Over 1,200 years, Kyoto has evolved into a cultural capital, boasting superb crafts, cuisine and arc...

Core Kyoto narrator Gary Tegler gets a close-up look at the Gion Matsuri, which began over 1,000 yea...

Kyotoites have lived in kyo-machiya townhouses for centuries. Each year, 1,000 are demolished, but K...

Stimulating all five senses, kaiseki-ryori is a Kyoto culinary work of art. Eiichi Takahashi, 14th g...

Kyoto has about 2,700 temples where an array of benevolent, meek, and ferocious Buddhist statues are...

Various locations in Kyoto have been famous cherry-blossom-viewing spots for 1,200 years. As spring...

Japanese-style paintings are the embodiment of Kyoto aesthetics. Their delicate scenes are created u...

The quality of hospitality found at accommodations in Japan's old capital, Kyoto, is known worldwide...

The main stage for hospitality in the glittering kagai entertainment district is the ozashiki functi...

The origin of Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's 3 great festivals, goes back more than 1,500 years. Divine...

Sen-no-Rikyu (1522-1591) began the chanoyu, or tea ceremony, that is practiced today, 400 years ago....

Gion Matsuri began as a prayer for the country's health when 66 halberds were erected and 3 mikoshi...

In the 1200's, the monk Dogen brought shojin-ryori, a vegetarian cuisine, from China along with Zen...

Kyoto has many mountain springs, rivers and groundwater. The capital relocated here about 1,200 year...

As demand for lacquerware grew in the political and cultural hub of Kyoto, artisans refined their de...

A pointed boulder with a large stone at its foot reaches for the heavens. The white gravel between t...

Nishijin-ori symbolizes the ancient capital's elegance and luxury. The obi-weaving process is divide...

The ancient capital has many shinise, or established businesses, with unbroken histories. Kyoto Pref...

The changing leaves vividly color Kyoto, which lies in a basin and has marked temperature difference...

Kyoto confections are wagashi, or traditional confections, infused with Kyoto's charm and influenced...

Traditional washi paper flourished in the temples, shrines and palaces of the ancient capital. Endur...

Obanzai are the frugal side dishes that grace dinner tables daily in Kyoto - the home of washoku, or...

Ikebana is the traditional art of flower arranging. Developed in Kyoto it merges Asian naturalism wi...

Calligraphy is the art of writing characters with a brush. The use of kanji characters, which entere...

The butsudan Buddhist family altar was built as a miniature of the temple dais upon which the main i...

Tawaraya Sotatsu, who emerged from Kyoto's merchant class, was one pioneer of the Rimpa School in th...

Kyoto has long-been a leading bamboo-growing region. Bamboo was considered holy in ancient times for...

Kyo-yuzen fabric has distinct patterns and splendid, delicate colors. Kyo-yuzen dyed kimono brighten...

Filled with noble, graceful dignity, Kyoto dolls have long embodied people's prayers, relieved lonel...

Kyoto is home to most Buddhist head temples, which shaped the ancient capital's historical landscape...

Shinto shrines have sacred shimenawa ropes, bells with cords attached, mirrors, various fittings, an...

The Kyoto basin is blessed with fertile soil and an abundant supply of good water. Kyoto winters are...

Ogres, specters, demons, ghosts and hell. The ancient capital's many myths of the spirit world seem...

The Japanese believe their ancestors' spirits return from the other world to visit during Obon in mi...

Fushimi Inari Taisha is famous worldwide for the vermillion shrine gates that line the paths in the...

Noh is one of the oldest, extant performing arts and is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hum...

Dynastic culture thrived some 1,200 years ago in Heian-kyo, heavily influenced by mainland Asian, es...

The ancient capital, Kyoto, continues to be innovative after 1,200 years. We dive deep into its core...

Kyoto boasts upwards of 1,000 shinise businesses, each more than 100 years old, many of which are in...

Around 400 years ago, Sen-no-rikyu pursued the art of heart-to-heart communication through a bowl of...

Kyoto tsukemono, or pickles, are made with various combinations of pickles and agents to preserve se...

February 3 is New Year's Eve by the old, lunar calendar and is the boundary between winter and sprin...

In the ancient capital, sake was for religious and imperial rites. Made exclusively at the imperial...

Kyotoites have an affinity for the kimono that shares deep ties with traditional culture. A kimono r...

After the first cafe opened in Kyoto in 1930, a coffee culture flourished as coffee salons enjoyed t...

Kannon Bosatsu is warmly worshipped, a comfort for the heart. The subject of many paintings and stat...

In the late 1800's Kyoto architects and builders were the first to embrace change as Japan modernize...

Kyogen is a traditional performing art, popular in Kyoto for more than 600 years. Noh evolved at aro...

The decorative arts evolved throughout during the city's 1,200-year history and survive today. Kyoto...

