Japan– category –

On the way back from Nara, I stopped near Kyoto Station for my first bowl of Kyoto ramen at Shinpuku Saikan and was surprised by how light the famously dark broth tasted.

After wandering Nara’s backstreets, I stopped at Karamell, a dessert café run by a pastry chef couple, and enjoyed a beautifully plated Engadiner tart and chocolate gelato.

On the way back toward my hotel in Nara, I ended up at Nakatanidou, a shop known for its yomogi mochi. I originally bought one to take back to my room, but it was clearly the kind of treat that had to be eaten right away.

For dinner on my second night, I walked less than 10 minutes from the hotel to Koryori Nara, a small restaurant in a quiet residential area. The omakase-style course kept coming, paired with plenty of local Nara sake, and by the end I was happily lightheaded.

While continuing my walk around Nara, I stopped near the shopping arcade for lunch at Wakakusa Curry Honpo and tried the special four-curry combo.

While continuing my walk through Nara, I stopped at the flagship store of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a striking complex that suddenly appears in a backstreet and houses several shops, including a Sarutahiko Coffee on the first floor.

I stopped by the Nara National Museum’s Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall, a dignified Meiji-era building completed in 1894 and designed by Katayama Tōkuma. On this visit, I focused on the Buddhist Sculpture Hall, where a special display of towering guardian statues made a strong impression.

My next stop in Nara was Todai-ji, famous for the Great Buddha. Visiting again for the first time since a junior high school trip, I was struck by the scale of the deer, the Daibutsuden, and the Buddha himself.

I made my way to Kasuga Taisha while interacting with deer along the route. The shrine’s long history, deer-themed details, and rows of hanging lanterns gave the visit a quietly mystical atmosphere.

I set out from JW Marriott Hotel Nara for a car-free morning in central Nara, took the hotel shuttle toward Kintetsu Nara Station, and soon found myself in the part of Nara Park where deer seem to be everywhere.

I started the second day of my Nara trip with breakfast at the hotel buffet, enjoying sparkling wine in the morning, eggs Benedict as my main dish, and a favorite bread pudding for dessert.

I headed to Kofuku-ji next, where restoration work was still underway. Even so, seeing the recently reconstructed Chukondo, the five-story pagoda under repair, and the distinctive octagonal Nanendo made the visit memorable.

On the first night of my trip, I had dinner at Japanese Cuisine Kawanami near Shin-Ōmiya Station, a small husband-and-wife-run restaurant where freshly harvested vegetables from their own field were one of the highlights.

I arrived in Nara via Kyoto, walked from Shin-Omiya Station to JW Marriott Hotel Nara, and spent my first evening settling into the hotel, from check-in and the room to cocktails at the lounge bar.

On my first night in Nagano, I stayed at Natural Hot Spring Zenkou-no-Yu Dormy Inn Nagano and headed straight for the large public bath to warm up after the cold.

After warming up in the bath, I headed to the nearby izakaya Daidarabocchi for dinner. With handwritten menus, local sake, and a lineup of Shinshu specialties, it turned into one of those meals that makes you want to come back before the night is even over.

I visited the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art for a second time to see the special exhibition Andy Warhol Kyoto, and once again found myself struck by the building as much as the show itself.

For lunch in Kyoto, I walked from Karasuma Oike Station to Hong Kong Yum Cha Hoshimachi and went all in on dim sum. Even with a wait outside, I decided to try somewhere new and ended up with a very satisfying meal.

After a filling dim sum meal, I stopped by Fiveran, a nearby bakery in Kyoto. Even with a full stomach, the breads looked so good that I picked out a few and left wanting to come back another time.

On the last stretch of my Kyoto trip, I walked back to my hotel, kept noticing the city’s abundance of postmodern architecture, and ended the day at Kyoto Tower, where the view gave me one more chance to take in Kyoto Station Building from above.

On the second day of my Kyoto trip, I stayed at Ace Hotel Kyoto, a casually stylish hotel built into ShinPuhKan above Karasuma Oike Station, where a preserved 1931 telephone office and a new building come together in a distinctive way.

After lunch near Kitayama Station, I spent a winter afternoon at Kyoto Botanical Gardens, where the massive greenhouse turned out to be the highlight. For just 200 yen, it was possible to see towering tropical plants, seasonal poinsettias, and even desert and savanna rooms under one roof.

After a short break at the hotel, I headed back out at night for the illuminated event at Heian Shrine. The crowds were far bigger than I expected, and the experience felt more like joining a hugely popular nighttime attraction than quietly taking photos.

After leaving Heian Shrine, I took a taxi toward Kawaramachi for dinner at Train Train, a wine-focused izakaya with an unexpectedly casual exterior and a lineup of memorable dishes.

I began my Kyoto trip with an overnight stay at sequence KYOTO GOJO, a hotel one subway stop from Kyoto Station and just a short walk from Gojo Station. With self check-in, facial recognition access, simple modern rooms, and a large public bath, it made for a smooth and comfortable start.

Getting into Katsura Imperial Villa took persistence long before I arrived in Kyoto. After finally winning a reservation, I visited this remarkable estate and found that its guided tour revealed layer after layer of hospitality, wit, and carefully staged scenery.

After visiting Dazaifu Tenmangu, I stopped by Kanzeon-ji and found a completely different atmosphere: quiet, sparsely populated, and full of history. The highlight was the temple’s impressive treasure house, where the Buddhist statues inside left a strong impression on me.