Shop Review: Kyoto BAL (京都 BAL)

Today I went to the new  Kyoto BAL building, situated along Kawaramachi street, the shop had it's grand opening yesterday.  I say shop, but it's so much more than that, it's more of a lifestyle store housing various different brands. Each brand has it's own area and yet they all merge together smoothly so you don't feel like you are walking in and out of different shops.

I went expecting it to be mostly fashion but there is a strong emphasis on lifestyle and selling the whole experience to the customer. You could easily just move into Kyoto BAL; from Rachel Ashwell there was a fully kit out bathroom  (complete with a roll top bath!) then The Conran Shop and Ron Herman were basically perfect living rooms and bedrooms, for clothes there were brands like Jil Sander, Marni and Theory and as for food there were various cafes including Cafe Muji which I really want to go and try out!

Then the two basement floors are taken up by Maruzen, one of the most popular book stores with a variety of books and magazines covering all topics including a section with a wide variety of English books.

Ron Herman 
(just look at the computer!)

Ron Herman

(because why wouldn't you want a mug that says 'eat avocados'?!)

Ron Herman

Muji

The Conran Shop 

(you can't really tell in this photo but there were flowers in test tubes suspended from the ceiling which looked so pretty)

The Conran Shop

The Conran Shop

Rachel Ashwell

Maruzen

Have you ever been in a shop and just wanted to move in?!

Day trip from Kyoto to Uji

A couple of weeks ago my dad and I had a day trip from Kyoto to Uji. I was interested in going to Uji last time I was in Japan to see Uji Byodoin but they were renovating it and I had heard from friends that you couldn't see much. Well I am glad I waited till the restoration was finished, it now looks stunning! It has been restored to it's former glory and I would really recommend visiting.

How to get there

It's really easy to get the train to Uji. We took the Keihan to Chushojima Station and then changed to the Keihan Uji line to get to Uji Station. Or you can get the JR Nara line straight from Kyoto Station to Uji.

Where to go

Uji Byodoin

The main tourist attraction at Uji is Uji Byodoin. Now a temple, it was originally built as a countryside villa (i.e fancy holiday home) for Fujiwara no Michinanga, one of the most powerful politicians at that time. When it was turned into a temple it was given it's most famous feature, the Phoenix Hall which you can see on the back of a 10yen coin.

Open: 8:30 to 17:30 

Admission: 600 yen for gardens and museum additional 300 yen for tour of the Phoenix Hall

 

Ujigami Shrine

Although we didn't go here I have included it as it is considered to be the oldest shrine in Japan. In 1994 it was named as a World Heritage and it is thought of as Byodoin's guardian shrine.

Open: 9 to 16:30

Admission: free

 

Uji River

The Ujigawa runs through the centre of the town and is a lovely place to just go for a wander or have a picnic. 

The Tale of Genji Museum

The Tale of Genji, written in the 11th Century, is considered by some to be the world's first novel. Many places in Uji feature in the book and although I didn't go to the museum it is probably a must for anyone interested in Japanese literature and history.

Open: 9 to 17:00

Admission: 500 yen

Mimurotoji Temple

This place was so beautiful! Known as the flower temple,the gardens are planted with various seasonal plants so it looks beautiful all year round. In April there are the cherry blossoms, in May the azalea, hydrangea in June, lotuses in July and momiji in November. When we went the gardens were filled with hydrangea. It was also filled with loads of Japanese tourists but hardly any foreign tourists which is a shame as it may not be as famous as the Byodoin but it really is worth a visit!
Open: 8:30 to 16:30 (16:00 from November to March)

Admission: 500 yen

 

Uji Jinja Shrine

There is a legend that a rabbit guided a lost deity on his way to Uji so there is a rabbit greeting you as you wash your hands at the entrance to the shrine.

Open: 6 to 18:00

Admission: Free

What to eat and drink

Green tea! Uji is famous for the best quality green tea in the whole of Japan. There are loads of cafes where you can eat green tea flavoured everything. I even saw a vending machine which sold only green tea!

