Assignment: Kyoto - Part 6

 Moving downtown...

We checked out from our luxury hotel in the uptown area and took the train down to the Kyoto Central station.
I booked a room at the Hokke Club Inn.
Just for a night, the room costs about 20,000 Yen (RM630 per night).
We had no choice as all the rooms in Osaka has been fully booked as it was a weekend.

Leaving the Kokusaikaikan station for downtown

We reached the downtown area about 10am in the morning and worked our way towards the Hokke Club Inn.
There, we left our luggage and walked towards the Toji Temple, a UNESCO Heritage site and toured the area. 

Michelle at the Toji temple

The colours of fall..

Admiring a shrine..

My clik-elite Venture 35 photo backpack

After spending some time at the temple, we moved across the road towards an AEON shopping mall.
We had some lunch and Ramen was our choice order.
There were some interesting outlets at the Mall and one of them was the Mont Bell outdoor shop.
I was looking for some Snowpeak items but to no avail.
From there, we walked back to the Hokke Club Inn and checked ourselves in, it was indeed a real small room!

Taking snapshots

A nice view of the Kyoto tower

A stylish cyclist

A Shiba-Inu, Japan's favourite dog

Our little room in the Hokke Club Inn...

A nice bowl of Ramen..

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Shijo: revisited...

After settling-in at the hotel, Michelle wanted to see Kyoto's recommended sites.
I took her to Shijo-Dori and explored the market there.
We walked around and savoured some local food before heading back to the Inn.

Michelle, at the entrance of the market

Tuna sashimi in sticks

Oishi!

Shopping for souvenirs

A knife shop in Shijo

Locally-made blades..

We walked around Shijo before heading back to Kyoto Central station for dinner.
My feet was killing me and when we found a decent place to eat, Michelle and I settled for an Agemono (fried stuff) outlet and ordered Tonkatsu.
The choice dish was a pork fillet katsu and that made our day!

The tonkatsu outlet..

Makan places in the underground mall where we ate was packed to the brim.

There were many restaurants offering meals and we were quite okay with it.

I noticed that there were many tourists who just arrived from the Kansai international airport.

Many were eating in the outlets with their luggage next to them...

Happiness! 

Digging-in

Our last day in Kyoto was "turbo-charged".

We spent time sight-seeing and had a great dinner to end the day.

Back in the hotel, we packed up our stuff and prepared ourselves mentally for the train ride to Osaka..

Assignment: Kyoto - Part 5

Walking solo..

After a good fill at breakfast, I planned a walk towards the Southern side of Takaragaike park and ended up in Kitayama.
It was a breezy walk towards the Kyoto Botanical Garden and I ended up at the Takagamine Post Office before backtracking towards Takaragaike-Dori.
What I found interesting was the fact that the roads are quite clean.
I came up to bridge linking Kitayama to the mid-town area along the Kamo river.
There were walking paths along the riverbank and as I proceeded towards Takagamine, it was already mid-day.

Takaragaike park with Mount Heiai in the background

At the beginning of the Kitayama boulevard

An unusually long road name

The park and walkway along the Kamo river

The importance of footwear and footcare...

If you intend to walk long distances, be sure to get a pair of good shoes.
It should be stable and has good cushioning.
My shoes had spelled trouble since the day we landed in Kyoto.
It was so stiff, me left heel started to develop a large blister.
I had to cut it open to relief the pressure inside it and that really hampered my movement.
On the average, I walked about 15,000 steps on my holidays.
This particular solo-walk, I clocked-in about 25,000 steps. It was my all-time high record.
So, that said, a pair of good shoes is on my shopping list. 

Setting a target: back to Takaragaike before mid-noon.

My stomach was rumbling and mid-way past a subway station which is only two stops away from the Kokusaikaikan station, I went to a convenience store to get some instant noodles.
I also loaded up on an isotonic drink.
You can get bottles of Pocari Sweat (like our 100Plus in Malaysia) for about 150 Yen.
I continued to walk towards Takaragaike with Mount Heiai as my bearing.

