The best Shinto shrines in Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto is home to over 400 Shinto shrines, so it can be a daunting task to choose the best shrine to visit on any trip. Here are some beautiful pictures of the best shrines in Kyoto to help make your choice that little bit easier.

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

Fushimi Inari Shrine is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds.

Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds. Fushimi Inari Shrine has ancient origins, predating the capital's move to Kyoto in 794.

Heian Jingu Shrine

Heian Jingu Shrine is a relatively recent addition to Kyoto's collection of sacred places, but is still a very impressive shrine which features elegant, richly-colored buildings surrounded by large gardens in the four cardinal directions.

Built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Heian Kyo (Kyoto), and dedicated to the Emperors Kammu and Komei, the first and last Emperors to rule Kyoto, the buildings are a partial replica of the Imperial Palace of the Heian Period (794-1185). The vermillion-lacquered Otenmon Gate and Daigoku-den (main hall) are especially beautiful. The gardens are representative of Meiji Period garden design, and have a rich variety of flowers that change with the four seasons.

Yasaka Jinja Shrine

Yasaka Jinja Shrine is a colourful, bustling downtown shrine in the heart of the city, which overlooks the geisha and entertainment district of Gion. It is one of Kyoto’s most important shrines and has a long connection with the Kyoto Geisha community. The shrine is home to the famous Gion Matsuri which takes place every year over the entire month of July.

Shimogamo Jinja Shrine

Shimogamo Jinja Shrine is one of the oldest and most beautiful shrines in Kyoto. Located at the junction of the Takano and Kamo Rivers, the shrine is surrounded by an ancient forest with trees that are up to 600 years old making it an amazing place to take a stroll.

Kifune Jinja Shrine

Kifune Jinja Shrine is located up on a hill that offers a fantastic escape from the heat of summer in the city. Stone steps lined with red lanterns create an attractive and atmospheric setting that is just magical in any season.

Kamigamo Jinja Shrine

The Kamo Shrines, Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine, are both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are two of the most important and oldest shrines in Kyoto.

In fact, the Kamo Shrines even predate the city's establishment as national capital in 794. Throughout the thousand years that Kyoto served as Japan's capital city, the Imperial Court patronized the shrines as establishments dedicated to the city's protection and prosperity.

See more: Discover 5 unique and incredible traditions in Kyoto

Source: Internet

Kyuemon Ito Hydrangea Festival - Seasonal Matcha Treats In Kyoto

Kyuemon Ito is an established producer of high-grade Uji matcha in Kyoto. In June 2019 they will have a special Hydrangea Festival menu including three matcha desserts that are reminiscent of hydrangea to celebrate the famous rainy season flower.

June means raining season in Japan and the flower that represents the raining season the most is the Hydrangea. They are beloved all over Japan as they thrive in a humid environment and make the grey days a little bit more colorful.

Kyuemon Ito is a matcha green tea producer in Kyoto with a history going back to the Edo Period. In their cafes, they offer tea and treats only using their finest matcha.

During the rainy season, selected Kyuemon Ito stores will offer a "Hydrangea Festival" menu. It will be featuring a variety of matcha treats resembling the beautiful purple flower. Each item will be available from the beginning until the end of June 2019. If you spend more 1500 yen on the limited menu items you will be presented with a heart-shaped hydrangea coaster.

Hydrangea Parfait

The breathtaking Hydrangea Parfait is created with layers of high-quality matcha sauce, mochi, and agar agar jelly cubes, homemade matcha ice cream and blueberry flavored jelly to resemble the color of hydrangeas. The parfait is topped with matcha cookies, whipped cream and a sweet potato-matcha wagashi (Japanese traditional artful sweets) known as kinton.

The parfait will be available as a single item for 1280 yen(including tax) and a parfait and tea set for 1680(including tax). You can only purchase the parfait at the Kyuemon Ito Uji Main Store and JR Uji Station Store.

Hydrangea Panna Cotta

The Hydrangea Panna Cotta (540 yen including tax) consists of rich matcha and milk pudding. It is topped with the same blueberry jelly as the Hydrangea Parfait. The Hydrangea Panna Cotta will only be available at the Kyuemon Ito Uji Main Store

Hydrangea Kinton

Kinton is a traditional type of Japanese wagashi. It mainly consists of mashed and sweetened sweet potato. It the case of the Hydrangea Kinton it is arranged to look like a hydrangea. When you bite into it, the core will fill your mouth with the rich flavor of matcha.

