1. Oiran Dochu Prosession The Oiran Dochu Prosession is held every year on the second Saturday of April. We happened to be in Tokyo at that time so we thought why miss out on the opportunity to see Geishas? The Oiran parade/procession was not invented for tourist. During the days, they were done everyday to serve as advertising for the various Geisha houses. Sort of like the parade that Mulan took part in when she was visiting the matchmakers. Several girls from the area are dressed up as oiran of different levels with the highest ranking one wearing a kimono , traditional clogs and a wig weighing several pounds. They walk for about 2km up to a stage where they will re-enact a meeting with a "customer". You might not be around in Tokyo to catch the Oiran Dochu prosession but there are many similar events that go on every weekend. I found out about this and many other events at the Tokyo Chepo website. (Click here to be brought there). They release weekly articles about events that are going on during the weekend in Tokyo. I also personal messaged the admin of the Tokyo Chepo page on Facebook to ask for directions to the procession and they were really helpful. I suggest using them if you're ever planning a trip to Toyko.
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2. Traditional Sweets + Matcha at Kosoan TeaHouse I larrrfff tea. I love love love love love love tea. Being in Tokyo for the first time, I HAD to try their matcha. And I didn't want to go for any ordinary matcha, I wanted it to be as authentic as Japan could get. So I scoured the internet for a traditional tea house that was not too far from our AirBnb and found Kosoan TeaHouse. When you step out of the Metro Station, you are greeted with shoppers and small shops all on hills that reminded me of a mix of San Fran (USA) and Dalian (China). The shops you find here are not your usual touristy shops as the area is more of a local attraction and often overlooked by tourist because it is quiet a train ride from the city. You will see a mix of hipster-ish shops together with traditional stores (They had really beautiful porcelain!). All of which is a breath of fresh air from the usual hustle and bustle of Tokyo. It wasn't the easiest to find the tea house but you'll eventually find it. There is no English sign other than a small wooden board that says "Open". A tip is to use Google Maps! The entrance will lead you to a beautiful (and quiet)garden and you'll see an Old Japanese House that serves as the Tea House. Everyone there talks in hush voices and seats on traditional Tatami mats. There is not much seating so be prepared to wait for a bit to go in. We had to wait for 15 minutes. But it really was an easy wait when you are surrounded with such a pretty garden. Kosoan Tea House has a limited menu , and you can chose between less that 15 items. Honestly after you try the first dish, you're going to be tempted to try everything. Also, they do not do takeaway. All items on their menu are traditional. So you're not going to get any other influences other than Japanese. All items were surprisingly priced very reasonably. I would advise to try their sets rather than just ordering a drink individually. I believe that every snack item is crafted to complement the drink that it is paired with. If you're not a fan of tea, they have other beverages like Strawberry Milk and Coffee but honestly, you go to a tea house to drink tea okay? Click here to see their menu Darrel got a traditional cold noodles paired with tea. I didn't quiet like it but I was glad that I got to try a traditional dish. This would be something that I won't be able to try in more commercial stores. It tasted like a mix of slimy octopus and cold soba noodles. I had their matcha + mochi + redbean that tasted OHMYGERD SO GOOD. The matcha by itself was AMAZING. This is one place that I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Tokyo. I would advise to put aside some time to explore the streets and shops near by Kosoan as well. There will be a part 2 coming out soon. Stay tuned! Want to keep in touch? Follow my daily adventures and escapades on Instagram! 0 lovely comments ✿ |