My return to Japan: This time, to Kyoto
Seven years ago, I travelled half-way around the world from New York to Japan for a year-long study abroad program during my junior year of college at the famous Waseda University (早稻田大学) in the heart of Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Before my arrival at Waseda, I never had any interest in Japan or the language or even the food. ( Gasp, I know but I was a vegetarian then so no sushi in my belly.) But when I told my Grandma that Babson offered Japanese classes and those who had four semesters under their belt would be eligible for the study abroad program, she insisted I sign up for Japanese and that I apply to Waseda.
You see, back when Grandma was a teenager in Taiwan, she had won a scholarship to study in Japan — a special opportunity only reserved for boys at the time. But when her only brother died suddenly, she was forced to relinquish her scholarship and instead choose a good family to marry into, in order to carry on her family name. That dream of studying in Japan was no longer in her cards but I was determined to experience it for her.
And so, I picked up an extra 4-credit Japanese class every semester, applied in my sophomore year fall and got accepted in the spring. That whole year, I also picked up extra babysitting shifts on top of my 20 hours per week to afford it all.
I landed in Tokyo in September 2010 with a jaw-dropping $1 to 78¥ exchange rate and although I had to work two part-time nanny jobs to make up the difference, I finally did it — I was finally living my Grandma’s dream.
I wrote to her every month via snail mail, handwritten in Japanese calligraphy (that’s right, you read that correctly), sharing every aspect of my new life — my school, my new friends, my tiny apartment, all the food (I broke my 7-year vegetarianism in Tokyo) and all the adventures. She would then respond via snail mail, also handwritten in Japanese (she is fluent) with stories of her days in New York and would attach my most recent letter to her, complete with red markings of all my grammar mistakes. Thanks, Grandma.
She passed away four years ago and I still have all those wonderful letters. And so it is with a heavy heart that I return to a country that meant so much to both of us. But this time, I am here without her letters or grammar corrections but in every bowl of ramen, piece of sushi and especially bite of her favorite mochi desserts, I feel her presence everywhere.
Ironically poetic, Remote Year Denali is in Kyoto for the holidays — the time of the year we think most about our family and those that aren’t with us anymore. And while it’s the coldest and most expensive month of our itinerary, it has also been one of my favorites for numerous reasons:
This was the month of: Getting creative with our workouts
For some reason, this city (and country) makes it very hard for one to join a gym. Few offered short-term memberships and those that did, not only cost an arm and a leg but were also very far. And so, even though it broke my heart a little, I opted out of a gym membership in Kyoto and decided to get a little creative instead…
Stairs, Stairs, Stairs: Sam and I went jogging around our neighborhood one day and we found this little hidden path just behind our house that led us up a crap ton of stairs to this beautiful viewpoint of Kurodanichō (黒谷町). I would later come here three times each week and run up and down these stairs until I couldn’t breathe anymore. Needless to say, I hated every second of it but my cardio did improve significantly this month.
And most every morning, I would come across an old Japanese man doing the same. When we were done with our workouts, we would sit at the top of the stairs and he’d allowed me to practice my crappy Japanese with him. He would tell me stories about his life before he moved to Kyoto, where he taught history at Kyoto University, or just silly things like when the mochi factory just down the street would blow steam in the air.
Here are the steps again at sunset.
Mountain Hikes: Thankful for scoutmaster Sam and all his scoutmaster ways, we saw some incredible views of Kyoto while also getting a workout in. Here is one of Sam and Drew atop Mt. Hiei (比叡), almost a three hour hike up to the top and a bit further to Enryakuji Temple (延暦寺), most famous for their marathon monks.
This was the month of: Enjoying the outdoors on the many day trip options from Kyoto
A nd while all the tourists visit the Fushimi-Inari (伏見稲荷) gates for a photo op, few actually venture to the top of the hill, which is about an hour and a half climb. Warning: all stairs. Unfortunately, the highest viewpoint is not great — it’s blocked by building structures — but we did manage to snag this pretty view of the city about halfway up our hike. But f ortunately, since no one comes this early in the morning, you get uninterrupted photo ops with the famous tori gates!
