We are going to be spending the next 72 hours visiting three of japan's most iconic cities.
I love japan, i love it, i love it, i love it.
We'll start in osaka, which is nicknamed japan's kitchen one of the best things i've ever eaten.
Then we'll head to nara, home of the famous bowing deer, and we'll end the trip in the ancient city of kyoto.
This is actually incredible.
This is going to be our fourth trip to Japan and we have completely fallen in love with this country.
On our previous trips we skied the world famous powder of Niseko, visited the world's snowiest city of Omori, watched the snow monkeys relax in the hot springs.
Learn from the samurais.
Live with the monks.
We've ridden some of the world's most amazing trains and eaten our body weight in sushi and ramen.
If you're asking yourself how we're still eating, i am asking myself the exact same question.
But even with all the amazing and interesting experiences that we've had, somehow there is still so much more to do.
So in this video, we'll be taking you to three of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
And Osaka will bring you along for one of the most delicious and fun food tours we've ever been on anywhere in the world.
This happened.
I feel like it's usually me pushing you to do things.
This is the best day of my life.
In Nara, we'll show you the reality of a city that attracts almost 10 million tourists a year to feed wild deer.
And in Kyoto we'll take you around to some of the most iconic sites and end the trip with a bang.
We've never been to any of these places.
So, whether you're planning your next trip or you just want to see what all the hype's about, join us and we'll show you what it's like to visit these places for the very first time.
Good morning from rainy Osaka.
This is Not exactly the weather we were hoping for, but we only have 24 hours here, so we are going to make the most of it.
We are starting the day at Osaka's largest tourist attraction.
This is the Osaka Castle.
We got here right when they opened at 9 am and it's raining and there are still this many people here.
I can't imagine what it looks like on a sunny afternoon.
Must be a really good castle.
Even though it's raining, the fall trees with the castle as the backdrop is absolutely beautiful.
Imagine if all this was a line to get in though, Kara.
All right, we've gone all in on tourist mode.
Got the audio guide on this little Motorola cell phone.
We're currently on the eighth floor of the observation deck, overlooking all of these gorgeous fall trees and all of Osaka.
Then we're going to make our way down one floor in time, where I will probably read every single sign.
So this might take a while two hours later.
So the osaka castle was originally built in 1586 by the guy who unified japan, and it's been destroyed rebuilt destroyed, rebuilt.
Overall thoughts on the castle the outside is definitely the highlight.
The inside has no castle parts like the original castle left.
It doesn't feel like a castle, like you're not like a museum.
You're not touring the castle.
You're looking at artifacts which, speaking of all of the best parts, were on the third and fourth floor, where you're not allowed to take pictures.
By far the highlight was the 3 that we spent so Kara could put one of the helmets on.
Oh, it is heavy.
It's like at least 10 pounds.
Can you imagine trying to fight in that?
This is going on the mantle for sure.
You get a tiny photo for free or you could pay like $10 for a big nice one.
Good times.
All right, moving on.
Oh my gosh.
Do you remember when we just walked right in?
We definitely made the right decision getting here as soon as it opened.
There was no line here about an hour ago.
Hi.
Stop number two is probably what I am most excited about today.
I have seen these fluffy viral pancakes online for years, and I cannot wait to try them.
But I naively thought we could just walk in to the best pancake restaurant in all of Osaka.
Turns out, there's a screen you grab a ticket and we waited over an hour, but I think it's all gonna be worth it.
Arigatou gozaimasu.
Not sure I've ever seen Nate this excited about food.
This is usually my job.
They're so fluffy and jiggly.
It's a moment in years in the making.
Just melt it in your mouth and then I cream.
Mmm, that matcha syrup is about to get even better.
We're en route to our next destination, but I think I've figured out a better way to explain those pancakes.
Imagine like the fluffiest, lightest pancake you've ever had, combined with meringue, like that white stuff that you would find on top of a pie.
It's the lightest, fluffiest, most melt in your mouth pancake I've ever had.
How sweet.
He gave me tissue paper.
I don't know why.
I love Japan.
For stop number three, we are at a temple that is 530 years old.
And legend has it that this is where the samurais would come to be taken care of after battle by the monks, both spiritually and physically.
