Decoding Kyoto 2007

Shino is on the narrow alley near former Rissei Elementary School. You will find a big black sign over your head. This restaurant serves you Japanese home-style dishes. You can have what you want to eat, however, if you ask the master to cook it. On the wall of this restaurant are many stickers bearing maiko’s names. Shino is known for its exclusivity. The restaurant refuses guests who visit for the first time without reservation.

In Kyoto, such restaurants are called “ichigen-san okotowari,” which means that they refuse the first-time customers who have no contact with the master or the staff. So you must make a reservation before you visit the restaurant.