Tag: japan

Day trip to Nara from Kyoto – Japan

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Nara is just a bit more than one hour away from Kyoto and totally deserves a visit. In case you are short on time, everything I did can be done in pretty much half a day. You can get here my shared Google maps with what to do/see in Nara – the map has the precise location of all great places we visited in Kyoto and Nara.

Shall we start a tour through Nara?

Places to go

Kofukuji
As I said above, we’re originally staying in Kyoto and then decided to take a day trip to Nara. To start we did a short walk to Kofukuji to see the second tallest pagoda in Japan. There is no photo because it was under restoration!

Bummer, can you believe that?
So this post is just a heads up to check things online before going there. 😛

Kofukuji temple
Kofukuji temple

Nara Park
This charming park is right in front of another temple we wanted to visit (see below) and is full of deers! Aw, they are so cute, you can even pet them! If you’re keen to make the deers happy, there are stands selling a special biscuit to feed them.

Curiosly enough, I’ve also seen many tourists trapped in a circle of hungry deers.
So, in case you have kids, watch out for them! Not that the deers would eat them or anything … but 😜

Nara park
Nara park

Todaiji
This is one of the most outstanding temples I’ve visited there. You can’t really see how big this place is from the photo below (downsides of a two-dimensional media), it’s unbelievable.
Inside of it you will find a huge Buddha statue that is impressive from every single angle.

Todaiji temple
Todaiji temple

Where to it

Sakura Burger
In case you want a break from the Japanese cuisine, this place makes delicious burgers.
By the way, American style burgers!

If that wasn’t exciting enough, they also make their own bacon!!! We had a beef burger, with homemade bacon, avocado, cheese, salad, and chips.
They are located a stone’s throw away from the train station, so you can stop there either on your way back or to Nara Park.

Sakura Burger entrance
Sakura Burger entrance
Beef burger, with homemade bacon, avocado, cheese, salad, and chips.
Beef burger, with homemade bacon, avocado, cheese, salad, and chips.

Specific location: https://goo.gl/maps/Lp4US4mrac92

There are so many things to do in Japan, we simply loved the country and their culture.
Here is everything I’ve published about our trip to Japan.

Day Trip to Osaka from Kyoto – Japan

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While in Kyoto, in case you have time, I can totally recommend you a day trip to Osaka.
It is just a bit more than one hour by bullet train (Shinkansen), and you can use your JR pass to pay for the trip.

Osaka is a large city with plenty of activities and sightseeing, you can easily spend a day (or more) there. It’s known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food. You can get here my shared Google maps with the precise location of the great places we visited in Osaka (and Kyoto as well).

Now, let me tell you a bit of what we did in 1 Day in Osaka.

Places to go

Osaka Castle
Our first stop was at the Osaka Castle. The castle itself is amazing, and all the park around is also great, nicely maintained. You can also pay to enter the museum inside the castle and go all the way to the top to have great views from the city.

Just a note so you don’t get a bit disappointed as I did; the castle from inside is very modern, there is even a lift, so don’t expect anything very traditional as I did. 😜

Osaka castle
Osaka castle

Namba and Dotonbori street
Namba is a very busy suburb to explore while in Osaka. We decided to spend our afternoon walking around that area, especially along the famous Dotonboru Street. A good thing is to do is to wait until dark to see all the neons litting up.

Keep an eye to spot the Glico man! (hint: easily spotted in the image below)

Dotonbori street
Dotonbori street

Where to eat

Chibo
A good place to have an authentic Okonomiyaki in Osaka. There are many different flavours, including sets for 2 people with very competitive prices. We ordered one of these sets, which included two pancakes, Japanese omelet and salad. Yummy!

Dotonbori yaki and Hiroshima yaki meal for two.
Dotonbori yaki and Hiroshima yaki meal for two.

Ichiran Kyoto
This is a curious ramen house. You order from a vending machine, then one of the waiters takes you to a booth (that’s right, so cool), and your food is served from a small window in front of you. Check here photos from my experience there. Ah, of course, needless to say their ramen deserves more than a single visit to be fully appreciated.

Ichiran ramen bowl.
Ichiran ramen bowl.

Here is everything I’ve published about our trip to Japan.

