I decided to stay at a ryokan (Japanese style inn) rather than a hotel. This is the Hiiragiya Ryokan in Kyoto.
I got a very traditional style room. Tatami on the floor. Shouji. Tokonoma. It was very relaxing. Nakai (female wait staff) brought me dinner and breakfast. They also laid out the futon for me to sleep on while I was at the theater.
I got lucky and got a private ofuroba. It was fed by an onsen (hot spring). I was also given a yukata (loose cotton kimono) to wear around my room. Super cool. I felt like a movie star at a spa.
For dinner I had kaisek-ryori. This is traditional a vegetarian meal (mine had some fish). Its flavor is enhanced with natural herbs. It was the best thing that I had eaten so far.What has been your favorite type of food to eat on a vacation?
What would you like to try if you could have some Japanese food tonight?
I also had dessert. I had wafu-ice (Japanese ice cream). They have some really weird flavors, like green tea, black sesame, and melon. They are really sweeten with sugars like ours. They allow the different flavors of what they add to sweeten the ice cream.
I also had dessert. I had wafu-ice (Japanese ice cream). They have some really weird flavors, like green tea, black sesame, and melon. They are really sweeten with sugars like ours. They allow the different flavors of what they add to sweeten the ice cream.
After stuffing my face, I went to experience the kimono. I got to dress in the 12 layer kimono that geisha and maiko wear. Complete with make-up and hair. The hair part hurt. They real pull the crap out of it and cake it with wax to keep it in place.Not me in the photo. No way are you seeing that!!
If I was a guy I could have gone and tried on their outfits too. Poor me.Last, I went to see a kabuki theater at Minami-za Kabuki Theater. Only men can be the actors because it can get a little ...questionable. They always were masks, called Noh. They were quit amusing.
Next up??? You will have to wait and see...
When i went on vacation i went to Michigan to snow mobile and we had normal American food, which was GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the French Fries they were GREAT! If i could eat japanese food tonight i would want POCKY. They are my FAVORITE!
Looks like a pretty nice hotel to stay in. I love American Icecream and wouldn't mind trying some Japanese Icecream. If i went to one of those shows i wouldn't know what to think. They look scary!
ReplyDeleteKyoto looks very interesting. i want to try the japanese ice cream. and you are lucky you got your own ofuroba and that you didnt have to share. and all the traditional things looked very interesting. i cant wait to see where you go next
ReplyDeleteKyoto sound like a neat place to go to. Ther food likes good, esoecially the ice cream. I have to try that sonetime. My favorite food that i have ate on vacation is just shrimp, thats just may favorite american food to eat. You are VERY fortunate to have your own bathroom to yourself. I bet it was so cool to dress in a kimono!! Thats very odd that only men get to be actors. Can't wait to see what's next!
ReplyDeleteKyoto looks like a place i wouldn't mind visiting.i want to try the ice cream and some of the other foods.You are lucky that you got your own bathroom especially one that was fed by a hot spring.i cant wait to see where you go next!!
ReplyDeleteAgain, i would love to start importing some of this food straight to my house. The ofuroba sounded really awesome and relaxing. Hoorah for naturally hot baths! And that's funny. Over here a man might get funny looks when he says he performs in a theatre doing women's roles, but it's all good in Japan!
ReplyDeleteLast year, I got to go with my uncle to Iowa. We didn't really eat many different foods while we were there. But my favorite thing was Godfather's pizza. That was awesome. I would like to try the ice cream. Some of it sounds pretty good.
ReplyDeleteThe inn you stayed at looks great! I went to a Mexican Restaurant in Greenville with my sister and i had Salmon, it was awesome! The ice cream looks great too. I bet you loved that the female staff brought you dinner and breakfast. I can't wait to see where you go next!
ReplyDeleteI would of probably have been bored to death on the long ride to Kyoto.I don't do well on long car rides.But the Inn you stayed at would have been a neat experience to have.The best food I've had on a vacation(if you would call it a vacation) was when I went to visit my mom in Kansas.They have a restaurant there with a hibachi grill. My favorite part of the meal was the soup they give you to eat while you watch your food being cooked.If I could eat Japanese food tonight I would probably have the Shabu Shabu.I heard about it from my dad when he came back from his visit to Japan.The Shabu Shabu is thinly sliced meat that you get on a plate and there is a pot of boiling water with different herbs and other things mixed together that sits in front of you.You take chopsticks and pick a piece of the meat up and put it in the water for a minute then eat it. The Shabu Shabu sounded a lot better than the cow tongue my dad tried.
ReplyDeleteThe ride must have been really boring. But it sounds like the ride was worth it. I would've have wanted to see the inn you stayed in it looked really intresting. The ice cream sounds a little weird, but I would like to try it. It's weird that they don't let women play women roles in shows, in America that would be odd. But it works for the Japanese I guess.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot of fun! Too bad it took that to get there! The Inn sounded really nice! I wish i had a privite ofuru like that! I food sounds good! Soudns like there is a bunch of new things to try. The ice cream doesn't seem like it would be that good, but i guess you can't knock it until you try it!
ReplyDeleteKyoto sounds fun. The Hiiragiya Ryokan looks relaxing and big. When I go on vaction I stick with the food I have ate already. But I haven't been out of country to where you have to eat other food. The Japanese food I would try is the Osechi. It looks really fancy. The ice cream is another I would try.
ReplyDeletewow looks like you did alot of fun things. i want to try the ice cream! sounds interesting! i would love to go to the kabuki theater it looks like fun. the questionable thing not so much, made me laugh! i cant wait to see where you go next have fun!
ReplyDeletethat hotel looks great especially the furo it looks really relaxing. The entertainment looks great and very interesting. Some of that food looks good other i dont know about.
ReplyDeleteI must say you lived a day in luxury, lucky ! (:
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your trip throughout the city has been pretty good so far. I thik I would enjoy the performing arts theather that you went and seen, it looks like something you could really learn from.
And once again the food looks amazinggggg!
Im not a big fish fan but I can always try it again. The ice cream looks scrumptious!
One thing I do know of for sure that a 8 hour trip I can not handle. I get bored in just a 45 minute class period at school!
I hope your enjoying your trip, and hopefully you dont forget to bring me back something from Kyoto (:
Well my favorite food when i went to my G-ma's cause she made a cheese sandwich with onion,mushrooms,this kind of sauce. It was so good.Well you got a luxury life with you own ofuroba. Well i would love to have crab legs.
ReplyDeletewow looks like you did alot of fun stuff when you went ! i want to try the ice cream! sounds very good ! i would love to go to the kabuki theater it looks like fun. the questionable thing not so much, made me laugh! i cant wait to see where you go next have fun!
ReplyDelete