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Out of all the temples in Kyoto’s Arashiyama area, Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, Temple of the Heavenly Dragon) is arguably the most prestigious. Built on the original location of Japan’s first Zen temple, it was completed in 1345. Upon completion, it was immediately recognised as a masterpiece of Japanese Zen garden design and was designated the top of Kyoto’s five major Zen temples—a ranking it maintains to this day. Over the years, Tenryu-ji has suffered eight major fires. The temple we see today is the result of reconstruction in 1934. Yet in spite of the destruction, it has preserved its essence, largely thanks to the outstanding design of its founding abbot Muso Soseki (夢窓疎石, 1275—1351), one of the most eminent Zen masters of his time. ...

For Oslo bakeries, Fastelavn is a weekend of war. This year, we tried six different shops — given the limited time and resources (including our BMI — you know, this is a bolle one eats before the fasting season), we could only visit the shops we found most interesting. Understandably, there are many other shops we would also love to try — that will be the task for 2027. Needless to say, the following ranking reflects only our preferences. We would like to point out that, in addition to taste, flavours and ingredients, we also took accessibility and prices into consideration. As you will see, in order to strike a balance, we tried both bakeries in the city centre and a couple further away from the centre. ...

Located on the northwestern outskirts of Kyoto, Arashiyama (嵐山) has been famed for its natural landscapes and cultural heritage since the Heian period (794–1185). Flanked by the Katsura River to the southwest, it is home to numerous temples such as Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, Temple of the Heavenly Dragon), as well as natural landmarks including the bamboo groves and Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋, Moon Crossing Bridge). Once among the most popular retreats for the Japanese aristocracy, Arashiyama remains today one of the busiest destinations for visitors from around the world. ...

As people in Oslo brace for one of the hottest summers in recent years, the city’s cafés are bursting with ideas and creativity in crafting their summer menus. Some are sticking to their signature summer drinks, which have already become classics in the collective memory, while others have come up with new ideas and completely broadened the horizon of the city’s café scene. The following are five places this summer offering the most outstanding summer drinks in Oslo. ...

Despite the rising popularity of cardamom buns (“kardemommebolle” in Norwegian) and other newcomers over the past decade, the cinnamon bun (“kanelbolle” or “kanelsurr”) retains its dominate position among the Scandinavian pastries. For most Scandinavians, the cinnamon bun is not just a traditional pastry for the afternoon tea break (“fika” as they say in Sweden), but also a symbol of leisure and unconditional happiness deeply rooted in memories since childhood. In 1999, the first Cinnamon Bun Day (“Kanelbollens dag”) was instituted by the Swedish Home Baking Council (Hembakningsrådet) on October 4th to celebrate and promote the pastry. Since then, the Cinnamon Bun Day has become an annual theme day across the whole Nordic region. Following is our list of the best cinnamon buns you can find in Oslo: ...