Kyoto, Day 11 - Tea and Photography

This morning we woke up to rain, not pouring, just a soft rain. We walked down this small street along a canal that was normally flooded with tourists. The rain scared most away today. Such a gorgeous street, and I loved the ladies with their umbrellas.

It wasn't too cold so we took the train to the Arashiyama bamboo forest. Since we had to change trains a few times and the rain picked up when we got off at our stop, we decided to eat lunch before going to the forest.

Yummy food, but we mostly appreciated the restaurant for its warmth and lack of moisture.

The forest might have been better in the rain, less people and the quiet the rain brings. We loved being there, surrounded by the towering bamboo, the fresh rain scent clinging to us. We were there for quite awhile and took a ton of pictures. This was my favorite.

By the time we got back to Tanaka-ya, it was pouring. We unsuccessfully tried to dry out before going back out to see Miyako Odori, literally Kyoto dances. These dances, performed by geisha and maiko, are only held during cherry blossom season, so we were very fortunate to be able to witness one.

This performance was held at Gion Kobu Kaburenjo. Before the performance, we were served tea at a traditional ceremony.

We were allowed to take photos of the geishas and it wasn't perceived as disrespectful.

The performance we saw was not allowed to be photographed, but we snapped a shot of the theatre beforehand.

The dances were beautifully choreographed. The dancers' movements were fluid with a certain stiffness to them, every gesture performed with purpose. The music was performed by geishas and maikos sitting in balconies along both sides of the theatre. We were directly below a flautist.

The costumes and production design changed for each season. The older geishas wore amused expressions on their faces throughout their performances, though I would not consider it smiling. It seemed like a learned expression acquired by years of practice. The younger maikos just looked stern with concentration.

All in all, the show was a great experience, and I would recommend it to anyone lucky enough to be in Kyoto during the cherry blossom bloom.

After the show, we walked up Yamatooji-dori to a small bar where I saw a smiling couple emerge from the day before. The bright red, oblong lanterns hanging outside the itzakaya bar lit the way.

The rain had finally stopped, but hot sake was in order. Plus, a ton of amazing food.

I don't remember what kind of meat was blanketed by this cheese.

Everything was cooked over coals on a small hibachi at the bar.

Pork!

I ordered yams thinking sweet potatoes, but these were crunchy and looked like scallops.

Chicken, mushrooms, a meatball, and an egg yolk for dipping sauce.

The best fried chicken I've ever had! Cue light beaming from heaven and angels singing. Served with a honey mustard-ish sauce.

And dark beer (along with an Asahi or two)! Yebisu rocks.

Perfect meal. Easily our best meal of Kyoto, definitely one of the best meals of our trip. 4000 Y.

Taking a stroll down Geisha Row on our way home for the night, we saw a few businessmen posing for a photo with the two geishas who had entertained them that evening.