stick with sauce (or without) it is an incredible snack! I could eat these for days!

Curry Bread

This was something new for me. It is like a pork jelly donut! Fried dough with pork curry filling and sansho peppers – yum! Great street food on a cold day.

Curry Udon

This was something I was looking forward to our entire stay. It wasn't until our last morning outside of the Fushimi Inari Shrine that I finally had it. And it was so worth the wait. Fresh udon noodles with vegetables in a decadent curry sauce, I call that heaven!

Yakisoba

I do have to admit that right before having that giant bowl of curry udon, Mr. Misadventures and I devoured some fantastic Yakisoba noodles also right outside of the temple – I guess it was all those steps and hills we climbed – it made us hungry. We started off with one order and then went back for a second which really pleased the street vendor who was cooking up a storm.

Matcha Green Tea Anything

I love matcha green tea. I first discovered it as a hot matcha green tea latte at the Leeum Museum in Seoul and it has been a favorite ever since. In Kyoto green tea is it. Whether it is my other favorite Kyoto roasted rice tea or green tea mochi or green tea ice cream like the one I got from the famous Ujicha Gion Tsujiri shop in Gion, I never got tired of eating and drinking green tea (especially matcha) anything.

Here are a few other bloggers who have written about their food adventures in Kyoto

> From Follow Me Foodie: Follow Me Foodie to Kyoto (Where to Eat in Kyoto)
> From GQ Trippin: Favorite Eats in Kyot

How about you? Any of my Kyoto food favorites sound like something you want to try? Do you have another Kyoto favorite?

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The post Kyoto Food – My Favorite Eats appeared first on Misadventures with Andi.

All these photos are from various temples we visited during our week-long stay. There are 2000 temples and shrines, too many to see in a lifetime, but so worth trying!

Everything is so orderly in Japan. It's like the Switzerland of Asia. Or maybe that is Singapore. Not sure. All I can say is that I love it!

Everything has a sense of purpose. Such deep history and traditions. It is so interesting to watch people visiting the temples, to observe the rituals they carry out.

Whether it is wishes or prayers.

Or other customs.

I find it all incredibly beautiful and comforting.

How about you? Do you like black and white photography? What is your favorite subject matter to photograph in black and white?

The post Kyoto in Black and White appeared first on Misadventures with Andi.