To go to Kokedera, the Moss Garden of the temple, Saihouji, you need reservations. This is a very desirable garden, so, everyone wants to get these reservations. This is also a big hassle. In the end, I should have just had our Concierge at the Granvia take care of this. They would have done it. But nooo, I felt like I needed to do this on my own. Internet searches showed me how -- send a self addressed stamped postal card to them at least a month in advance. You need Japanese ¥70 stamps too, which I didn't have (luckily our friend, Eva, who went to Japan this May, was kind enough to bring back some stamps for us!). I did this about 3 months in advance, and I got nervous since I didn't get the reply card back for almost a month after sending it. I emailed the Concierge at the Granvia because of the delay, and Okuda-san called Kokedera on my behalf and assured me that they had the request. She said if I didn't get it back that she would contact them again with another request and take care of the reservation. Apparently, they only send it back 2 months before the visit date. So, it turns out that they sent it back right on schedule. The visit cost is a bit steep, ¥3000 per person, but no one seems to say that they regret going.
Here is our actual self addressed reply card.
The friendly, but smoky, taxi driver dropped us off. Here is the road toward the entrance.
Here is part of the entrance-way
We are first seated in the temple on the tatami floor. There are others seated in the outdoor balcony area in real chairs! Lucky! We sat and listened to their daily sutra chanting. Then, my understanding was that we would actually write the sutra on paper. Something that could be challenging. But, it turns out that they were pretty chill. You could do so if you wanted, but no one did. There were some wooden sticks on which you would write your name, address and a wish. I wished for a gazillion bucks. Kidding... After turning this in to the head priest, we were told to get lost. Lost in the garden. Free to roam along the mossy path.
The friendly, but smoky, taxi driver dropped us off. Here is the road toward the entrance.
Here is part of the entrance-way
We are first seated in the temple on the tatami floor. There are others seated in the outdoor balcony area in real chairs! Lucky! We sat and listened to their daily sutra chanting. Then, my understanding was that we would actually write the sutra on paper. Something that could be challenging. But, it turns out that they were pretty chill. You could do so if you wanted, but no one did. There were some wooden sticks on which you would write your name, address and a wish. I wished for a gazillion bucks. Kidding... After turning this in to the head priest, we were told to get lost. Lost in the garden. Free to roam along the mossy path.
I met up with Chuck. Charles and Charlotte's brother in law. He was resting by the garden path. He was young, and not as big as Charles, but at about 2 inches, he was still pretty big.
We walked along with all the other visitors along the path. Green everywhere.
Beautifully manicured trees including Momiji. This garden is said to be beautiful in the rainy season, but I bet it is nice in the autumn too.
Trees of all sizes dotted along the garden path with several small ponds scattered here and there.
Many aged trees with exposed roots.
Some old dead trees add character to the path, and tell the nature of life and change in true Buddhist thought.
The calm water of some ponds provided a mirror like reflection of the landscape.
Small trees alongside larger ones provided contrast for the view.
Exposed grasses on bare rocks in the pond. Symbolic of life coming from nothing.
"Forests" of bare bark trees provide additional contrast against the rich green ground.
The green ground itself is textured as if the moss just grew where it wanted, hiding what was underneath, yet still revealing the surface. Is it stones or rocks, or just dirt?
A small boat that looked unseaworthy appeared docked to shore of a pond. Again, a very serene scene.
Some bare ground, but this was rare. Perhaps intentional, again to provide contrast? Or to symbolize the constancy of change with death.
Sunlight peers through the few openings in the canopy. The foliage creates a contrast that is different than earlier in the day when the sky was overcast.
Some branches defy logic.
Sam and Em enjoying the peaceful walk.
Bamboo in a grove, foreshadowing our future days in Kyoto.
These people held up the line. Need to speed up.
This person knows how to keep behind, not hindering the meandering pace of the visitors.
Exiting Kokedera.
Well worth the time and effort to get there!
We walked along with all the other visitors along the path. Green everywhere.
Beautifully manicured trees including Momiji. This garden is said to be beautiful in the rainy season, but I bet it is nice in the autumn too.
Trees of all sizes dotted along the garden path with several small ponds scattered here and there.
Many aged trees with exposed roots.
Some old dead trees add character to the path, and tell the nature of life and change in true Buddhist thought.
The calm water of some ponds provided a mirror like reflection of the landscape.
Small trees alongside larger ones provided contrast for the view.
Exposed grasses on bare rocks in the pond. Symbolic of life coming from nothing.
"Forests" of bare bark trees provide additional contrast against the rich green ground.
The green ground itself is textured as if the moss just grew where it wanted, hiding what was underneath, yet still revealing the surface. Is it stones or rocks, or just dirt?
