Kyoto, Day 4: Arashiyama Walk and Kikokuso Ryokan

By our fourth day in Kyoto, we were getting a little tired of the crowds, so we decided on a plan of attack that would hopefully get us some relief. On our itinerary for the day was to explore the Arashiyama area of Kyoto - a park-like district on the western side of the city that is home to many shrines and temples. We took the subway to the popular southern part of Arashiyama, and then caught a bus that took us to the northern most tip of the district located at the base of Mt Arashiyama. From here, a scenic, narrow road winds its way back down toward the subway station. The road is dotted with lesser known temples and shrines that can be visited without having to fight hoards of tourists. 

Our first stop was the jaw-dropping Adashino Nenbutsu-ji. The temple sits in the area during which the Heian period (roughly 800 - 1200), people abandoned the bodies of the dead, leaving them exposed to wind and rain to speed decomposition. Statues were later scattered around the region memorialzing the souls of the dead. In 1903, the statues were collected and relocated into one collection of more than 8000 statuettes housed on the grounds of Adashino Nenbutsu-ji. Seeing them all together in one place is a dramatic site to say the least.

Also on the temple grounds is a really cool bamboo grove. We had the entire grove to ourselves - it was so much more enjoyable than the more touristy Arashiyama Bamboo Grove near the district's subway station that we had planned to visit later, but quickly crossed off our list after being here.

A short walk down the road was the Gio-ji Temple. It has grounds that were so green, they didn't look real. The ground was completely covered in thick moss and surrounding the entire area were more bamboo groves. The temple itself wasn't particularly interesting, but we wer glad to have visited just to see the gardens.

As we passed it further down the road, Fiona and I peeked into the grounds of Nison-in Temple and found them to be just as green and beautiful as the others we'd visited.

Our final stop of the day was at Tenryu-ji Temple. Like other temples in Kyoto, Tenryu-ji is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Like all of the other temples we visite in the Arashiyama area, the grounds were stunning. This was by far our favorite temple-visiting day.

Tired from our long walk through the streets of Arashiyama, we decided we would go check in to our ryokan for the night.

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese-style inn. As I was planning our Japan travels, everyone I spoke with who had spent time here told me we had to spend at least one night in a ryokan for an authentically Japanese experience. Most ryokans are not cheap - in large part because they provide a very personal experience of Japanese culture and a uniquely Japanese level of hospitality and service. The room booking also includes a traditional kaiseki meal served either in your room or in a personal dining room. A guest room in a ryokan usually contains a "Atari-Karachi" (a small entry area where guests remove their shoes), "shoji" (sliding doors separating parts of the room), "tatami" mat flooring, "zabuton" (sitting cushions) arranged around a low table, futons sleeping mats, and a "tokonoma" (an ornamental alcove built into the wall used for vases of flowers and other decorations).

For our one night in a ryokan, we booked Kikokuso Ryokan in Kyoto. As far as rates go, it was a middle of the road ryokan, but as far as warmth, service, and hospitality, I couldn't imagine anything better!

Here are our three futons, made up and ready for us. Behind them, and home to a wooden eagle that Fiona spent much time with, is the tokonoma.

After our arrival, we were served green tea and a traditional Japanese sweet - mochi - sweet red bean paste wrapped in a rice flour dough.

As we're were enjoying our tea, we were asked what time we would like to book the communal bath for and what time we would like to be served dinner. We were hot and sweaty from our day of sightseeing, so we booked our bath for before dinner. In Japanese culture, it is common practice to shower and clean yourself before using a communal bath. After getting clean, we all donned our yukata and made our way to the bathhouse.

Somehow we managed to all squeeze ourselves in that tiny bath together. When in Japan...

After a nice soak, we stopped for some pictures along the picturesque courtyard that connected the bathhouse to the rest of the inn.

Then we relaxed in our room until we were called down for dinner.

Fiona's first course was tuna, salmon, and shrimp nigiri - she devoured every bite.

Jason and I stated with a larger selection. I'm going to do my best to remember what everything was...

Tofu cube with wasabi and a light soy sauce (maybe?):

From left to right - palm leaf wrapped steamed rice flour dough (similar to what is wrapped around mochi), thinly shaved shrimp wrapped around a hard boiled egg yolk, and a "salad" of mushrooms, a spinich-like leaf vegetable, and a light sauce (this was delicious!):

Sashimi of tuna and white fish with (at the top) conger eel (top, left - the puffy appearance is apparently achieved only through very skilled cutting technique) - the eel was really good!:

Grilled mackerel (SO yummy!!!):

Some sort of mashed potato ball with beans and a gelatinous sauce (not my favorite):

Tempura fish, peppers, egg plant, and lotus root:

A salad of root vegetables and seafood (can't remember what type for sure...maybe octopus?):

Rice, miso soup, and picketed vegetable toppings:

Green tea:

Dry sake:

The most delicious grape I've ever eaten (seriously) with a grapefruit slice that turned out to be a grapefruit flavored gelatin:

I was pleasantly surprised! I had anticipated I would leave the meal hungry (being that I'm not a raw fish / seafood fan), but I actually really enjoyed most of what we were served. It was such a fun dinner experience! Fiona loved that we all wore our yukatas to dinner. I'm so glad we didn't miss the chance at experiencing a night in a ryokan!