[Kyoto] Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺

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[Kyoto] Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺

Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺

Add: 1-294 Kiyomizu Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Hours: 6am-6pm
Price: ¥300/person
Website: www.kiyomizudera.or.jp
Visited: Nov 2010

Among the hundreds of temples and shrines in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera (Pure Water Temple) stands out as a must visit. Originally built in 798 and reconstructed in 1633, the temple is best known for its wooden stage that juts out 13 meters above the hillside below, offering an impressive view of cherry blossoms in the Spring or maple leaves in the Fall with Kyoto city in the backdrop.

Kiyomizu-dera is extremely popular even during off seasons, so we made that our first destination in the morning to beat the crowd. To get there, take bus 100 or 206 (15 minutes, ¥220) from Kyoto Station, get off at Kiyomizu-michi bus stop, then take a 10-minute uphill stroll via Chawan-zaka (茶わん坂) to reach Kiyomizu-dera.

At the entrance of Kiyomizu-dera, we rinsed our mouths and hands at the stone water basin. This is a common practice at all Japanese temples and shrines, since it is believed that such purification is necessary before entering sacred temple grounds.

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[Kyoto] Nakamura Tokichi 中村藤吉

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[Kyoto] Nakamura Tokichi 中村藤吉

\Nakamura Tokichi 中村藤吉

Add: 10, Ichiban Uji , Uji-shi, Kyoto / 京都府宇治市宇治壱番十番地
Tel: 0774-22-7800
Hours: [tea shop] 10am-6pm [cafe] 11am-6pm
Website: www.tokichi.jp
Price: [set meal] ¥980-1,100 [desserts] ¥720-800

Uji, a tranquil and charming town 30 minutes outside of Kyoto, is known for having the best green tea in all of Japan. Among the many tea roasters and sellers, 150-year-old Nakamura Tokichi is especially well-known not just for serving excellent tea, but also a range of tea-flavored desserts that will delight even those who are not in the habit of tea drinking.

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[Kyoto] Okutan 奧丹

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[Kyoto] Okutan 奧丹

Okutan 奧丹

Add: 3-340 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto / 京都市東山区清水3-340
Tel: 075-525-2051
Hours: 10:30am-5pm (Closed on Thursdays)
Website: webkyoto.com/okutan/
Price: Yudofu set meal ¥3,150; traditional tofu meal ¥4,200

Kyoto is to tofu what Naples is to pizza. It goes without saying that when in Kyoto, you have to have a tofu meal. This is not what you can get as prepackaged squares from supermarkets, we are talking about delicate handcrafted tofu, produced every morning in small shops by artisans who have been making tofu for decades. Okutan, one of the oldest and most authentic tofu restaurants in Kyoto, is a perfect place to have a tofu meal. Founded about 350 years ago as a vegetarian restaurant serving Buddhist monks, Okutan serves just two things: a tofu set meal (yudofu) and a traditional tofu set meal.

Okutan is located near the crossover of sannen-zaka (三年坂) and ninen-zaka (二年坂). If you visit Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) early in the morning, which you should as the famed temple gets crowded later in the day, Okutan would be an ideal place for lunch. Come early at 11:00am to avoid the wait.

After putting our shoes away at the entrance, we were led through the garden into a spacious tatami room. The huge windows lets in plenty of natural light and takes in the garden in plain view. Hot tea was promptly served, a godsend for us after a whole morning out in the cold Kyoto December air.

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