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 5/27/2005My Own Private Kyoto   |
Nijo-jo Castle Area - 
Sanjo-kai Shopping Street, Kyoto Japan Tastes in Kyoto Stay in Kyoto5/27/2005 Children's song in the Central Kyoto5/25/2005
Nijo-jo Castle Area 
Sanjo-kai Shopping Street (Nakagyo-ward, Kyoto city)
| I was born in Kyoto and raised in other place. My mother's side is Kyoto
native. Mother is a big influence of child's growth process, so my language
was ruled by mother's language, Kyoto dialect in spite of living in non-Kyoto
dialect region. Ever since childhood, I loved to stay long at my grandparents
house in Kyoto in each season vacation, Spring, Summer, and Winter vacation.
Maybe, it helped lasting my Kyoto dialect. I love the places the ordinary residents live in Kyoto, not the places for sightseeing in Kyoto. That's why, to me, my Kyoto is around Nijo-jo Castle area where my grandparents lives. I loved shopping with my grandmother to the Sanjo-Kai Shopping Street. It runs from Horikawa-dori avenue to Senbon-dori avenue(East-West on Sanjo-dori St., 800m long). I tried to take pictures of the route from my grandparents area to Sanjo-Kai Shopping Street. I will show you some good place to eat in this area. |
| The Way to Sanjo-kai Shopping Street from JR line, Nijo Sta. or Subway, Nijo-ekimae Sta. |
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| 1) From JR line Nijo Station or Subway Nijo-ekimae Station, Turn right at intersection of Senbon-dori and Oshikoji-dori, Let's go to East on the Oshikoji-dori. There's Nakagyo junior high school on the opposite side of the houses. | 2)Soon. you would see the corner of Nijo-jo Castle on your left side . | 3) Then, turn the right, go down the road to the Sanjo-kai shopping street. | 4) You can find Ueda Seika Honpo Sweet Factory on your right side. Ueda's rusks are my favorite in Kyoto since my childhood. | 5) My favorite ueda's rusks. The budget packs :100yen/each. | ||
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| 6) Ane-bojo children's park. I used to play there. | 7) The end of the path is Sanjo-kai Shopping Street, Can you see the arcade of it? | 8) Then, at first, you will see Yano green tea shop serves green tea soft ice cream. It's my all-the-time favorite, delicious one in Kyoto. | 9) Kimura Tsukemono-ten (Kimura Pickle Store). Various handmade pickles in the shop are all good. Especially I like Shibazuke and Hinona. | 10) Sanjo-kai Shopping Street is covered by the arcade. That's why it's a all-weather shopping street (length : 800 m). | ||
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| 11) Inaka-tei restaurant serves Japanese noodles like Soba or Udon. My favorite here is Ankake-Udon. | 12) The entrance of Sanjo-kai shopping street on the Senbon-dori side. |
13) Go down to Koin-dori street from Sanjo-dori street. You can see the Chinese restaurant, Kyomin. Their pan fried dumplings are so delicious. Keep going down the street, you can reach Hankyu line, Omiya Station. | 14) Established over 100years ago, Sanjo Wakasa-Ya, Japanese sweets shop is standing on the Horikawa-dori Ave. of Sanjo-kai shopping street. |
Take a look at Sanjo-kai Shopping St. on the following sites.
My favorite tastes in Kyoto
The shops or restaurants which I recommend are basically rooted in the
region where my grandparents live. That's why, perhaps it's not the spots
where tourists come.
 Ueda Seika Honpo Sweet Factory ( sweets : rusks etc...)38 Nishinokyo Hokusei cho, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-0676 [map] Ueda Seika Sweet Factory is in my grandparents Neighborhood. We used to enjoy Ueda's rusks. They sell budgets packs of rusks for \100 / each. We used to have their rusks when I was childhood. To me, Ueda's rusks are one of tastes of Kyoto. Ever since childhood, I am still enjoying this rusks. I buy them when I visit near this area.   Yano Jisakuen ( various green tea and Japanese green tea soft ice cream)Senbon Sanjo Higashi Iru, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-2567[map] I love this Yano's green tea soft ice cream. It must be one of long-seller items in Sanjo-kai Shopping Street. I've enjoyed the taste of green tea ice cream which is unchanged since my childhood, not only in Summer season, but also in Winter season. Whenever I go around Nijo Station area, I make it a rule to stop in Yano Jisakuen to buy the soft ice cream.   Inaka-Tei (Japanese noodles: Soba and udon noodles restaurant)21-11 Nishinokyo Nansei cho, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-4120 [map] Inaka-Tei noodle restaurant stands on the Senbon-dori side of Sanjo-kai Shopping Street. In general, almost dishes are delicious, for example, Katsudon which is pork cutlet on rice. But my most recommendation is that Ankake-udon. You can have Kyoto style Ankake-udon* there. (* Ankake-udon :Udon noodles made of plain wheat flour in a thick soup with ginger.)  Ankake Udon Noodles Gyoza no Kyomin (Chinese restaurant : chinese pan fried dumplings)19-15 Mibu Bamba cho, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-811-6228 [map] Family-run Chinese restaurant, Kyomin is rooted in the region. We used to take out Kyomin's good taste pan fried dumplings for our dinner. It's walking distance from Sanjo-kai Shopping Street, JR Nijo Station, and Hankyu Line Omiya Station.   