Ancient Kyoto
One's sojourn in Japan, whether it be for a week or a lifetime, can never be called complete without a visit to Kyoto, the country's 1,200-year-old patriarch. Each year thousands of Japanese and foreigners alike descend on the city to get a glimpse of "old Japan": otherworldly temples, lush landscape gardens and the elusive Kimono-clad Maiko-san, wandering the back alleys of old Gion. With more World Herritage sites than entire countries, Kyoto may be old, but do not dare call it over the hill. The city still offers countless surprises if you know where to go.
Long before Tokugawa Ieyasu set up shop in Edo, Kyoto had been the center of Japan for over 800 years. It was founded by the emperor Kammu in 794, who called for the city to be laid out auspiciously on a flat plain, surrounded by low mountains on three sides. Though protection against invading armies, the geography made for cold arid winters and summers which were muggy and hot. In olden times, fires periodically ravaged the city, likely started by careless townspeople freezing to death in dry wooden buildings. The 15th century saw Kyoto virtually burned to the ground during the Onin war, where fighting monks and rival political factions fought from temple to temple, turning the city into a battlefield.
Through it all, Kyoto remained the seat of Japanese culture, inspiring advances in tea ceremony, noh drama, and competing schools of Buddhism. From donations of the faithful shrine and temple complexes of amazing scale and beauty were errected, evolving into centers of power rivaling that of the noble houses.
Long ago, the imperial family realized the power of Buddhism and the threat the temples represented, and ordered them to be spread out to all corners of the city so they could not easily conspire with one another. As a result, all of historic Kyoto cannot be seen in a day, or even a week. Even with train lines and adequite bus service, the sightseer must be content with seeing only a small portion of the city each day. This gives you time to relax, stroll around a bit, and soak up the the distinct flavor of the different quarters.
Temples and Shrines
A trip to Kyoto merits seeing mountainside Kyomizudera, the thousand gold Buddhas of Sanjusangendo, Ryoan-ji's tranquil rock gardens, and all the other "must sees," information on which can be found elsewhere. These perrenial favorites are often packed with schoolkids and tourists, and are best seen in the early morning, or during the coldest day in winter. At an average of 500 Yen a pop, however, it is best to choose your temples wisely.
A slew of lesser-known (and less-crowded) temples can be found in the Sagano area west of the city center. Amid the farmland and ancient bamboo groves of Sagano lies Tenryu-ji Zen temple, containing one of the most breathtaking landscape gardens on this side of the city, following the contours of natural hills. Within nearby Nembutsu-ji lie row upon row of ancient stone Buddhas, 8,000 in all, their exact history shrouded in mystery. On the evenings of August 23 and 24 of every year, the statue graveyard is lit up by thousands of candles, paying eerie homage to the mysterious dead.
In the west the Matsuno grand shrine appears ordinary on the outside, but within hides spectacular rock gardens along winding passageways. Great boulders from nearby hills create forrest, river and island panoramas, ameliorated by fluvial riverlets and great silent ponds. During Golden Week and other special occasions, the gardens are lit up at night, when they can be observed from tatami mat viewing rooms with a cup of tea.
For archichitecture, a personal favorite is Zenrinji, of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism. Pure Land followers believed in a heaven located somewhere beyond China, and the temple was designed to resemble a palace in their mystic afterworld. About ten intricately-roofed buildings jut out from different levels on a hillside, which are joined by sloping covered walkways elevated high above the ground. The mood is quiet and contemplative as you wander the bare wooden corridors just as monks have done for centuries.
Kyoto's temples have a tendancy to overwhelm the visitor over time, their splendor and history unparallelled anywhere on earth. After undergoing such cultural edification for any length of time, however, even the extrordinary begins to look ordinary, and it is easy to fall victim to that most Asian of diseases, temple fatugue. When your head is spinning with names of monks, emperors and different schools of Zen, head out of the incense filled halls and back into the fresh air with a trip outdoors.
If you are in the north, check out Kyoto's Botanical Garden, filled with Japanese and European plants and a greenhouse. This is a favorite for picnicers on weekends. The grassy banks of the Kamo river are also a fine spot for eating lunch while watching herons fish for theirs.