The Hydrangea Kinton will be available in sets of three for 777 yen including tax. They will be available at the Kyuemon Ito Uji Main Store, the Uji Station Store and the Kyoto Station Store.

Read more: Get to know about Wagashi, the Japanese traditional sweets

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The best 5 weekend getaways in Japan

Even if you only have a couple of days to spend, it’s definitely worth getting out of the city to explore other unique and beautiful parts of the country too. Here are some of our favorite weekend getaways from for your next trip to Japan.

Nara

Best known for its resident deer population and beautiful temples, you can reach Nara from Tokyo by train in about four hours. The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at Todai-ji Temple is a prime attraction here, as well as the deer roaming around Nara Park. It’s also nice to take a stroll through the Isui-en Garden to see the lovely flowers and pond, and the Kasuga-Taisha Shrine is worth a visit as well to see the forest, lanterns, and pathways. Stop by the Nara National Museum to learn about local history because the exhibits are bilingual in both Japanese and English. The Mt. Wakakusa area is great for longer hikes as well.

Read more: The land of cultural heritage, visit Nara in Japan

Kyoto

Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto, was also the country’s official capital for over 1,000 years. The city is home to a number of important cultural sites, including over 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Kyoto is the place to go to experience geisha (or geiko, as they are known in Kansai) culture; the annual geisha dances held each spring are one of the city’s highlights. Kyoto is also known for its kaiseki (elevated Japanese cuisine), ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), and historic architecture.

Kanazawa

With beautiful temples, ancient shrines and a range of fantastic museums, this charming city lying on the Sea of Japan is not to be missed on your list. Wonderfully preserved, its ancient neighborhoods are lovely to wander around, with the old geisha and samurai districts being particularly delightful. In fact, Kanazawa rivals Kyoto in the number of historical and cultural attractions that it has on the show. Although seldom visited by westerners, Japanese tourists flock to this city. The highlight is undoubtedly Kenroku-en, an impressive castle with idyllic gardens surrounding it.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park draws in crowds from all over the globe. The site commemorates the victims of the 1945 bombings, when it became the first city to be attacked with atomic weapons. Today, Hiroshima is a lively, vibrant city, home to a number of historical sites, gardens, and parks. It is a great city for live sports and home to several national teams, including the Sanfrecce Hiroshima (soccer) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (baseball). The main stadiums are the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Big Arch.

Fukuoka

The largest city in Kyushu, Fukuoka used to be two towns before the different areas joined to form the city we know today. A friendly and welcoming place, what Fukuoka lacks in terms of actual sights, it more than makes up for in its charm and pleasant atmosphere. With a couple of great museums, some great architecture, delicious ramen, and the chance to see their famous baseball team in action, Fukuoka is well worth a visit for all that it has to offer. Lying on the banks of the river running through it, there are some lovely temples dotted around the city and its surroundings. Many people use Fukuoka as a base from which to explore the rest of Kyushu.

Source Internet

The best souvenirs from Kyoto

Kyoto is a famous tourist attraction that is just as popular as Tokyo. The city's charm comes from the many temples and the nice neighborhoods it has, which make it a destination loved by visitors from all around the world. Let's take a look at what kinds of souvenirs Kyoto has to offer.

1. Nama Yatsuhashi With Red Bean Paste

Among the Japanese, a long time favorite souvenir from Kyoto is the nama yatsuhashi. Yatsuhashi is a type of senbei, cracker that is made of rice flour, sugar, cinnamon and water, which is mixed, then rolled out into a thin sheet before being baked. When the dough is steamed instead of being baked and filled with red bean paste, it turns into a confectionery called nama yatsuhashi with red bean.

2. Konpeito Sugar Candy

Konpeito is traditional sugar candy that originates from Portugal. True to its name, Kyoto Marun's "World's Smallest Konpeito" is very tiny. White, green, yellow and pink konpeito as small as grains of sand can be found in a jar. It is very tiny, but you can taste the wonderful flavor of the sugar in each piece.

3. Fukkura Usagi Set

Fukkura Usagi is a sugar confectionery made by Kyoto Marun. The sugary treats in the shape of hearts and bunnies are so cute that it's almost hard to take a bite. The bunnies are placed in a box that is filled with konpeito sugar candy. Cute designs such as this are a trait of Japanese souvenirs.

4. Yuumochi

Yuumochi are bite-size rice cakes inside a cute packaging in the shape of yuzu citrus. When you open the lid, you will smell the refreshing aroma of the yuzu citrus. It has a nice texture, almost like something between a gummy and a standard rice cake. The yuzu citrus flavor is very bold and makes you feel like you are eating the actual fruit. You can also taste the mild bitterness of the citrus, making it an addictive treat.