And now it's also a spa.
But not just any spa.
This is going to be a special experience.
Nate was most excited about the pancakes, and I was most excited about this.
Wow, pancakes straight into a massage.
What a day.
That was really special.
Usually, I like my massages really hard.
I don't have bruises when I leave and it wasn't hard enough.
But this was just a completely different experience.
It was so gentle.
Like the bamboo was hot.
Like it was almost like she was massaging my soul.
It was like a spiritual experience right now.
This just looks like a normal storefront that you would just walk right by, but we've heard they have a secret.
Look at the size of these bottles.
Our sake master said that in a clay cup like this, he thinks the softest taste, the softest tasting.
I've only had one sip of sake.
He thinks the taste is softer and better.
I think it changes it.
I don't know, maybe it's in my head.
I do feel cooler drinking out of this.
So you walk into this building that from the outside looks closed.
And then, once you get inside, it looks just like a sake shop, like where you would buy a bottle to take home.
But then this old man came out of nowhere, pointed us downstairs, and now we're in the basement that has a couple tables.
We have a sake master picking us out different sakes to taste.
It's a dream.
It's such a cool experience.
Okay, so we don't reuse the glasses.
There are rules down here.
You don't use the same glass twice, you don't share glasses and you don't use the internet, because you're here to enjoy the sake.
28 years!
I was only six years old when this was made.
27 years old, just like me.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Ooh, I like this one a lot.
It feels more like dark fruit.
Ah, yeah.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Nailed it.
He probably does that to everyone.
People is like a sake dungeon.
Yes.
Sake dungeon.
I knew that was going to be a cool experience, because drinking sake in a basement in Japan is already cool.
But that was like over the top awesome.
Turns out it is a family-run business.
Their grandfather started it over 70 years ago.
Dad is the one that led me down the stairs.
The son is the one that did our tasting.
And each glass we tried was less than $2.
And he said, bring all of your friends.
So this is me inviting you to come to this amazing sake place.
Plus they gave me an origami samurai hat.
Kinda feels full circle after our samurai bamboo massage.
Yay!
Let's go eat.
Food tour time!
Wow.
Kinda feels like Times Square.
So Osaka is nicknamed the Kitchen of Japan, and this dates all the way back to the 1600s, during the Edo period, when this was the main trading hub for rice and other staple foods in Japan.
And that nickname continues today because the city continues to be a food obsessed city, with a rich culinary culture and abundant fresh seafood and produce.
So it only felt fitting that we go on a food tour, which is something that used to be a staple here on the channel.
That we haven't done in a very long time, so we've enlisted the help of a local who's going to take us around the curamon market and help us find all the most delicious and most interesting foods.
This is the place to be right now.
Actually crazy, cannot see where it ends.
It's so nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Yes.
We're going to leave this crazy crowded place for now.
Go try some foods in another area.
Then we're going to come back here at nighttime because Maria said it's much better when all the lights are up.
Do i look like him?
If you go in there?
Do they yell at you when you eat sushi?
Oh no, are they angry?
No, this is amazing.
I'm loving all the effort that these restaurants are putting in to try to stand out and apparently this restaurant with the dragon his tail used to extend over past the other restaurant and the other restaurant got mad and they made them cut the tail off, so they put a little tear coming out of the dragon's eye.
That is so sad!
At the same time, we are also laughing.
This is one of the great things about tours like so many fun things that I would just walk by and have no appreciation for if I didn't know the history behind it.
This is crazy, like this is one road off of that crazy busy road.
My ears were just like, ah.
There was so much noise.
This is what I'm going to look like at the end of the night.
These are always the restaurants I walk by and I'm like, ooh, that's a good place.
We're actually going to one now.
Arigatou gozaimasu.
The sake continues.
These cups are much smaller.
Kanpai.
Kanpai.
Oh my gosh.
He served it on a paddle.
Yes.
Arigatou gozaimasu.
Fried tofu.
Oh, the grill marks.
Let's go.
This is the best tofu I've had in Japan.
I saw him dip this corn in a bucket of soy sauce twice and then put it back on the grill.
But most importantly, this is called onigiri.
Simply put, it's a rice ball.
