Field Snapshot: Kōdai-ji, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)

Following my customary walking route through Kyōto’s Higashiyama district, I began with Kiyomizu-dera and gradually worked my way north, pausing for the usual refreshment break at my favourite tea house. Further on into the stroll, I entered a well-known landmark for the first time in years, having skipped it a couple of times after myContinue reading “Field Snapshot: Kōdai-ji, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)”

Food Report: Tea and Traditional Sweets at Kasagi-ya (Kyōto, Japan)

The winding, hilly lanes of Kyōto’s Higashiyama district require a fair bit of effort to navigate. Fortunately, a little tea shop tucked away next to one of the area’s scenic stone-paved streets offers the perfect antidote to depleted energy levels: freshly-made Japanese sweets and a bowl of hot, frothy green tea.

Field Report: Kiyomizu-dera, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)

Kyōto’s Higashiyama district is an area I’ve grown rather fond of, and quite familiar with, through my regular visits to Japan’s former capital. Since I first came here several years ago, I’ve seen a few things change – and not always for the better. The crowds, for one, have grown so unbelievably thick as toContinue reading “Field Report: Kiyomizu-dera, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)”