ツイストマン
I stayed in my hometown for two weeks at the end of August 2020 because a relative passed away. Despite not being during Obon or a holiday, I was there for the funeral and memorial service. It was a difficult situation due to the pandemic, but many people came together for the ceremonies. It might sound strange, but it was a wonderful service. After that, I stayed in various hotels and went through different procedures for two weeks. During this time, I noticed and felt many things, such as the differences in COVID-19 measures between Tokyo and Kansai, as well as the varying measures taken by different restaurants and hotels. Tokyo was excluded from the "Go To Travel" campaign, so it felt isolated. Even after the state of emergency was lifted, many places continued to voluntarily self-restrict, which was surprising. I tried to stay in budget hotels, so I ended up eating out for every meal, which made me realize and feel many things. I plan to write about these experiences in a future blog post. For now, I want to introduce a restaurant I visited separately. One of them is "Crafthouse kyoto," located near Shichijo Station on the Keihan Main Line. It is a trendy beer pub and cafe restaurant that serves craft beers. The exterior and interior are stylish, and everything about it feels chic. However, the pricing is a bit high, and the service is very Kyoto-like. The staff kindly explained things, which was appreciated, but it felt like they were bombarding a first-time customer with questions. It was a hot day, and I just wanted to cool off, but I had to wait outside for a temperature check due to the current situation. While this is understandable, it felt a bit off-putting. They kept asking about food before seating, which seemed more about the restaurant's convenience than the customer's preference. It felt like the bar was set high for new customers, and it made me think that regulars must feel quite special there. Service: ★★, Food: ★★★★★, Value: ★★★★★.