Off to Kyoto: Ichiba Coji and London-Ya

Our final night together in Tokyo walking around Golden Gai was a really cool experience. Now it was time to head to our next destination, Kyoto!

Off to Kyoto

JR Tickets

We lined up to buy tickets for non-reserved seats to Kyoto on the Shinkansen (bullet train). A one-way ticket costs around $120. With our tickets in hand we looked for a quick bite to eat. My sister went to a vegan ramen place and I picked up something to eat for the train ride.

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To-Go Meals

All the to-go meals and sushi sets looked really good.

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Everything Looks So Good

It was time to catch our train to Kyoto! So if you have a non-reserved seat, you must look for available seats in cars that are for non-reserved passengers. We ended up sitting in reserved seats a couple times before realizing which cars to go to. Oops!

On the way, there was a lovely view of Mount Fuji in the distance. Nice!

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Mount Fuji

I had my salmon slices over rice with a piece of tamago (egg omelet). It was super tasty and fresh.

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Salmon Box

With the bullet trains reaching speeds of up to 200mph, the ride from Tokyo to Kyoto only took about two hours.

Hello, Kyoto! We took a cab to the Hotel Grand Bach. Named after the German composer, it’s a nice elegant hotel located in Kyoto’s most bustling intersection of Shijo and Kawaramachi.

Off to Kyoto

Hotel Grand Bach

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Shower Jets

We dropped off our stuff in the room and headed to the Teramachi Street Shopping District nearby.

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Teramachi Street

Off to Kyoto

Shops and Restaurants

I decided to try a restaurant located down a flight of stairs near the entrance of the shopping street, Ichiba Coji.

Off to Kyoto

Ichiban Coji

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Downstairs

I was seated at the counter overlooking the large kitchen. They had all types of meal sets.

Off to Kyoto

Menu

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Counter

I ordered the Wagyu Thigh Steak Obanzai Plate.

Off to Kyoto

Obanzai Plate

The set included an assortment of small cold plates, tofu, mixed grain rice, miso soup, and fries.

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Cold Deli Assortment

For around $15, it was a great deal. You also get free refills on the tofu and rice.

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Steak and Fries

Off to Kyoto

The steak was cooked medium rare and was fairly tender. Not bad at all.

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Wagyu Thigh Steak

Afterwards, I walked long the shopping street for a bit before meeting my sister. Something caught my eye and I had to stop to check it out. It was London-Ya where you can watch a machine make London-yaki – small Japanese pound cakes filled with white bean paste.

Off to Kyoto

London-Ya

Off to Kyoto

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Cake Machine

Of course I had to try one. They’re only 50 cents a piece. It was fresh off the machine and still warm. Yum.

Off to Kyoto

Mini Pound Cake

Lunch and my little snack were good. We walked around the shopping street a bit more before going back to the hotel to get ready for the night ahead. We were going to learn about a traditional Tea Ceremony, then have dinner with a Maiko!


Hotel Grand Bach Kyoto Select
363, Naramono-cho, Shijo Teramachi Nishiiri
Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan 600-8004
+81 75-221-2211
Website

Ichiba Coji
283 Empukujimaecho, Teramachidori Nishikikoji-agaru
B1F With You Building
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 604-8045
+81 75-858-8008

London-Ya
565 Nakanomachi, Sinkyogoku Shijo-dori Agaru,
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 604-8042
+81 75-221-3248

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