The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

I went to The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto to meet friends. I was able to go by train from my house in only about a half-hour. The building, with Japanese and Western-style harmony was very wonderful.

We ordered afternoon tea in the lounge. It was a lot of fun talking with friends while eating little by little various sandwiches and sweets.

You are able to enjoy both the downtown and suburbs of Kyoto.

Our guesthouse

Usual Wasyoku

Wasyoku is Japanese cuisine. I think Wasyoku is one of the healthiest cuisines. In fact, my parents and my relatives are healthy and have lived long lives. They constantly eat Wasyoku, every day.

There are many wasyoku restaurants in Kyoto, but it does not mean that we eat that every day. We eat once a month at the most to eat ramen and sushi. We eat rice, dishes of vegetables and fish or meat everyday.

If you come to Fushimi Otesuji shopping street, you can buy dishes at delicatessens.

Cook Chum

Cook deli GOZEN

Gohanbiyori

Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine

Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine is one of many temples and shrines around my guesthouse. My son and I visited the Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine on the way to do our shopping.

The 2 families came for Hatsumiyamairi there. Hatsumiyamairi is to thankfully report to a guardian deity of one's birthplace that a baby safely had its one month anniversary. I also took my son there with my family when he had his one month anniversary.

　　　　　　　My son and his grandmother

Seven years have passed since then, so I thought that time passes fast.

Our guesthouse

A work of flower arrangement

My mother arranged flowers recently at our guesthouse. She is a master of flower arrangement. She said "The flower which bloomed in the summer is called Nastuhaze so I want them to feel the freshness of the early summer. Let's not only enjoy the beauty of the flowers, but also the beauty of the space between a flower and the flower."
If you stay in our guesthouse, you can see a work of my mother.

Our guesthouse

A ramen shop Yottekoya

I had ramen with my son at Yottekoya near our guesthouse for the first time in a long time.

My son likes Yottekoya very much because he likes ramen and he orders a child set, and he always gets a toy.

My son and husband went to the Yottekoya with guests who stayed in our guesthouse. I heard from my husband that they were very pleased. If you stay in our guesthouse, Won't you go to Yottekoya with us?

Yottekoya menu

 Pork bone broth ramen

  Pork bone and soy sauce ramen

Spicy ramen

Prawns soup and pork bone broth ramen

 

Fujinomori-jinja Shrine

I went to Fujinomori-jinja Shrine with my son on May 3rd. That is near our guesthouse.
It was just the time of the Fujinomori festival. The festival is held from May 1st to 5th, every year.

There were many kinds of night-fair at the shrine.

My son enjoyed traditional games and eating snacks there. I feel as if one had been transported 30 years ago.

I look forward to going for a hydrangea festival held in the beginning of June in Fujinomori-jinja Shrine.

Fushimi Otesuji shopping street

I went to Fushimi Otesuji shopping street with my family.

There are many kinds of stores there such as sweets shops, flower shops, coffee shops and supermarkets.

When I was a teen, I went to the shopping street frequently. Many of the same shops as there were 30 years ago were still there, so it was nostalgic.
It was crowded with a lot of local customers but there were few foreigners.

I found a new and unique store named Fushimi Sakagura Kouji. The meaning of Sakagura is brewery of sake but they are 5 restaurants and sake of 17 breweries.
My son said, "I definitely want to eat something here!" so we decided to eat lunch.

We went to a yakitori restaurant. Yakitori is Japanese style grilled chicken. My husband ordered a charcoal grilled bowl. My son and I ordered ramen that were from another shop, but the clerk of the ramen shop served ramen for us.

There was a lot of other foods and many types of sake, so I want to go there to have dinner with my friend who likes to drink.

After lunch, I took my son to a hair salon. The hair salon is one of my favorites because the hairdresser is friendly and the building is Machiya style, which are traditional wooden houses. The ceiling is high and it is calming. 

My son looked cool after his hair cut.

After we finished at the hair salon, we ate Taiyaki.

If you want to travel as though you live in Kyoto, how about going to Fushimi Otesuji shopping street?

Our guesthouse