Kanou Shojuan — Restaurant in Otsu

Story time! 昔昔 Remembering the day when my Polish friend and I just picked a direction and cycled in Japan... and, lost & 30 minutes into the absolute middle of nowhere, saw the road to sunainosato.

"wanna go over there?" "..k"

Rode up a crazy steep hill (expecting a dollop of nothing) only to find what I can assume is a secret monastery/ reflection pond/ cherry tree farm/ traditional dessert factory/ hiking mountain/ shrine/ upscale sushi restaurant/ cultural center. aka straight out of a Ghibli film.

So we walked through absolutely serene buildings, up the mountain, round the ponds, and got redbean+mochi soup in a tatami dessert room. Superkawaii little old lady boiled it in a hanging kettle in front of us. What?? On the way out, a random pair of middle-aged women gave Mel a present of yummy desserts -- out of what I'm assuming was a spontaneous duty to represent Oishi, Shiga well. Or just unabashed Japanese kindness.

Anyway, I haven't been able to find the place since our trip years ago because, again, it's in the middle of nowhere. Like, one country road, no trains, no semblance of English, and no signs nowhere. But today, I decided to buckle down and retrace our steps in street view...aaand I found it. Seriously, to anyone who comes across this review and can read English -- do NOT skip sunainosato. It is...

This is such a beautiful place. A must-visit for anyone interested in Japanese sweets/cuisine/culture, or just to escape the crowds of the main Kyoto attractions for an afternoon.

They've got a lot in one area, but it's set up in a way that encourages you to relax and take it in slowly. Take a walk through the fruit trees, hang out with the goats, chill at the cafe/bakery or maybe do a tea ceremony. They have lots of activities like ikebana, tea ceremony, sweets-making, etc. I didn't try them all but even choosing one and spending the rest of the afternoon eating/drinking/strolling around and taking pictures is a good way to slow yourself down to a true vacation place.

There are free shuttles to and from the nearest station (15 mins on JR from Kyoto Station). The shuttle takes about 25-30mins but the scenery makes it an...

It’s kind of like a Disneyland for the people over 55yo. Take your parents, they’ll love this place. Beautiful plum orchard, sophisticated yet unpretentious restaurant, pottery workshop, tea ceremony experience, cafes, bakery and sweets shop (+goats). I enjoyed walking around the hill. The restaurant was quite popular and they don’t take reservations, so I recommend going early. It was on the weekend and I waited probably 15-20 mins. Food was absolutely delicious but the portion is designed for elderly people so you may feel it is a bit expensive...