Otaru Milk Plant

 Today's post is a bit earlier than it should be, but since it's National Ice Cream Day in America, I just had to put it up! :) The last time I was in Otaru, I went to the milk plant, but found out that it was closed during winter. This time, I was determined to go again! It was a warm, sunny day-- perfect for ice cream. At the milk plant, they have the regular, jumbo, and N.Y. Jumbo. Naturally, I chose the N.Y Jumbo because, why go all the way there and only get the regular? :) They had a variety of flavors, but I chose the vanilla and melon swirl and the lady was a bit shocked when I placed my order. I was a bit shocked when I saw the size of the ice cream! It still didn't stand a chance though ;)

Best 650 yen I've ever spent :D

Gotta earn your stripes :)

All the flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Hokkaido milk, yubari melon, yogurt and grape

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all eat some yummy ice cream today!

Kinotoya: Hokkaido Cheese Tarts and Ice Cream

Last weekend, my friend, Karyn, and I went to Hokkaido for our last trip and food was naturally a high priority for us :) After dropping off our bags at our hostel, we walked through the underground passage that connects Susukino to the JR Sapporo Station and could smell something insanely delicious as we strolled through Pole Town (yes, we were surprised by the name too...). We followed our noses and came across Kinotoya Bake, a local company that is known for its cheese tarts, Hokkaido soft cream and other sweets. This was a newly open branch (you can tell by the flowers that are placed right near the entrance) and we waited patiently in line to try one of their cheese tarts along with the famous Hokkaido soft cream. Hokkaido is known for its dairy products, seafood, sweets, ramen, soup curry, just about everything food-related--and for a good reason! It's freaking amazing. 

I was expecting the typical dense-like texture that is often associated with cheesecake, but was surprised when I bit into the tart and realized how light it was! And, it was still warm, making the taste even better :) I'm not sure what they do to the cheese to make it so delicate and light, but I could eat those cheese tarts every day. Japan knows how to do ice cream in general, but Hokkaido soft cream seriously takes it to a whole new level. You can't taste any sort of ice crystals in it--just smooth, creamy and ridiculously good without being too sweet. 

You can get 6 of them for 1,000 yen or buy them individually for 170 yen :). Can't get better than dekitate, or freshly-made.

This wonderful creation can be yours for just under 400 yen :) It's worth every yen! 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Mame Kichi

I hope everyone is keeping safe and staying indoors with this typhoon! I haven't gone outside at all because of the heavy rain and strong winds, but onto today's post :)

As I walked through the numerous side streets, I walked by this shop, Mame Kichi, which had a wide variety of different-flavored beans. There was the classic matcha, kinako and coffee, but they also had mango, blueberry, rasberry, ramune, etc. What was even better, was that you could sample all of them! They had a large counter area with samples of each flavor in a small compartment and the salesperson told me which ones were her favorite. Definitely stop by here if you're looking for some omiyage, or if you want to take home a little bag to treat yourself (like I did^^).  As you exit Yasaka Jinja from the torii gate, just keep walking straight and you'll see the store on the corner on your right after a couple of minutes.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Quiet and Empty Higashiyama

One of my favorite areas to visit in Kyoto is the Higashiyama area because of the various machiya, old buildings and unique shops. Although it can get quite busy and crowded around 10a.m., it remains relatively empty up until then, which is when I usually go :) The roads and sidewalks are empty except for a few other people and I relish the peaceful and quiet walk through small side streets and up the main ones such as Nene-no-michi, Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka. Despite the cloudy weather, I still enjoyed exploring streets that I've never walked down before and also visiting shops that I can never turn away from. 

Come around 8:00 and you'll have the entire street to yourself.

What I would give to be able to run through Higashiyama in the morning! 

I can never resist going into this chirimen shop because of the vast amount of items that they sell. If you want omiyage to bring back for friends and family, this is a good place to start :)

School trips mean rivers of middle school and high school students.

If you have time, Kodaiji Rakusho is a good place to stop by and enjoy some sweets and tea. I opted for their warabi mochi and although it was a tad bit expensive for me, it was one of the best ones I've ever had, and the koi pond and small garden outside was a bonus as well. 

Just look for this shop as you walk from Yasaka Jinja to Nene-no-michi and you'll find it :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Miyajidake Shrine: The Three Number Ones

My flight from Fukuoka to Kansai was mid morning, which gave me enough time to make a quick trip out to Miyajidake Shrine. The three gods of Empress Jingu, Katsumura Okami and Katsuyori Okami are enshrined here and many people come to pay their respects and to pray for business success and for their family's safety. My interest in coming was to see the oshimenawa, or giant straw rope, that decorates the main building. This is the largest rope in Japan, weighing in at five tons. Yep, a massive five TONS. It was gigantic and impressive. There is also a giant drum and bell which are the largest in Japan, giving them the title of "The Three Number Ones". Unfortunately, I was unable to get photos of the last two because of time constraints (missing my flight wouldn't have been very good...), but I was still grateful to be able to finally see the giant straw rope up close! Can you imagine how the shrine manages to hold up all that weight for years and years? O.o I just can't fathom it! Japan's shrines and temples never cease to constantly amaze me :)

Amazing view of the city from the top of the stairs.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Nanzoin Temple: Reclining Buddha

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! It hasn't been as hot in Kobe as it usually is so I have absolutely no complaints here :) Onto today's post now! ^^

Many people know about giant bronze Buddha statues in Kamakura and Nara, but the reclining Buddha at Nanzoin Temple isn't as well-known despite being one of the largest bronze statue in the world. Nanzoin Temple is about a twenty or twenty-five minute ride from Hakata and only a few minutes walk from Kido Nanzoin-mae Station. Numerous shrines are scattered around its complex (although I didn't have enough time to visit them. The mosquitoes did a wonderful job of keeping me away as well...) and the temple was actually moved from Mt. Koya, a famous pilgrimage destination located in Wakayama, in 1899. Nanzoin is also a famous for its Sasaguri Pilgrimage which is a 1,200km course that includes 88 temples.

While the daibutsu at Nanzoin may not be as tall as the ones in Kamakura and Nara, it has an impressive length of 41 meters and weighs in at 300 tons. Pay 500 yen and you can go inside the body! The reclining Buddha is quite rare to see in Japan since many of the statues seen are in a sitting pose so it was a first for me to see a daibutsu in this pose. 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!