Narumimochi Honten (Festive red rice with red beans aka. Sekihan)263 Nishi Hashizume cho, Shimotachiuri Horikawa Nishi Iru, Kamigyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-3080 [map] Sekihan is Japanese traditional food which is steamed red bean rice. Generally, Sekihan is eaten during festive occasions such as birthdays, seasonal festivals, and weddings to wish happiness and good fortune in Japan. I like Sekihan. And I know how delicious this Narumimochi's Sekihan is, ever since I was a child. When I was in Kyoto, always my aunt gave it to me. It's not cheap, but tasty.  Londonya ( Fried bean-jam buns)565 Nakano cho, Shinkyogoku Shijo Agaru, Nakagyo, Kyoto, kyoto 075-211-3248 [map] Londonya is on the Shinkyogoku Shopping Street. My mother loves Londonya's London-yaki (fried bean-jam buns) since her highschool days. There's shop booth in Platz Kintetsu Department Store, Kyoto branch( B1 Floor, next to the escalator) in front of JR Kyoto Station.   Menbaka Ichidai (Negi-Ramen noodles flame up with finely-chopped raw cibol and heated oil.)757-2 Minami Iseya cho, Marutamachi Chiekouin Higashi Iru, Kamigyoku, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-812-5818 [map] This ramen restaurant stands just behind Nijo-jo Castle, East of Marutamachi-dori St. x Chiekouin-dori Ave. Very famous for Negi-Ramen noodles flame up with finely-chopped raw cibol and heated oil. Be careful of your fore bangs (hair) not to put in the flame. It's worth to watch it.     Marufuku (Japanese noodles: Soba and udon noodles restaurant)Bukkoji-Senbon Higashi Iru, 54 Mibutsuji Machi, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-4806 [map] Soba and Udon noodles restaurant, Marufuku is located in the back of Mibu-dera Temple. Mibu-dera Temple is famous for the Shinsengumi which were a kind of special police force of last days of Tokugawa Shogunate. The ancestors of my mother's side is sleeping in the graveyard in Mibu-dera Temple which is next to Marufuku. So we've had lunch every time we visit the our graveyard. I like their Kyoto Style Ankake-udon(Thick soup with ginger), but I don't recommend it if you are neko-jita*. (* Neko-jita means that you can't handle hot food. Neko means a cat, and jita(or shita) means a tongue. Yes, it means cat's tongue.  )   Sanjo Wakasa-ya (Japanese traditional sweets)Sanjo-Horikawa Nishi Iru, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-1381 [map] Sanjo Wakasa-ya was established over 100years ago This old Japanese sweets shop is standing on the Horikawa-dori Ave. of Sanjo-kai shopping street. I like Sanjo Wakasa-ya's Japanese Traditional sweet,O-higashi (dry confectionary). |
Stay in Kyoto
I know some good hotels in Kyoto, but if you don't mind dormitory style
guesthouse, I recommend to stay there in Kyoto. You can communicate with
travelers from the world. Save your expense, stay in longer.
| Recommended guesthouse |
| Backpacker's Hostel K's House Kyoto5/27/2005 JR Kyoto Station/Keihan line Shichijo Station area 418 Nayacho, Shichijo-agaru, Dotemachi-dori, Shimogyo, Kyoto 075-342-2444 [map] Just 10 minutes walk from JR Kyoto Station, or 7 min. from Keihan Line Shichijo Station. It's very clean guesthouse and the facilities are all great. Dormitory: 2500 yen per night, Single: From 3500 yen per night.  |
| Uno House Kyoto Imparial Palace area 108 Marutamachi Sagaru, Shinkarasuma-dori, Nakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-231-7763 [map] It's very close from Kyoto Imperial Place. So it might be very nice to take a walk to the Palace in the morning. Shimogoryo Shrine in front of this guesthouse has the well of springwater which some of residents bring their own bottles and take the water out. (of course, it's for free). I don't recommend if you have allergies to dust (or small creatures) and wish to stay a tidy guesthouse. It's very cheap and it's good to experience the atmosphere of real old marchant house in Kyoto. But the problem is that it's a little bit messy. Any tranportation is good. There's the points to be improved, but I like there. |
| Other accommodation |
| Kineya Ryokan JR Sanin-line Nijo Station area 27 Nishinokyo Nansei cho, Kakagyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 075-841-1580 [map] Just 3 minute walk from JR Nijo Station and Subway(Northwest Line) Nijo Station. Very close to Sanjo-kai Shopping Street (see above) . There are some super markets and convenience stores near the Ryokan. Very convenient for JR, Subway and Bus transit. \ 4500~ /one person。 |
| Hotel Kyoto Yayoi (JR West group) JR Sanin-line Nijo Station area The hotel stands next to JR Nijo Station and Subway(Northwest Line) Nijo Station. Very convenient for JR line, Subway and Bus transit. It's close to Sanjo-kai Shopping Street, convenience stores, COOP super market, so you can buy anything if you lost something. Behind of the hotel is Nijo Driving School. They have rental bicycles for free (not much). |
| Ark Hotel Kyoto Hankyu line/ Keifuku Line,Shijo Omiya area Just 1minute walk from Hankyu Line, Omiya Station, Keifuku Line(aka. Ran-den) ,Shijo-Omiya Station. Walking distance to Sanjo-kai Shopping Street and Mibu-dera Temple which is famous for Shinsengumi in the end of Edo era. Next to the hotel is a drugstores, and super market "Fresco" is just 1 or 2 minutes walk. Very convenient for Hankyu Line, Keifuku Line and Bus transit. |
 When you make a phone call from outside of Japan Dial [ country code 81] - [ area code 75 (*cut 0 from 075) ] - [the phone number you wish to call] ex. 81-75-xxx-xxxx When you make a phone call while you're visiting JapanDial [area code 075 (*you can't cut 0 from 075) ] - [the phone number you wish to call] ex. 075-xxx-xxxx |
Go to Links page to get more Kyoto related sites I recommend.
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