“Japan is a constant postcard.” I had only been in the Asian country for a few hours and Ana Cristina Portillo was already fascinated. And since the designer and her husband have set foot there, they have not stopped being surprised by what they are seeing and experiencing. Kyoto is the first stop on your honeymoon and the choice couldn’t have been better. A city designed centuries ago to be the imperial capital in which they have begun to immerse themselves in a journey to the past in their magnificent temples, more than 2000! –many of them World Heritage Sites–, but also enjoying the autumn colors of its unique gardens, entering its forests, soak in spirituality and taste the cuisine kaiseki.
© mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock PhotoFor your stay, the just Married They have decided on the Ace Hotel Kyoto, an accommodation boutique that fuses ancient art with contemporary modernity and houses three restaurants with renowned chefs at the helm. Its excellent location – 10 minutes from the Nishiki market and Shijo Street, and connected to the Karasuma Olike south station – and the excellent breakfast that they offer to their guests and that Ana Cristina has shown to her followers on the networks, make It is a perfect option in the heart of the city. Near the hotel is Kappa Sushi, the couple’s first choice for dinner in Kyoto, where they were able to give a good account of the fame of the sushi and sashimi of this place.
© @acehotelkyotoThe image of ancient Japan is hidden in this city 500 kilometers from Tokyo touched by tradition in its temples and shrines and one of the favorites of tourists who come to Kyoto, it began on the first day of Ana Cristina and Santiago Camacho: Kinkaku-ji or Golden Pavilion, from the 19th century, but rebuilt after a fire in 1950. With the help of Fujio, their guide, they have been able to see their idyllic image reflected on a lake, light a candle or admire the statue of the phoenix that crowns it. “It symbolizes rebirth, it is there to show that you can always start again and it brings good luck and protection,” says the designer.
The Kinukake no Michi trail links Kinkau-ji with two other beautiful temples of great spiritual importance, Ninna-ji, and the most visited in Ryoan-ji, famous for its Zen garden, that to the little sister of Alejandra, Eugenia and Claudia Osborne “it transmits immense peace.” In it they have contemplated the image of Benzaiten, goddess of the Hindu religion and later converted into guardian of Buddhism, one of the 7 deities of happiness and protector of the arts. They have also been able to admire Amida, the Buddha of the Pure Land, “a guide who accompanies souls towards eternal peace” and see his dry garden, with its stones, moss and raked sand, “a space for meditation and reflection”. Ana Cristina Portillo explains: “They are dry because they symbolize the essence of nature and help us contemplate. And he adds: “It has a Buddhist teaching behind it, that, although we believe we have a complete vision of things, there is always something else that we cannot perceive. “It is a reminder of the limits of our perspective and the importance of maintaining a humble attitude.”
© Sean Pavone / Alamy Stock PhotoThe newly married couple has also been able to visit Tenryu-ji, the “temple of the heavenly dragon”one of the main tourist attractions of Arashiyama at any time of the year, but, above all, in autumn, to see its garden of momiji, the change in color of tree leaves, which has already started, as you can see in the image of your stories.
© Benny Marty / Alamy Stock PhotoBut Arashiyama, to the west of the city, is especially known for its bamboo forest, which has caused great admiration in the newly married couple, who has shared with their followers everything they learned during their visit, such as that bamboo grows very quickly, it can reach up to one meter a day and reach 20 meters in height in about 2 or 3 months. , that some stems are cut to avoid overpopulation, that it is so strong that in some cultures it is used to build scaffolding and bridges or that the sound of the wind between the bamboos is soft and relaxing, like a rustling of leaves and is declared one of the 100 sounds of Japann that must be preserved.
© Travel Wild / Alamy Stock PhotoTo get to your next stop, the enigmatic Fushimi Inari, The couple had to take the subway, because it is located on the outskirts of the city. A succession of zigzag temples that extend along a photographic path flanked by torii. Inari is the deity that protects agriculture and brings fortune in business, which is why, the designer tells us, “at the entrance to the temple there are two foxes. One carries the key to the rice store in his mouth, which represents protection and access to rice, a symbol of abundance and well-being in Japan. The other wears a jewel that represents prosperity, success in business and spiritual power.”
© Sean Pavone / Alamy Stock PhotoIt is impossible not to be infected by the magic of that infinite tunnel that is like a passage to nowhere and “it’s full of tourists… until you start getting closer to the top of Inari Mountain (which few climb).” They achieved it and once at the top they were able to contemplate Kyoto with a privileged view. “Along the way towards the top Inari You can see small cemeteries or tombs and monuments. “They are people or families who have made offerings to Inari and the orange arches that are seen, called torii, are donations that symbolize gratitude or requests for prosperity.”
The couple’s stay in Kyoto has also included some stops to enjoy gastronomy. They have had sweets with sugared beans, matcha tea with gold or wagyu ramen and other Japanese specialties that, following the recommendation of their guide, have taken them to Tkushia Ramen Todai and, above all, Itoh Dining, a fusion-style teppanyaki restaurant and refined air where its tasting menus are enjoyed with the views and the murmur of the nearby stream. Ana Cristina Portillo is clear, “one of the places where I have eaten the best in my life and you already know that I really like to eat.”
