After leaving Mt. Fuji and stopping at Kyoto, the next stop is Kyoto, and if there is one place that best represents the traditional culture of the island nation, it must be there.

Kyoto, on a drizzly afternoon, I was sitting by the window of Hiiragi's house,

Watching the rain fall, time seems to stand still.

It was here that I became aware of the tranquility of old Kyoto.

- Yasunari Kawabata

When you arrive at your destination, it's already lit up, and you can choose Hiiragi, one of the legendary three royal families. Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata lived here when he wrote "The Ancient Capital".

With a history of nearly 200 years, it has become one of the most popular traditional inns in the island nation, and interestingly, Hiiragi's door is actually the oldest and most prestigious Tatatsuya among the Gosan.

The island version of ICBC VS China Construction Bank?

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, the evenings in Kyoto are surprisingly quiet, and the sound of birds fluttering their wings and landing on the branches seems to be close at hand.

With the help of the ceiling lights in the corridors and the light from the windows of the inn, I stepped on the stone path and walked through the slightly dimly lit alleys.

Emi pushed aside the holly branches and leaves, pushed open the wooden gate, and suddenly brightened up in front of her, and with the slight jingle of the rattle, she felt more and more surprised in her heart from the earthly world to the paradise......

Soon after the rattle returned to calm, the receptionist appeared with a smile on his face and a characteristic humble gesture, helping to carry his luggage, change his slippers, and even help an elderly man wipe the dust off the upper of his shoes while he took them off.

Johnson looked up, and not far from the counter hung a picture in the center of the counter: "Those who come are home." It dawned on me that this should be the hospitality that Hiiragi has always adhered to for more than 200 years.

The entrance hall, to the front desk, is surrounded by a simple but elegant decoration style, except for the lighting, the cherry red bonsai on the ground is the only bright color here.

Follow the maid to the second floor and walk down the hallway, the floor begins to creak loose, revealing the smell of vicissitudes.

Whether it is the architectural design or the decorative details, they all reflect the meticulous care of the craftsmen of the old days. It is this sense of vicissitudes that distinguishes it from other modern hotels and brings people the most special experience.

There are 21 rooms on both sides of the corridor, and the door is small and inconspicuous, but when the door is opened, Johnson's eyes light up, and there is a feeling of seeing the big in the small, and there is a feeling of not being in the sky.

Whether it is the Hiiragi pattern hanging on the wall, or the small tea case facing the courtyard, although it is small, after facing the window to open, the window is surrounded by a well, which is really a bit of a Suzhou garden.

Seeing that the guests were almost settled, the waitress brought a welcome matcha and dessert to refresh SC Johnson's understanding of the details.

It will never be turned away from you, and the food and delivery will not be far away for you to take it by hand, bring it directly to you, and then serve it with both hands.

When you leave the table, you will be thanked in a kneeling position, and then you will always face the guest, bend your legs half-bent, arch your upper body, and slowly retreat until you leave the table.

The dumpling-like shortbread is smeared with icing sugar on the surface, and the inner core is filled with red bean puree, which is sweet but not greasy in the mouth, and the taste is very delicious with crispy outside and tender inside.

Just finished eating a snack, after knocking on the door, Ying Ying walked into a kimono beauty, knelt down dignifiedly, and introduced herself as the sixth generation female general of the Hiiragi Hotel.

is the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family that has been passed down from generation to generation in this century-old store. Going to each room to do the welcome salute, she has to work every day.

At dinner time, in order to integrate into the dining habits of the old hotel, everyone chose to eat in the room. I heard that the dinner here is quite prestigious, and it has been awarded a Michelin restaurant star.

The waitress took the dishes from the kitchen to the table in the room, and she was very attentive.

It took more than two hours, although the taste was average, but the service was really respectful and a lot of points.

The fly in the ointment is to see the bathroom, the small pity is very disappointed, after all, it is a century-old shop, subject to the ancient degree of the building, can only go to the public bathroom, limited to two people.

The old man in charge of the bathhouse carefully cleaned the bathhouse every day and prepared all the toiletries. Emi was pleasantly surprised to find that there were even special skin care products provided by Hiiragi, a brand that also has a history of 200 years.

Changed into yukata robes, the texture is very soft. Back in the Japanese room, the bed had been cleaned, and the soft mattress and futon were lulled to sleep under the dim roof light.

With the lights turned off, Emi curled up in SC Johnson's arms, in the warm and comfortable mattress, smelling the scent of tatami mats, and quickly fell asleep......

Waking up to the crisp birdsong outside the window, washing up, the waitress shuttles through the corridor to the kitchen and the guest rooms to deliver food, the rapid crackling of slippers on the floor, and the delicate war of a hundred years of service.

SC Johnson stands by the window, looking at the tranquil and traditional streetscape, a hotel full of history, even though it has been passed down for 200 years, the service has not gone out of style at all, and every detail is exquisite.

Carrying the vicissitudes of time, the beauty gives people a sense of steadfastness, considerate service, this check-in experience has refreshed the three views!

Put on brand new socks, go out with the female general's bow, go to Myozanji Temple, see the dry landscape garden, and taste the matcha ceremony. Kyoto's gardens are all inside the temple, and each one charges a few hundred to a few thousand dollars in admission and is open to visitors.

Walking through the streets, there are old buildings everywhere, there are not many pedestrians, and a leisurely pace of life is maintained. When you come to Hanazonocho, cross the street, climb a ramp, and walk more than 500 meters, you will see Myoshinji Temple in front of you.

Enter the temple gate, go to the left, and through a row of low walls, you will see a huge cherry tree. It's like a pink waterfall falling from the sky, and it's beautiful.

The weeping cherry blossoms are separated by two dry landscape gardens, which are divided into yin and yang, and the darker sand and stone are the yin garden, and the lighter ones are the yang garden.

I heard that the builder was not a monk, but a painter Motonobu Kano, who practiced at Myoshinji Temple, and never painted landscapes, but painted landscapes in his mind, and this garden was his dream come true.

The courtyard is high and low, the stream flows down from the height, and there are koi fish swimming freely in the pond, the largest of which is almost a meter long, and Johnson is envious and jealous.

In the distance, there is a small pavilion on higher ground, where you can sit and watch the whole courtyard from above. Tall trees are on the high ground, and beautifully manicured dwarf trees are on the low ground.

In spring, there are tsubaki, wisteria, begonia, weeping cherry blossoms, and irises, in summer there are hydrangeas, alder trees, water lilies, and bellflowers, in autumn there are red maples, and in winter there are camellias and plum blossoms......

When you come to a courtyard, the snow-white crystal gravel is everywhere, and the lines of different textures are scattered from the side of the building, and with the pace of movement, these radial straight lines slowly turn into parallel gentle waves.

The continuous stretch of silver sand has a cone-shaped shape called the Mt. Mukida, and it is said that the moonlight on a full moon night can turn the city between Ginkakuji Temple and Silver Beach.

Walking towards the back mountain, a row of winding paths, surrounded by green trees, lush moss, trickling, dappled sunlight through the tall trees, winding paths lead to secluded places, like a paradise.