A local bikestore

Commuter bikes on sale

Bicycle lights powered by dynamos is a favourite in accessory in Japan

I lugged a plastic bag with my lunch and slowly walked towards the beginning of the Takaragaike boulevard.
My landmark was an Indian restaurant.
It took me about 20minutes to get there from the Matsugasaki station and when I finally reached the Kokusaikaikan station, I made a pit stop at the Lawson convenience store.
There, I loaded up with a piece of fried chicken to line my stomach.
Slowly, I made my way towards the hotel and prepared some instant noodles for late tea.
With all the formal stuff done, Michelle was invited to a private dinner in the downtown area.
Her friend Astley from NACE Malaysia celebrated his birthday..

Peaceful: water flow on the Kamo river

Colours of Fall.. 

Walking paths as such in Kyoto are well-planned

Michelle in the downtown area

My Soba meal for dinner..

We stayed in a luxury hotel near the Kyoto International Convention Centre that is perpetually filled every night.

And it was our last night there, so, we've made preparations to move to the downtown area where I had booked a stay in a traveler's inn.

The Takaragaike experience was awesome as it was such a laidback area. We will spend another night in Kyoto before moving on to Osaka.

Assignment Kyoto: Part 4

Tea ceremony..

One of the must-see events if you are ever in Japan, is the traditional tea-ceremony.
We were lucky enough to witness one which was organised by the Japan National Tourism Organisation at the Kyoto International Convention Centre tea house.
This is just a short walk from the KICC and when we got there, our host were already waiting.
I managed to capture the ceremony with my cameras and had truly enjoyed the brief session.
Later, the NACE EAP conference delegates also had a chance to take photographs with their Japanese hosts...

An age-old tradition in session

Our lovely host in her Kimono..

 A trip to Shijo-Dori

The tea-ceremony was a brief affair. 
Michelle went back to her conference while I got back to the room to dump my camera backpack to go light for a short excursion to Shijo-Dori, Kyoto's shopping district.
Its just three stops away from Kokusaikaikan. Even so, the fare was 280 Yen.
To the uninitiated, Japan's subway is a massive network of sub-terrain walkway.
You can literally walk from one end to the other without seeing daylight.
I got off at the Daimaru shopping centre and tried to score some foodstuff.
Lunch was on my own and since I couldn't get a decent meal, I walked around the Teramachi covered market.
This is the place to look for cheap street food. 
Prior to the short trip, I've already filled up with a cup noodle and some snacks back at my room. So, its just a matter of having another bowl of instant noodles later in the day.

The covered market in Shijo

Foodstuff are aplenty here

The busy Shijo district

A knife shop!

I've never lost interest in knives and lucky for me, I found a shop selling traditional Japanese Kitchen knives.
There were a lot of good and high-quality cutlery being sold at the shop.
And a typical kitchen knife is sold around 5,000 Yen (USD$50).
This is quite affordable and you can have your name engraved on it.
The only drawback here: is the fact that high-carbon steel is used, so, its very likely to rust back here in Malaysia.. 

Customers having a go at the knife shop in Shijo..

A worker embellishing the surface of a knife with its new owner's name..

A night of formality..

I spent about two and a-half hours in the mid-town area.
Boarded the subway and headed back to the hotel to change into my evening attire.
Our dinner was hosted by the NACE office of Japan and only the head-honchos and their spouses were invited.
It was at the Grand Hyatt Hotel of Kyoto and dinner was a real formal affair.
I sat next to a Japanese professor and his counterparts and chatted with them about dogs and food. That was the highlight on the day..

Assignment: Kyoto - Part 3

Out on my own..

Michelle had her conference to deal with and the remaining days that I had in Kyoto was entirely up to how I plan to do things.
So, I took a trip to the downtown area on my first day.
The subway fare from Kokusaikaikan to the Kyoto Central station costs 280 Yen (RM8.80) one-way. If you plan to use the subway a lot, there is a day pass that costs 600 Yen (RM18.90).
Taxi fares can cost a bomb, so, avoid this at all cost.
From Kokusaikaikan, the ride to Kyoto Central is roughly about 25-minutes.