Biking: And lastly, because our home to the workspace was a bit of a distance, the nine of us who lived in the house were given bikes for the month. I took full advantage of Luna (my bike), who not only allowed me to cover more distance and see these beautiful views of the city but also gave me a great leg workout.
Tofukuji Temple: In the first week of December, Cassie, My Linh and I ventured on a half an hour train ride south of Kyoto to Tofukuji Temple (東福寺) to catch the last of the beautiful fall foliage. It was a last minute scramble that one morning but I’m so glad we powered through it because had we gone a few days later, we really would have missed it all.
Nara (奈良): Located just an hour and a half away by train from Kyoto, Nara is historically known as the ancient capital of Japan before it was moved to Kyoto and more popularly known for the deer that roam about the city. Start your day at the south entrance on the Kasugayama (春日山) walking path through the Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest. The trail will take approximately two hours but will bring you through the well-preserved and rare flora and fauna of the forest and the beautiful mossy shrines along the way. You’ll pass by a few stopping points such as Myokengu (妙見宮) and Kasuga Taisha (春日大社) before ending up at Mizuyachaya (水谷茶屋), a small little cafe for some lunch.
We continued onwards to Nigatsudo (二月堂) for a beautiful view of the city before joining the crowds at Todaiji Temple (東大寺). Here’s a group photo of us in front of the temple, which is one of Japan’s most famous national treasure.
Along your trip, you will no doubt come across some deer that roam freely around the city. According to legend, the god Takemikazuchi (岳美一町) descended to Kyoto on the back of a white deer to guard the newly built capital. Since, the deers of Nara have been revered as messengers of gods and are protected by both the city and its people. You can purchase rice crackers, or senbei (煎餅) to feed the deers but don’t be alarmed if they give you a slight head nudge for more. Simply put up your empty hands and they will know that you have no more left to share.
But right before you hop on to your train back to Kyoto, swing by the famous Nakatanidou (中谷堂) shop. They are famous for their yomogi mochi (蓬餅), made of a Japanese wild plant called mugwort, which gives the mochi its natural green color and distinctive taste. They are also known for their dramatic mochi-pounding process or mochitsuki (持つ気), which is carried out once every half an hour and is the reason why their mochi is extremely soft. The mochi has a red beans filling and is dusted with kinako (黄粉), which is a roasted soybean flour.
Kobe (神戸): My foodie hubbie Adam and I decided to ball out on a Kobe beef dinner so we spent the day in Kobe, about an hour and a half train ride outside of Kyoto. We started our day off at a super touristy lunch at Steakland — a spur of the moment decision because we were starving and happened to come across a long queue that piqued our interest — for a $30 Kobe steak set. We then made our way to Nankinmachi (南京町), or known as Kobe Chinatown, to gorge some more on some soup dumplings, pork buns and Kobe sushi before heading north to Caffarel for their famous guianduja of chocolately mousse goodness, which is Adam’s favorite.
To walk off all our food, we explored the beautiful quaint little neighborhood of Kitanocho (北野町), a little European-esque town in the middle of Kobe. Make your way up to Kitanotenman Shrine (北野天満神社) to enjoy this beautiful sunset view of the city. You can also take the ropeway up but we opted to grab drinks at this trendy bar instead, Kitano Club Sola, before making our way down the hill to enjoy dinner at Mouriya (モーリヤ). It was worth the price tag.
This was the month of: Carbing up on all the noodles and rice
Arashiyama (嵐山): A weekend track took us on a day adventure to the quaint town of Arashiyama. We floated down the river on a traditional yakatabune (屋形船) boat before heading up to Iwatayama (岩田山) Monkey Park to hike with some monkeys. I could’ve done without the monkeys (they were smelly) but the view up at the top of the hill of the city was quite beautiful. We finished the day walking through the instafamous “ bamboo forest “ before coming back around town to enjoy some snacks before heading back to Kyoto.