And what makes this special is Nate and I have been eating the 2 onigiris from 7-Eleven since 2016 and it's one of my favorite foods in Japan.
I'm excited to have an official one, especially one that's hot.
One of the best things I've ever eaten.
It's just so savory and crunchy.
That was a lot of food for our first stop.
But one of the things that makes this building so cool is it's over 100 years old, which is actually rare in this part of Osaka, because it was heavily bombed during World War II.
So that building's been there for over 100 years.
The restaurant is over 77 years old.
And getting to watch everything cooked right in front of you was just so cool.
Delicious first stop, but i think the food's gonna get more interesting from here.
So i know we're on a food tour, but i just find this absolutely fascinating.
This is a car elevator or a parking garage here in osaka, because they don't have room for like a full parking structure, so you drive in and then your car gets taken up the elevator and stored and then, when you want it, they bring it back down.
Fascinating next time.
Love that.
Just some go-karts at the stoplight.
I love japan.
Our next stop is the seafood market, where something may or may not be on fire.
Maria told us that even if it's just a very small fire, they still bring all the fire trucks.
Oh yeah, nate and i are like flies.
We love light.
Like any time there's a good street with lights, we're like woohoo, let's go down this one.
We're officially in the fish market.
Even if your eyes were closed, you would know you're in the fish market.
We're getting something.
It's okonomiyaki.
They sometimes call it Japanese pizza because you can choose the toppings.
All the fish flakes look like they're alive.
Like I think the heat is like cooking them.
Okonomiyaki is known as Osaka's soul food.
It's like one of the number one things you have to eat when you're here.
The base of it is made from flour, egg, tempura, and cabbage.
Quite a bit of cabbage.
Oh, it's very soft.
Very soft, yes.
Okay.
The inside is very juicy and savory.
It feels like a comfort food.
I can see why they love it.
I'm into it.
Maria was telling us that this food actually has a really interesting history.
So after World War II, there wasn't enough rice to go around.
So the US was sending rations of flour.
So they started combining that flour with cabbage and other things.
And that's when this became a staple food here in Osaka.
This is us taking the Metro to our next stop.
I'll never feel the same about Metro.
You know, you know.
That was probably the most unique Metro that we've ever ridden.
It was like super retro, vintage, but like nice.
This neighborhood is local than where we were.
So in this place, it's local prices.
They don't increase the prices here because they don't want locals to go away.
Yeah, it feels like a totally different place from one subway stop away.
Now they put bungee jump.
Don't tell Nate that.
I had a dream last night that Nate made me bungee jump.
I didn't even know they had it here.
It's a sign.
It's a sign.
Kara actually told me when she woke up this morning that she had a dream that we went bungee jumping and then she forgot to record it.
So I made her go a second time.
And that was her nightmare that she woke up to.
I'm not sure what that says about me or our relationship.
I didn't feel good about it when she told me this story.
If you tickle the food, it will give you happiness.
Get in on that.
Okay.
Wow.
We have a 30 minute time limit.
We are definitely going to places that I wouldn't have just chosen to walk in right off the street, which I absolutely love.
Do you hear how crispy that is?
Okay, fried gyoza is one of my favorite foods in the world that I never get.
Somehow they've made all of these dumplings and then fried them all together into one.
So juicy and salty on the inside.
And this crunch, it's like a cracker on the other side.
Something about that contrast.
I might be doing something crazy.
They're closed, we're going in.
Yay.
Wow.
What's the name?
Kampai!
You want some of mine?
No, thank you.
I'm done.
I'm done.
You have gone wild tonight.
I got a beer.
I feel a little crazy.
Kara got the snake whiskey.
This is very unlike me.
So I was told the reason I was sold on it is the elderly farmers here say that they take a sip of this every morning before they go out in the field because it has 13 different herbs and gives them strength.
All right.
Oh, it's Okinawan.
Oh, and it's a local experience.
We're in Osaka, but OK.
All right, quit stalling.
Does it have any bite?
It just kind of like slithers right down.
It's really fang good.
It really rattles me.
I feel like I have to.
I can't just let you be the only one.
I don't want this at all.
That looks so disgusting.
I feel like it's usually me pushing you to do things.
I just can't get the snakes out of my head.
