This year's Summer Antiquarian Book Fair will be held from August 11th - 16th from 10.00 till 17.30 (until 16.00) on the last day. As always it will be held under the trees of Tadasu no Mori woods which are just in front of Shimogamo Jinja Shrine. Though this book fair takes place at the hottest time of the year it is always noticeably cooler under the shade of those ancient … [Read more...]
Hyatt Regency Kyoto
The Hyatt Regency is a lovely hotel on Shichijo Dori Street that occupies the affordable end of luxury. Mewby and I have a special fondness for this hotel because we stayed there on our wedding night. Imagine this - after a very happy, but of course very busy and honestly quite nerve-wracking day, we arrived at the hotel tired and relieved to be greeted with warm smiles and … [Read more...]
Speak Easy – American Style Diner by Shugakuin Station
Speak Easy is an American style diner up by Shugakuin Station which is famous for its great range of burgers, breakfasts, and Mexican style food. There used to be another branch of this shop in the town center that Mewby and I would regularly frequent back when we lived in that area. I was a big fan of their vegetarian gluten burgers and their crispy onion rings and I was most … [Read more...]
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Last week I happened to be in the area of the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, and decided to have a bit of a snoop around inside. What a place! The Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto is Kyoto's newest luxury resort having opened just last autumn, but it feels like it has been around a lot longer. Everything about this hotel from the softly lit interiors, and the magnificent gardens, to … [Read more...]
Ten Reasons to be Thankful for Life in Deep Kyoto
I used to have this idea that I hadn’t really settled into a new area until I’d found my najimina bar, my friendly local, the kind of small hole-in-the-wall type place where everyone knows each other and your drink arrives before you even order. It took me a while to find my najimina bar in Kyoto, but when I did, it opened all kinds of doors to me. I met a group of like-minded … [Read more...]
