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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Sakura95996 on 2024-09-22 02:58:29+00:00.
Original Title: Trip Report - Day 4 to Day 7 of 21 Days - Kyoto (rabbit shrine, Nishiki Market), Yamanashi (Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan Ryokan), Tokyo (Cinnamoroll Cafe, APA Hotel, Hie Shrine, Ghibli Museum, Sanrio Puroland)
Original Post - 21 Days Onsen Hopping Itinerary plus more
Side Notes - Japan travel experience regarding late fall weather, bugs, shoes & luggage
Hello, I previously posted my 21 day itinerary on reddit. I wrote this for my future self to reference back on but I'm making this public for anyone interested to read. Below only contain my diary from Day 4 to Day 7. Reddit won’t let me post it together with Day 1 to Day 3 (link above) so I had to make a separate post.
Post format - Each day starts with the updated itinerary, follow by my diary with google map links to all of the destination.
My travel videos are posted on Instagram at EstherTravelDiary for anyone interested to watch. I cannot link it here due to reddit "no self promotion" rule. All of my travel videos from Day 1 to Day 7 are now posted as of 09.20.2024. I will be uploading the rest of my travel videos for Day 8 to Day 21 whenever I can.
• Day 4 - 10.25 Wed- Kyoto - staying home in Nara
[X] Leave by 7:30, 1hr30min to Okazaki Shrine - rabbit shrine, get the by 9AM - a MUST visit for bunny lovers like me!
[X] 20min bus to Nishiki Market for street food:
[X] snack - Okakidokoro Terakoyahonpo Nishikiichiba Sohonten for rice crackers
[X] snack - Fuka store for chestnut manju[X] snack - Marutsune Kamaboko for buttered potato tempura
[X] snack -Hanayori Kiyoe for yuba cream & curry croquette - can sit there to eat.
[X] Ochanokosaisai for rice seasoning
[X] dango
[X] Sally's Kitchen for fruit sandwich
[X] Kyo Tanba for tea
[X] Sugi Bee Garden for honey
- I felt drain from being in crowded place for the past two days, so I slept in more on this day. I took my time getting ready and enjoyed eating my expensive Shin muscat grapes. I didn't leave until 11am. Weather was 65F-75F, cool but still sunny so I wore my very comfy, breezy, sleeveless maxi dress from Uniqlo.
- It took me about 1hr30min to get to Okazaki Shrine (Bunny Shrine in Kyoto). Despite getting there later than I wanted to, there was no crowd at all. I came here years ago in 2018 and it was very crowded. So I felt lucky that I got to visit a second time without the crowd. This is a shrine that locals visit to pray for safe childbirth, so newlyweds often like to visit this shrine and pray. There was so many cute bunny statues at each corner. The tiny pink and white ones were especially cute, they look like a bunny army ready for battle! You can ring the shrine's bell at the center and rub the black bunny belly that is to the side with its own alter for good luck in childbirth. I got some good luck talisman and charms to take home, they just look so cute! Some are for good luck in studies, health, safe travels, and meeting your soul mate, etc. I enjoyed some quite time here for sure before heading to my next destination.
- I took a 20min short bus ride to my next stop for lunch at Nishiki Market. When I got there mid afternoon, it was super crowded! When buying snacks to eat, I stood to the side at a corner to finish eating. It is consider bad manners and rude to eat while walking. I wouldn't be able to enjoy my food anyways if I had to walk with food at hand at such a crowded place. So I just find a corner to eat and enjoyed my food. Some of these stores have inside seating though so you just have to look or ask. If you look up, the banners have animals on it, I thought that was a nice find. The elephant was my favorite find. Despite the crowd, I really enjoy going here to eat and shop. I would definitely go back again. All of the store owners and employees were very energetic and friendly toward tourist so I had a very pleasant experience. Here's the stores I went into:
- Okakidokoro Terakoyahonpo Nishikiichiba Sohonten - They sell rice crackers, but not just any rice crackers, they sell all sorts of flavored rice crackers! I tried the Aosa (sea lettuce) flavor. I liked it, good flavor, I think this is a safe choice for anyone unsure of what to get. I recommend it. 9/10.
- Ochanokosaisai - I didn't plan to go here but the samplers got me! I didn't think too much about visiting this rice seasoning store but when I saw the employee giving out free samples, I couldn't resist walking over to get one to try, and that sure got me hook because I went in and bought like 10 packs of them XD LOL. I wasn't the only one mind you, this other girl had arm full of the same rice seasoning pack I was buying! It was that good. 10/10. I was very excited that I found this so I can make better tasting onigiri at home. I recommend this place for spice lovers or any adventurous cooks. They sell other spices too, so not just rice seasoning.
- Fuka - I went here for their popular chestnut manju. Luckily we were the only one there so we got to order and sit down at their one and only small table. The store is very small so if there is space to eat, you can order it to go. Once I sat down, they brought over a complimentary hot tea with the manju so that was very nice! I got to rest for a few minutes there while eating. The chestnut manju was 10/10, I miss it...it was so good... I want to go back there again. Next time I will order one to eat there and one to go!
- No store in particular, but there a lot of seafood stalls there. What caught my attention though was the gigantic, huge, oyster! It was bigger than my hand! I had never seen such a big oyster before. So I had to make a mention of it.
- Marutsune Kamaboko - Next I went to this fried fish cake store. I got the buttered potato tempura from here. Per Google review, this is many people's favorite and the store's #1 recommended item, so that's what I got. And WOW just after first bite I could tell why that is. It was just so good. 10/10. I was afraid it was going to be too buttery or oily but it wasn't. It was so delicious. I wish I had gotten a second one to take home for the next day road trip. I also tried a second flavor, the curry onion with potato tempura, it was good but not as good as the buttered potato tempura. 8/10. Next time I go back, I will only get the buttered potato tempura and some to take home for the next day. These are heavy though so it was filling my stomach up fast, I couldn't eat much after that.
- I went to a nearby stall for dango, forgot which store name it was. It was not as good as the one from the day before at 月下美人 so I was sadden by it. It was just not fresh at all, so I think that was the biggest difference. This one was the main disappointment of the day of all the food I tried. It made me miss the dango from previous day even more because of how fresh it was.
- Hanayori Kiyoe - I went here for some croquette. I got the yuba cream and curry flavor. Both were too oily for my taste and flavor was decent. 6/10. I did like that I got to sit down to rest inside after ordering though.
- Sally's Kitchen - I was craving something cold after all the warm food I ate, so I got a cold fruit sandwich from here. I got the grapes sandwich. I actually really liked it! There was a good balance of grapes and cream inside the bread. 10/10. Would get again! Next time I want to try the dragonfruit sandwich.
- Kyo Tanba - I was walking back, I visited another shop that wasn't on my list again because another sampler got me... it was a tea shop this time. I was given a cup of black soybean tea, and it tasted unlike any other tea I had before. I really enjoyed the taste, so I got a bag of it. Black soybean is goo...
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