To Kyoto, Japan!

11.-12.7.
In July we flew to Japan!!
Johannes' family lived in Japan during the 80's and 90's. This comeback trip had been under planning since 1991 and finally after 25 years we made it!

We arrived on Kansai Airport in Osaka and took the train to Kyoto.

On a bridge.

Urban rice fields.

Kyoto railway station.

Kioto was getting set up for one of its biggest festival, Gion Matsuri.

Our Airbnb house was close to this Yasaka temple.

Old friends!

Teaching English on tv.

This episode was filmed at Brisbane Airport!

Kyoto was celebrating its biggest festival, Gion Matsuri. Young people were playing Japanese and were renting traditional outfits.

Yukatas.

People at the Yasaka Temple.

Cat fight.

Commercial lanterns & sake barrels and a tourist buying beverages.

Day care center bus.

Finnish design.

Non-Finnish Moomin mugs.

More. More!

Having a stroll in Gion.

Happy birthday, Johannes!

Tousoiro tofu-restaurant.

To celebrate Johannes' birthday we went to a recommended tofu-restaurant by the river. We didn't understand the menu, but all was tofu. The amount of dishes served was a mystery, and we never knew what to expect next. Luckily we had delicious Umeshu (plum liqueur) to relieve the excitement! For a non-Japanese speaker, restaurants can truly be a challenge as nothing implies the style, price range or atmosphere before it's too late!

Starters. Apparently made of tofu.

Tofu on hot coals.

This clearly was a dessert!

The only clue about restaurant atmospheres were the shoes outside.

Gentlemen's club.

Good night, Kyoto!