The Winter Arashiyama Lantern Festival

Kyoto has been cold at nights and in the mornings since I had come back from a one-week holiday in Melbourne, Australia.

The winter is coming here and reddened tree leaves are seen and some of them are scattered. It's a busy peak tourist season here once again!

Reddened tree leaves

An annual winter lantern festival is being held at Arashiyama, the famous as the bamboo forest, between 8th and 17th December.

The Arashiyama Winter Lantern Festival (picture taken in 2015)

It will bring you a precious holiday here in Kyoto.

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I am announcing that I have decided that this post will be the last one here on the Kyo Sensational Blog. Now I have found I had more things to write rather than just Kyoto.

These would include my travel experiences, sports, public issues.

I am launching a new blog soon and will release the name and concepts once the progresses have been done.

Thank you for wonderful supports on this blog and viewing blogs and leaving comments on the new blog page would be much appreciated.

I wish you (my awesome, loyal and encouraging readers) all the best.

My tips travelling to tourist attractions

Many City buses are crowded and often over crowded. Do you want to experience facing such crowds on your holiday when you want to relax and enjoy?

Kyoto City Council is examining collecting fares on board on the Express 100 buses that are busiest bus route in Kyoto. But in my opinion such movements won't ease travel times, unless prepaid services like all Melbourne public transport services with Myki card.

I was about to write more about this issue here, but instead give you some tips to make your trips to your favourite tourist attractions easier and more comfortable.

To be honest riding a bike is the best way to explore Kyoto. I am providing tips for travellers who want to use public transport to explore Kyoto.

Arashiyama - JR Sagano Line's local or rapid train is the best from Kyoto Station as it's much faster than bus. If you are in the city centre such as Shijo Kawaramachi or Shijo Karasuma, catch Hankyu train to Umeda. Transfer at Katsura for an Arashiyama bound train.

Kiyomizu Temple - Long queues are formed at the bus dedepot at Kyoto Station for services going through Gojo Zaka, the closet stop to the temple. Walk to Shichijo Station on Keihan Railway for ten minutes from Kyoto Station and catch a Demachiyanagi bound local train and get off at Kiyomizu Gojo. Then walk to the temple.

Fushimi Inari - Even the shrine is covered with a one day bus pass, never catch a city bus. You will end up waiting ages to board a bus after visiting there. Local train on JR Nara Line or Keihan Railway is the easiest, fastest and most comfortable way to travel from Kyoto Station or city centre.

Nanzen-ji and Eikando - Travelling on the Route 5 bus is for nightmare as it's travelling through the congested Shijo Street and buses are packed during peak seasons. Catch underground train / subway / metro from Kyoto Station to Keage on the Tozai Line (transfer at Karasuma Oike) and walk to the temple. It's much faster and more comfortable.

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) - City Bus Route 17 is the least crowded to get there from Kyoto Station, comparing with the Express 100 and Route 5 services. If you get fit, you can walk to the Keihan Shichijo Station getting a train to Demachiyanagi and then walk to the temple.

Gion - If you want to avoid over crowded Express 100 or Route 206 bus, try Express 110 or Extra bus services. Alternatively take a Keihan Railway train to Gion Shijo and walk.

Do you have any suggestion? Or want further advice?

Please comment below and I am happy to take your advice or answer your questions.

Happy travel planning!!

Event Information - Kyoto Nippon Festival

Hi Kyo Sensational fans,

I apologise for not updating the blog for a while and my laziness.

Recently I have found an event post on the community notice board near my home.

It is called Kyoto Nippon Festival being held from 21st October to 3rd December. The event is the mixture of traditional culture, art, foods and music.

Their slogan is handing over Japanese beauty to the future (younger generations).

You will feel the traditional and unique Japanese culture by attending the event in the world's popular and unique tourist city of Kyoto.

The main programme is the solo exhibition of kami no Mani Mani. drawn by the modern artist of Chihiro Nagashima. Other featuring events include the exhibition of Marika Ito, an exclusive restaurant run by Kyoto Kiccho and flower arrangement workshops.

Ito is a member of the girls band of Nogizaka 46 and creates the mixture and unique crafts of fashion, art, movie and radio. Her exhibition is a collection of her crafts made of views of her brain with her talents.

Kyoto Kiccho offers traditional Japanese foods with ingredients harvested and grown in Japan. They also create unique atmosphere and services so that their customers enjoy meals with five human senses.

You will have autumn Japanese flowers at the flower arrangement workshop. Joining the workshop would be your wonderful Japanese experiences with unique flowers as a memorial present.

The venue is Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in the north west suburb of Kyoto.

City Bus is the best way to get there. Catch Route 50 or Express 101 at Kyoto Station Bus Terminal stop B2. If you are in the city centre (Shijo Kawaramachi), the Route 203 (the anticlockwise) is convenient.

Their official website (www.kyotonippon.com) is only in Japanese, so please don't hesitate to ask me for further information.

Don't go to Ki Bar in Kyoto!

I wish I could only write positive stuffs, but today have to write negative issue because I don't want anyone to have bad experiences during your stay in Kyoto.

DO NOT GO TO KI BAR IN PONTO-CHO!!!

