WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan

     Japan is my dream travel destination. Back in college, I decided to learn Nihonggo because I'm head over heels with Japanese culture. I love Japanese food, fashion, cars, and technology. The land of the rising sun has a distinct culture, a society that has a strong sense of national identity. The passion for everything they do is something I look up to and every time they introduce a new innovation in the market, I have no words but respect and admiration.

     Last month, Japanese undergarment cult-favorite brand Wacoal invited bloggers and influencers from Southeast Asia including the Philippines to discover what's behind the brand's success over the years. Their history and their core value make Wacoal not just a brand but a brand full of passion with the aim of making women feel beautiful inside and out. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
photo by @gerryimages at Arashiyama Kyoto, Japan

     I guess you are all wondering by now and thinking if you have read the right thing above: Wacoal, a Japanese brand? I'm also in disbelief when I learned that Wacoal is a Japanese brand. I thought it's from the other side of the world because the models are white. Anyhoo, what I'll be sharing today is a short story of our arrival and the first day of our trip- Kyoto One  Day Tour.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
This is Wacoal Study Hall. Built 2 years ago located at Shin Kyoto Bldg., 6 Nishi-kujo Kitanouchi, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 601-8506

     It's March 18 in the evening when we arrived at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The weather upon arrival is okay, colder than Manila's temperature. I thought that the cold was bearable because I'm already wearing my jacket and heat tech but when we went outside to wait for the airport bus, the cold began to bother me anyway! It's chilly and super cold for a "ginawin/lamigin" like me. But the excitement was there despite the cold breeze. Aja!

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Thank you, @rochellemiko for this super cute Hello Kitty face mask that saved me from chilling!!!

     After roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes, we arrived at Kyoto Station where the Ibis Styles Kyoto Hotel is located. The hotel has a great location especially for travelers as it is just opposite of  Kyoto Train Station. There are shopping malls in the neighborhood like Kyoto Avanti and Aeon Mall.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
photo from kyotostation.com

     After checking in, we were off to our rooms. The room is nice and there's a surprise waiting. Two paper bags of Wacoal as a special gift for us for joining the tour. The tour itself is already a privilege for me but the hospitality of Wacoal Corporation Group of Companies is another thing. It's a welcome bag full of stuff that we're going to use during our stay in Kyoto and when we go back to Manila.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
This photo was taken at home already. Clockwise L-R: Tsumori Chisato Bedroom Slipper, Tsumori Chisato Bag, Wacoal Corporation Group of Companies 2017 Report, House of Rose Body Smoother, Omamori- good health amulet from Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, GOCOCi top and panty Japan limited edition, and House of Rose Lip Balm.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan

     It's past 9 in the morning when we meet-up with our tour guide, Ms. Ikuzo. She's a very energetic lady because from morning till the end of the tour, she shared a lot of information about the places that we visited. I can feel how passionate she is as I was inspired when she shared that she runs a marathon every year and just finished the one in Kyoto where she received a Wacoal Scarf. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
With Ms. Ikuzo, our tour guide inside the chartered bus on our way to Kinkaku-ji Temple. Photo grabbed from @rochellemiko's IG stories

KINKAKU-JI (The Golden Pavillion)

     The first place for this itinerary was the Kinkaku-ji Temple where The Golden Pavilion is located. Before you'll see the beauty of The Golden Pavilion, you will enter at the First Gate below. There's a big stone where Kanji characters are written. Seeing Kanji brings me back to the times of Minna No Nihongo 1 and 2. I should have continued studying Nihonggo so that I can translate this to you!

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
The First Gate

     Kinkaku (The Golden Pavillion)/Rokuon-ji Temple is a shariden, a Buddhist hall containing the relics of Buddha. It's my first time to see a temple made of 24k gold. Truly an amazing historical site that will wow you once you see its beauty.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
The Golden Pavilion- the garden and buildings, centered on the Golden Pavilion were said to represent the Pure Land of Buddha in this world.

