the Piglet and the Boar

Nishiki Market and Philosopher's Path

We spent an amazing 36 days in Japan! We did a lot of traveling, and we went back and forth between a lot of locations, cities, and districts. To make things easier to read and write, we have grouped everything in our travels into city locations and not exactly by time. The Japan list of contents so far can be found here!

Welcome to Kyoto! We were all over the place in Kyoto, visiting it twice, a week apart, during our time in Japan. The places we visited in Kyoto are:

* Hiiragiya -Hiiragiya Ryokan, Maruyama Park, and Nanzen-ji Temple
* Fushimi Inari-taisha
* Nishiki Market - Nishiki Market and the Philosopher's Path
* Tsubara House - Tsubara House, Exploring Kyoto, and Gion District
* Macaques and Temples - Arashiyama, Ginkakuji, and Kiyomizudera Temple
* Odds and ends and final thoughts on Kyoto.

Nishiki Market is one of the coolest things to walk through in Kyoto and the best outdoor market you will find in Japan. The vendors sell all kinds of products, from culinary treats to cookware and kitchen knives. It is also a neat place to see the seasonal foods that make their way to the local restaurants and shops.

Delicious treats can be found, some places give free samples too!
top 1st - sweet mochi — — — top 2nd - roasted japanese sweet potato
middle 1st - candied japanese sweet potato — — — middle 2nd - "tako tamago" - octopus & quail egg on a stick — — — middle 3rd - deep fried cheese
last 1st pic - kabocha quiche — — — last 2nd pic - Sugi Bee drink.

Nishiki Market first started as a wholesale fish district in 1310. As larger variety of shops moved in the district changed from wholesale to retail.

We visited Nishiki Market twice while we were in Kyoto and both times were fun to walk through.

On the other side of the Kamogawa River is Tetsugaku no michi, famously known as the Philosopher's Path. It is named the Philosopher's path because some of Japan's most famous philosopher's walked the path while practicing meditation. The path is lined with cherry trees, and a great place to walk while enjoying the colorful surroundings.

We hit up one of the popular Gyoza bars in Kyoto for dinner, Gyoza Bar Anzukko. We were able to sneak in right when they opened and snag a seat at the very small counter table (about 8 people seating) as it appears one of the reservations had cancelled. As the night went on the many people were turned away so we highly suggest making a reservation or getting there super early to get a spot. Great place for Gyoza, one of the best in Japan, but don't fool around when ordering the head chef is very strict and doesn't fool around.