Arima Onsen, Kyoto and Uji on a solo trip (part 3)
Hello beautiful Uji!
Let me first introduce you to my beautiful hotel Hanayashiki Ukifune-en (花やしき 浮舟園). I booked the beautiful and scarily huge Tokiwa room with an outdoor (rotenburo bath) and everything is just beautiful, not just the hotel, but also the scenary and the attractions. Oh I love Uji, and I can definitely relate to this blog writer, who first got me interested in the region.
Uji river is incredibly romantic and I could spend hours just staring at it or walking by its side. It's no wonder the Tale of Genji is centred around this river. I would love to read the book someday. I visited the museum, but unfortunately, apart form the audio guide, everything, including the souvenirs and the film shown at the museum are all in Japanese. It was a very small museum, and I only took an hour to complete it.
So in the end I bought this Japanese screen with a beautiful backdrop of a lord looking out at the scenery from the museum. I also bought a matcha whisk from one of the reowned tea shops in Uji, and a beautiful matcha cup made by Seigan Yamane from Isetan Kyoto.
After enjoying a relaxing night in my hotel room, the next day, I got up bright and early to walk around Uji. I specifically wanted to visit the Byodoin temple. It's image is actually printed on the Japanese 10 yen coin.
The hotel staff actually advised me to take a more secluded route to the temple, and I got to see many unexpected sites, including the Amagase Suspension bridge.
Byodoin temple
I am proud to say the staff at the ticket counter gave me some very brief instructions on the route around the temple and I understood everything perfectly. The gardens are beautiful and ornate, but right in the centre is the Phoenix Hall, which requires an additional entry fee. I didn't feel that was really necessary and thus did not enter the hall.
It was lucky that I entered early in the morning, just when it opened, as I had the opportunity to take pictures without many people in them. Even though it was a Monday, it got really crowded when I finished my round.
There's also a small museum (no pictures allowed) with some relics and a video explaining the philosophy and history around the temple.
Lastly I'll leave you with a timelapse of the sunrise from my room.
Back to Part One.
Let me first introduce you to my beautiful hotel Hanayashiki Ukifune-en (花やしき 浮舟園). I booked the beautiful and scarily huge Tokiwa room with an outdoor (rotenburo bath) and everything is just beautiful, not just the hotel, but also the scenary and the attractions. Oh I love Uji, and I can definitely relate to this blog writer, who first got me interested in the region.
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| This is actually the reflected view from Uji River |
Uji river is incredibly romantic and I could spend hours just staring at it or walking by its side. It's no wonder the Tale of Genji is centred around this river. I would love to read the book someday. I visited the museum, but unfortunately, apart form the audio guide, everything, including the souvenirs and the film shown at the museum are all in Japanese. It was a very small museum, and I only took an hour to complete it.
So in the end I bought this Japanese screen with a beautiful backdrop of a lord looking out at the scenery from the museum. I also bought a matcha whisk from one of the reowned tea shops in Uji, and a beautiful matcha cup made by Seigan Yamane from Isetan Kyoto.
After enjoying a relaxing night in my hotel room, the next day, I got up bright and early to walk around Uji. I specifically wanted to visit the Byodoin temple. It's image is actually printed on the Japanese 10 yen coin.
The hotel staff actually advised me to take a more secluded route to the temple, and I got to see many unexpected sites, including the Amagase Suspension bridge.
 |
| The map I was given by the hotel |
I am proud to say the staff at the ticket counter gave me some very brief instructions on the route around the temple and I understood everything perfectly. The gardens are beautiful and ornate, but right in the centre is the Phoenix Hall, which requires an additional entry fee. I didn't feel that was really necessary and thus did not enter the hall.
It was lucky that I entered early in the morning, just when it opened, as I had the opportunity to take pictures without many people in them. Even though it was a Monday, it got really crowded when I finished my round.
There's also a small museum (no pictures allowed) with some relics and a video explaining the philosophy and history around the temple.
After exiting Byodoin, I strolled down Byodo-in Omotesando, where I visited several tea shops I bought my matcha whisk and a recommended box of matcha tea from Ujicha-Kanbayashi. It wasn't cheap, at over 2000 yen for a tiny box.
Subsequently, after I checked out, I also visited immensely popular Tokichi Tea Shop, which is a cafe and shop selling green tea desserts. I didn't get a chance to sit at the cafe as the queue was so long! But I bought a refreshing jelly dessert from the shop, as well as another box of matcha tea (they had six types all at different prices!).
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| My breakfast with a view at the hotel |
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| Goodbye beautiful room |
Back to Part One.
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