#Eda85daysinJapan | Chapter 3 (Kyoto Part 5)
🗓️ 8 May 2026
Market Detours & Park Strolls
Started the morning heading toward the Kyoto Wholesale Fish Market to explore, but ran into restricted access and couldn't go inside. We didn't let it throw off the morning though—we found a great spot nearby for a solid breakfast before making our way down through Umekōji Park.
From the park, we stopped over at Aeon Mall to do some quick light shopping before walking straight over to Toji Temple (東寺) to admire the iconic five-story pagoda.
Custom Frames & Local Craft Gin
Tsugai Eyewear (Handcraft Spectacle): I had marked this studio on Google Maps earlier and realized we were practically right outside. We walked in on a whim to see if we could check it out, and the owner welcomed us so warmly. We ended up starting the whole tailor-made frame process together right there in the shop. Just talked to him today and learned my custom frame should be ready next month—getting so excited to see how it turns out!
Motoki Joken (Yummerest Gin): On the walk back toward the apartment, we spotted a tiny, local distillery shop—Motoki Joken. Their craft gin line is named Yumarrest (combining "yum" and "rest"), which is just the cutest name. We ended up buying two sample bottles to try—easily one of our favorite neighborhood finds so far.
Evening Mapo Tofu Ended another great day on our feet with a classic home-cooked meal back at the apartment prepared by our chef:
Mapo Tofu: Rich, spicy, and perfectly seasoned over rice.
Greens: Fresh, lightly sautéed komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) to balance out the spice.