Disclaimer: The bamboo forest is more like a bamboo path. It’s really beautiful but the crowds of people really ruined the whole experience for me…
On a separate day, Cassie and I actually returned back to Arashiyama to venture out to this little restaurant known for their unagi (鰻), or eel. Come early to Hirokawa (廣川)) a bit before it opens to snag a table without waiting. Expect to pay around $40 USD for this yummy eel lunch.
Kurama (鞍馬): Another weekend track took us outside of Kyoto on a day hike from Kibune (貴船) to Kurama. Make sure to stop at Kurama-dera Temple at the top of the mountain between the two villages and take a very careful walk to the basement of the temple: allow your eyes to become adjusted to the darkness and you’ll be revealed a very important part of the Japanese culture. To unwind from your hikes of the day, strip down at the Kurama Onsen (tattoo friendly!) and enjoy this traditional Japanese bath experience with the mountains in your backdrop.
Ramen (ラーメン): One of your bowls of ramen in Kyoto (and Japan in general) should be the karaka ramen (からか麺) at Ippudo (一風堂) but go during lunch because it’s so much cheaper than going during dinner. And don’t forget to make it a lunch set for their yummy bitesize gyoza for only 100¥ extra.
Another great ramen experience is Ichiran (一蘭), which is more commonly known in the Remote Year Denali group as “prison ramen”. Purchase your bowl of ramen at the vending machine before being led to your “prison cell”, where you’ll be handed a ramen preference sheet. Make your selections and hand it back to the workers, who will put in your order promptly. In a matter of minutes, the bamboo curtains will open and a bowl of ramen will magically appear in front of you.
However, for those willing to venture a little further out of Kyoto proper (~30 minute bus ride), the best bowl ramen I’ve ever had in my life (Yes, I know that was a bold statement but I stand by it) was at this little shop called Yamazaki Menjiro (山崎麺二郎). They are known for their shio ramen (塩ラーメン) but I recommend ordering the regular ramen (ラーメン); they only have three items on their menu.
Everything about this bowl of ramen was divine: The chicken-based broth surprised me tremendously because I’m more of a pork-broth kind of girl but it just had these incredible flavors. The handmade noodles were so soft and cooked at just the right firmness. The pork slices were thin and flavorful, all homemade by the owner. The bamboo gave the bowl an nice added texture. And lastly, the scallions and yuzu (柚子) peel really brought out all the flavors of the bowl. If you asked me what is ONE thing you should eat in Kyoto, this would be it.
Udon (うどん): Luckily for me, the famous Yamamoto Menzou (山元麺蔵) was just around the corner from my house. For the best bowl of udon you’ll have in this city, arrive early to pick up a time slot card, which will have the time slot of when you can return to line up to actually go in the restaurant. I took to the koumiabura (香味油), which is a garlic, ginger, spring onion and fish oil spice, so I recommend the original noodles or pork noodles in this category. But feel free to choose any of the hot noodles in plain soup as well. But always, always order a side of the chicken tempura — it’s the best in town as well. And if your schedule permits, save a little bit of room for some mochi desserts at Gion Manju Factory (see below).
To give you an idea of timing: I’ll usually arrive at 11:00am to get a 12:15pm time slot. If you arrive at 10:30am (the restaurant opens at 11:00am), I’d imagine you can probably get in at 11:00am. But once you do come at your designated time slot, it’ll only be a 10–15 minutes wait on line before you enter the restaurant. To pass time by, you can visit the Heian Shrine (平安神宮) or crank out some work at Blue Bottle nearby.
Tonkatsu (トンカツ): Ah, the snitzel of Japan. This deep-fried pork cutlet with shredded cabbage at Katsukura (かつくら) is the only katsu I had and only one I’ll ever need. The pork is tender and the breading is light but just crispy enough. It comes with unlimited soup and rice, so come when you’re extra hungry!