Kyoto is home to many Buddhist and Shinto head temples and shrines. The approaches to the gates have...

Shidashi-ryori is Kyoto hospitality. Kyotoites do not serve visitors and honored guests homemade dis...

The ancient capital was devastated during a period of intense war lasting 2 centuries until the late...

For Heian aristocrats some 1,200 years ago, Kyoto life was the world of officialdom. Uji, located so...

Kyoto cuisine evolved in the old capital to please aristocratic eyes and palates. The local soft und...

Over its 1,000 year history as capital, Kyoto attracted craftsmen with outstanding artistry from aro...

Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu lies in the southwest of Kyoto Prefecture. On September 15, this shrine holds...

The Inoue School of Dance evolved as a distinct form of traditional Japanese dance in Kyoto. Danced...

Kyoto today is a bustling tourist destination, but there was a time when it had lost its sparkle. Th...

Byobu, or folding screens, were introduced to Japan in the 7th century as room partitions and windbr...

Kyo-yaki, or artistic ceramics fired in Kyoto, evolved within the rich culture of the ancient capita...

Suiseki is the appreciation of natural stone shapes using poetic imagination to visualize magnificen...

Kyo-kanoko shibori is the general term used for tie-dyed fabric made in Kyoto. The bumpy pattern on...

The streets of Kyoto are dotted with many cozy-looking restaurants, which some may feel awkward abou...

The obi sash is an integral accessory for the kimono. One company has produced opulent Nishijin-ori...

The world's oldest orchestral music, gagaku was imported from mainland China in ancient times. The m...

Traditional woodblock prints in the ancient capital have a strong, distinct history. Their origins l...

Traditional Kyoto Machiya townhouses have narrow entrances, and are long and deep. At the back lie s...

Kyoto artist Insho Domoto was prolific in the mid-20th century. He painted more than 600 dynamic sli...

During the spring and fall tourist seasons Kyoto's shrines and temples open their usually hidden tre...

The ancient capital's dignified air of yesteryear is in part generated by earthen walls: the walls o...

Kata-yuzen is a Kyoto yuzen dyeing method that sometimes requires as many as 100 stencils to complet...

Kyoto is surrounded by mountains on 3 sides, so the city is concentrated in the basin where summers...

Paper talismans protecting against fire are common sights in Kyoto homes. People receive them at Ata...

The Kiyomizu Rokubey studio, one of Kyoto's leading potteries, was established 245 years ago. Led by...

Some 10,000 stone Jizo Buddhist statues dot the streets of Kyoto. At the end of summer, children gat...

Camera crews are common sights in Kyoto's historic streets and peaceful rural areas. The first film...

Fusuma are uniquely Japanese fittings, dating back a millennium, that act as partitions, sliding doo...

Boys dressed as maidens walk the streets at night wearing lanterns adorned with intricate, cut-paper...

At 3 a.m. on October 22, two large pine torches over 10m long are lit to signal the start of the fir...

Some 1,000 years ago, monks from warring Mt. Hiei and nobles from the capital retreated from the wor...

The Kyoto State Guest House was built as a Japanese-style reception facility within the Kyoto Imperi...

Sento, or bathhouses, were built in Kyoto to cater to the large student and artisan population who l...

The soaring forest of tall, straight cedars in Kitayama, in Kyoto's northwest, is a glorious sight....

Incense is primarily made by mixing natural plant-derived scents. It lends rooms ambience to welcome...

Tofu arrived from China along with Buddhism over a millennium ago. It further evolved in Japan as an...

Kyoto's revitalization at the dawn of modernization in the 1860's was spurred by its 1,000-year hist...

Kanjiro Kawai was prolific in Kyoto in the mid-1900's. Originally from Shimane Prefecture, he devote...

The business of Araiya in Kyoto involves cleaning and restoring old temples, shrines, Machiya-style...

Nenbutsu Kyogen is held at Kyoto temples in spring. This masked theater began here 1,000 years ago a...

Kyotoites have for centuries refrained from directly conveying their true sentiments. Instead, they...

Nishiki Market, referred to as "Kyoto's kitchen", supplies local households and businesses with choi...

Gion Matsuri was restored to its former glory in 2014, almost 50 years after its two processions wer...

In early summer, confectioners display traditional sweets shaped like ayu, or sweetfish. For Kyotoit...

Japanese believe their ancestors' spirits visit in mid-August. To safely guide the spirits back to t...

Kyoto's braided cords came into their own as fashion accessories for the nobility, 1,000 years ago....

Geta and zori set off the kimono ensemble. People from all walks of life covet Kyoto footwear that e...

In early October, Kitano Tenmangu shrine holds the Zuiki Matsuri festival. Sacred palanquins carry t...

Dramatic blacks and pearly grays evoke profound scenes. Originating in China, ink painting was once...

