Slow travel near Kyoto: Matcha, Ceramics & Secret Castle Ruins

Slow travel near Kyoto: Matcha, Ceramics & Secret Castle Ruins

Hello again everyone! On today’s video we have some nice trips you can do from Kyoto. We think it’s less stressful to stay in one city and travel to nearby places during the day. Kyoto is perfect for that. But before we go anywhere, we need matcha. 😁 Onn is a quiet tea house in a traditional machiya. It’s very peaceful and cozy. They serve matcha in your favourite chawan. And have delicious seasonal wagashi. The interior garden brings in a soft, comfortable light. It feels like time slows down a bit in here. Their teas are very good and go well with the delicate wagashi. Onn is the perfect place if you want to relax and have a real Japanese experience. Matcha tastes better in authentic bowls. ☺️ Sometimes there’s a line but even when the tea house is full, the ambiance is calm. Thank you for the meal. Now we are well fed, we can travel. Did you know you can go from Kyoto to Osaka in 30 minutes by shinkansen? Or if you take the local train, it’s cheaper and less than an hour. This museum has an extensive collection of important ceramic works from Korea, China and Japan. Their collections include twelve Important Cultural Properties… and two National Treasures. Like this 12th-13th century tenmoku tea bowl. It’s mesmerizing… Over the years, more collections and important pieces were gifted to the museum. The Korean celadon pieces are amazing. The galleries are carefully designed and you feel the importance of each piece. The museum’s mascot is an adorable tiger called MOCO (Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka). He was cleverly taken from an 18th century Korean vase that you can see in the atrium. The building has resting spaces where you can relax and enjoy the view of the river. It’s easy to forget you are in the bustling city of Osaka. The birds seem to enjoy the space too. As we continue trhough the galleries, we find more impressive works. It’s exciting to look around and see pieces with such rich history. This tenmoku bowl from the 13th century is an Important Cultural Property. And this spottted celadon bottle is a National Treasure.
It was made in the 14th century during the Yuan dynasty. If you like East Asian pottery and are looking for a place to wind down in Osaka, this is the place to go. Here’s one last Important Cultural Property before we leave. A jar from the Ming Dynasty 🤩 It’s nice to find quieter places off the usual beaten track. The museum is in the Nakanoshima park so you can also enjoy nice walk by the river. Our next side trip starts from Arashiyama. It’s very famous and can get very crowded… But we still managed to find quiet places away from the crowds. Arashiyama is about 30 minutes from Kyoto city center. It feels more open and closer to nature. If you go early in the morning, you can also avoid the lines. Have you ever seen an % Arabica coffee with less people?
We haven’t. 😅 When we arrived, we saw more students than tourists. As we were getting hungry, we searched for breakfast. eXcafe is a quiet coffee house with a nice internal garden you can enjoy from your table. We had the dango and toast set with iced coffee and matcha. You have your own little grill to toast your cute cat bread and the fresh dangos. We enjoyed the delicious food and the calm space. As we left, we could see a lot more tourists.
They were all going to the bamboo forest. Not us! We took the sight-seeing train that leaves from Arashiyama and moves along the Hozu river. To be fair, it is very touristy and crowded as you wait to board the train. But seats are reserved so once you are on the train, you can quietly enjoy the scenery. Hi 👋 In the summer heat, it’s nice to feel the breeze and see the lush green trees covering the mountains. On the way back, you can also take a boat or a raft down the river. The 25-minute ride is very pleasant. Most people seemed to take the normal train back straight away. But we wanted to explore Kameoka, where the train arrives. While exploring, we found a very nice site with lots of trees and the ruins of a castle. The Tanba Kameyama Castle was built in 1577 but destroyed in the Meiji period. Not a lot remains from the castle. But the impressive stone walls were rebuilt in the beginning of the 20th century by the Oomoto religious organisation. Who have their headquarters on the same grounds. Today’s exploration is done. Time to go back to Kyoto. It was an enjoyable day in Arashiyama and Kameoka.
We hope to go back again in another season. Thank you for watching until the end.
Don’t forget to follow us for more japan, ceramic and food ☺️

Join us as we explore peaceful, off-the-beaten-path destinations near Kyoto, continuing our journey to find authentic Japanese inspiration and delicious food.

In this video, we:
– Start with a traditional matcha experience in Kyoto, because matcha is a must!
– Visit an incredible ceramics museum in Osaka, showcasing exquisite Japanese pottery
– Enjoy a scenic train ride from Arashiyama to Kameoka, ending at a hidden castle ruin

If you love Japanese culture, ceramics, and slow travel adventures, be sure to subscribe for more videos and inspiration!

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Timecodes
00:00 Intro
00:48 Onn Café
02:36 Museum of Oriental Ceramics (Osaka)
06:16 Arashiyama
08:41 Sagano Romantic Train
10:09 Tanba Nameyama Castle Ruins

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