Last time you saw me in here, it was just a wooden box, but now it's a sauna.
Finally got our heater hooked up and it's hot, really hot and getting hotter as we speak.
Anyway, sometimes you can find me drinking snake whiskey in Japan and other times Adewon in a sauna.
The ice I put in here is already melting, holy cow.
I'm just here to say thank you to Adewon for sponsoring this video and supporting our channel since 2020.
Nate and I have been drinking AG1 for six years now.
We don't go anywhere without it because, since we're traveling majority of the time, we don't always have control over our diets.
And I would say most of the time, we are missing out on some major nutrients that our bodies need to function optimally.
But thankfully AG1 helps us fill in so many of those nutritional gaps, because just one scoop contains all sorts of vitamins minerals superfoods, functional mushrooms antioxidants, pre and probiotics all things that help support our immunity, our energy levels, our gut health, like bloating and digestion, and even our nervous system and mood.
I don't know anyone who doesn't want improvement on all of those things.
So to me Age One is a no-brainer.
Plus, it is so easy.
It takes two seconds, and I just feel so much better the rest of the day.
Great way to start the day.
I highly recommend it to everyone in my life.
We've shared it with so many people and they all love it.
And I know you will too.
So if you've been thinking about trying, I see you.
Now is the time.
Give it a try.
And if you click our link in the description below or scan this QR code here on the screen, you'll get an AG1 flavor sampler, which is three of these travel packs, and a bottle of vitamin D3K2 free in your welcome kit with your first AG1 subscription, which is a 72 value.
Okay, thanks for watching.
Gotta get out of here.
What is happening right now?
Singing.
You know this part.
More of a private karaoke guy.
He's basically paid to clap and be happy for you.
Thank you, this is the best day of my life.
Now it's hard to sing after you.
One hour later.
Thank you.
Wow, that is something we have dreamed of doing for so long stepping into one of those tiny bars.
I can go home now, and we've always been too intimidated, but it finally happened tonight.
Our second to last stop is for breaded skewers, which is Something that was invented after World War II, when the city was being rebuilt.
The workers needed a quick snack to be able to grab and then get back to work.
So that's how these originated.
And if you look up at the top of the building there's the same angry man that we saw, much bigger in the very touristy district.
But this is the original shop.
It's been here since 1929, before covid.
The rule is you only have to dip it once and the angry man face.
He is angry because just to remind people that you have to dip it once no, twice dipping.
So he was holding the skewers, the breaded skewers.
After the COVID they invented this one.
This is the traditional way.
This is a traditional way.
Community bowl.
No double dipping.
Apparently the ingredients of the sauce is only known by three people.
I have a stick of fried garlic and I could not be more excited.
One dip.
You just drank steak juice and said it was good.
You lost all.
What's the word I'm looking for?
It has the consistency of, like, a chicken nugget.
I wish I could go back for seconds on the sauce.
Oh, I can't.
It's this.
The angry man is angry.
Uh-oh.
Sorry.
Please don't strike me with lightning.
The fun continues.
I want to go there just because of the sign.
We're back where we started for the beginning of the tour for one last finale dish.
And this place has transformed.
Maria was exactly right.
It's way better at nighttime.
There are so many lights and music and people.
The vibes are high.
Look, this is the Starbucks. where it all began.
I have a much fuller belly and a lot more core memories made.
This place was on the Michelin Guide.
And this is like the most traditional food you could eat in Osaka.
Oh yes, it's one of the soul foods of Osaka.
Okay, save the best for last?
Yes, that is right.
We have seen these little fried balls on every corner of Osaka.
Apparently you can't come to Osaka and not have Tokoyaki.
You're unlucky.
Takoyaki, the last dish.
Basically, fried octopus balls.
Look at that.
This is gonna be dangerous, isn't it?
Yes, not yet, not yet.
Not yet, okay.
I'm like your mom, not yet.
Don't force it.
Yeah, I'm scared.
Still hot?
Mom was right.
I told you.
I'm probably gonna wait forever.
It's good.
It's good, but so hot.
It's so savory.
I feel like the flavors that are in this, if I was Japanese, would be the flavors to like a Thanksgiving dinner.
Look how hot that still is though.
