Early July 2026
Tentoku-in’s Moss Garden and Blooming Chinese Bellflowers
On the second day, we visited Tentoku-in, a sub-temple of Tofuku-ji Temple.
Tentoku-in is usually closed to the public, but when we visited, the Chinese bellflowers (kikyo) were in full bloom, and the temple was holding a special seasonal opening.
The bellflowers blooming throughout the moss garden were breathtaking. We also enjoyed a bowl of chilled matcha while admiring the garden, which made the experience even more relaxing. One of the staff members pointed out a rare variety of double-flowered bellflower. I had never seen one before, and its layered petals gave it a remarkably elegant and showy appearance.
After leaving Tentoku-in, we continued on to Tofuku-ji Temple. A combined admission ticket for the Hojo Garden and Tsutenkyo Bridge cost 1,000 yen.
Fresh Green Maples at Tofuku-ji Temple
Tsutenkyo Bridge is best known as one of Kyoto’s most famous autumn foliage spots. Since we visited during the season of fresh green maple leaves, however, there were far fewer tourists than in autumn. The vivid green leaves were strikingly beautiful, offering a completely different but equally rewarding view.
The Hojo Garden was just as fascinating. Each section had its own unique character: a dry landscape garden representing the Big Dipper, another featuring massive stone arrangements, carefully trimmed satsuki azaleas forming a checkerboard pattern, and a stone-paved courtyard laid out in the same geometric design. Every part of the garden offered something interesting to discover.
Trying Yojiya Café’s Super Cool Parfait
After finishing our visit to Tofuku-ji, we headed to Yojiya Café Shijo Kawaramachi.
It was an extremely hot day, and I wanted to try their summer-exclusive Super Cool Parfait. Out of curiosity, I decided to order the 50× Super Cool Parfait (1,500 yen).
That turned out to be a mistake.
The parfait was so overloaded with cooling mint that it completely lost the balance between sweetness and refreshment. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Halfway through, I felt as though I was simply putting chemicals into my mouth rather than eating a dessert.
To be fair, though, the menu clearly warned customers that it contained about fifty times the usual amount of peppermint oil. I ordered it knowing exactly what I was getting into, so I really couldn’t complain about how overwhelmingly cold and minty it tasted. Looking back, I should have expected that adding such an excessive amount of peppermint oil would overwhelm every other flavor, leaving nothing but intense stimulation.
So I can’t blame the café.
Incidentally, my mother ordered the regular Super Cool Parfait (1,350 yen), and hers was excellent. The balance between the chocolate and mint flavors was just right, making it a genuinely delicious dessert.
