Sightseeing in Kyoto for the first time since my school trip, while on a business trip 2020/3/7【69】
As I write this blog, it's about a year since March 2020. In Tokyo, the number of coronavirus infections was starting to rise. I had been visiting Kyoto every week for business since February 2020, but with the declaration of a state of emergency, business trips were prohibited from April. The following sightseeing took place before the first state of emergency was declared, when the number of coronavirus cases in Kyoto was reported to be just a few. (In hindsight, if we had taken strict preventive measures from this time, we might have been able to stop the explosion of infections.)
During my business trips to Kyoto, I stayed at several hotels around Shijo-Karasuma, but my favorite was the "Urban Hotel Kyoto Shijo Premium".
It opened in October 2019, and the interior is clean. It also has a large communal bath and sauna, which is great for business travelers.
Being able to use the sauna every day after work was refreshing for both my body and mind.
After having breakfast at the hotel, I took advantage of the weekend off from my business trip to go sightseeing in Kyoto.
I took a bus from near the hotel and first headed east through the city.
Perhaps it was early in the morning, or due to the impact of COVID-19, but there were hardly any people as I climbed the slope.
When I arrived at Kiyomizu Temple, there were a few tourists around.
I was able to quietly and calmly view Kiyomizu Temple, which I hadn't visited since my middle school trip.
On the way back from Kiyomizu Temple, there were few tourists, and some shops on Sannenzaka and Ninnenzaka were closed.
After getting tired from walking, I took a break at Inoda Coffee.
It's elegant to drink coffee while looking at the courtyard.
From there, I walked to Yasaka Shrine.
A year ago, it wasn't unusual to be without a mask, but now it's unthinkable.
After visiting Yasaka Shrine, I walked straight back towards Shijo Karasuma.
For lunch, I ate at Chimaruya, a yuba (tofu skin) restaurant.
The yuba pot and yuba rice were healthy and filling, and I was very satisfied, including the soy milk dessert.
After lunch, I went to a chocolate shop called MarieBelle and bought a return gift for Valentine's Day.
The exterior of the shop is also cute and seems to be photogenic.
I walked to Nijo Castle and looked at it from the outside before returning to the hotel.
I was tired from walking, so I took a shower at the hotel and took a break.
Around 3 pm, I went to a cafe called Charyo Suisen for tea.
I ordered a set of matcha and traditional sweets.
This matcha was light and easy to drink.
Its subtle bitterness matched well with the sweets.
After tea, I bought some side dishes for dinner at a nearby supermarket and went straight back to the hotel.
