James Went To Kyoto & Hiroshima, Japan

The peace of the countryside over, it was back to Japanese city life, with 3 nights in Kyoto to come.

We took the Shinkansen there, which is just remarkably smooth for such a fast train – none of this being bumped around like on a UK train, just plan smoothness. The guard even turns around to bow before he goes in the next carriage.

Kyoto itself is much smaller than Tokyo, 1.4 million compared to Tokyo’s 14.2 million (not including greater metropolitan areas) – and bear in mind most tourists are doing the same route, we were suddenly very aware of being a tourist ourselves.

And occasionally, why the Japanese might privately suggest there is too much tourism. Though we never experienced anything but real friendliness and exceptional politeness.

Kyoto was more cultural than Tokyo – less modern high rises, more historic buildings – the latter partly because it was the imperial capital of Japan until 1868, but also because it wasn’t bombed anywhere near as much in World War II.

It definitely felt like the cultural capital of Japan.

Things To Do In Kyoto

We effectively only had one afternoon and one morning in Kyoto, as we were having a day trip to Hiroshima too.

Much of what we did was enjoy ourselves, wander around, eat fried chicken, drink beer, have cocktails, admire kawaii women and celebrate a birthday.

Tōfuku-ji Temple was pretty to wander around, especially in the gardens.

The Senbon Torii (thousand Torii gates) at Fushimi Inari Taisha was hellishly busy and rammed with tourists but also worth a wander.

Erm…I think that was it. It was a shame we didn’t have more time there to explore more culture, but you know what that means?

Two months since I got back from Japan and I still don’t have any flights booked…

Day Trip To Hiroshima

For one of our two days in Kyoto, we took a day trip to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen – it was the only day of our holiday with crap weather, though perhaps the pouring rain was easier to handle than the heat and proper tropical humidity we’d arrived into Kyoto with.

We went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which I was expecting to be a difficult and moving experience, except they rammed so many people inside that there was no moving – it really was quite a poor and claustrophobic experience, and you couldn’t get close enough to read anything as we shuffled through, centimetre by centimetre.

Enthusiasm for culture waned.

We had a wander around, saw Hiroshima Castle, saw the famous bombed out building, stumbled across the hypocentre of the bomb – then got the boat across to Maya Jama Island.

Or perhaps Miyajima.

Gosh did it rain.

There wasn’t much to do except be a tourist and wander around – at least not in the pouring rain, oh and admire the deer wandering around.

And that’s that – everything else involved eating or drinking, I’m afraid. Well, I’m not afraid. It was very enjoyable.

Eating In Kyoto

We had some damn good food in Kyoto.

Totally not on my radar was Nishiki Market, which was a long, busy, market street – though covered for when it rains.

To the side are various shops, stalls, etc – but most notably (to me) around 15,000 fried chicken stalls. And fried asparagus. And fried wagyu. And fried fish, and fried everything (probably things I don’t want frying too).

This was just one place with many stands on its own, where we grabbed a beer and tried various things – don’t ask me to remember everything but there was definitely (yet more) gorgeous wagyu, fried shrimp and fried asparagus wrapped in bacon – OMG vegetables in a foreign country.

And to think that I resisted temptation quite well at just a few dishes.

Oh and some cherry blossom sake.

To break up the wagyu/fried everything life, we had ramen at Rennosuke. Apparently in the Michelin Guide, it is a neighbourhood restaurant miles away from anything.

I’m anti-noodles, just don’t enjoy them, but I did persevere – as the broth was tasty and the pork so succulent. If you love ramen, you’ll love Rennosuke.

Wagyu wagyu wagyu wagyu you need wagyu

We went to a proper Yakiniku restaurant called Pontocho Yakiniku Kiraku, a sit on the floor and cook yourself experience – not sure I’m so keen on the sitting on the floor part as my middle-aged overweight body cannot quite get comfortable.

Probably one of the most expensive meals we had for proper grade wagyu – don’t ask me how much but I vaguely remember something like £35.00.

So melt in your mouth. This is why I’ve eschewed beef for two months since getting back to the UK. Some of the marbling is just…insane, to make me sound like I’m on Tick Tock.

What’s the point in ever ordering beef again in the UK?

More evidence?

This was at a restaurant called Wagyu Steak Hafuu Honten – again slightly more of a neighbourhood restaurant though had quite a few empty tables.

I ordered the deep fried wagyu sandwich – of which everyone was jealous when it arrived, though that jealousy evaporated when their steaks arrived. Guess it was that good.

Plus the service was lovely, and they kept taking photos for us – the older guy who was the waiter always went to get someone younger to do it!

Drinking In Kyoto

So most of my pre-holiday research was on craft beer places, but the places that stand out more are the tiny bars we stumbled into.

I had to wrack my brain to figure out if I ever went to one – it was Kyoto Arashiyama Brewery Sanjō and the beer was rather malty. Cool, modern vibe but a bit sanitised.

More interesting was walking up Pontocho Alley, and going into the little bars.

Some of my stand-out drinks were actually cocktails – I know, what ever became of me, had in Bar Alchemist.

I remember the first one was Mezcal-related and properly tasted alcoholic – I should have just ordered another. The second was more fruity, don’t ask me what, never lived up to the Mezcal cocktail.

We also had a beer there. Well, the two blokes amongst us.

Onto Osaka…

As much as I felt like I completed about 5% of Tokyo, perhaps I completed 10% of Kyoto. It just felt like there was so much more depth to the city and that we hardly discovered it.

Kyoto is probably the prettiest of the 3 major cities, the most cultural and the most historic.

I wish we had longer everywhere we went, but really really do wish that for Kyoto.

Osaka was wild though. And up next.