Uji Byodoin

We stopped for some kakigori (shaved ice) to cool down!

Uji river

Me looking a bit tired!

Uji jinja shrine

Mimurotoji Temple

Had to take a picture of these two women matching their clothes to the surroundings!

Green tea or.... green tea?!

Kotobatofuku コトバトフク

At the weekend I went to a small boutique in Kyoto which supports young designers who have recently graduated. It`s in the same place as this Versace exhibition which I went to a couple of years ago.

The concept of the store is 'seasonless' as they sell previous collections from young designers and the selection of clothing changes every 1-2 months. It was set up in August 2013 by Hiroshi Ashida and Masato Inoue. Hiroshi is a lecturer at Seika University and the editor of Vanitas, a fashion review magazine. Masato is a lecturer at Mukogawa Women's College.

Although only a small shop they have a great selection of clothing and accesories. Also if you go up to the top floor of the building there is a good view of Kyoto! 

Some of the designers they have stocked include: 

aokiyuri

idetatsuhiro

TOMOUMI ONO

onegaigoto

kanie

kikkou

COMMUNE

coci la elle

qr

zazi

SINA SUIEN

Shun Okubo

shunsuke hatakeyama

TANUKI

TENUSIS

nukeme

hatsutoki

Hirabayashi Ryoko

futatsukukuri

proef

YUKIFUJISAWA

malamute

januka

Tumblr: http://kotobatofuku.tumblr.com

Instagram: @kotobatofuku

Twitter: @kotobatofuku

Facebook: コトバトフク

Where to see cherry blossom in Kyoto

According to the official Japanese cherrry blossom forecast (yes there is such a thing!) the cherry blossom in Kyoto will start to bloom tomorrow and will be at their peak March 31st to April 8th. That means if you're living in Kyoto or are visiting there soon, now is the time to start planning where you will go to see the beautiful blossoms.

While it is true that you will see cherry blossom everywhere you go, there are some places in Kyoto which are especially beautiful. Here are some of the best places in Kyoto to see the sakura (cherry blossom.)

Okazaki Canal 
This extremely pretty canal is a popular place for boat rides. It's a great way to view to blossoms planted on both sides of the canal.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens
The gardens at the far end of the Imperial Palace grounds have a lovely selection of cherry blossom trees.

Kamogawa
Kamogawa is the big river which runs through the centre of Kyoto. There are cherry blossom trees planted all along the river so in spring it is the perfect place to go for a walk or cycle ride.

Philosophers Path
Philosopher's Path, one of the most popular areas to view the cherry blossom in Kyoto, runs alongside a small river for three kilometers. Tourists from all over Japan come to see the cherry blossom here.

Kyoto Botanical Gardens
These gardens are the home of many beautiful flowers and plants so it is a great place to go any time of the year. However in spring it really comes into it's own when the small sakura forest is in full bloom and everyone flocks to have picnics under the blossoms.

Gion
Gion is famous for it's Geisha but it's also a great place to see the cherry blossom. It's a very photogenic area and therefore popular for wedding photos. One day I went and saw five couples having their photos taken in their wedding outfits.

Okazaki Canal

The Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens

The River Kamo

Philosophers Path

Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Gion

Have you ever been to Japan in Spring or do you ever plan to?

Where to See Plum Blossom in Kyoto

Plum blossom at KitanoTenmangu Shrine

Cherry blossom in Japan may be more famous, but plum blossom blooms first and therefore is significant in signalling the beginning of spring. The end of February to the beginning of March is the perfect time to go viewing plum blossom in Japan. Here is a list of the best places to view plum blossom in Kyoto.

KitanoTenmangu Shrine 北野天満宮
What: 2000 plum trees
When: mid Feb. to early Mar. Plum festival on 25th Feb.

Ryoanji Temple 龍安寺
What: 80 plum trees
When: late Feb.

Shoseien Garden 渉成園
What: 30 plum trees
When: mid Feb.