Back to the Thanksgiving analogy, now that I've had more time to process.
So at thanksgiving you have the dressing with the dark gravy and then the turkey, and in the takoyaki you have the dark sauce on top.
You've got the ginger inside, which i feel like gives it the herbs of the dressing, and then you've got the squid, which is the replacement for the turkey.
So it's like a thanksgiving ball with japanese flavors.
One last secret spot that will have to remain secret.
I don't even know what to say.
This is the cherry on top, not even the cherry on top.
This is like the foundation of this day.
We're walking down an alleyway and it's like i have this friend and we can go if you want.
And they're like what are you talking about?
She's like He pulls open this curtain on the side of the alleyway and we walk into this tiny little room.
Everyone walking by was like trying to look in here.
We just came in and closed the door.
It's like the sweetest Japanese man who's been working here since he was 20.
He's 80 now.
As far as 80 years old.
And he only lets people in tiny.
He's friends with this guy like him and his theater friends like come in here after their show.
He's got him playing on the tv and he just poured us hot sake.
Samurai style.
A very small shop is really Japanese style.
They want to have personal experience.
What an ending.
Thank you.
Okini!
Okini!
You were such an amazing guide!
This was the best field tour ever!
Thank you!
We'll remember you forever!
We'll see you next time!
Good morning.
Yesterday we made our way from Osaka to Kyoto, and Osaka, Kyoto and Nara all kind of sit in a triangle and they're only about a 30 minute train ride from each other.
So it probably would have been.
It made more sense for us to go from Osaka, hit Nara on the way and then come to Kyoto, but we were super lucky and were able to grab a last minute ticket on a sightseeing train that leaves here from Kyoto.
We're about to jump on a super cool train and head to Nara for the day.
This is us.
This is us.
Definitely worth moving cities to ride this train.
This train is sold out.
I don't even know how we got a ticket.
And we're off.
I've already said this is only 30 minutes.
Oh, look at that temple.
I believe there is a dining car, but just in case.
I brought my favorite Japanese snack, rice triangles from the family mart.
Ooh, fancy bathroom.
So this car is like a four person private suite.
We made it to the dining car.
We have a menu souvenirs, a set of file holders, a handkerchief, ice cream, roasted green tea sake, nuts.
OK.
Lunchtime.
You've watched us eat a lot lately, so we'll spare you.
But just know that, if I'm being honest, the sushi was average.
You should bring your own nice triangle when you do this.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Come by.
Living the dream.
We just arrived in Nara.
That was the fastest train ride of my entire life.
It literally felt like five minutes, but we're here and it was way better than a regular train and only 5 more.
Plus they had snacks.
Let's go to Nara.
That's where we're going.
Oh, can we touch them?
They're in the road.
They're everywhere.
I thought they were all enclosed.
They're wild.
They're wild?
They're wild.
Like they're choosing to be behind this fence.
I thought it was like a deer zoo.
If you're new here, I plan everything in the relationship and Kara just comes along for the ride and shows up that day.
I mean that in a very positive way.
She does a lot of other work, like editing all the videos, posting everything.
We have our roles in mind as planning, so I usually know quite a bit more about things coming into it than she does.
OK, this is actually crazy.
We're like a two minute walk from the train station.
And before you even get to the park, there are just deer everywhere.
So legend has it that a god rode in on a white deer.
And from then on out, the deer here in Nara became sacred.
And at one point, it was punishable by death to kill a deer.
But then after World War II there wasn't a lot of food, so they had to start eating the deer.
But now they're sacred again.
And it's pretty crazy.
They just wander around this park, they're on the sidewalks, they're in the street.
Oh, that's a fun noise.
And people are selling these little special deer crackers that you can feed them, but you're not allowed to touch them or chase them.
Although it seems like not everyone is following the rules.
That one's protecting its territory.
He's like, these are my crackers.
Oh, that one just bit him.
It's cool that there's so many and they're wild and that you can get up close, but I can't help but feel a little strange about it, considering how many people are abusing the system.
It's also pretty clear that all of the male's antlers have been cut off.
It also doesn't help that I'm a massive animal lover.
I don't know.
Hey bud, I don't have any food.
And it all does feel a bit weird, but it is so cool to be able to get this close to deer.
