Global Courant
Kyoto’s flat location makes long walks easy.
And using the bustling Shijo Street – also known as Shijo-dori – as the main street for navigation, it was a breeze to weave around the city during my three-month trip in May.
Between meal runs and plotting routes to popular attractions like Nijo Castle and Kiyomizudera, I clocked almost 130 miles on foot.
Kyoto’s traditional businesses and ancient temples did not disappoint, but a new trend caught my attention. More and more craft shops are popping up, many not far from the city’s most famous sights.
Here are five of my favorites.
O’Chill — for meditation and tea
Opened June 2023
Closest: Kyoto Imperial Palace (12 minutes)
The path to O’Chill’s front door.
Source: Morgan Awyong
Curiosity was my main motivation for getting there O’Chillwhich allows visitors to drink tea and smoke.
Phones are strictly prohibited in the Zen-like ceremony room, where matcha is served during a traditional tea ceremony. Guests are then given hookahs, where tobacco is replaced by tea leaves.
Co-founder Kiruta Wataru explains that tea leaves remove the prejudices often associated with smoking, while the fried leaves act like incense. The experience is a form of “shiko-hin,” a self-soothing ritual, he said.
“We believe that any lifestyle is good if the person is happy,” Wataru said.
My eyes widened at the first puff. The scent of the tea leaves produced a sweet, woody flavor as I passed the pipe between the company’s other co-founder, Daichi Isokawa, and two guests.
The 90-minute experience includes a guided meditation and refreshments.
Rokuhichido – for paper objects
Opened April 2023
Nearby: Hokan-ji Temple (1 minute)
Visitors buy the handmade paper products at Rokuhichido.
Source: Morgan Awyong
With all eyes on the famous five-story pagoda nearby, it’s easy to miss Rokuhichidoa shop that makes Japanese paper products using methods such as screen printing and cutting paper.
The brand first became popular with postcards and then expanded into the production of playful paper balloons and miniature figurines in the shapes of sea creatures or places like Mount Fuji.
The designs are based on Japanese traditions and culture, the four seasons and landscapes, according to manager Shota Yamada. Are ukiyo-e Postcards with classic motifs such as geisha and shogun are the most popular, he added.
“Depending on the product, a single craftsman can produce only a few dozen of our products per day,” Yamada said.
Gokago – for matcha drinks and food
Opened June 2023
Nearby: Kiyomizudera Temple (2 minutes)
The front door of Gokago.
Source: Morgan Awyong
There is no shortage of matcha cafes in Kyoto, but no one does it quite like it Gokago. The finely ground green tea – in everything from drinks and donuts to ice cream – is served right before guests’ eyes.
Tea ceremonies are a beautiful Japanese tradition, says Kazuaki Nakanishi, director of the company. “As experiencing the traditional tea ceremony can be a hurdle, we felt it was important to offer it in an informal style to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” he said.
Granted, the experience here doesn’t replace the real thing, but it’s still a great stop for an authentic matcha brew on the way to Kiyomizudera, one of Kyoto’s most famous temples. And visitors get to see the precise movements and formal presentation of the ingredients, which is part of the ritual grace of a formal ceremony.
Kaji Kyoto – for Peruvian and Japanese good food
Opened May 2023
Closest: Nishiki Market (11 minutes)
Eating at the Peruvian Japanese restaurant Kaji Kyoto.
Source: Morgan Awyong
Traditional restaurants are everywhere in Kyoto, but Kaji Kyoto is not one of them.
“I want guests to leave Kaji and see how the Japanese who left Japan had to adapt because the ingredients they had were different – and just as delicious,” said Chef Keone Koki.
Koki brings his Peruvian heritage to Japanese cuisine, using passion fruit from Okinawa as a marinade for a tiradito, a ceviche without onions. “It’s also a little different because most sashimi are only eaten with shoyu,” he said.
With only eight seats, the restaurant is housed in a traditional merchant’s house, with seating separated by a small kitchen. The effect is very similar to a performance, where Koki and his crew of five endear themselves to the guests with light jokes.
Fuku Coffee Roastery — for specialty coffee
Opened March 2023
Nearby: Kennin-ji Temple (4 minutes)
Fuku Coffee Roastery is located in a machiya, or traditional wooden mansion, that Morio Ajiki inherited from his grandmother.
At first I thought this was a coffee house, but I heard that from Morio Ajiki his company supplies high-quality coffee beans to companies.
Fortunately, visitors can still drop by for a cup of coffee.
“I had customers come into my store wanting to try my coffee,” Ajiki said. “So I decided to serve them.”
It’s easy to strike up a conversation with the shy but lovable Ajiki, who will likely slip through a series of sliding doors into his home. You might even catch a glimpse of his cat, after which the shop is named.
Cups of coffee are provided for to-go, but there are two benches – one inside and the other at the front – for those who want to stay.
The roastery displays products made by artists in the adjacent alley. This level of mutual respect between artisans in Kyoto makes these types of discoveries well worth the stroll.