The best ramen in Japan! (Tokyo and Kyoto)

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While in Japan 🇯🇵 I had the opportunity to try so many yummy places! Which now makes very hard for me to pick just one, so in this case … I’ll pick TWO Ramen restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto (each) that you must not miss. You can also find more details about them by clicking their titles. Shall we start?

Tokyo

Menya Musashi Ramen | Shinjuku
Menya Musashi - Ramen in a broth with tender pork and egg.
Menya Musashi – Ramen in a broth with tender pork and egg.
Ippudo | Ginza (and Shinjuku)
Ippudo ramen: Shiromaru Classic
Ippudo ramen: Shiromaru Classic

Kyoto

Ramen Sen no Kaze
Yamato no Miso with gyoza - miso-based broth, with veggies, minced pork and spices, topped with three chased pork slices.
Yamato no Miso with gyoza – miso-based broth, with veggies, minced pork and spices, topped with three chased pork slices.
Gogyo | Nakasujicho
Kogashi Shoyu-men simple (Burnt soy sauce ramen)
Kogashi Shoyu-men simple (Burnt soy sauce ramen)

My favourite restaurants in Kyoto

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You’ve probably seen my favourite restaurants in Tokyo (if you haven’t, please do it before you go to that amazing city). Now it’s time to tell you which ones I’m still dreaming about in Kyoto! You can ready my extended review for each one of them just by clicking their titles. Let’s start?

Ramen Sen no Kaze

Yamato no Miso with gyoza - miso-based broth, with veggies, minced pork and spices, topped with three chased pork slices.
Yamato no Miso with gyoza – miso-based broth, with veggies, minced pork and spices, topped with three chased pork slices.

Best Ramen EVER in Kyoto. I don’t need to say anything else here … just GO there. 😝

Gogyo

Kogashi Shoyu-men simple (Burnt soy sauce ramen)
Kogashi Shoyu-men simple (Burnt soy sauce ramen)

This place makes Burnt Soy Sauce Ramen and other different flavours that are not usually found in the super traditional city of Kyoto. Delicious and a must try.

Ichiran Ramen

Ichiran ramen bowl.
Ichiran ramen bowl.

Super cool ramen experience where you are served in an individual booth. But I’m not saying it is worth a visit only because of the experience though, their ramen is indeed yum and totally worth a try.

Kendonya

Chicken and egg rice bowl
Chicken and egg rice bowl

This family-owned restaurant makes perfect homemade udon noodles and also offers many delicious rice bowl options.

KyoTofu Fujino Cafe

Soy milk cheesecake.
Soy milk cheesecake.

This is not truly a restaurant, but I strongly recommend you to visit this little cafe. They serve many dairy free desserts made of soy milk. Please, try their cheesecake for me (bonus points if you try it multiple times).

My favourite restaurants in Tokyo

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While in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to try many different Japanese dishes and restaurants. Now it’s time to tell you my exclusive selection of favourites. You can ready my extended review for each one of them just by clicking their titles. Shall we start?

Menya Musashi Ramen | Shinjuku

Menya Musashi - Ramen in a broth with tender pork and egg.
Menya Musashi – Ramen in a broth with tender pork and egg.

Best Ramen EVAR! A truly remarkable taste.

Ippudo | Ginza (and Shinjuku)

Ippudo ramen: Shiromaru Classic
Ippudo ramen: Shiromaru Classic

A honourable second spot on the best ramen competition. 😛

UOBEI Sushi | Shibuya

Seared Salmon with black Ppepper
UOBEI: Seared Salmon with black Pepper

High-tech sushi train with affordable prices and a lot of fun!

Tonchang Korean BBQ | Shin-Okubo

How to eat it
Tonchang Korean BBQ: how to eat it.

Excellent Korean BBQ to have a break from ramen and sushi. 🙂

Ume no Hana | Ginza

Hikiage Yuba ( Yuba cooked at your table, served with ginger and soy sauce)
Ume no Hana: Hikiage Yuba ( Yuba cooked at your table, served with ginger and soy sauce)

I’ve added to the selection due to its uniqueness: a very cool experience that’s worth a try, even though you shouldn’t expect to eat a lot here.