The outskirts with Mount Heiai in the background

A typical scene in the subway

 After alighting from the train, I walked towards Yodobashi electronics store.
This is one of the very few places that opens at 9am till 9pm and you can find a lot of electronic stuff including cameras and bicycles sold at the store.
I found the camera stuff too expensive and the bikes are extremely cheesy.
But that's just the way it is in Japan. 
If you come visit with a preconceived idea that the common Japanese dude would cycle a real cool bike, then you would be in for a rude shock.
Most of the Japanese bikes are cheap stuff that will find its way to a used bicycle shop in Malaysia.
High-end bikes are only sold in boutiques are these are considered as "expensive" in the country. 
Compared with what I witnessed, I'd say that we Malaysians are spoiled in terms of choices when it comes to quality folding bikes.
From Yodobashi, I took a walk around the downtown area.
After crossing two traffic lights, I came to a park area and took some photos there.
The sunlight and the foliage in late fall is a sight to behold!

Fall in its full splendour...

Kyoto tower

A paid bicycle parking facility

Cheap in Japan...

I don't have to worry about breakfast and dinner. It's taken care of.
And when it comes to dealing with the most important meal of the day, I load up to the max in anticipation of a long walk in the downtown area.
A bottle of mineral water costs 150 Yen (RM4.80) from the vending machine. If you carry a water bottle, you can purchase a 2-litre bottle from supermarkets at 89 Yen (RM2.80) a bottle.
And when you are hungry, instant noodles are there to keep your tummy from rumbling.
A typical Nissin Cup Noodle costs 102 Yen (RM3.30) from rural supermarkets and 128 Yen (RM4.20) in 24-hour convenience stores such as "Lawsons", 7-11, Family Mart, Circle K Sunkus and so on.
But if you want something "heavy", then it would be a trip to the Family Mart where lunch boxes are sold.
A typical fare comprising rice with vegetables and meat costs 298 Yen (RM9.40). This is a complete meal and after paying for it, the check-out clerk will heat it up for you with the microwave oven.
This is also a typical set meal for the sararyman (salary-man) on his lunch break.

My lunch box, costing under RM12 in Kyoto

Meals Ready to Eat

Lunch at Family Mart

Walk till you drop...

Statistics recorded by my fitness tracker

On the average, I walked about 15km a day.
Saw lots of interesting places and I did wish that I had my little 16" Dahon bike to cover more areas. 

Assignment: Kyoto - Part 2

A tour of Kyoto..

Day one of the NACE EAP conference began with a tour of Kyoto.
This was provided courtesy of the Japan chapter.
We began with a visit to the Shimadzu Corporation - a company that manufactures precision equipment which is world-reknown.
Following the factory tour, we moved on to the Nijo Castle, a UNESCO Heritage site located in the mid-town area.
This is were the Shugon had resided during the Tokugawa Shogunate era.
Its a real beautiful place with an entrance fee of 600 Yen.
After a tour of the castle, we were led to lunch where half the group had left for a meeting.

A Shimadzu corporation staff explaining a 3D X-ray scanner

Temples and Shrines

We continued to visit two more shrines and temples around Kyoto.
Our tour guide was very enthusiastic as she walked us through the different era of Japan's feudal ruler's history.
The second stop was another shrine in the mid-town area. 
We spent about an hour there and moved on to another popular temple which is also one of the oldest in the city.

Nijo castle

An entrance to the garden in Heian shrine

Sake barrels offering

The Heian shrine

The last venue was an old temple called Ryoan-ji.
This is a popular tourist destination as there were hoards of people entering the temple complex from tour buses.
November is one of the busiest period for Kyoto in terms of tourist arrival.

A nice view of the temple complex

This 14th century structure is a UNESCO heritage site

A formal evening...

The tour ended by 5pm and this was followed by a cocktail reception for the participants of the EAP conference.
I went back to the hotel to put on my coat and joined Michelle at the cocktail reception.
Drinks were limited as we stood around to wait for speeches by the big wigs and later, we worked our way to downtown Kyoto for supper with a couple of staff from the NACE office in Kuala Lumpur.