I've just finished reading this fine little book about the machiya (町家) of Kyoto. Machiya are the traditional narrow wooden townhouses of the old capital. Once, their tiled roofs and wooden lattice fronts typified Kyoto’s urban landscape. However, since the end of WW2 this traditional landscape has in large part been replaced by high rise buildings and parking lots. 13% of … [Read more...]
Omuraya
Omuraya is a cheerful izakaya style restaurant in an old wooden machiya house just off Hyakumanben. I love it! Cooks and waiting staff bustle about behind counters piled with colourful seasonal vegetables to the background sound of the Blues. The food is simple, healthy and rustic. I recommend the “nama fu dengaku”: moist, lightly fried strips of gluten in a smoky miso sauce. I … [Read more...]
Hale ~晴~
Hidden away in the heart of the bustling market on Nishiki Dori is a tiny little alleyway that leads to Hale. This is a fully organic and vegan restaurant, specialising in seasonal dishes, yuba tofu and Kyoto's famously distinctive vegetables. For lunch you can have a ￥1000 set or the "Special Lunch" for ￥1800. I settled for the ￥１０００ lunch which you can see amid the pictures … [Read more...]
Kyoto Cycling Tour Project
Kyoto Cycling Tour Company offers a variety of bicycles for rent, ranging in price from ￥1,000 to ￥2,000 a day. For those who wish to go it alone, the friendly staff will be happy to suggest the best cycling courses and there is also a very handy K.C.T.P. cycling map available. In addition to its rent-a-cycle service K.C.T.P. also offers cycling tours of Kyoto with professional … [Read more...]
Gojo Guesthouse
Gojo Guesthouse is a clean and friendly English-speaking hostel conveniently located on Gojo Dori and so not too far from either Kiyomizu Gojo Station or the town center. A short walk north of here towards Gion, will take you into some of the traditional machiya streets of old Kyoto, and it also happens to be a very good maiko-spotting area. A short hike east will take you up … [Read more...]
はちはち Infinity Cafe
A few years back, when I lived in Tokyo I possessed a wonderful little book called “Little Adventures in Tokyo”; a guide to 39 fun yet unusual excursions in the throbbing metropolis. Now if someone were to write a book entitled “Little Adventures in Kyoto”, they would definitely include the wacky little café/bakery and live music venue Hachihachi Infinity Cafe. Set apart … [Read more...]
