Sowaka, Kyoto



Calm amid the noise of Kyoto - tucked into a quiet corner of Gion's busy streets.

Sowaka is a place to slow down: a whiskey tasting, an izakaya close by, a nervous system finally settling.

For me, it was the warm light and a bowl of usucha on arrival - matcha whisked simply with hot water - that did it. A mood as transcendent, it's still there in the photos.