Tenshi no Sato -- worth the trip?

Kyoto itself is gorgeous - the sightseeing as well as Tenshi would make it worth it, in my opinion.

 

When I was in Japan last, I hadn't yet gotten into the hobby, but I thought Kyoto was well worth the trip by itself. They have a palace to visit, an endless array of beautiful temples and shrines, a big underground shopping mall, etc. Even if you avoid the touristy things like the culture shows, there is still a lot to do. People were very friendly there.

Laura

 

The last time I was in Japan was before Tenshi no Sato existed, but I did go to Kyoto and visit some shrines and view cherry blossoms. It's not that kitchy, it's got some gorgeous examples of architecture, and I did go to a bunraku show as well, which was amazing, mainly for the whole doll aspect of it.

 

Kyoto's really gorgeous - it's got a LOT of great things to see. But because of how Kyoto's set up, and the way the transport system is, you won't be able to see many of the popular sites in a day. If you take the tourist bus (which is cheap and easy), you can cover more ground more quickly.

Tenshi no Sato is really sort of out of the way... but there are other places around it. Including a bamboo forest. Which is cool. Tenshi no Sato is a cool place to visit, but I was surprised when I went at how little they had that was different from my local Tenshi no Sumika. They didn't have any different dolls in stock at the time, and the stock of clothing was pretty much the same (except some custom, very expensive outfits). Some people think that that angel dolls are always in stock there, but so far as I know, those were a one-time release. I might be wrong, but they haven't had them either time I've been there. Foreigners aren't allowed to take the painting classes, either. The museum is interesting and it's cool to see the LEs, but you can walk through it in about a half hour.

Soooooo it's up to you! Kyoto's really a cool city, but if this is a day trip, you won't see much of it if you go to Tenshi no Sato (between Sato itself and then the transport). It's a lot more fun to go to Sato if you have a doll too because you can take pictures and play, but otherwise it's more like a museum/shop. If you want the experience, go! But if you just want to buy stuff, I think a Sumika in another city might serve you just as well.

If you want to go to another really beautiful city, try Nara. It's really close to Kyoto, and it's not as clogged with tourists. Also, many of the temples and sight-seeing places are right in the city center (within walking distance).

 

While not the friendliest city in Japan, it is definitely beautiful. If you're going in summer time, be prepared for heeeeeeeeeeeeat and humidity. The temples are beautiful, and the 'kitchiness' of tourist shops is actually sort of fun; you don't feel bad, because the native Japanese tourists are buying the same things, heh.

Tenshi no Sato is beautiful, not even from a doll standpoint. I've been there twice, and it's worth just going to see the beautiful beautiful gardens (heh, and the little old gardener who speaks a tiny bit of English and who always wants to have conversations). The actual museum aspect is great; it's neat to see all the standards and limiteds in one place, though I was disappointed in the fact that none were esthetized (it looked a little careless to me, but that's just a personal opinion). The One Off floor is amazing. There were different dolls both times, and they were drool worthy. I didn't go to the cafe, but the boutique is hit or miss. They do have some special items (I got some neat shoes and doll jewelry) and sometimes you can find harder to find stuff (about a month after Dollpa, I managed to snap both Yo-SD outfits). I also did FCS in person there, which was an amazing experience. However, as for standards in stock, it wasn't a great selection, and none of the angels at all. Make sure you write in advance and make sure of the date; TnS isn't open every day and you need to have a reservation to get in (I think they also will try to have an English-speaking staff member on hand).

Anyway, that's enough of my discussion. It's a beautiful city, and TnS is definitely a neat experience, but if you only have one day, it does take up a lot of time in transport. If you go, I highly recommend trying to make it to Kiyomizu Temple (drink the water!) and for local food, yatsuhashi (cinnamon rice cookies, yum!) I hope you have a good time in Japan!

 

Wait so....is it just tourists, or even if you live in Japan you can't take classes?

 

Wait, so what if you were there long term and were fluent in Japanese?
You would have a mailing address (whether university dorms, rented flat or homestay family) and know the language...

 

Not sure! A quote from their e-mail:

"The second, we are terribly sorry that the lesson at Tenshi no Sato is
limited to Japanese customers.
We have had a lot of inquiry on the lesson at Tenshi no Sato from various
countries for months and we came to conclusion above because communication
with attendants is important.
We have been discussing how we can give this service to non-Japanese
speakers, so we appreciate your understanding."

They say because of the Japanese speaking issue, but I'm not sure how it would be resolved for a Japanese-speaking foreigner. They never asked me if I could speak Japanese, so I'm not sure it would have made a difference. Buuuut maybe there'll be something in the future.

 

Kiwiflowers: Yes, they can only ship to a Japanese address. I'm living in Japan for a year, though not in Kyoto. They're actually going to ship my doll to the Nagoya Volks shop, where I'll pick him up (next week, yay!) Good luck getting your doll!

Cheers,
Junkets

 

There is pie at Tenshi no Sato.

You cannot resist the seductive lure of pie.

 

Tenshi no Sato, at least for me, truly was heaven and absolutely worth the trip. As people have said, the museum and grounds are beautiful, but what really did it for me was just being at the heart of the hobby I love. All the staff are so nice -- everyone tried to speak English with me and then finally found a staff member who was fluent and after that always seemed to be at my elbow to help me out. I got to see an omukae and meet the designer of Megumi (Ken) who I had with me. I spent about four hours there and had a goofy grin on my face the whole time -- I was just so happy!

Oh, if you can at all swing bringing a doll, do it! Not just ToS, but so much of Japan is one big photo op. The people are really nice about you taking pics of your dolls. I heard plenty of "kawaii", but not one "baka gaijin". Carrying an MSD or two in a carrier slung across your shoulder is really quite easy too.

We're planning to go back in November/December for a few days in Tokyo for Dolpa and then about 10 days in the Kyoto area, including ToS again, since there was so much more to see than the five days we were there before allowed. So, for you, I'd definitely say it's worth it!

 

*giggles madly* :3 That amuses me to no end.

You should go!!! It would be uber fun. And you might as well go if you're there.

Take lots of pictures!!!

 

I'd look at it this way. If you go and visit while you're in Japan, there'll be no regrets. Plus, you might as well take advantage of your visit, and do as much as you can.

 

To me Kyoto is definitely a must see if sightseeing in Japan.
However, I was a little disappointed in Tenshi no Sato. I didn't see anything there that blew me away, and would have liked if there had been more really special things to buy.

 

Eeeeeh?! Does anybody know if this is true?! I want Byakuren, but always assumed it'd be for sale at Sato any time. I'll be so sad if they don't have any, as I finally know someone going to Japan that will happily get one for me!