Close to Mont Ceri. Morioka, Rokugatsu no Shika (自家焙煎珈琲 六月の鹿) is another cafe near Sakurayama Shrine (櫻山神社) that opens early to serve breakfast and to satisfy your coffee cravings. In fact, we reckon the coffee at Rokugatsu no Shika is better! After all, it is a coffee shop specialising in home-roasted, flannel drip coffee. Even […]
Rokugatsu no Shika: A Cozy Cafe Close to Morioka Castle Park Read More »
The World Heritage, Miyajima, is one of the top destinations in Japan. The sacred island best known for the great torii gate standing in the sea has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors around the world each year. But while you might know the island is in Hiroshima, are you aware that it isn’t close
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You might have heard the term Izakaya (居酒屋), an informal Japanese bar serving alcoholic drinks, side dishes, and snacks. But because Izakayas in Japan aren’t vegetarian or vegan-friendly, it is usually the restaurant type that we would skip. The good news is that Kyoto has a vegan Izakaya near Gion! The food offered at Genmai
Genmai Dashi Chazuke Nijiya: The Best Vegan Izakaya in Kyoto Read More »
The city of Ōtsu has many stunning scenery and one of them is at the northern Ōtsu close to Biwako Bridge (琵琶湖大橋). The view of the worship hall of Mangetsu-ji Temple Ukimi-dō (満月寺 浮御堂) sticking out of Lake Biwa is one of the Eight Views of Ōmi (近江八景). Because of its fame, it is a
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The Seta River (瀬田川), south of Lake Biwa, is the only waterway from which the lake’s water can flow. The river stretches all the way to Kyoto and Osaka and has the 260-meter Seta no Karahashi Bridge (瀬田の唐橋) built across it. Not only is the bridge an important military and transportation hub, but it is
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Ramen is one of the most well-known Japanese dishes. Although it has traditionally been a non-vegetarian dish, preferences have changed in recent decades, and vegetarian/vegan ramen has become more commonly available! In Kyoto, the best place to enjoy a bowl of ramen noodle soup is Ramen TowZen (京都下鴨豆乳ラーメン専門店豆禅). On top of being a vegetarian place,
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Saitō (西塔) is a quiet place deep in Mt. Hiei in beautiful cedar forests in the west founded by Enchō (円澄), also known as Jikukō Daishi (寂光大師). While the number of attractions here isn’t as many as in the Tōdō area, we loved our visit to Saitō. It wasn’t as busy as Tōdō. The atmosphere here
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If the nice hotels around Kyoto Station are too expensive for you or you plan to take the Hozugawa River Boat, consider staying the night at Sun Royal Hotel Kameoka Ekimae (サンロイヤルホテル亀岡駅前). The hotel, filled with various facilities, is just a one-minute walk from Kameoka Station. Plus, all hotel guests can enjoy the delicious complimentary
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If you want to escape the crowds in Kyoto‘s city center in autumn, visit Kameoka. The city that is just a couple of stations away has a couple of amazing fall foliage spots waiting for you to explore. While the shrines and temples in Kameoka aren’t as accessible as the ones closer to Kyoto Station,
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Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park (天橋立傘松公園) is where you discover another face of Amanohashidate. The view from there is called Shōryū-kan (昇龍観), meaning ascending dragon. Compared to Amanohashidate View Land, Kasamatsu Park is probably a better place for natural scenery. On the way to the top of the mountain, the surroundings are covered by cherry blossoms in
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