Kyoto Guide
Garden & Culinary
[Organiser]
KYOTO EYE
Travel Designer/
Tour Guide(Garden･Culinary･Aroma Specialist)
Ayumi IKUSHIMA
Kyoto-Osaka office
1-18-16 Makino-honmachi, Hirakata-shi, Osaka 573-1144
Tel /Fax:81-72-857-6030
E-mail:kyotoeye2014@gmail.com
Special original tours
I designed my original tours. Please click the titles to go in details
1 Garden related tours
As a writer of "Important people and Japanese gardens", here is my special garden related tours.
Become familiar with Japanese gardens as you explore them with a garden expert. Visit three beautiful gardens in Kyoto to gain an understanding of their rich history.
Visit Japanese gardens and make your own mini Japanese garden, together with Ayumi Ikushima, the guide and author of "Important People and Japanese Gardens”, as well as a certified garden designer.
Visit "Hanamasa", a long-established flower shop that has been in business for 140 years. Learn about Japanese flowers, their beauty, and their history. Then you will attend a workshop on Japanese flower arrangement (Ikebana).
2 Culinary tours
As a food coordinator, I organize very original unique tours that you can't find in other places
The tour takes you to three local Kyoto stores, with more than 100 years of history of creating and refining their own unique products such as soy sauce, miso and vinegar. At the end you will taste three signature cocktails with these products!
Experience making your own vegan temari sushi (ball-shaped sushi) with fresh seasonal vegetables and edible flowers! Start with a tour to learn about Kyoto's seasonal vegetable production and shop for ingredients.
3 Zen & Incense related tours
As a writer of "Kyoto's World of Fragrance", I created tours with unique experiences
Visit an aroma shop where you can mix your favorite scent, knead it, and mold it into cherry blossom petals. A pleasant scent like honey, along with natural materials such as Yuzu, Hinoki Cypress, and Sandalwood, makes this an incense experience to enjoy. Drop by other incense shops.
Visit a non-public area of a Zen temple and learn about it's garden from a garden expert.
Become familiar with Zen Buddhism while engaging in Zazen meditation, a popular form of Buddhist seated meditation.After meditating you can enjoy a traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine
Begin your journey by crafting your own Goshuincho, a traditional Japanese temple stamp book to collect stamps from temples and shrines. After your experience visit a nearby temple where you'll receive a red seal and learn the significance of each calligraphy and seal, followed by a visit to a hidden 16th-century garden.
4 Kyoto Walking Series
Walking tour to get to know the special areas in Kyoto with special regional experiences.
Kyoto was the capital for over a thousand years, home to many artisans who crafted goods for its imperial palaces, temples, and shrines. You will be able to visit long-established stores and explore their history and cultural significance. The tour includes a 1-hour hands-on experience in traditional paper printing called Karakami.
Embark on a walking tour in the Fushimi district of Kyoto, renowned for its many local sake breweries. Learn about traditional sake production methods and enjoy a tasting session.Conclude your tour with an exclusive whisky and gin tasting curated by a whisky advisor. Each sip will be perfectly paired with delicious snacks
Start your tour with a visit to a charming tea garden, where you'll discover the Kabusecha farming method. Enjoy matcha tea freshly ground from a traditional tea mill. Stroll along the scenic Uji River, the backdrop for the classic novel "The Tale of Genji" during the Heian period (794-1185). Finally, explore a World Heritage Site at a historic temple.