Like we live in Tennessee.
You don't get anywhere close to deer in Tennessee.
I'm sure they rely on these crackers for food every day and that's probably the majority of their diet.
So people need to feed them now for them to survive.
So I don't really know what you do about this situation.
Maybe back when Japan wasn't such a hot tourist destination, this probably worked really well.
Now it all feels a bit.
According to the rules, you're not supposed to hold them up and make them fight for it, make them wait for it.
You're supposed to give it to them.
And I think social media has caused people to break that rule so they can get a good photo.
I am a rule follower.
That's another part of this experience.
That's bothering me.
So another fun thing about these deer is that at some point they started bowing for food.
So the deer will actually bow to you.
Oh oh, that must have been a disappointment that i didn't have food.
Let me be clear there was a time in my life where i would have been all for this.
I would have bought all the crackers, fed as many deer as possible, but i don't know too old and mature to have any fun now.
Yeah, you're probably right.
Just on the other side of the deer park there is a massive temple and the deer are all around here too.
I think the rain is following us.
Nara is more than just deer.
It's a super cute city with a lot of really beautiful temples.
But the fun part is the deer just seem to be interspersed everywhere.
Speaking of which, we're at the bus stop.
This guy's just hanging out.
So mochi is a staple that you're going to find all over Japan.
It's glutinous rice that's steamed and then pounded to create this really stretchy texture.
And this mochi place here in Nara is super famous because it has the fastest pounding mochi master in the world.
Unfortunately, we missed the pounding.
That must happen in the morning.
And the mochi is still warm.
It's just falling out of my hands.
Look at this.
Whoa.
Mmm.
We have tried mochi before in Japan, but this is by far the best I've ever had.
There's a lot more of the mochi on the outside and a lot less of the red bean on the inside.
Mmm.
That is so good.
I don't think I've ever had a warm one before.
Fresh.
Fresh off the press, baby.
So we had planned to go on a little sunset hike to end the day, but I think, since it's raining, we're just going to head back to Kyoto on the normal train and we will see you in the morning for a full day of exploring the city.
Good morning.
We are up bright and early to make the most of our day here in Kyoto because there is so much to do.
And we are starting the day at the most popular shrine in the entire city.
It's actually a couple of minutes before sunrise right now.
So this is a rare moment for Kara and I.
And maybe to say the most popular shrine in other cities around Japan wouldn't necessarily be a big deal, but Kyoto is actually home to more temples and shrines than any city in all of Japan, because this was the imperial capital for over a thousand years.
There's over 2,000 temples and shrines here.
And it was one of the few major cities that was spared from bombing during World War II.
So they're all still here.
This is insane.
Worth getting up at sunrise for sure.
Ooh, that's a big statement.
Certainly these will be, Certainly these will be, Certainly these will be full by the end of the day.
The reason that this shrine is so popular is because there's over 10 000 of these red torii gates.
So if you've ever seen a picture like promoting travel to japan, you've probably seen a photo of this place.
This is actually incredible.
When do you think they're gonna get old, like right now?
Every section we enter, i'm like wow, this one's like a dark, moody vibe.
Kind of feels like you're going back into a cave.
We're alone.
It's just us.
Okay, I just googled how old these are.
They vary because they're a collection of mini gates, but the oldest structures are dating back to 711 AD.
I love this even more.
I feel like this is an OG.
Like who did this?
You're probably not supposed to touch it.
I know you like touching old things.
One thing that you can't see from the photos on the internet is just how far these keep going.
It looks like one little beautiful alley where everyone gets their photos, but there's actually a three mile trail around the shrine.
And so far, 90% of it has been covered in torii gates.
10000.
Torii gates is so many.
Kara was actually telling me there's a bit of a discrepancy.
Online, like 10000 is the google result that you'll get if you don't do any digging.
Some estimates say it's closer to like three or four thousand.
But then there are these mini shrines dotted all around the property.
They have like mini Tori Gates.
So maybe they're counting those in the 10000.
Either way, it's incomprehensible.
Super impressive either way.
So we just got to a crossroads where a lot of people turned around to go back down.
We're gonna keep going to the top.
We'll see if it's worth it.
What did I buy?
