Japanese Food Bites: Indulging in the Taste of Summer

Hello fellow readers, it’s Val again, and I’m here to tell you all about our day on July 25th. The day started off hot, shocker! But it was lively; we were buzzing in the lobby of our hotel before going to school. It was going to be a good day! 

We headed to school bright and early, at around 8AM. Our commute to school is a bit of a trek, with about 40 minutes on the train, but it never feels as bad as it sounds. 

The walk from the station to the community center was pleasant, as it always is, with beautiful green mountain views hovering from the right. Once we got to the center where we would be attending class, we headed towards the classroom. 

We had a very insightful lecture about mitosis and meiosis and a bunch of other super cool biological concepts. Then it was Professor Ito’s turn to enlighten us with a writing lesson.

After class, we had a mandatory activity to go to Okazakinishitennocho, which was a delightful experience. In the leading pathway, I was presented with the biggest Torii gate I’d ever seen. It towered over the street that led to the temple, as a teaser as what was to come. Although I was tired, seeing the Torii gate served as a shot of espresso, and my pace picked up as I anticipated the beautiful temple. 

When entering the temple, I was met with lots of grainy white land that stretched for a few hundred feet. Past that was a large, red temple that wrapped around the land in a U-shape. It was awestricking and completely gorgeous. I felt drawn to each corner, as I studied all the crevices that Japanese architecture has to offer. It was beautiful and I felt so lucky to see it. 

After the initial impression of the temple, we were given special tickets to look around the garden that wrapped around the temple. Although I was with people at first, I decided to go at a slower pace and really appreciate the garden. 

It felt like an adventure with so much nature and water around me. Green melted into brown which melted into blue, and it was unclear where the water stopped and the trunks of the trees began. It was breathtaking. It almost felt fake- a green wonderland that would’ve been part of some Disney movie. But it wasn’t fake and it was all mine to explore. 

I followed the pathway they specifically made for anyone visiting, and took in all the sights. It started as a crowded green path with a small stream in the middle. Then it led to a gorgeous surprise- a huge lake that had a beautiful bird in the middle of it, like a centerpiece at a dinner table. It was perfect.

Then another surprise came- a big lake that you could walk over by stepping on the round, granite steps that led you to the other side of the lake. I was kind of scared of falling at first, but it’s hard to stay focused on falling when you have the view I had. The water was still as green and red lily pads floated over it. 

After, the garden led you to another lake (not so much of a surprise anymore) that had a big house awaiting when you got to the end of it. There was a side path this time, that took you around and directly to the large house where wishes were tied to clear wind chimes. The wind swayed them back and forth forcefully, and all you could hear was the quiet water and the loud clanking of the wind chimes. It was gorgeous and so peaceful- making me grateful I went through this journey alone. 

After finishing the garden, we were free to do what we wished for the rest of the day. I went to Kyoto station to shop for glasses at this place called Jins. They performed an eye exam on me and asked me to choose the pair of glasses I liked. I picked two separate pairs, and then they told me to come back in 45 minutes for my new pair of glasses. It was a very affordable and convenient place to go get new glasses! I received them a few minutes later and loved them. 

As the night was coming to an end, Romi, Kerem and I decided to go to Osaka to experience the festival of lights. There would be fireworks for a whole hour that we would be able to see. Once we got there, we were surrounded by girls in their yukatas and wooden sandals, clacking everywhere, laughing and having fun. The energy was lively and excited me for what was coming. We could hear the fireworks the minute we stepped outside the train station and followed them to the bridge where we would be able to see them. The crowd grew exponentially the closer we got. We were packed like sardines in a can, mushed together trying to squeeze through the crowd to see the fireworks. To say we struggled would be an understatement. However, we persevered and got past crowds of people onto the bridge.

Colors were exploding in the air to both our left and right, making different shapes. It was completely captivating. The loud noises were washed out by the loud explosion noises the fireworks made, forcing you to draw your attention to them and only them. We stood there for a while, taking it all in and being thankful we were lucky enough to be in this country.

After the festival was over, we noticed our stomach seemed to be demanding some energy. We found a small Italian place that was hidden through the crowds of people. It was small yet demanding, and we followed its order to come in and experience what it had to offer. 

The place was small and humble, with yellow fluorescent lighting flooding the place. We quickly ordered the first things we saw, margherita pizzas. It was basic, we know, but it was so worth it. 

The cheese melted off the pizza, not really engaged with the idea of staying on the sauce, and snuck into our mouths within the first bite. This forced us to keep biting into the pizza without stopping for breath, since no one wants to eat just red sauce and pizza. So, we quite literally inhaled the large pieces of pizza we were given, and it was delicious, albeit, a bit messy and overwhelming. We washed it down with some much needed water, and kept inhaling the tasty pizza in front of us. In a short time, we were done with our pizza. Our stuffed stomachs made us so sleepy, we were ready to crash anywhere in sight, a good indication it was time to head home. 

With a happy stomach and a half-operating mind, we headed back to Kyoto after a long day of experiencing a green wonderland, Italian cuisine, and fire in the sky.