Today we took the train to Kyoto Green Cuisine in Arashiyama to meet Satoru & Akiko in their home, where they hold cooking classes. There are several options including a vegan class which was great as we learnt how to make a very tasty broth for our ramen, and then how to prepare the toppings.
We also made sushi, first flavouring the rice and the tofu, then learning the techniques to make both maki and Nigiri sushi.
It all tasted great and we will be taking a couple of sushi mats back with us so we can make it at home.
Time to walk off the sushi and explore.
Arashiyama became a popular rural retreat for emperors and nobles who built villas and gardens along the Katsura River, and it’s still popular today, with lots out walking and taking a boat ride.
We crossed Togetsukyo Bridge, which might appear rustic, but is actually clad concrete …
… and continued to Tenryu-ji Temple …
… which is famous for its Zen Garden which pioneered the concept of Borrowed Scenery with Mount Arashiyama and Mount Kameyama in the background.
Next we walked through the very instagrammable Arashiyama Bamboo a highly curated, centuries-old grove of Moso Bamboo, grown to provide raw materials for local craftspeople to weave into baskets, mats, and fans. Today, specialized caretakers still manually prune the forest to keep the stalks healthy and perfectly spaced.
That led to Okochi Sanso Villa, home of a famous Japanese movie star famed for his samurai sword-fighting roles who spent his movie fortune and 30 years of his life building a sanctuary for meditation.
We were offered a free drink at the end … we both tried the matcha which Chris thought ok, although I thought it tasted like cabbage water so tried the slightly sweet and refreshing Calpis instead!
We walked back along the river and over the bridge to the streetcar station decorated with colourful fabric pillars called Kimono Forest.
Not very hungry after our filling lunch, we raided the supermarket for picky bits and put our feet up.
