From Taiwanese author Juntang Wang, a unique Kyoto kawadoko meal, perfect for hot summer months!
Sitting on the smooth tatami, listening to the river water rushing by as a cool breeze wafts through your hair, and digging into some traditional Japanese cuisineーthere are few dining experience that feel as authentically Kyoto as the tradition of kawadoko, or kawayuka (川床). Mainly found either next to the water of Kamogawa River, or directly over the rushing streams in Kibune, restaurants set up kawadoko seating along the river to savor the experience of the cool waters, and some spots even have seats where customers can stretch their toes right into the river. In the midst of Kyoto's humid summer weather, sitting down for a kawadoko meal is a uniquely refreshing way to escape the heat, and do so in the most impossibly elegant Kyoto way.
While the kawayuka (also called noryo-yuka, 納涼床) riverside terraces of Kamogawa River are conveniently located in downtown Kyoto, making them a popular destination, they're often 3 meters (10ft) or more away from the water. This time, I wanted to get much closer to the river itself, in Kibune.
The thing about kawadoko dining, however, is that it can get pretty pricy. The fancy seating generally comes with a high-class meal. So if that seems a little out of your budget, but the allure of kawadoko still pulls you in, then you can always look for kawadoko restaurants offering another Japanese summer specialty: chilled somen noodles. (Specifically "flowing somen"!) This gave me a chance to try out kawadoko for only about 1,000 yen!
Flowing somen (流しそうめん, nagashi somen) is often seen in anime, but the dish certainly isn't made up. The noodles are sent flowing down bamboo pipes filled with running water, which carries the somen to waiting diners. This method of eating somen is somewhat rare these days, but with the flowing water keeping the noodles fresh and chilled, it's worth visiting Kibune for the experience.
But! It turns out that actually eating flowing somen isn't as easy as I thought it would be, The water flows surprisingly quickly, and I kept missing the noodles as they shot right past me! Even when my hands moved fast enough, sometimes the slick noodles would slip right between my chopsticks, escaping my grasp.
So, if you're like me and your hand-eye coordination isn't great, it takes a bit of concentration to eat a full meal. If you don't act fast (quite literally), you're going to miss out on any somen at all! But when you do catch some, you'll be rewarded with deliciously cold noodles, perfect for the summer heat. Only available from June to September, don't miss it!
Hirobun (ひろ文)
87 Kuramakibunecho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto
Official Website
The contents of this article are from the book "Yokai, Cat Island, Mount Fuji, A Map of My Travels in Japan" (妖怪、貓島、富士山,我在日本旅圖中) by Juntang Wang, originally published in Chinese by Inno-Fair. The book isn't available in English, but if you enjoyed the illustrations, you'll find purchase links below. All of the details described above are from the author's travels in 2018, and may not be entirely up-to-date. Please check for the latest official information before making any plans!
Buy the book ▶
Books.com.tw | Eslite | Cite | Kingstone
Follow the author ▶
Travel B Class
Read more exerpts at Japankuru! ▶︎
Gotanjoji – The Cat Temple | Odate, Akita – Home to the Loyal Akita Inu
Details
NAME:Hirobun (ひろ文)
PROFILE
All about the books we love, here at Japankuru!
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORESee Kyoto Clearly With Your New Glasses #japankuru #kyoto #jins #교토여행 #진즈 #京都 #교토수족관 #가모가와 #kamogawa #kyotoaquarium
A Very Special Trip on the Ferry Sunflower #japankuru #ferrysunflower #hokkaidotrip #japanexperience #japantrip #girlstrip #oarai #tomakomai #北海道 #北海道旅行 #茨城 #홋가이도 #일본선박여행 #토마코마이 #이바라키 #북해도 #페리여행 #여행에미치다 #여자끼리 #日本渡輪 #sunflower號 #坐船旅行 #日本女子旅 #日本體驗
Japanese Makeup Shopping • A Trip to Kamakura & Enoshima With Canmake’s Cool-Toned Summer Makeup #pr #canmake #enoshima #enoden #에노시마 #캔메이크 #japanesemakeup #japanesecosmetics
⚔️The Robot Restaurant is gone, but the Samurai Restaurant is here to take its place. Check it out, and don't forget your coupon! 🍣신주쿠의 명소 로봇 레스토랑이 사무라이 레스토랑으로 부활! 절찬 쿠폰 발급중 💃18歲以上才能入場的歌舞秀,和你想的不一樣!拿好優惠券去看看~ #tokyo #shinjuku #samurairestaurant #robotrestaurant #tokyotrip #도쿄여행 #신주쿠 #사무라이레스토랑 #이색체험 #할인이벤트 #歌舞伎町 #東京景點 #武士餐廳 #日本表演 #日本文化體驗 #japankuru #japantrip #japantravel #japanlovers #japan_of_insta
Japanese appliance & electronics shopping with our KOJIMA x BicCamera coupon! 用JAPANKURU的KOJIMA x BicCamera優惠券買這些正好❤️ 코지마 x 빅 카메라 쿠폰으로 일본 가전 제품 쇼핑하기 #pr #japankuru #japanshopping #kojima #biccamera #japaneseskincare #yaman #dji #osmopocket3 #skincaredevice #日本購物 #美容儀 #相機 #雅萌 #日本家電 #일본여행 #면세 #여행꿀팁 #일본쇼핑리스트 #쿠폰 #일본쇼핑 #일본브랜드 #할인 #코지마 #빅카메라 #japankurucoupon
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