A small boat that looked unseaworthy appeared docked to shore of a pond. Again, a very serene scene.
Some bare ground, but this was rare. Perhaps intentional, again to provide contrast? Or to symbolize the constancy of change with death.
Sunlight peers through the few openings in the canopy. The foliage creates a contrast that is different than earlier in the day when the sky was overcast.
Some branches defy logic.
Sam and Em enjoying the peaceful walk.
Bamboo in a grove, foreshadowing our future days in Kyoto.
These people held up the line. Need to speed up.
This person knows how to keep behind, not hindering the meandering pace of the visitors.
Exiting Kokedera.
Well worth the time and effort to get there!
Decided at that point to go to Nishiki Market. Taxied it there for about ¥2000. To me, it's the same as in years past, although it is still a lot of fun. Here is a Kuro Goma bun, with crunchy, candy like, surface. This shop had a lot of Goma goods. I didn't take a lot of pictures there. See prior years' visits for further details and pictures. Aritsugu, the knife shop, has become a tourist magnet. In fact, entire Kyoto has become so. It is highly rated worldwide as a desirable tourist destination. But still worth going to.
We returned on the subway to the Granvia and rested before dinner. This dinner was to be a Tofu vegan dinner. Here we rest at Tofukuji station when transiting to Gion for our dinner at Tousuiro.
This is a traditional Japanese fixed course dinner, Kaiseki, vegan, with an emphasis on Tofu. Here is our menu.
I had our Concierge at the Granvia make reservations a couple of weeks prior. This place is not hard to book. You could just walk in, but you couldn't get this vegan menu. This shop is located just blocks from Motonago, where we Ryokan-ed it in 2010. Here is our first course, with various types of tofu, presented elegantly all together.
Amazingly thin hashi tips!
A chewy mochi-like dumpling in a clear vegetable broth.
A grilled tofu plate with a variety of presentations
A tempura plate. Loved the crunchy rice crispies
Another dumpling.
Autumn mushroom rice, very earthy, served with tsukemono and miso shiru.
This was not ice cream as advertised on the menu. Actually, several of the things on the menu were not correct, likely due to ingredient sourcing. This was more like a mochi textured sweet tofu dish.
Here we are at the beginning of the meal. Sorry for taking liberties with the order of pics. The wooden vessel in the middle of the table is filled with a heated broth, into which our waitress placed at least 12 big chunks of tofu. Once heated, we were to scoop them out to eat. We ate them all, though stuffed afterwards.
After dinner, we walked back to Gion-Shijo station through Gion. We walk along one of the lit streets, lined with shops and restaurants, and tourists!
One storefront caught my eye. A big picture of a hunk of beef.
Pricing isn't bad, but what was curious was the chart next to the picture. This chart describes the pedigree of the beef they're serving, including parents, grandparents and great grandfathers, along with all their names. I won't comment further, except to say that I don't really want to eat named meat.
We returned on the subway to the Granvia and rested before dinner. This dinner was to be a Tofu vegan dinner. Here we rest at Tofukuji station when transiting to Gion for our dinner at Tousuiro.
This is a traditional Japanese fixed course dinner, Kaiseki, vegan, with an emphasis on Tofu. Here is our menu.
I had our Concierge at the Granvia make reservations a couple of weeks prior. This place is not hard to book. You could just walk in, but you couldn't get this vegan menu. This shop is located just blocks from Motonago, where we Ryokan-ed it in 2010. Here is our first course, with various types of tofu, presented elegantly all together.
Amazingly thin hashi tips!
A chewy mochi-like dumpling in a clear vegetable broth.
A grilled tofu plate with a variety of presentations
A tempura plate. Loved the crunchy rice crispies
Another dumpling.
Autumn mushroom rice, very earthy, served with tsukemono and miso shiru.
This was not ice cream as advertised on the menu. Actually, several of the things on the menu were not correct, likely due to ingredient sourcing. This was more like a mochi textured sweet tofu dish.
Here we are at the beginning of the meal. Sorry for taking liberties with the order of pics. The wooden vessel in the middle of the table is filled with a heated broth, into which our waitress placed at least 12 big chunks of tofu. Once heated, we were to scoop them out to eat. We ate them all, though stuffed afterwards.
After dinner, we walked back to Gion-Shijo station through Gion. We walk along one of the lit streets, lined with shops and restaurants, and tourists!
One storefront caught my eye. A big picture of a hunk of beef.
Pricing isn't bad, but what was curious was the chart next to the picture. This chart describes the pedigree of the beef they're serving, including parents, grandparents and great grandfathers, along with all their names. I won't comment further, except to say that I don't really want to eat named meat.
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