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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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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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?

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The shrine is beautiful and very, very orange(!). And in the early morning when the light hits it, it is gorgeous!

It is one of the most popular shrines in Japan, so go early or at dusk. You beat the crowds and can easily take photos without catching people in them (unless you want to).

Everything shone in the sunlight!

Because while Mr. Misadventures took photos of the shrine from every possible angle, I did my usual people-watching.

And admiring the fancy temple clothes.

You have probably seen at least one photo in your lifetime from this shrine. With over 5000 vibrant orange torii gates that wind through the hills behind the main shrine, it's really what makes this shrine so much different from any other.

You can take thousands of shots (I am sure we did) but in the end, except for the direction the gates are turning, they all start to look the same!

It is one of the oldest shrines, founded in 711 AD, and is dedicated to the god of rice and sake. The shrine sits at the base of the Inari mountain and if you can make it up the trails along the mountainside you'll not only see many smaller shrines and graveyards but also gorgeous views of Kyoto. The trails span 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and takes about 2 hours to walk up (up, literally!).

There are fox (kitsune) statues everywhere. They are said to be the messengers of the inari gods and there is usually a key (for the rice granary) in their mouths.

Along the trails up the hillside, there are small restaurants where you can eat Kitsune Udon (“Fox Udon”), a noodle soup topped with pieces of fried tofu, and of course Inari sushi. We were there too early to enjoy any of these specialties.

The graveyards are very eerie to walk through in the early morning, some areas with a little mist, and others super dark. Wherever they occurred there were torii gates everywhere.

We saw maintenance workers hauling them off to unknown parts…

They were laying and hanging from everywhere!

I could not have asked for a better temple/shrine for our last day in Kyoto. All the temples we visited were spectacular, each with its own unique characteristics. With over 2000 temples there is so much more to explore and I hope to go back and visit soon.

How about you? Have you ever visited a historical site that had a distinctive attribute like Fushimi Inari's orange torii gates?

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A few days into our trip to Kyoto I began to be less concerned about documenting every temple I visited and more interested in enfolding myself in their peace, their tranquility, their beauty. It is extraordinary to just sit inside an ancient building, often designed for meditation, and just watch the magnificent leaves changing into exquisite colors and be lulled into a fog of tranquility by the sound of water.

I would share the same advice that I do for the chateaus in France. Don't try to see them all. Pick a few, no more than two a day (if that), and really absorb yourself into that singular place. You will notice more than the buildings and gardens. Some of the most beautiful photos that Mr. Misadventures took were of subtle things like a few leaves on the ground:

There are lots of little details everywhere you look:

Details that might be missed if you are rushing “to see it all” and check the list.

A few things to note about visiting temples in Kyoto. No shoes are ever allowed inside the temples. You must take them off. Some temples provide slippers, others don't. Two tips: don't wear shoes that are complicated to get on and off and wear nice [warm] socks!

As I mentioned in my post on Kiyomizu-dera temple, going in the morning is generally the best time to avoid crowds. There are many temples that don't allow photography inside, so be prepared for that. For many people this is a place of worship, for prayers and meditation, so be courteous and careful with photos.

There are a few temples that are outside of Kyoto itself and very worth a visit. Two of the most well-known are Nara, famous for its deer. Mr. Misadventures took a train from Kyoto with some colleagues to visit in 2012.

The other is the Sanzen Temple in Ohara which Mr. Misadventures and I visited. [We took very few photos here, we just absorbed ourselves into the temple grounds.] We took the bus from Kyoto which was quite straightforward.

One thing we weren't prepared for (somehow I missed it when preparing for our trip, typical misadventure!) was how to pay. When you get on a bus in Kyoto make sure you look at the panel on top of the driver to see what stop number you get on the bus at. This will determine what you pay when you get off. As you progress through the route the price changes based on the distance you've gone. We didn't pay attention and guessed. The driver probably deals with this all the time, so he just went with it!

Whichever temples you choose, you will not be disappointed. I had a great time with the Context Travel guides at Kennin-ji and Kinkaku-ji and on our own at many others (one last one tomorrow!). But don't feel pressure to see them all, it is never going to happen and you won't enjoy the ones you do see!

Here are more Kyoto temple posts from other bloggers:

• Exploring Kyoto’s 2000 Temples & Shrines from Never Ending Voyage
• There are 2,000 Temples and Shrines in Kyoto from Minty Lemony

How about you? Have you been to any temples in Kyoto? What is your favorite? If not, any idea which ones you'd like to visit?

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Sorry for the quality of the photo, but it was at night and I was getting jostled everywhere! This was us trying to make our way back down after we tried to go up! But you know, I always look for the silver lining. So when we took to a side road to escape the crowd and found some incredible food stands, I'd say we were vastly rewarded for our efforts!

Steamed dumplings with beef and chestnut…

And octopus-on-a-stick….

As we were getting up at the crack of dawn anyway (sometimes jetlag works in your favor!) we headed back out to Kiyomizu-dera Temple to try our luck again. Luckily, we found it practically empty!