Umenomiya Taisha Shrine 梅宮大社
What:: 35 varieties of plums, 550 plum trees
When: mid Feb. to early Mar.

Kyoto Imperial Palace 京都御苑
What: 20 varieties of plums, 250 plum trees
When: mid Feb. to mid Mar.

Nijo Castle 二条城
What: 3 varieties of plums, 130 plum trees
When: mid Feb. to early Mar.

Tenryuji Temple 天龍寺
how many, what kind: 3 varieties of plums
when: from late Feb.

Otoyo-jinja Shrine 大豊神社
What: The biggest weeping plum tree in Kyoto; 250 to 300 years old.
When: early to mid Mar.

Botanical Gardens 植物園
What: 60 varieties of plum, 150 plum trees
When: mid Feb. to late Mar.

Jonangu Shrine 城南宮
What: 2 varieties of plums, 150 weeping plum trees
When: late Feb.

 What signals the start of spring for you?

Linking up with Travel Tuesday and Let's be Friends blog hop

I'm going back to Japan!

So excited right now! This summer I will be spending three months back in Japan! For those of you who are recent readers of my blog I'll quickly fill you in. I am half Japanese and was born in Japan but have grown up in England. Then from July 2013 to May 2014 I spent my gap year living in Japan where I went to a Japanese language school as all I could really say were simple greetings.

 

The one year that I lived in Japan my Japanese improved so much, I learnt to read and write in Japanese which I had never been able to do. But now I'm back in England it's hard to keep up with it because I'm not surrounded by it.

 

So, during the summer I will go back to the language school in Japan to refresh my memory and stop me from forgetting everything I learnt! I will be living in Kyoto, the same city that I lived in before and will make sure that as well as studying I have lots of time for sightseeing and of course shopping!

 

Will be doing some posts on places I want to go to and places I loved so much last time that I want to revisit them.

 

Have you got anything exciting planned for summer?

 

Linking up with Travel Tuesday

 

 

 

Travel Tuesday: The Best Gardens in Kyoto

A while ago I wrote a guest post for Claire who blogs over at Somewhere Beyond The Sea. In case you don't follow her blog (which you should do!) and therefore didn't see the post, I thought I would share it with you today. You can view the original post here. Japanese gardens are really beautiful and each one so unique. They are peaceful and walking around admiring the beauty is a great way to relax. Here are my five favourite Japanese gardens in Kyoto.

1. Shosei-en garden

I went to this garden just a few days before leaving Japan. It is only a 7 minute walk from Kyoto Station and yet when I went it was practically empty. Unfortunately there are some high rise buildings surrounding the garden but I liked the view of the empty, green garden with Kyoto Tower in the background.

2. Tofuki-ji temple

Temples in Japan have really beautiful gardens, some are small but the one at Tofuku-ji is pretty big. I went in autumn when all the leaves were amazing jewel colours. As it is one of the most famous places in Kyoto for autumn leaves there were hordes of Japanese tourists which I wrote more about in this post, however it was definitely worth it.

 

3. Aizu Governor’s Temple

Aizu was a samurai clan from Tohoku who were called to Kyoto to protect the Emperor (ironically they ended up fighting against the Emperor.) Anyway this was the temple where the Aizu Governor lived while Kyoto. The temple itself is very interesting and the garden is very traditional in its style with perfectly manicured lawns, bonsai and a teahouse.

 

4. Murin-an villa

This place is the definition of a hidden gem. Tucked away in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto near Nanzen-ji temple it has the added bonus of the Higashiyama hills in the background. Compared to other Japanese gardens this place has a slightly more western feel, with an open lawn scattered with wild flowers.

 

5. Shinsen-en garden

This is a very small garden but it is near Nijo castle so if you are in the area it is worth coming. Stand on the bright orange bridge and watch all the fish swimming around then walk up to the dragon boat. Out of all the gardens I have talked about this is the only one which is free.

Which of these gardens would you like to visit?
 

Linking up the Let's be Friends linkup