     Inside the Kinkaku-ji Temple is a lush greenery all around. The Golden Pavilion is the main attraction but I'm also amazed when I saw pond gardens that were designed for strolling during the Muromachi period. There's a real bonsai tree in one of the halls that caught my attention. Memories of my mom taking care of bonsai plant at home suddenly came back. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Hojo Building

     

     Kinkaku-ji has different halls and buildings. I saw an interesting space, a tea house which they said was built 400 years ago. It's called The Sekka-tei Tea House. This tea house was built during the Edo period. Raindrops kept falling during our visit. Ms. Izuko said that Kinkaku is beautiful when seen from the tea house as it reflects there in the afternoon. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
The Sekka-tei Tea House

     Before leaving our first destination, I remember that I was given a ticket printed in old school style with Kanji characters written on it. I decided to keep it as a remembrance of this temple and a good luck decoration at home.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan

     Like the beauty of Kinkaku-ji, I will never forget the beautiful ladies who I look up to in the blogging industry whom I get to know more during this trip. Shari, Liz, Camille, and Rochelle may have different personalities but they are all beautiful inside and out :)

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Kyoto Squad- Shari, Liz, Camille, Kath, and Rochelle by @gerryimages at The Golden Pavilion

ARASHIYAMA / TOGETSU-KYO BRIDGE

     The rain will not stop us from exploring Kyoto and the next stop was Arashiyama where the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge can be found. Arashiyama according to Google is a small town in Oi River. The bridge is the landmark and there many souvenir shops and restaurants are found nearby this area. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan

     It's lunchtime when we arrived at Arashimaya and the first order of business there was to have an authentic Japanese lunch, yay! We ate our lunch at Okunoniwa Japanese Cuisine. Lunch was served in bento boxes- 100% yum for tempura, sashimi, and everything you see in the photo below. I was able to finish almost all the food served to us. Happy tummy!

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Okunoniwa Japanese Cuisine for bento box meals

     Of course, there will always be a room for dessert but I was heavily craving for my caffeine fix. The coffee lover in me saw a coffee/ice cream shop beside the restaurant and ordered iced coffee despite the chilly weather. While the some of the Kyoto squad beauties decided to have matcha and vanilla ice cream. We are all happy with our caffeine and sugar fixes and were ready on to the third destination of the day- Kodai-ji Temple.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
photo by @gerryimages outside Okunoniwa Japanese Cuisine

KODAI-JI TEMPLE

     Kodai-ji Temple is located in the Higashiyama mountains of eastern Kyoto. Our trip here is one of the highlights of this tour because we were taught how to meditate and experience the art of tea ceremony. I'm so excited for this itinerary as some of you may know that I love everything green tea.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
The entrance of Kaisan-Do (Founder's hall)

     

     This temple is also one of the well-visited temples in Kyoto because of the beautifully decorated interiors with buildings and halls surrounded by gardens. These are called Zen Gardens or rock garden which are miniature landscape consisting or rocks, water, bushes with raked gravel sand representing water ripples.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Rock garden

     FUN FACT- Tourists prefer visiting Japan in March where the Japanese Cherry Tree is about to bloom. The beautiful flowers are called cherry blossoms. When we arrived last March 18, some of the trees have flowers blooming but it's not the real cherry blossoms that we are waiting.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Tsukiyama Garden inside Kodai-ji Temple

     Now, on to everybody's mind and body need- meditation. Have you tried or experienced meditation on your own? It's my first time that why I'm nervous and excited at the same time. The meditation master was explaining to us what is meditation, why it is essential to the mind, body, and spirit. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Meditation master and our tour guide Ms. Ikuzo

     The kind of meditation that we experienced here was the Buddhist Meditation which focuses on breathing. When done properly and regularly, it helps in encouraging and developing concentration, calmness, emotional positivity and clarity. Time for some photo op after meditation.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Meditation pose, I presume that you've seen this pose in a Buddha statue. Photo by @gerryimages

     Another activity for the books was the Japanese Tea Ceremony or the Way of the Tea. It's called Chanoyu, Sado or Chado. When doing this ceremony, you are not only drinking matcha but also learning the Japanese culture and aesthetics. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
The master doing the tea ceremony in a very graceful form.