Mr. Misadventures had all the time in the world to take photos in all the interesting angles he likes to take!

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a Buddhist temple established in 778 on the side of the Otowa Mountain, specifically the Otowa Waterfall in the eastern part of Kyoto, and gets its name from the fall's pure waters. Kiyomizu-dera literally means “Pure Water Temple.” (More information about the temple can be found on their website.) 

The temple is part of a huge park with other buildings and it took us several hours to make our way through, granted Mr. Misadventures took at least a thousand photos which forced me to do a lot of people-watching! It is also an amazing place to see autumn leaves in Kyoto.

There are several buildings, shrines, temples, and halls. All beautiful. I am not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much at night. In the evening the maple trees are lit up, which is nice but in the daylight, you get to see all the intricacies of the buildings.

The entrance affords a beautiful view of the city.

I found aspects of the little hall/shrine you enter to get into the park to have a lot of Indian aspects (or are they Japanese aspects in India, I don't know which came first!).

When you get to the Main Hall (Hondo) it gets a little more crowded and a little more complicated to take photos. There is construction going on and it seems like nearly every shot you want to take has a big blue tarp in it somewhere (not to Japan, maybe you want to do construction during non-season weeks…are you taking lessons from CalTrans?).

The photo below doesn't have a blue tarp but in the bottom right-hand corner, you can see construction platforms in bamboo.

Once you walk through the Main Hall and meander the lovely paths down to the base of the hill you will find the Otowa Waterfall. Visitors use cups attached to long poles to drink from them. There are three streams and each one's water is said to have a different benefit: longevity, success at school, and a fortunate love life. Drinking from all three is considered greedy, so choose wisely!

We saw lots of students so I am guessing they were after success in school!

Besides my “kimono couple” which I captured doing selfies and spotlighted in my Kyoto Kimino Culture post…

I ran into this guy with the most adorable dog!

This carrier was the first I had seen, and I had wondered why there weren't that many dogs, after this encounter I did see a few other folks carry their dogs around like this (maybe I hadn't noticed because I thought they were babies?) and I found signs later in other temples saying it was mandatory to have your dog in one of these carriers if you wanted to bring them into the parks and temples!

We really had an enjoyable morning at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, it is spacious, beautiful and easy to navigate. Unless you enjoy dealing with large crowds, I don't recommend going at night when the light festivals are occurring, but beyond that, I think it should definitely be on any list of spots to visit while traveling to Kyoto.

Also, the neighborhood surrounding the temple has some really terrific spots to visit like the Inoda Coffee shop (in Kyoto since 1940) where we had a really, really good coffee!

And the adorable store Dot Dot (mentioned in my Kyoto Geisha post) where I bought a scarf and wallet with…you guessed it…dots! The bottom line is the neighborhood has a ton of great boutiques, restaurants, and sites to see.

Also a note on packing. The seasons in Japan are very distinct and profound, so you will want to make sure that you pack correctly. We were there in late November and it was cold! Here's a really great resource for the perfect packing list for Japan in the winter.

How about you? Have you been to a temple in Asia before? What was the neighborhood around the temple like? 

More Kyoto stories

• Kyoto Food – My Favorite Eats
• Kyoto in Black and White
• Kyoto – Fushimi Inari Shrine
• Kyoto – Temple Talk
• Kyoto’s Geisha
• Kyoto – Learning about Japanese Gardening and Landscaping with Context Travel
• Wearing a Kimono in Kyoto: Kyoto’s Kimono Culture
• Kyoto – Context Travel Temple Tour
• Jakuchu Museum And Wine Shop at Nishiki Market
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – The Fish
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – Tamago
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market – Vegetables
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market
• Sushi Pops in Nishiki Market in Kyoto

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All that hard work watching the hubby take his photos deserved a reward…a hearty breakfast! One of the best things about staying at the hotel was breakfast. I love breakfast, but one thing I love more than breakfast is an Asian breakfast.

You guys know about my dimsum habit, and there is nothing better than eating breakfast at a hotel in China, Japan, and South Korea. I was one happy girl.

So after filling the belly, we headed out to Kinkaku-ji Temple to meet our Context Travel docent, Casper for our last tour of the week.

Our goal was to learn more about Japanese gardening and landscaping techniques and visiting temples was a perfect way to see examples of several different styles. We met up with another San Francisco couple (complete coincidence) and headed into Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion.

And Golden it was.

Given the crisp sky (all cleaned up from the rain) and the reflection of the temple and the clouds on the water that the pavilion rests on, it is extremely difficult to take a bad picture!

There are three different architectural styles and absolutely everything from top-to-bottom symbolizes something, it’s fascinating that every facet of the villa means something and Casper (and his family) have studied this type of architecture for a very long time (I wouldn’t expect anything less of a Context Travel docent!)

Kinkaku-ji is surrounded by a park with beautiful gardens, each corner you turn, something more breathtaking to see. For someone whose favorite color is red, it is spectacular!

Much like my visits to temples in Tokyo, I love reading the ema, small wooden plaques on which people write prayers or wishes. I find them very beautiful and fun to read.

