A very narrow alley, barely wide enough for two pedestrians side-by-side, running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of the Kayo River, Pontocho Alley is one of Kyoto’s most atmospheric dining streets. It offers a wide variety of dining options, from inexpensive yakitori to exclusive establishments requiring the right connections and a very fat […]
Capped by snow in winter, set against the lush green of summer, or enveloped in autumn foliage – nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji. Perhaps even more so, its golden reflection shimmering across the rippled surface of the pond before it. This temple has been destroyed by fire numerous times, in the conflagrations […]
Ryōan-ji, a Zen temple located northwest of Kyoto, eponymous with its more famous rock garden, is truly one of the most serene places on earth. The temple garden is considered to be the finest example of a kare-sansui, or zen rock garden, in Japan. It’s my favorite garden in the world. The garden is best […]
Just when you think you might overdose on endless beauty, a short train ride on the JR Sagano line takes you from Kyoto to Arashiyama and yet more beauty. I think I am about to enter a beauty-induced coma. Arriving at Arashiyama station, it’s a short walk to Tenryu-ji Temple. Leaving the temple grounds by […]
The allies had originally planned to drop the first atomic bomb on Kyoto. Kyoto was spared by the personal intervention of Henry L. Stimson, United States Secretary of War. Stimson wished to save this cultural center in which he spent his honeymoon. There are over 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines in Kyoto. It […]
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