In mid-November 12:30, I came to Kaohsiung to see the autumn leaves and was lucky to find a window seat available while strolling. The door was half open, so it was cold. Being on the shady side of the mountain valley, it's best to dress warmly! [Food consumed] ◯ Yudofu (single item) x2 ◯ Herring soba... The view was really great! It was the perfect time to see the autumn leaves. I planned to eat a lot at night, so I had a light meal. The Yudofu was delicious and plentiful. The herring soba was served in the same style as the Yudofu, warming up my body. Nearby, there was Nishimyoji Temple, so after eating, I went to visit. The red autumn leaves were stunning, and the many Buddha statues were amazing. I came here after seeing the 2022 "Let's go to Kyoto!" commercial, and I'm glad I did. I recommend visiting on a sunny day!

In spring, I went for a walk around the temples in Kyoto and found a restaurant called "Matsugemon" where I wanted to try their soba noodles while enjoying the view of the stream. However, there was a notice saying they were closed for the prevention period, so I couldn't go in. It's not their regular day off. I continued walking towards the next temple, passing by some not-so-appealing diners along the way. Finally, I came across a place called "Shigetsutei" which had a rustic charm. The sliding door made a creaking sound when I opened it, adding to the atmosphere. The location was perfect, overlooking the stream with beautiful autumn leaves. I decided to try the herring soba, which surprisingly came in a paper pot. It looked like a fancy dish, even though the portion was small. The herring was sweet and the soba noodles were a bit slimy, maybe due to insufficient boiling water. The seating area had low chairs, which was a nice touch. There were plenty of parking spaces, probably because it gets crowded during peak seasons.

The scenery is beautiful! You can park your car when playing in the river. (Paid)

The soba noodles are delicious and the location is great. If the herring soba noodles are only 1000 yen, then it's definitely worth it.

On November 13, 2016, I woke up early to go see the autumn leaves in Kyoto. I arrived at Takayama Temple at 9 am and visited the Founder's Hall, Main Hall, and Sekisuiin Temple. After enjoying some matcha at Sekisuiin Temple, I moved on to Nishimyoji Temple. Before crossing the bridge leading to Nishimyoji Temple, I decided to take a break at Shigetsutei, a teahouse next to the bridge. It seemed like they had just opened as there were no other customers yet. I sat in a tatami room by the window in the back and ordered zenzai (600 yen). After a short wait, the zenzai arrived, accompanied by a type of simmered kelp instead of salted kelp. Although I'm used to salted kelp, the simmered kelp was also delicious! The zenzai was warm and perfect for the slightly chilly season. It was sweet and comforting, and I felt refreshed. The view of the autumn leaves on the bridge from the back of the tatami room was also beautiful. Thank you for the meal. After this, I went to Nishimyoji Temple, a famous spot for autumn leaves.

On November 13, 2016, after visiting Yufuin where the autumn leaves had started to change, I woke up early and went to Kyoto with a friend to admire the autumn foliage in the hidden gem of Kyoto, Takao. We parked our car at Takaoji Temple parking lot before 9 am, and first visited the World Heritage site, Takaoji Temple, where we saw a replica of the national treasure "Choju-jinbutsu-giga" and enjoyed matcha tea in the guest room. Since there were not many autumn leaves at Takaoji Temple, we decided to walk 700 meters to the famous autumn foliage spot, Nisonin Temple. Before crossing the Tsukihashi Bridge to Nisonin Temple, we found a newly opened dining place called Tsukizuki-tei. We sat at a table by the window overlooking the Tsukihashi Bridge surrounded by beautiful autumn leaves. We ordered zenzai for 600 yen, which was served hot and was perfect for the chilly weather in the mountains of Takao. After a relaxing break, we crossed the Tsukihashi Bridge surrounded by autumn foliage and arrived at the main gate of Nisonin Temple, where the contrast of the colorful autumn leaves against the clear blue sky was stunning. The temple grounds were filled with vibrant red autumn leaves, and many foreign tourists were busy taking photos. We then walked along the river for 500 meters and climbed 400 steps to reach another famous autumn foliage spot, Jingoji Temple. Enjoy your meal!

This is a restaurant that I visited while strolling through the autumn leaves in Kyoto. It was a November weekend, and after visiting Kinkaku-ji and Nijo Castle, I decided to take a break and stop by this place. The restaurant was located in a quieter area slightly outside the city center, which was a nice change of pace. I ordered the Yamazato set meal for lunch, which included sweetened trout, assorted side dishes, grated yam strips, a small side dish of mushrooms and greens, rice, red miso soup, and pickles. The food arrived very quickly, almost too quickly, which made me wonder if it was all pre-made. The sweetened trout was cold but tender, and the grated yam strips were crunchy and tasty. The rest of the meal was average, typical of a set meal at a casual dining spot. The price felt a bit high for what was offered. The seating was in a spacious tatami room, but it was cold inside with no heating. The restroom was a bit of a walk away and was a traditional Japanese style toilet, which I found uncomfortable. Overall, it was a decent meal but there were some aspects that could have been improved. This was my lunch experience during a day of enjoying the autumn leaves in Kyoto.

I was taken to see the autumn leaves at Takao. It was said that you could eat while looking at the autumn leaves from the window, but unfortunately, the leaves fell early this year, so when we went, they were dried up. However, I think it would be really beautiful if the autumn leaves were still there. We sat in a large room and had yudofu while sitting on tatami mats, and the atmosphere was nice, so that alone was satisfying. The seasoning was old-fashioned Kyoto style, not particularly delicious, but still had a warm and cozy time. Maybe because it was yudofu. Oh...the tempura was delicious. However, the staff had a friendly vibe like a local diner lady, which was nice, but a bit disappointing. I thought it would be better to have a more formal feeling to feel a sense of luxury. I want to go and relax next year when the autumn leaves are beautiful.

I went to Kaohsiung to see the autumn leaves and stopped at a tea shop on the way. The attitude of the staff was not very good. Even though the tea was inexpensive, their behavior was not ideal. Their tone of voice was soft, but their gestures were sloppy. The matcha tea was weak, and the mochi in the zenzai was only the size of a sugar cube, just two pieces. The red beans were delicious, but overall, it was disappointing.