5 New Stores Worth Visiting in Kyoto

Visitors who like meditation and tea ceremony can visit O'Chill, and those who like to buy unique souvenirs should go to Rokuhichido.

Morgan Awyong, a Singaporean tourist, visited Japan in May and stayed for three months. He walked around the ancient capital of Kyoto, covering a total distance of more than 200 km, and listed five new destinations that tourists should visit when they come here, in addition to the well-known tourist attractions.

O'Chill Tea Shop

Opened in June, the café is located near the Kyoto Imperial Palace (12 minutes walk). It is a place for visitors to enjoy tea and meditate.

Guests are served tea in a quiet room, which Morgan describes as “like a meditation room in the shop”. No phones are allowed. After the tea, guests are offered shisha, a tea-leaf-based ingredient. The guided meditation and tea-tasting session lasts 90 minutes.

5 New Stores Worth Visiting in Kyoto — ***Tourists meditate while enjoying tea.*** Photo: O'chill

Rokuhichido Souvenir Shop

Opened in April, near Hokanji Temple (about 1 minute walk).

With all eyes on the famous five-story Hokanji temple, it's easy to miss Rokuhichido, a shop that produces Japanese paper products using silk-screen printing and paper-cutting methods.

The shop started out with postcards, and has since added figurines of sea creatures or famous landmarks like Mount Fuji. Director Shota Yamada says the designs are based on traditional Japanese culture and seasonal landscapes. Postcards with classic motifs like geishas and shoguns are the most popular. A craftsman can only make a few dozen of them a day.

Gokago Drink Shop

Opened in June, 2 minutes walk from Kiyomizudera Temple.

There's no shortage of matcha cafes in Kyoto, but "none are as good as Gokago," according to Morgan. The green tea is ground into a fine powder and made into drinks or sprinkled on donuts or ice cream, all prepared right in front of the customer.

Director Kazuaki Nakanishi says tea ceremony is a wonderful Japanese tradition. "The experience of a traditional tea ceremony can be daunting, so we thought it was important to serve it in the simplest way possible to make it accessible to as many people as possible," Nakanishi says.

Morgan rates the "teahouse as a great stop for an authentic matcha on the way to Kiyomizudera, one of Kyoto's most famous temples."

Kaji Kyoto Restaurant

Opened in May, about 10 minutes from Nishiki Market.

Traditional restaurants are everywhere in Kyoto, but Kaji Kyoto is not one of them. Chef Keone Koki has integrated Peruvian heritage and culture with Japanese cooking, creating Japanese food that is both familiar and different. The restaurant seats 8 and the owner is known for being friendly with customers and chatting with them regularly.

Fuku Coffee Roastery

Opened in March, about 4 minutes walk from Kennin-ji Temple.

Fuku Coffee Roastery is a traditional wooden house that owner Morio Ajiki inherited from his grandmother. The shop not only sells coffee but also supplies high-quality coffee beans to businesses.

Ajiki is shy but friendly and the cafe is named after the owner’s pet cat, which can be seen by customers who stop by for a coffee. The cafe is mainly a takeaway place but there are two benches, one inside and one outside, for those who want to sit and enjoy their meal.

According to vnexpress.net

Source