first day in kyoto

The train from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station.

On my first day in Kyoto, I decided to acquaint myself with the history of the city so I headed to the Museum of Kyoto where I got a free English tour of the second floor. The city was founded by a group of Koreans in the 9th century in the Heian period (which means peace and tranquility). Once the capital of Japan, it's supposedly perfectly located as a natural fortress and fertile farmland. As interesting as that was, I was more interested in the food.


A dining style. There's an open space under the table for your legs.

So, for dinner I had a Japanese style course meal. It cost around 2,800 yen, which is about $28.

Clockwise from the top left: Kirin beer, a hand towelette, black tea, chopsticks, miso soup, rice, tempura dipping sauce, and tempura.
Inside the box from the top left: sashimi & soy sauce, egg jjim, egg/pork/fish side dish, shrimp & edamame, dessert with jelly, pickled side dish, and some kind of beef with sesame seeds on top.