It's just coffee with milk.
There's a vending machine with hot coffee.
Only in Japan.
In a sacred shrine.
How good is that hot coffee on your hands?
It is so good.
So we are doing the full loop up to the top of Mount Inari and there are a lot of steps, but the extra effort is totally worth it.
We keep getting these beautiful little moments where It's just us, by ourselves, walking through the torii gates.
The sun's rising and it is pure magic.
This is one of, if not the most popular tourist attractions in all of Japan, so I was fully prepared to be fighting through crowds, even at sunrise.
It's magical.
That is the one word that I can think of to describe this place right now.
I would say the top is more about the journey.
Got some chainsaws going, construction, but it was totally worth it.
Some really, really old stones up here.
It's actually really cool walking back in the opposite direction.
So the torii gates just look plain on one side and then they have an inscription on the back, and that inscription is like the name of the person or the company that donated it.
The tory gate so like the small ones that we're walking through can cost anywhere from four to ten thousand dollars.
We just got back to the entrance and, as expected, it is packed.
This is the difference that two hours makes.
I've never been so happy that i was not lazy and i got up before the sun this morning.
I'm really proud of us, especially because I've had one cup of coffee and zero food today.
Our next stop is the Yasaka Pagoda, but you come here for more than just to see the beautiful pagoda.
This is in the Higashiyama neighborhood and it's one of the most well-preserved historic districts here in Kyoto.
But before anything else, coffee.
There's this super famous place we've heard such good things about.
Apparently it's all over the world, but the original is here in Kyoto.
So I waited in a very, very long line, and we'll see if it was worth it.
It's actually really good.
I think it lives up to the hype.
Hold on, I got two different beans.
I feel like when you can choose your bean, that's when you know it's fancy.
That would mean Starbucks is fancy.
No, Starbucks you choose like light roast or dark roast.
Like I got to choose the country that the bean came from.
And it had the tasting notes.
I think I like the arellica better.
You know that one.
This is one of the most well-preserved historic neighborhoods in all of Kyoto.
Apparently there are people dragging their suitcases down the stairs.
It was established in 1929.
So it's really cool to get to see what it would have been like living here almost 100 years ago.
There's all these small wooden buildings, tons of shops, restaurants and even more tourists, including us.
One thing is quickly becoming very apparent, and that's that there is a reason that all of these places are so crowded.
This neighborhood is stunningly beautiful, especially the temples up top.
I expected to be annoyed by all the tourists today, but it doesn't even matter.
Both places we've stopped so far have been spectacular.
For lunch today, we are at the Nishiki Market, which is nicknamed the Kitchen of Kyoto.
It's a narrow five block covered street that has hundreds of food stalls.
Wow, this is crazy.
I am so hungry.
We've been awake for so long and walking.
I'm almost at 14000 steps already before noon.
How are we going to choose?
I feel like i need to get my bearings like see what the options are, but i kind of want to go back and go to all those places dish number one acquired.
Some people find our vegetarian choices boring.
However, kyoto is known as the tofu capital of japan, so obviously i had to try it.
Tofu is one of my favorite foods.
This is actually a form of tofu i've never had before.
They call it kumiyaji yuba.
Yuba is like tofu skin, which is, when they boil the soy and they take the skin off the top, really high in nutrients and protein.
But i've never seen it this warm Probably the least appetizing looking dish in the entire market.
Apparently it has 21 grams of protein and three ounces.
It was actually really good with the wasabi.
And it was fun to try one I haven't tried before.
Not my favorite, but not the worst.
I also got fried tofu.
Fresh out of the fryer.
I'm sorry, I can't do it.
Oh my gosh, it was so hot.
My eyes are watering.
Oh my god.
I'm not kidding.
This is the best tofu I've ever had and I've had a lot.
Do yourself a favor, have a cultural experience and eat fried tofu in Kyoto.
So this guy is selling grilled flavored rice crackers.
And when you Google what to eat at the market, this is on the list.
So here we are.
We got two different flavors.
This one is seven spice.
Whoa, it's the best cracker I've ever had.
It starts off as just a regular cracker.
He grills it.
He dips it in some sauce.
He puts seasoning on top and then hands it to you.