5. Matcha Anpone

Matcha Anpone is a confectionery set with matcha green tea bean paste, homemade cheese cream and monaka (Japanese wafers). The unique trait of this sweets is how you stuff the filling into the monaka wafers. The two types of pastes, homemade mascarpone cheese and bean paste using matcha green tea from Uji, Kyoto, come in jars. The Japanese confectionery, monaka is a crispy waffle made out of thinly baked mochi rice cake with a red bean filling.

6. Suhama Dango

Suhama dango is a cute tri-colored sweet made of domestically produced kinako and syrup that has been mixed together. Kinako is a powder made from ground soybeans. The soybean powder has been mixed in so you can savor the taste of the beans from each bite. The sugar coat also helps bring out the sweetness of the bean as well. Since it comes in a nice bite-sized piece, it is hard to resist eating more than one.

Read more: The ultimate Japanese food guide

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Regional dishes you need to try in Japan

Japan has a wonderful unique cuisine. Different regions have their own traditions of agriculture, produce and recipes. So in addition to the traditional Japanese dishes found throughout the country, many regions and cities in Japan have their own specialties.

Yubari Melon (Hokkaido)

Known also as “Yubari King”. Yubari melons are grown only in a small town called Yubari city. The sweetest melon you can ever taste. Some Japanese people present Yubari King melons as gifts during the holiday called chugen. It becomes the must-have dessert in Hokkaido.

Takoyaki (Osaka)

Takoyaki is the main street food associated with Osaka. This tasty treat is a fried round mixture of batter, octopus, ginger, and usually some vegetables and spices. The best place to sample takoyaki is at one of the food stalls along the Dotonbori, but this dish can be found all over the city. Many locals even have special takoyaki-making grills at home.

Goya Champuru (Okinawa)

Goya (bitter melon) came to Okinawa from Southeast Asia and quickly became one of the region's most favored vegetables.Champuru means "stir-fry" in the Okinawan language. This dish is a stir-fry of goya, pork, tofu and eggs. It is prepared by stir-frying various ingredients.

Monja-yaki (Tokyo)

Originally a children’s treat, monjayaki is now established as a specialty of the Tsukishima area of Tokyo (near Ginza). It’s a “cook it yourself” dish with ingredients such as dried squid, sweetcorn and cabbage are cooked on the hotplate. Then a runny batter is poured into a hollow in the middle. It is all scraped around with a small spatula and eaten off the spatula as it is cooked.

Chagayu (Nara)

Chagayu is a traditional breakfast food from Nara that’s made by boiling rice in roasted green tea with salt until it becomes a soupy porridge. The dish was originally enjoyed by monks at Nara’s Todai-ji temple as part of the Omizutori festival, but eventually became a common food enjoyed by locals throughout the region. Chagayu can be eaten hot or cold, and the roasted aroma of the green tea gives this wholesome dish a complex, but highly satisfying flavor.

Yudofu (Kyoto)

Popular with Japanese Buddhist, a yudofu is a simple yet delicious hot pot. Minimal ingredients used in this dish as a typical Yudofu only contains tofu cubes and vegetables in hot water. However, as with many recipes, there are options with various meats and more ingredients. Kombu also is known as edible seaweed can be added for extra flavor. The Yudofu is a winter favorite amongst the Japanese monks and can be as simple or as complex as you fancy.

See more: Japanese healthy dishes for cold weather

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5 most amazing hotels in Japan

Japan, also known as the Land of the Rising Sun, is an exciting and culturally fascinating travel destination. Its hotels are equally appealing, and they are just as diverse as the nation itself. You will find the skyscrapers catering to international business travelers in hubs like Tokyo and Kyoto, but you’ll also find luxurious resorts and capsule hotels.

Park Hotel Tokyo

The Park Hotel Tokyo is a contemporary skyscraper in the middle of the capital city. From its top floors, you can expect stunning views over the city. The Park Hotel Tokyo is also conveniently located just a two-minute walk from the Shimbashi Station, which allows you to get to other major destinations in the area via subway. There are seven dining options within the Park Hotel Tokyo that serve up Japanese cuisine as well as international fare. Other luxury amenities include a spa, a fitness facility and a lounge filled with modern art.

Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon

A brief walk from the Asakusa Train Station is the upscale Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon, one of the most popular contemporary hotels in Tokyo. The convenient location makes it easy to travel via train around the city, but you can also walk right to attractions like the Senso-ji Temple or the Hanayashiki Theme Park. The rooms are comfortable and modern, and guests will have access to hotel amenities like in-room massage therapy, a French restaurant and an open-air terrace exclusively available for guests to enjoy, which happens to be an amazing place to soak in city views.

See more: Things to do in Asakusa, Tokyo

Hoshinoya Kyoto

You’ll find the upscale Hoshinoya Kyoto on the banks of the Katsura River in the popular Arashiyama district of Kyoto. Although it is in the center of the city, the setting is wooded, and guests will be just a short walk from the wildly famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The rooms are sleek, modern but minimal, and they feature bamboo decor and tatami mat flooring. A floating tearoom is an ultimate luxury, allowing you to sip upscale teas right over the waters of the river.

Hakone-Ginyu

This luxurious spa resort can be found in Hakone, and it is surrounded by lush green mountains. The suites are spacious but minimalist, designed with relaxation in mind. Many of the rooms and suites at the Hakone-Ginyu offer private terraces, and the views are definitely one of the most appealing things about this incredible resort. You’ll also be able to unwind in one of the two open-air bathhouses, not to mention the countless hot tubs. Indulge in spa treatments, and then enjoy incredible Japanese cuisine while making the most of the mountain views.

See more: Hakone, a peaceful place in Japan

The Windsor Hotel Toya

On the Japanese island of Hokkaido, you’ll find the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort and Spa. At the Windsor Hotel Toya, you can choose from traditional minimalist rooms with tatami mats or upgraded western beds, all of which offer amenities like wifi access, personal fridges and flat-screen televisions. The spa facilities are the main attraction, featuring a bathhouse, an indoor pool, and a hot tub, but there is also a scenic golf course on the property. Guests will also be mere minutes from the enticing Toyako Hot Spring.

Source Touropia

Let's go to Japan in this November

Have you ever thought of traveling to Japan in November? It's truly a great time to enjoy gorgeous autumn leaves at many locations as well as enjoy an onsen bath in upcoming winter. Here are the best places you should visit in Japan this November.

Obara, Aichi

If you are lucky enough to be in Japan's Chubu region during this blooming period, Achi Prefecture is a destination you should not miss. Located just a few hours away from Tokyo, this prefecture is home to one of Japan's most fascinating autumn event - the Obara Shikizakura Festival. The flowers begin to blossom at the end of October and are at their peak from mid-November through early December. The peak period varies somewhat from year to year. The small five-petaled blossoms are thought to indicate a cross between the mamezakura and edohigan species of cherry trees.

Gunma, Kanto

Known as the best place to enjoy onsen in Japan, Kusatsu onsen resort is very famous as one of the three major onsens in Japan. The unique bathing method of Jikanyu (timed bathing) and Yumomi (water beating) are customs that have been appeared since the Edo period. Moreover, the atmosphere of the resort is attractive with the Yubakate (hot water fields, a wooden facility for thermal moderation of the water) located at the center. This onsen resort is truly a representative of Japan.

Otaru, Hokkaido

This winter wonderland in Hokkaido is a port town that lures visitors with its beautiful architecture and long, picturesque canal that’s famously lined with Victorian-style gas lamps and stone buildings that once housed herring merchants but today serves as the home of shops and eateries. The Otaru canal, which is also opened for short cruises, happens to be the main venue for the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival, an event where local places for floating candles inside the canal, distributing some 15,000 snow candles and lanterns to light up the narrow pathways. The entire town has an unusual look to it, somewhat more Russian than Japanese, more industrial than bucolic, but still incredibly delightful, especially in its winter glory.

See more: Hakone, a peaceful place in Japan

Kawaguchi, Yamanashi

Lake Kawaguchi, or Kawaguchiko is the most popular tourist destination among Fuji 5 lakes. In this place, there is a festival called Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves held annually near the lake and featuring beautiful gorgeous autumn leaves and special events. Do not miss the chance to capture the best view of Kawaguchiko, autumn leaves, and Mt Fuji in this November.

Kyoto, Kansai

Visit Toufukuji in Kyoto this mid-November is perfect. The Toufukuji temple is a Buddhist temple which is also considered as one of the Kyoto Gozan (or “five great Zen temples of Kyoto”). The current garden in the area was designed by Mirei Shigemori back in the 1930s and has since been flocked by tourists during the autumn season. It has become a tradition for people to look at the beautiful autumn colors of the maple tree leaves from the Tsuuten-kyou bridge.

Source Internet