Sushi (すし): I had many a sushi meals at Musashi Sushi and loved them all. This conveyor belt sushi restaurant is everything you would want in your Japanese sushi meal: fast, convenient, delicious and cheap — all things that make it a Remote Year favorite. But for something a bit more special, my favorite sushi meal was at Gion Matsudaya (祇園松田屋). This little six-seater sushi restaurant is located in the heart of Gion and is actually an establishment often frequented by the geiko-sans (geisha in Kyoto) and meiko-sans (apprentice geiko). The six of us booked the restaurant for the evening and enjoyed a 16 course omakase (おまかせ), or chef’s choice, with Chef Matsuda. Luckily for us, aburi (あぶり) was in season. Cost: 16,500¥
Burger: Taking the price tag down a few notches or ten, don’t miss out on one of my favorite burgers in the world. Head over to Mos Burger for their Yakiniku Rice Burger (beef). Order two, you won’t regret it. Enjoy your checkout process as their conveyor belt change collector is just so fun to watch.
Onigiri (おにぎり): Pop into any of the big three: Family Mart, 7-Eleven and Lawson (my personal favorite) for an onigiri, or more commonly known as “triangles” in the Remote Year Denali community. I’m a mayo-fiend so I love the salmon mayo and tuna mayo fam but I do appreciate the spicy cod roe variety as well. They’re the best pre-drinking and post-drinking snack in the world and as Sam said it best, “Triangles are my new favorite shape.”
But don’t just stop for onigiris! Explore the rest of these convenient stores for other snacks and anything else you might need. Adam and George rave about the Strong alcoholic drinks but beware, they’ll give you massive hangovers. I personally love their hot drinks options because who wouldn’t want a nice hot green tea or coffee on the go?
Sake (酒): I’ve never been a fan of any rice wines, not even the sweet Korean Soju but every now and then, I always think that I’ll change my mind. And so, I went to a sake tasting at Fushimi Sake Village (伏水酒蔵小路), where we were presented with 17 different sakes to taste. I hated most of them except for two but in my book, that’s a huge win.
This was the month of: Getting cultured as f***
Mochi (もち): Everyone will tell you to go to Demachi Futaba (出町ふたば) for their mame-mochi (豆餅 Red bean) but I’ll tell you that it’s a bit overrated. While it is still very delicious, I’m just personally not a big fan of having actual whole red beans in my mochi. Although Cassie and I tried one of their seasonal mochi, yuzu (柚子) flavored, and found it to be much more special than the mame-mochi they are known for.
For the real good stuff, head over to Gion Manju Factory (祗園饅頭), a little mochi shop that I found in my neighborhood. Away from all the tourists, tucked away in a little alley, you can see them hand making their mochi right in front of you!
Opened almost 200 years ago, Gion Manju is most known for their shinko (しんこ), or sweet sticky rice cake, made entirely from rice flour. It’s springy texture and mild sweetness sets this apart from other desserts that are made from rice. They have three shinko flavors: cinnamon, plain and green tea. I recommend trying all three but my favorite was the plain and then the green tea. Hands down, this is my favorite dessert shop in Kyoto.
If you’re looking for sweets but not a fan of the round mochi or cylindrical shinko, you might enjoy its distant cousin, the dango (団子) at Umezono Cafe & Gallery. Also made from rice flour, dangos are served on a skewer, usually grilled before dipped into a seasoning, which will vary depending on the shop.
Lastly, if you would like to try something a little more traditional, I can recommend yokan (羊羹) at Toraya (虎屋). It is a thick, jellied Japanese dessert made of agar, sugar and a particular paste, usually red bean. It is traditionally sold in a block form and cut into slices. Because of it’s sweetness, it’s usually eaten with matcha tea, whose slight bitterness compliments this traditional Japanese dessert very well. This store is known worldwide and makes for a great souvenir.