The surrounding mountains hide many treasures, such as imperial villas and the holy Mount Hiei, once home to an army of warrior monks threatening Kyoto from its lofty heights. A hike up to Mount Daimonji, overshadowing the temple of Ginkaku-ji is closer, easier and yields a panoramic view of the entire city. For trips further afield, check with Lodge an outdoor shop on Oike Dori, which can help with camping and day hikes.
If viewing wildlife up close and personal is more your style, check out the Saruyama monkey park near Sagano. There, mountain primates outnumber the camera-toting variety by a large margin, squatting down in the middle of trails and daring hikers to go around them.
To the south the Fushimi-Inari shrine complex also makes for an interesting excursion. Paths lined with thousands upon thousands of bright orange tori gates wind their way up to a small peak protected by fox dieties. Local farmers still replace the great tori when they get old and offer convenience store sake to the five local gods for when they are feeling thirsty.
Nightlife
Whether you intend to or not, you will walk the bejeezus out of your manpoke in Kyoto. At the end of the day, sooth tired legs and culturally enriched grey matter at the beer garden of Tokosaikan Chinese Restaraunt, located in an old European-style building just across the Sanjo Dori bridge from Gion, the "pleasure district" during imperial times. Below as the sun starts to set, couples sit along the banks of the Kamo River, and lanterns begin to light up the riverside restaraunts on either side.
Kyoto is also home to a wealth of cuisine specific to the area. If you have an expense account, Gion's steakhouses or Kaiseki restaraunts, serving small artistically prepared multicourse meals, are not to be missed, but there is plenty for the small-timer as well.
The area between Kiyamachi and Kawaramachi streets, as well as swanky Gion, on the opposite riverbank, offer a slew of bars and cheap eats, the place to be when the sun goes down. For Kyoto culinary experience, somehow, "pork cutlet," just does not have the same ring to it as kaiseki, but Katsukura, on Sanjo Dori serves up the best and cheapest katsudon and tonkatsu in town.
To get the night started, head out to Field, a cozy Irish pub near Shijo Station with live music most nights. 1G, in Kiyamachi is more relaxed, with snacks that are free, and drinks that are not. Afterwards, there is no need to overnight in the party pits of Osaka when you can dance at CK Cafe in Gion, or Metro in Marutamachi. Bar Isn't It is pretty much the same as the ones in Tokyo and Osaka, but the yakitori restaraunt upstairs definitely warrents a visit. For late night snacks, try turning up at Hamid's, on Kiyamachi any time before three for take out kebabs that will set your gastric juices churning.
Places to stay
In a town of high-class ryokan and four-star hotels, Mrs. Tani of the Tani House (075-492-5489) is an exception. Though getting on in years, she runs the Japanese-style house all by herself, helping out travelers on a shoestring in northern Kyoto with cheap dorms and bike rentals.
If after a day of templing, you still cannot get enough, you can try shukubo, Buddhist temples that open their doors to visitors looking for something different. In olden times, would-be monks had to prostrate themselves on the doorstep for three days to gain admittance, but nowdays, a phone call usually does the trick. A complete list is available at the Tourist Information Center, but of special note is Hosen-ji, 30 minutes west of Kyoto by train. There, monks instruct visitors in caligraphy, zazen meditation and Buddhist sutras, and free time can be spent perusing the sizable library or gathering rocks and moss for Zen gardens. Morning work and bland vegitarian meals of shojin Ryori eaten in complete silence impart an atmosphere of tranquility lacking in the city center. A reservation by phone is recommended. (0771-24-0378).
Coming Festivals
July 17th - Gion Matsuri, a spectacular summer parade and festival with elaborate floats centering around Yasaka shrine.
August 16th- Daimonji-yaki - Gigantic kanji bonfires are lit on five surrounding mountains, visible at night from the entire city.
October 22 - Festival of the Ages, a parade from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine, consisting of over 2,000 historical figures dressed up in full regalia.
For further information about the above lisings and more, contact the Kyoto Tourist Information Center. (075-371-5649).
by Tom Westin
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