Explore the Streets of Kyoto
The city of Kyoto has left me with the most positive impression throughout my journey. Firstly, matcha from Kyoto was the best I have ever tried. Not only did it have an exquisite flavor, but it was also incredibly fresh – like nothing else I’ve tried before. I loved how there were so many different shops, so instead of eating at one spot you could walk around and eat many things. I loved it so much because we ate different kinds of food (gurume); vegetables, fruits, meat, fresh seafood and Japanese sweets (kyogashi).
Matcha: is a finely ground powder made from specially grown and processed green tea leaves. Unlike standard green tea where the leaves are steeped and removed, the entire leaf is consumed, providing a potent dose of antioxidants and caffeine, with a rich, earthy flavor.
Next stop, I went to visit Kiyomizu-dera temple, where a heavy rod can be found that attracts numerous tourists and local residents who want to test their strength. I also took part in such an activity and, of course, it turned out to be difficult. Indeed, the rod was rather heavy, and it required much more effort to lift than I expected it to. Later, my mom told me that it is not “strength” (tsuyosa), but I needed to “think harder” (atama wo tsukae!). After the temple, we got Japanese matcha flavored shaved ice (kakigori) which was ice cold. I got a brain freeze (shimita). After walking for a while in the crazy humid weather, that’s worse than Singapore, I was just looking for something cold.
My last stop, I also visited a traditional Kyoto sweet shop (ochaya) where everyone can learn how to make their own Japanese sweets (kyogashi) under the guidance of the master (shokunin). We made two different types of sweets (kyogashi), one looks like a fruit (kudamono) and the other looks like a flower (ohana). The master’s (shokunin’s) voice was truly symphonic.
After finishing this authentic experience, everyone was served with freshly prepared matcha as well. The fresh and bitter matcha, combined with the Japanese sweets (kyogashi) was the perfect combo.
Ryuichi – omoroi life member
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