Exploring Kyoto’s Countryside | Rice Terraces, Woodfire Bath, Cozy Cafes & Slow Living | JAPAN VLOG
Kyoto has been really crowded these days So this week we will be going off-the-beaten path to its countryside to this peaceful little town called Toyono We're on the limited edition Tom & Jerry x Hankyu train The train is so shiny you can see your own reflection goodbye! This is where we'll be staying for the next few days It's a cute little house I booked on Airbnb Right across the street there's a bamboo forest with maple leaves Let's go check out the surrounding area Seems like this is a wood-working shop There's also a local sake factory down the road You can buy direct from them if you wish There’s something so soothing about the idyllic countryside It feels like a peaceful life around here This is a traditional cooker & this is where you can start the fire to heat the bath up A sneak-peek into the bathing room It's a cozy little house with lots of wooden accent Groceries are provided for you to make a full breakfast They even provide hand-drawn instructions on how to make it This is so thoughtful and cute & I think the prettiest feature is their tiled bathroom It's a traditional bath heated by firewood Cozy set of beds upstairs This will be home for the next 2 nights! We're having dinner at this homely Japanese restaurant The prices are really reasonable ranging from 600-1200 yen Pork ginger rice set The food rarely disappoints at local joints like this It tastes like a really delicious home-cooked meal We're going to make breakfast according to the instructions There's a certain joy in waking up early and preparing a hearty spread the process felt easy and simple This is definitely something I want to do more of when I get back home This is one of the reasons why I love travelling you bring back ideas you can weave into everyday life, Anyway, this is the first trip where I don't have an itinerary! But I thought the countryside is the perfect place to go with the flow Our host mentioned a hidden temple tucked away in the nearby mountains So let's check that out after breakfast It’s about a 20-minute walk to reach the temple The entire complex is actually massive And it's a constant uphill walk And it's a constant uphill walk The maple leaf season has just come to an end At the halfway point, there’s an unassuming temple But take a closer look... You’ll notice some unexpected little figures hidden around What are pokemons doing here?? There's still lots of grounds to cover Remember when we saw the reclining Buddha in Bangkok? Here's Japan's version We've reached the top of the complex now The statues lining the stairs are pretty interesting Let's head in This is both a cafe and a local shop You’ll find trinkets crafted by local artists, each with its own little story Like hand-drawn postcards and homemade candles To unique calenders To unique calenders This area is also known for its delicious chestnuts chestnut butter There's also beautiful dried flower arrangements for sale and seasonal vegetables from the farm A map of the town who knew such a small place could have so many hidden gems? Since we're here, let's have lunch too The whole place has such a cozy vibe to it Even the menu is pretty 'a whimsical curry made with seasonal vegetables' It's colourful An interesting combination of apple slices, cream cheese and ham but it's surprisingly tasty The apple slices makes a refreshing twist According to the small map, there's an interesting store nearby It's renovated from an old house and is home to unique shops and workshops Even after renovation, the original architecture has been beautifully preserved The space consists of a coffee shop, a gallery, a kitchen for cooking classes Unfortunately they are all closed today except for the clothing shop It's a local Japanese brand offering clothing crafted from natural materials They dye their fabrics using natural plant dyes over a firewood flame Everything here feels so soft and comfortable to wear I picked up a 100% cotton turtleneck because the material was such good quality & of course it's in white Let’s explore a little more I see chestnuts, rice fields and mountains... Came across a farmshop & all their products are made from the region's chestnuts! These are chestnut puddings Chestnut mochi snack Chestnut dressing for meat and salads Chestnut jam?? In Japan, each region has a specialty produce and they creatively turn it into unique products to highlight the area and these are chestnut 'yokan' which is a jelly-like sweet I hope you enjoyed spending the day with me aimlessly wandering around This town has been more interesting than expected Tonight, our Airbnb host is going to cook for us The tiny 'sake bar' is only opened for the 2 of us Started off with aubergine and 'satoimo', a type of Japanese potato For drinks, we have a fizzy homemade plum soda For the mains, he cooked us a chicken oyakodon with soup and a vegetable side dish He's an amazing cook as the meals were delicious I found out that he's also a chestnut farmer so of course, dessert came with chestnuts grown from his own farm Time to fire up our woodfire bath This is a first for me and I'm excited It takes about 1 hour to heat up the bath The circular shape of the tub and the square tiles reminds me of the bath in My Neighbour Totoro It's perfectly heated Nothing better than a hot bath after a long day of exploring The heat relaxes your muscles so much, you feel like jelly afterward Another day of exploring the village There are lots of vegetable fields around here & you can buy some of the fresh produce at roadside shops Every morning, different farm owners will place their seasonal produce here Everything’s 100 yen each It makes me want to cook! These are rice cakes A quiet and mysterious shrine hidden in the forest It’s just me and the sounds of nature Being in the countryside, it’s rare to come across anyone while exploring What a big bottle of sake as offering There's a special mound next to this shrine So what you do is find two rocks that fits together Tie them together with one of the red strings at the pole Place them with the rest and make a prayer & your prayers may be granted Our Airbnb host invited us for lunch with him and his partner today The restaurant specialises in beef and it was just delicious and the dishes were all incredibly well-priced I didn't record much here as we were deep in conversation After our meal, we were dropped off at the region's famous rice field Located at the foot of Mt Mikusa, it has made Japan's top 100 rice terraces In summer, this will all be a lush green The air here is incredibly clear, and there’s a certain nostalgic feeling to it Looks like there are a few houses with traditional thatched roofs Let's go check them out I feel like I'm in one of the animes I used to watch as a child This somehow reminds me of the broken flying car in Harry Potter What is it doing in Japan? As you make your way down the rice terraces, you'll reach the main road The scenery is turning a golden hue as sunset approaches Just beautiful I was told there's a traditional sweets shop nearby that's worth checking out It's an old sweets shop selling mainly Japanese 'daifuku'' which are round mochi filled with a sweet filling - usually a bean paste They also have Western desserts, like this cream cannoli These handmade gummy sweets are so cute The look like tiny sculptures, I might just get one of these too I got a variety to try out The cream cannoli was light and buttery I got a white bean paste daifuku Beans doesn't sound very tasty as a dessert ingredient but it was surprisingly good And lastly...
you almost feel bad for biting its head off Dinner was so good yesterday, I asked our host for another meal I love how all the dishes are in small, aesthetic bowls I asked for satoimo again as it was so delicious It tastes like potato, but with a nuttier flavor For today, fish is on the menu The rice is from his father who is a rice farmer & of course the chestnuts on top is from his chestnut farm Knowing these little details makes the meal even more special The chestnut on the dessert has been caramelised so it's extra sweet It's our last day in this idyllic little town We woke up to a snowy morning This has been a different kind of trip from the ones I usually take There were no ‘must-see’ spots to check off, no next destination to rush to With the slower pace, I feel like I could truly be present Even the little moments, like making a cup of coffee, felt special It may not be the most popular itinerary, but I hope you enjoyed the trip with me
2025-04-30 23:38