Lastly, this was the month of: spending time with the tramily
Remote Year Denali was lucky enough to experience a great morning at Kyoto University of Art & Design, learning the art of taiko drumming. Traditionally used as a way to communicate with the gods and to encourage troops in battle, taiko is now largely a performance art. These huge drums are carved from the trunks of Japanese zelkova trees and then covered with cowhide. Because these drums cannot be tuned, a drummer will feel its vibrations before each performance and take into account the numerous variables such as temperature, size of stage and audience and adjust their performance appropriately — it is because of this that makes each performance so unique. So-Re! (それ)
Our literary and history scholar, Tracy, organized an amazing Geisha Tour for the ladies of Denali. Lead by docent Gavin Campbell, we took a stroll around the different geisha districts of Kyoto and learned about the journey of a geiko-san. If you wander around Gion (祗園) during Fridays or Saturday nights around 5pm, you might catch glimpses of geiko-sans or meiko-sans making their way to clients at the many tea houses or restaurants in the area. Feel free to take photos from afar but please try not to get in their way.
Below is a picture of a blackboard in front of a geisha school of the different classes a meiko-san would take during her apprenticeship to being a geiko-san. Some of her classes include dancing, playing instruments such as the shamisen (三味線) or koto (箏) and the perhaps the most important of all: the subtle art of communication.
Another track event also led us to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Almost fifteen minutes of absolute complete silence was more than what our group can handle but it was such a treat to experience a demonstration of the many steps involved in pouring a cup of tea during a tea ceremony. We were also taught how to properly drink a cup of tea: a tea cup will always be given to you with the most “beautiful” side facing you but always remember to turn the cup before you drink so that the same “beautiful” side is facing your host when you drink. If there aren’t obvious marks on your tea-cup, then “beautiful” can be determined by the cup holder. Like many aspects of the Japanese culture, it is the subtleties that make everything so unique.
One of our last tracks led us to an afternoon of crafting our own hanko. Unlike a simple signature used in the West, Japanese families and individuals all own a hanko (判子), a stamp that is registered with the government used for making contracts which can range from joining a new company, school, apartment and even gym.
To be honest, when I found out that I would be living in the Okazaki Guest House with eight other people, I got a little nervous. But living with the Real World Kyoto House has been my favorite apartment experience on Remote Year thus far. Not only was the kitchen amazingly stocked and had gas stoves, it also provided a central focal point for everyone in the house to eat family dinners, relax, work, watch movies that make no sense (Thanks Sam for the Studio Ghibli movie-cation), have hearts to hearts and so much more.
We celebrated all the holidays together: Thanks to Dan Greenberg, his beautiful singing voice and the kind folks at the Chabad of Kyoto, we were able to procure a menorah with candles to celebrate each night of Hanukkah together.
We celebrated Christmas together complete with a tree, lights, cookies and decorations. All ironically purchased by two Jews and a Buddhist in the house. Here’s a group photo of us Christmas morning, still in our pajamas, already drunk from Tracy’s made homemade eggnog and mimosas and Sam’s Japanese Hot Toddy, which is essentially just hot green tea and some bourbon. We’re so gosh darn adorable.
Later that evening, we gathered together for an amazing Christmas party that Summer had been planning since month two in Belgrade. Not only did we have individually wrapped stockings full of goodies, we had an incredible Christmas feast that featured honey-baked ham and played a hilarious round of White Elephant. We ended the evening at ZAZA and then dancing at a club nearby.
As I write this in my hotel room in Taiwan (I’m touring the country with my dad this week), I am reminded how lucky I am to not only be on this Remote Year journey but also to be surrounded by this amazing group of people. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more diverse, more beautiful, more intelligent and loving family. Each and every person in Denali have taught me something invaluable and continue to challenge me in ways I really never thought was possible. I am so in love with everyone, I cannot wait to be reunited with everyone in Lima.
Originally published at https://allthingslil.net on January 5, 2019.
