Kyoto bar and restaurant entrances. Soba shop front with paper lanterns and potted plants in Shimogyo, Kyoto
Photo: Alpgiray Kelem · Japan · 2026-06-12 · Editorial use
Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan - June 12, 2026: Four white paper lanterns hang above the street front of a soba shop in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, their black characters reading cha soba, the Japanese term for green tea buckwheat noodles. Below them, dozens of potted plants stand on two worn wooden tables and on the pavement, screening the shop window from the street. Hydrangeas, hostas, spider plants and small flowering pots crowd the tiled base of the building, while two leafy shrubs rise in front of the glass. Through the mesh-covered window, a warmly lit interior shows only in glimpses between the leaves. A tiled roof edge and dark wooden slats frame the facade from above, and a parked bicycle stands at the right edge. Layer by layer, the lanterns, plants and slats hide where the entrance begins.
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