From Kinkaku-ji we walked to Ryoan-ji (you can take a bus) but it was such a beautiful morning and by walking we could see “typical” Kyoto neighborhoods so we voted to take a longer path and walk.

If we hadn't walked we would have missed seeing things like this, a group of very young children out with their teachers, I love how organized (and safe) the kids are!

When we arrived at Ryoan-ji Temple, it was really interesting to see the stark contrast of this temple to Kinkaku-ji. The Golden Pavilion is surrounded by water and is lush and full of plant life. Ryoan-ji is more of a typical Zen garden with gravel and rocks that represent water. Still beautiful, but in a completely different way.

The fallen red maple leaves still kind of feel like they are sitting on top of the water.

In the main garden, there are 15 rocks to sit and ponder. You have to sit as the only way to see the 15th rock is from a sitting position. I didn’t mind, having experienced it the day before, there is something really serene about sitting down and just observing the garden. [I totally want to have a garden like this in the future, one where I am not supposed to do anything except sit there and ponder life!]

We tore ourselves away and made a short walk to Ninna-ji temple, which in my mind was a combination of the two styles we had seen earlier in the day that had both “wet” and “dry” gardens. The most impressive part of Ninna-ji is the doors.

Similar to some of the other temples we had seen the day before and would continue to see throughout the week, the doors usually were protected by statues on either side representing the whole world (above is one of the two), from the first letter (um) to the last letter (ah) and by walking through the door you are automatically purified for worshiping.

I find this type of story that goes along with a place, a building, and a piece of land so fascinating! Everywhere you turn at any of the hundreds of temples in Kyoto you find beauty.

Throughout the morning, which turned into early afternoon, Casper was so darn knowledgeable about all the symbolism history, and cultural aspects of the places we were visiting and Kyoto in general, I could not write my notes fast enough!

Even though we planned on being on our own for the rest of the time we were in Kyoto, our first 36 hours in which we did three Context Travel tours really served as a great foundation and set us up for a successful and enjoyable trip.

I absolutely loved my time in Kyoto!

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[In all honesty, I do not know if this is the accurate name for the shop, it was on FourSquare geo-located to the spot I was standing with no other winebars (and there aren't any other winebars in the market, only a wine and sake shop) so unless someone can correct me, I am going with it!]

Our Context Travel guide Daniel and I stopped in to have a look.

We met with Tsuji Yuiko, a student from KIT (Kyoto Institute of Technology) who was working in the gallery area for the day. Inside were works from over 120 students. One of the projects is napkins (I can't think of a better world to describe it) each one representing a different shop in the Nishiki Market.

This is the one that Tsuji did (I made her point it out!):

The colors are bold on the inside and out, it is a really great space that is juxtapositioned amongst stalls that have been there for a very long time, but somehow it works. . It was too early in the morning to try out the wine and I didn't go back to try it as I was focused too much on eating every time I visited the market!

According to Wikipedia: “Itō Jakuchū was a Japanese painter of the mid-Edo period when Japan had closed its doors to the outside world. Many of his paintings concern traditionally Japanese subjects, particularly chickens and other birds.”

His work is celebrated all over Japan and his style is mimicked in the work of artists everywhere. Jakuchū worked in Kyoto and his works can be seen in temples all over the city.

So in reality celebrating his work, with a wine glass or two, doesn't feel so out of place after all.

How about you? Have you ever stumbled upon a little gem in what you thought was an unusual place?

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Unlike Tokyo and the Tsukiji Fish Market, most of the fish here comes from the rivers around Kyoto. That is not to say that they don't have seafood they do, but there is more of the local, seasonal items, which is why I love this region of Japan so much, they celebrate the abundance that is available to them.

There are a lot of different techniques for ensuring that seasonal items last several month, such as smoking or curing. A lot of the fish are dried with marinates and I love snacking on them like chips!

Like these tiny dried shrimp or the eel in the photo above that. A lot of the fish I had never seen before (in my opinion that is a good thing, hyper-local to the area, what is the global footprint if they start shipping them everywhere in the world?).

Something in the anchovy family? These tasted delicious with something like teriyaki seasoning on them.

Salmon that went perfectly with a dried rice cake.

Lots of fish on sticks are perfect for snacking, which is exactly what I did! Every day!

How about bonito flakes? Do you ever eat them on rice? So delicious. Also, my vet says if you have an overweight cat (like Jessica) these are a great snack for them! I always get them “already flasked” in a bag, they look like this:

Or a little smaller in size. But I had never seen how they actually start, which is as a dried fish that looks like this:

Of course, some things I avoided, like shirako, whale sperm, which I already tried once in Tokyo and have no intention of trying again (I didn't like the taste!). My hubby didn't get a good picture of it, it is the pinky stuff on the far right corner of this photo.

I would love to have a market as large as this available to me on a daily basis. I have already spoiled with great farmers' markets all around and a small Japanese fish market in Berkeley, but I dream of having this one in my own backyard!

How about you? Fan of fish? Got any fish tales you want to share?

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