We’re right in the thick of Kyōto’s oldest and most traditional Geisha quarter, Gion Kobu and though our accommodation is the size of a shoebox, it has everything we need.
Fortunately, last night’s drama has been quickly forgotten. Having arrived here close to midnight on a Saturday to an empty lockbox, I had to knock on all the doors in the apartment building to find someone who spoke a little English and could call the rental agent to bring a set of keys.
This is our first ever apartment rental in Japan and already we can feel the frisson of excitement that comes from finally having to get by without the security blanket of a hotel concierge- shopping at the market for food to prepare an occasional meal on our tiny stovetop, having the freedom to bathe at will in our own soaking tub and making our own reservations for the frequent day trips we’re planning from here on the Shinkansen.
We know this city pretty well from spending the New Year holiday here a while back, so Sunday needs no introduction as the prime teen hangout day in the nearby Fashion district and our own fashion-forward teenager is to her surprise and delight the object of some admiring stares in the OPA mall in Kawamarichi with her bright copper-coloured leggings. Fortunately, the old covered food market of Nishiki is right next door and the displays of seafood, prize vegetables and colourful pickles are a welcome distraction.
Somewhat dazed by the bevies of Beyoncé styled teens, the abundance of blinking neon and the sheer volume of retail, I leave Sabrina and our daughter to their respective therapies for a couple of hours and walk to the relative calm of austere Nijō castle, with its ‘nightingale floors’, so called for the chirping squeak they make when walked upon, enabling intruders to be easily detected, followed by the lovely shrines of the former Imperial Palace (the Meiji restoration of 1868 saw the capital move from Kyoto to Tokyo). Close by are yet more wonders at beautiful Rokkaku-dō Temple with its unique hexagonal building, which is said to be the centre of the old city. We rendezvous here and visit the astonishingly expensive store that sells the special instruments of the art of Ikebana flower arranging, which was first invented on this site.
This city, more than most possesses that unique Japanese blend of ancient and modern, awesome tech and bewildering bureaucracy and we experience both today at lunch in a fully automated Ramen restaurant and on a hilarious visit to our local bank to cash travellers cheques, which necessitates several carbon copied forms stamped in triplicate and serried ranks of white gloved, genuflecting staff scurrying around like mice in suits, to execute the transaction.
Back in the ancient maze of Gion, we explore the narrow streets with their traditional ryokan (inns) and wooden machiya townhouses. Right around the corner from the famous Kabuki theatre Minami-za is the legendary Junidan-ya, a traditional Shabu-Shabu restaurant. Dinner is expensive enough without the accompanying show, but is quite the best meal we have ever eaten in this city.
Shabu-Shabu with Beefsteak: Serves Four
You can go all out with Wagyu or Kobe beef, but a good quality thinly sliced grass-fed sirloin will also do very nicely.
1lb very thinly sliced beef sirloin
2 leeks, cleaned and cut on the diagonal
¼ head of of napa cabbage, chopped into 2 squares
4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
4-5 scallions, chopped into 2” lengths
7 cups water
4’’ piece of kombu kelp
1 pkt enoki mushrooms (remove the hard ends)
Put the water, kombu, scallions, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms in a large saucepan over a portable gas burner in the middle of your dining table. Bring to the boil and keep it boiling throughout the meal. Each person dips a slice of beef in the boiling liquid and then when the meat changes colour dips it into a dipping sauce of their choice (for example, a soy sauce and sesame oil mixture).
The enoki and vegetables are cooked and eaten the same way.
With no elaborate hotel breakfast to go to we are free to graze at will in the city’s noodle shops (Sabrina’s preference) or its wondrous bakeries each morning. Locals here eat more bread than anywhere else in the country and the amazing array of sweet and savoury selections which you help yourself to with a pair of tongs and a tray, offer a wild culinary journey which ranges from curry or truffle buns, milk and melon bread, to danish pastries made with matcha dough flavoured with strawberry and green tea, or chestnut and red bean paste, plus a huge selection of bagels and paninis. Loading up, we take them with us as the Shinkansen speeds us to pastures new for a day trip adventure.
Rising very early one morning I leave the girls to sleep in and take a short taxi ride to walk the ‘Tetsugaku No Michi’ Philosopher’s Path, along the cherry tree lined canal, wishing we were here for the ‘hanami’ flower-viewing. It’s still beautiful in the dawn light and the contrast as the morning brightens on the foliage of the adjacent temples and shrines is a sight to behold.
As a welcome change of pace, on my return we take the 30 minute train ride to the far North Western suburbs of the city to walk through the Sagano Bamboo forest in Saga-Arashiyama. This beautifully tranquil place has a special atmosphere, as the sound of the towering bamboo poles knocking together and the rustling of the leaves in the breeze create a unique soundscape that has been classified as a ‘national treasure’ by the Ministry of Environment (only in Japan!). The path leads to the shrine of Nonomiya with its moss garden, which features prominently in that seminal story of courtly love in medieval Kyoto, ‘The Tale of Genji’, which I really must read one of these days!
Contemplation over (well mine at least), we are all feeling more than a little chilly, so warm up in a nearby cafe with green tea, served with sweet zenzai (sweet red bean soup and glutinous rice flour dumplings).
Time to plan tomorrow’s trip to Tokyo, where we are bravely (or foolishly) renting another tiny apartment. My first job this afternoon- call the agent!
I am indebted to Marco for introducing me to a city and culture that, to my eternal shame, I know little about. My daughter Emma is spending a couple of weeks in Tokyo next month so this excellent article gives me enough information to have a basic conversation with her about Japan. Up until now, my main reference point was Lost in Translation.
Of course, Kyoto by far is one of the most beautiful city I've ever been. The temples, the food, the surrounding nature - everything seems so tranquil and serene. It's been several years since I was there last, and you just got me inspire to make a plan for next visit!