On my arrival, I was not greeted or welcome or asked anything even it was the first time to drink there. The male bartender who has tattoos in his arm (I think is American) was so rude. Even when I tried to order beer, he told me to wait with non verbal communication (body language) as talking to his colleagues/mates.

Drinks are bloody expensive. 500 yen Edamame wasn't cooked properly and its proportion is so small. It's much under valued.

There are better pubs in Kyoto. But drinks there are so expensive. The hostel bar near Kyoto station is quite cheap and a good place to drink, I reckon. Alternative Geal in Gion is a good Irish pub although drinks are still expensive.

Cheers/Kanpai

Noodles with cold soups in the hot summer

At first, my apology for not providing the blog specialising in Kyoto. But I offer the tips what to eat on hot and humid days in Kyoto and other parts of Japan.

Your appetite might be low due to the hotness and humidity. Then noodles with cold soups are for you.

Cold ramen, also called hiyashi chuka in the Japanese language, is served with toppings that can be sliced cucumbers, hams, fried eggs and tomatoes. The popular sauce is soy sauce based, followed by sesami flavoured one.

Cold ramen cooked by the author

Other options are cold soba and udon. Soba can be hard to be seen in Kyoto and expensive, but is my favourite noodle. You can find cheap udon restaurants in town.

Enjoy touring around Kyoto in the summer with nice cold noodles.

Quiet Peace Places to Visit

You will see many tourists in most of tourist attractions in Kyoto. Are you sick and tired of visiting these sites? If so, visiting the Kamigamo Shrine on the north is ideal.

Even a world heritage site, the shrine is quiet and tranquility. Maybe it is not known well or it is far away from the central railway station or city centre?

I visited the shrine on a Saturday and was surprised to see it was so quiet. You will have relaxing and peace times with fresh air. Then Japanese experiences add.

Unusual roundabout in Kyoto (actually whole in Japan)

Kamigamo Shrine

The beautiful Kamo River is flown around the Shrine. The river bank pavements around there are quiet too and are good places to walk. You will enjoy the quiet suburb visit and some nature stuffs. And surprisingly it takes only twenty minutes to the closet subway station of Kitaoji.

Kamo River Pavements

Duck on the Kamo River

Buses run frequently to Kamigamo Shrine from Kyoto Station and City Centre (Shijo Kawaramachi / Shijo Karasuma).

Catch Route 9 bus from Kyoto Station and get off at Kamigamo Misono Bridge and cross the bridge to the shrine. Bus services are available every 10 minutes in the day time.

Alternative Route 4 buses will take you to the shrine directly from Kyoto Station and Shijo Kawaramachi.

Route 46 buses are running every 12 minutes in the day time from Gion, Shijo Kawaramachi and Nijo Station.

Deep fried beef - New Kyoto Cuisine

How are you travel lovers?

Probably you have heard tonkatsu (deep fried pork), the popular Japanese dish. How about gyukatsu (dep fried beef)? If the answer is no, don't worry as it's unique and we need to make it be aware publicly.

And let me to write about the new Kyoto cuisine.

You will go to a gyukatsu restaurant to get the unique meal. Katsugyu has several premises in Kyoto (city centre, near Gion and Kiyomizu Temple, and around Kyoto Station) so try one of chain restaurants. Then a combo meal will be served in a tray - main dish deep fried beef and sliced cabbage are on is coming with rice, miso soup, spice and sauce.

Gyukatsu (large deep fried beef of 160 grams) combo meal

The authentic meal is cooked in a fryer for a minute basically, so it is a deed fried version of beef steak.

Chain restaurant's first choice of enjoying the new cuisine is putting wasabi on the red meat at first and then dipping into soy sauce (the lighter colour sauce in the white dish on the left bottom).

Dipping gyukatsu into soy sauce

Putting wasabi and soy sauce is the way we eat sashimi (raw fish), so it's like eating sashimi and reminding me eating a  traditional Japanese meal. Diffetence between sashimi and gyukatsu is texture.

Then putting deep fried beef into the Japanese peppers (the middle spice in the white plate) reminds me western dining although westerners would put beef streak into sauces afterwards. The taste is good with salty and bit spicy.

Wulster sauce (dark coloured one in the white plate) is a smooth sauce specialising for deep fried pork in Japan and provided at Katsugyu too. Its sweet texture suits deep fried beef too and wasabi's spice brings fresh ideas to dine and makes interesting.

Dipping deep fried beef into wulster sauce

Graced yum brings cremy tastings and matches deep fried beef well. The combination relaxes me for a while even I like spicy foods and love wasabi. Also it's a good topping on rice.

Dipping deep fried beef into graced yum

Graced yum on rice

Curry and rice is a popular meal in Japan. It's everyone's favourite and you can't miss it! The curry sauce comes with the combo meal. Its moderated spicy texture once again is a good partner of deep fried beef. The spicy smooth texture makes the deep fried beef attractive and me wanting more rice. Indeed dipping sauce on rice is the same as eating curry and rice.

Dipping deep fried beef into curry sauce

Curry sauce on rice

I hope you will enjoy foods in Kyoto too. Happy planning guys! See you later!