Exploring Kyoto (part 3)

Aside from seeing Japanese women garbed in traditional and colourful kimonos at the shrines and temples in Kyoto, what made our trip more exciting was going to the small shops to look at local merchandise and trying authentic Japanese food.

We had lunch at a nearby small Japanese restaurant that is known for soba noodles.

The Japanese restaurant's entrance

Tempura with soba noodles at a local restaurant in Kyoto

We were able to walk to uphill on the steep and busy lanes of the Higashiyama District where various small shops are selling food items and souvenirs.

Locals and tourists walk through the busy street in
Higashiyama district

It is common to see visitors lining up to buy local food in the area.

One of the must-try eats and one of the busiest stalls you will find in the area is the soft ice cream shop. We tried the matcha soft ice cream.

Visitors get to choose from matcha, vanilla and black
sesame soft ice cream flavours

The matcha soft ice cream is the best.
It was not too sweet and you could
really taste the green tea flavour.

Other finds at the area are souvenir stuff like chopsticks, local sweets, fans and kawaii(cute) items.

Chopsticks in various colours and designs

Local sweets such as mochi and cookies 

Hello Kitty stuff and other kawaii items

In case you get so tired from all the walking and still prefer to go around the area, there is an option to take the rickshaw.

Kyoto is a cool city. It simply gives one an opportunity to learn more about Japanese history and culture yet it also has a mix of modern metropolis that gives a feeling that Kyoto reflects both the zen and modern vibe that Japanese are comfortable with. 

More posts about Japan in my next blog entries. Cheers!