In a 2008 Guardian article, Sean Dodson chooses his ten favorite independent bookshops around the world. Among his choices, only one is in Asia and it is Keibunsha (恵文社) in Ichijoji, Kyoto. Ichijo-ji (一乗寺), a lovely neighborhood in northern Kyoto, may not be a fixture on every tourist’s list. Most foreigners come for the decent variety of ramen shops. We went because of Keibunsha, but Ichijo-ji turned out to be much more than just ramen diners and a cozy bookshop. With its wooden houses and hilly backdrop, a good wealth of old shops and restaurants, and a handful of temples and shrines, Ichijo-ji exemplifies what most people love about Kyoto, but without the tourist crowds of Higashiyama or Arashiyama. We spent a good few hours in Ichijo-ji, did a short walk near the small temple Shisendō (詩仙堂丈山寺), tasted some delicious dessert at Nakatani wagashi (中谷和菓子), shopped for traditional pickles (おゝみや児島詩仙堂店), lingered in Keibunsha Bookstore, and finished the day with a satisfying bowl of ramen at Takayasu (高安).
From Wife&Husband, we took a bus to Ichijo-ji. After getting off, we walked uphill through the tranquil residential neighborhood of Ichijoji Monguchicho (一乗寺門口町) towards Shisendō Temple (詩仙堂丈山寺). [2022.12.27]The shrine of the community guardians (地蔵尊) caught our attention as we entered the neighborhood. [2022.12.27]On our way uphill, we passed by the Torii gate of Hachidai-jinja Shrine (八大神社), a Shinto shrine located next to our destination Shisendō. [2022.12.27]With a stone and a pine tree, the fourth generation Ichijo-ji Sagari-Matsu Pine (一乗寺下り松) marks the place where a duel took place between Musashi Miyamoto (1584-1645), Japan’s most famous swordsman in history, and the Yoshioka family, one of the most prestigious fencing schools in the country at that time. [2022.12.27]Famous for its tranquil gardens, Shisendō (詩仙堂丈山寺) has been a retreat since it was built by poet Ishikawa Jozan in 1641. Today, the hillside complex remains a best kept secret in Kyoto. [2022.12.27]Flanked by tall bamboos, a short path brought us from the hillside street to Shisendō (詩仙堂丈山寺). [2022.12.27]Unfortunately, due to Covid 19, Shisendō (詩仙堂丈山寺) was closed on the day we visited. [2022.12.27]Perched on the hillside of Ichijoji Hayama (一乗寺葉山), the neighborhood around Shisendō is full of old timber houses and narrow alleys. [2022.12.27]On our way back down to Ichijo-ji town centre, we checked out a local shop selling traditional Kyoto pickles (おゝみや児島詩仙堂店). [2022.12.27]From Ichijo-ji , we picked up two pickles with Japanese pepper (さんしょう) back to Hong Kong. [2022.12.27]There are many places in Kyoto to try out wagashi (和菓子), the traditional Japanese confections that often go with green tea. In Ichijo-ji, Nakatani wagashi (一乗寺中谷) seems to be the place to go. [2022.12.27]At Ichijoji Nakatani, we ordered a special set, which included zoni soup (local white miso soup with taro, carrot, radish, and mochi), red streamed rice, sesame tofu, boiled seaweed, before we jumped into dessert. [2022.12.27]Our beautiful dessert: green tea tiramisu and matcha. [2022.12.27]Back into Ichijo-ji town centre, we wandered around to check out different shops. We crossed the tracks of Eizan Electric Railway at Ichijo-ji Station several times. [2022.12.27]Finally we arrived at Keibunsha Ichijoji Store (恵文社), probably the most famous “attraction” in Ichijo-ji. [2022.12.27]Other than books selected by staff, Keibunsha Ichijoji Store (恵文社) also offers a wide range of lifestyle products and design merchandises. We ended up getting the architectural monograph box set of three volumes on Kazuyo Sejima/ Ryue Nishizawa SANAA published by TOTO. [2022.12.27]A simple decorative lights adjacent to Keibunsha Ichijoji Store (恵文社) further enhanced the ambience of the shopfront at the magic hour of the day. [2022.12.27]Before dinner, we stopped by the paper shop Ritendo. We were attracted by the vintage letterpress printing machines in the shop. [2022.12.27]Some say Ichijo-ji is the ramen capital in Kyoto. Among the dozens of ramen shops in the neighborhood, we picked a humble ramen shop called Takayasu (高安). [2022.12.27]It was a wonderful way to end our day with a hearty ramen dinner. [2022.12.27]
Blue Lapis Road 