Kyoto Sept 2019 : Around Nagominowa Area

The usual things we do after we check-in to our lodging and freshen up, is to walk around the neighbourhood to explore and get our bearings. So that was what we did when we first arrive in Kyoto. We were happy to find a nearby supermarket at the nearest main road where were can get our snacks and drinks. There were also many vending machines nearby. We spotted some stone statues around too since this was after all, Kyoto. I like the monk statue above cause it reminds me of the pilgrimage monks in Koyasan. 

There was a little shrine nearby, on the same road as the reception building of our hotel. So like all well brought up Buddhist, we actually went there first to pay our respect to the local deities. Above is my husband praying at the altar.

This is what the main entrance of the shrine looked like. It was really small, but it looked so traditional all the same with its small torii gate and all. 

On our first night there, we went out to meet my husband's friend for drinks at a bar nearby. We took a 20minutes walk there, and pass by some beautiful temples that were lit up. I guess it's a famous temple? I wasn't sure, and to be honest, we didn't visit it either during our stay here. We just saw this while on our way to the bar, and took it's beautiful photo.

We can also see the beautiful Kyoto Tower that night. This acts like a guide to know your bearing cause if you see it, and you head towards it, it means you're headed towards Kyoto Station. I will write more about the bar we went to in the next blog. Please allow me to finish sharing the things around our inn first.

There was also this traditional sweet shop on the same road as our inn. And my husband has to walk pass it every morning when he goes to attend his fermentation classes in a house nearby. In the shop, there is a super grumpy old man that tends to it. And I don't know, maybe just to cheer him up, we usually buy some sweets from him every morning. Above is some of the sweet we bought. I was interested in wagashi after taking a class on it, so it was fun for me to try the different flavours and shapes that he has in his shop. They were all freshly made, and roughly made, but still taste nice! Plus, it was good to support the local businesses nearby. We also had breakfast in an old cafe nearby one morning. I will write that as one of the most in the future too! Watch out for it. 

Here's my husband outside his fermentation school, which was the reason we went to Kyoto in the first place. He was really interested in fermentation, and there was a 3 day course being conducted here which one of his friend was also joining. So every morning, he will come here and spend the day here learning about "koji" and it's fermentation process. I was happy just to get free lodging in Japan, and also to run around alone in this country :)