     One sure thing that I discovered from this experience- Japanese green tea was introduced by China to Japan and to lessen the bitterness of matcha, a Japanese sweet is paired while drinking. It's simple to make matcha tea but there's a right process on not to make the taste too bitter. Whisk the bamboo with a light hand pressure until you get a thin paste. Slowly add hot water and viola, you have you're own match tea.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Well hello there, matcha!

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Tea time with the Kyoto squad

     

     The rain never stopped from pouring that afternoon and while we were prepping for the last destination on day one tour, our photographer @gerryimages decided to take an umbrella shot that we all love!

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
photo by @gerryimages

     After meditation and tea ceremony, I'm oh so ready to explore the last temple by foot. Walking in the rain was nice and nicer in Kyoto because of the beautiful sights that we saw like souvenir shops, mouth-watering Japanese delicacies, tourists in their Kimonos, and a whole lot more! Kimono is a traditional Japanese garment. Women wear layers of fabrics under kimonos because brassieres are not yet invented in old times. It was in 1949 when Wacoal started the undergarment business with the aim of making women feel beautiful inside.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
L- photo taken by moi, R- photo by @gerryimages

KIYOMIZU-DERA TEMPLE

     Dubbed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" is one of the historical sites with a breathtaking taking view.  Kiyomizu-dera means “Pure Water Temple” a name taken from the pure water of a nearby waterfall Otawa. In order for you to reach the temple, you have to walk for 10 minutes up the hill from Kiyomizu-michi or Chawan-Zaka.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
This is the main entrance to Kiyomizu-Dear Temple, the Nio-Mon gate

     There's a 3-story pagoda after entering the main gate. It's colorful and majestic. A lot of tourist like us were taking their photos behind the structure. Another important site inside the temple is the main hall that was made of huge wooden veranda and hundreds of pillars for support but it was under renovation during our visit. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
3 story pagoda called Sanjūnotō

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Here's our ticket, a nice souvenir, and doubles as a bookmark too

     Before entering the main hall, there is a sort of water well where you can use a scoop to drink some water. I believe the water came from Otawa Falls. The water from this mountain spring has said to give the drinker long life, success, and love. Fret not, the scoops have been pre-sterilized with blue UV light. So go on, take a sip when you have a chance.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan

     It was a long day for us. We learned a lot about Japan's culture by visiting these historical sites. It's an overwhelming experience because I was able to go back in the old Japanese period just by visiting the temples that made Japan a country rich in culture. The passion of their ancestors has been passed on to the new generations. Look, there's a spot where the cherry blossom tree starts to bloom and it's an opportunity that I should not miss. 

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Thank you @rochellemiko for capturing this lovely photo!!!

     To cap off the day, we had dinner at Donguri Kyoto Sation. We all loved the Okonomiyaki- Japan's savory pancake that was served with other dishes and sides like Gyoza, Yakisoba, Edamame plus a glass of sake and plum wine with soda that I will highly recommend.

WACOAL Passion for Product Tour Kyoto Japan
Gyoza and Yakisoba from Donguri and glasses of plum wine and sake on the side

    This is just the first day of our Wacoal Passion for Product Tour. The second and third day was the most exciting and informative part because from there we are going back to Wacoal's beginnings, the intricate steps on making undergarments, understand more the company's mission and vision and feel the passion that they have towards making women's body beautiful, that's the #WacoalPassion and the reason why #EveryBodyLovesWacoal. 

For more information about Wacoal

visit their website: https://wacoal.ph/

Like them on Facebook: Philippine Wacoal Corporation

Follow them on Instagram: @wacoalph

More photos of Wacoal Passion for Product Tour Day 1 here:

Dear Kitty Kittie Kath's Facebook Page

@dearkittykittiekath on Instagram and IG Stories

Good Times!~