KYOTO HANDICRAFT CENTRE

We caught a taxi to the Kyoto Handicraft Centre.  It is three levels of souvenirs, but several different companies are housed within the centre.

This lady makes dolls all day long.  They are really beautiful and detailed. I ended up buying one of them which I will show you next post.

The doll department was my favourite section of course. The centre sells all the usual souvenirs, such as: kimonos, wood block prints, laquerware, ceramics and toys.

There is also a restaurant which serves a buffet. We ended up eating there asI was feeling too sick to walk around the district looking for a restaurant.  Unfortunately, I can't give a very good review on this restaurant.  The food wasn't very nice- very plain and bland, and the price was too expensive for the quality of the food.  But I was too unwell to really care at this point, and they did have nice cold drinks which felt good on my throat.

I was a little disappointed in this shop.  It did sell a range of things, but alot of the stock looked old.  As you will probably arrive in Kyoto via train, I recommend that you do all your souvenir shopping at Kyoto Station.  It sells all the same items, but many more. What I liked about Kyoto Station is they stock souvenirs with a modern edge, such as eco shopping bags and cosmetics. It also sells a huge variety of food souvenirs.  So, unless you have alot of time to spare, you'd be best to grab your souvenirs at the stations before you catch your train home. And don't forget, all the temples and shrines have many, many lovely souvenirs shops.

Lastly, thanks to all the nice readers who sent me wedding anniversary wishes. I hope some of my advice was helpful to those of you starting out in marriage.