I made an impulse purchase at the register.
They have these sticks and they call it a soft rice cracker.
It looks like a kebab.
I thought they were selling meat.
I think I love it.
Does the day get any better than this?
There's this little robot machine that was making them fresh right in front of us.
There's no Krispy Kreme donut.
Just gonna throw it out there.
They don't make desserts as sweet here in Japan, which is probably a good thing, but you know cultural experience.
This market basically has anything your taste buds could possibly desire.
So much seafood, Kyoto omelets being cooked fresh, Kobe beef.
And if you're feeling really adventurous.
One of the specialties here is these little baby octopus that are stuffed with quail eggs.
Not my thing, but the presentation is beautiful okay.
So, just like tofu and sake, kyoto's also known for their matcha because of their amazing water, and we just got matcha lattes from this beautiful shop right here on the shopping street.
I'm so excited.
I've had some of the best matchas of my life in Japan.
I don't know what they do differently, but it's just better.
And I believe this is the grand finale of our Nishiki Market experience.
From here, we're heading to another can't miss spot in Kyoto.
Oh, it's a cool food coma on the way here.
Ready to go see some bamboo.
Oh, looks like we're the only ones here.
The angle of that shot made it look like we're the only ones here, but we're not.
So this is the famous bamboo forest, and it was planted as early as 794.
And one fascinating thing that I learned when I was researching this is that this entire bamboo grove, all bamboo groves, are one single living organism.
They're all interconnected underground.
Some are super old, some are young.
They're kind of like constantly regrowing to replace the old ones.
Fun bamboo.
Fact number two bamboo is not a tree, it's a form of grass, and some of this grass is over 60 feet tall.
I don't know if anyone else has been seeing the news headlines about the bear attacks here in Japan, but the stats are actually crazy.
There have been over a hundred attacks this year, since April, and 13 deaths which, to put in perspective, I'm pretty sure is more than the US, Canada and Russia combined.
The crazy part is like it hasn't always been this way and we don't really know why the bears are kind of going after people all of a sudden.
We're not staying until sunset, that's for sure.
So the bamboo forest ended up being quite a bit smaller than we thought it was going to be.
There's really just kind of two main paths you can walk.
And we ended up with a little extra time.
So we paid to go on this temple next door that we had never heard of before.
And I am so glad we ended up here.
It is absolutely beautiful.
The grounds are stunning.
I know you've watched this eat a ton of food, but stick with us for one more meal, because I guarantee this is going to have the biggest wow factor and if you're coming to Kyoto, you're probably going to want to add this to your itinerary.
I put my hair back for safety reasons.
I know it's gonna be a good meal when you have to put a bow on.
Don't run away.
Don't put your arms in the bag and sit firm with your legs and bend yourself backwards.
I'm a little nervous.
So hot.
Okay, last okay, sorry.
That was awesome.
Do I still have eyebrows?
I feel like my forehead is burned.
That was crazy.
That was awesome.
The guy running the restaurant is the absolute best.
He just brings such a good vibe.
He's encouraging people to scoot their chair up so they're as close to the flame as possible.
She's wearing a name tag that says boss.
Oh my gosh.
I've never been so excited for a bowl of ramen in my entire life.
The ramen is just as good as the show.
It's fire.
All right, that feels like the grand finale.
Of Japan, this is it.
Do I have eyebrows?
Are they singed?
One noodle, only one, only one noodle.
It's a come on, come on, come on, come on.
Come on, come on, come on, come on.
Okay, it's okay.
It's okay, come on, come on.
Okay, that's the grandpa now.
I can't imagine being a rabbit.
It's, like, non-statement.
Maybe this is the one, like, you know, the head guy who doesn't actually try it.
Like, this is just to scare people off.
What was it called when you couldn't drink alcohol in the U.S.?
Prohibition.
It kind of feels like I'm in the Prohibition right now.
Getting new followers.
Yay!
Oh, that's us!
That's us!
I love Japan.
It's like a dollhouse, but Japanese.
I'm gonna close the little doors.
Nate, they made a painting of you!
Does it look like me?
It kinda.
It looks like you and your robe earlier.
Hi!
Are you the runner?
Yeah, I've never been called the runner before, but I like that.
