Unexpected Pleasures in Kyoto

How taking a detour down a side street made my day

Unexpected pleasures are often the most rewarding.

My first full day in Japan was jam packed. In my post Balmy Autumn Days in Kyoto you can read about my visits to the Romantic Train and Yusai-Tei Gallery.

Balmy Autumn Days in Kyoto

After lingering along the Katsura River in Arashiyama to take more photos, I took the charming Randen tram part way back towards my hotel. (Look out for a post soon about the Randen). I then had to rely on a bus connection for the second part of my journey.

I was keen to get back so I could go up Kyoto Tower at dusk. As I found earlier in the day, overtourism is a huge problem in this city. Buses are unreliable and either don’t turn up or are full. Frustrated, I decided to walk.

I was making good time when all of a sudden I looked down a side street. One block away, the street was closed. A string of red and white lanterns glowed overhead. I paused for a few seconds then followed my instinct. Kyoto Tower would have to wait.

Walking past the closed road sign, I could see a night market just starting up. Dozens of people were milling about, cooking food and helping out. The market was organised by a local Shinto Shrine, tucked away just off the street.

The scent of chicken yakitori floated in the air - I decided it must be dinner time. A lady who spoke English told me each stick was 100 yen ($0.67 USD / $1AUD), but I couldn’t pay in cash. I needed to visit a man at the other end of the street and buy 100 yen tickets. Each ticket could be exchanged for food at different stalls.

I walked up to him, smiled, signalled “3” with my fingers, smiled again, and handed over a 1000 yen note. He gave me 10 tickets and no change - not what I was expecting. Not having the Japanese skills to explain I wanted just 3 tickets, my next move was clear. I had to eat my way out of here.

The chicken yakitori was good. I happily used 6 tickets on it before deciding to try something else. I found a stall selling soft round blobs on sticks. They weren’t quite as sweet as I’d imagined, but still nice. I later discovered this dish was mitarashi dango - traditional Japanese rice dumplings smothered in a sweet soy glaze.

By this time dozens of children filled the streets. While the yakitori stand had a steady queue, the pork soup stand wasn’t doing nearly as well. In fact, I’d been watching it for 15 minutes and they didn’t have a single taker. With a few tickets left in my pocket, I thought I’d show them some love. The ladies seemed delighted that they finally had a customer.

They poured me a generous serving into a bowl, then gestured to various toppings on display. Spring onions? Chilli flakes? Sure I said, giving the thumbs up sign. Why not, throw it all on.

I managed to find a seat in an alley where I could eat the soup and watch the action. It was fascinating to watch the locals go about their evening. I felt this was even more special as I was clearly the only gaijin (non-Japanese person) there. For 100 yen, this soup was a steal, offering a delicious serving of pork and vegetables.

So why was this the highlight of my day? It was unexpected. I had no idea this event was going on until I stumbled upon it. This wasn’t a tourist attraction. There was no social media hype.

This is the very reason I love travel. Seeing real people doing real things and somehow, being part of it.

All photos in the post were taken on the Ricoh GRiii.