In Kyoto, people regularly buy sweet treats at stores, which specialize in seasonal sweets that are...

Mount Kurama, located north of urban Kyoto, is steeped in legend. Goblin-like creatures called Tengu...

Kyotoites in days of old valued high quality fabric and woven textiles from abroad like gold. Pieces...

The year end begins in mid-December. Maiko and geiko pay their respects to teachers. Decorations and...

Kyoto City University of Arts was founded in 1880. Its educational policy emphasizes shasei – painti...

Hot green tea poured over steamed rice topped with salted kombu kelp and other flavorings is commonl...

Maiko are the charming symbol of Kyoto's kagai entertainment districts. Their hairstyle and hair orn...

Red and black demons beating drums and gongs dance through the streets of Kyoto's north in the Yasur...

Vividly painted clamshells and a pristine cypress helmet -- these and other works bear a legacy of b...

Mirei Shigemori, a prolific landscape artist based in Kyoto from the late 1920's, is famous for the...

1,000 years ago, aristocrats would compose short waka poems seated by a babbling brook at the imperi...

The satoyama style of living in harmony with nature, and the customs that influenced life in the anc...

Japanese pepper, or sansho, is characterized by a fresh aroma and a tongue-numbing tingle. A sprinkl...

Tatami's history stretches back 800 years to the imperial court. Later it evolved with the tea cerem...

In Japan's humid summers, people cool themselves with fans that can be conveniently folded away. Lar...

The biggest event in the mountain village of Hirogawara in northern Kyoto is held in late August. Me...

Kyoto has a particular profusion of Shinto shrines and festivals. The sacred and ritual objects, and...

Local-brand cosmetics are must-have souvenirs for women visiting Kyoto. New products in pretty Japan...

Gold leaf is just 0.1 micron thick, and almost translucent, but it has a lasting luster. Gilt crafts...

Swordsmiths have forged swords in Kyoto for over a millennium. More than mere blades, these swords w...

The events of the mid-1800's that led to the dawn of the modern era in 1868 shook Kyoto. The Tokugaw...

Arashiyama -- one of Japan's most scenic spots -- and famous temples are located in Sagano. Its lush...

Many modern buildings for use by ordinary citizens, such as homes, schools, and restaurants, sprang...

It may come as a surprise that Kyoto -- the capital of Japanese cuisine -- leads the country in the...

Kabuki evolved from the unorthodox dances of a female performer in Kyoto in the early 1600's. The Mi...

Traditional Kyoto store frontages feature latticework, a "noren" entrance curtain and perhaps a sign...

Buddhists faithful intone "Namu Amida Butsu" in ardent prayer to Amida Buddha for the release from s...

The origins of the local sushi, which does not use raw fish and places importance on the rice, lie i...

Many of Japan's traditional toys and playthings originate in the culture of the imperial court 1,000...

The dignified crests adorning various items from Noren curtains to temple roofs are a common sight i...

All manner of floral encounters await people around Kyoto. Florists do not just sell flowers but als...

Randen weaves its way to popular tourist destinations Arashiyama and Kitano, with Ryoan-ji and other...

Kyoto's famous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines hold markets on their fete days. Toji's bazaar at...

Giant lantern floats light up the night, and the next day a 1.2-ton portable shrine is carried throu...

With kimono no longer everyday attire, Kyoto's dyeing industry faces decline. But people are taking...

The performing art of Noh has a history stretching back more than 600 years and is registered on UNE...

A girl in her first year receives dolls representing an emperor and empress. People give each other...

Bamboo has long been used in architecture and everyday tools. Today the Kyoto bamboo industry is in...

Women in Kyoto through the ages, like their counterparts around the world, have always desired the m...

Glass arrived in Japan with the Christian missionaries in the 16th century. Kyoto aristocrats, high-...

Kyoto is dotted with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines offering amulets for health, longevity, saf...

Flames rising from behind, piercing eyes and an enraged expression, statues of Fudo Myo-o hold a swo...

As the traditional confectionery industry wanes due to a growing preference for Western-style sweets...

Designers and kimono-lovers are sparking a kimono revolution in imaginative ways. They weave global...

From the late 1800's to the early 1900's, dominant political and business figures owned villas in ne...

The five seasonal festivals to drive out evil originate in Yin and Yang philosophy. The most importa...

Two professionals from diverse fields, potter Matsubayashi Hosai and comic actor Shigeyama Sennojo d...

Through novels and movies, the name Miyamoto Musashi has become synonymous with the word "samurai."...

With the spread of Covid-19 in 2020, many annual festivals were condensed. But Kitano Goryoe was rev...

Solid, durable and decorative, lacquer is a lustrous, natural polymer used in art, architecture, Bud...

Hosoo Masataka, the 12th-generation of a Nishijin brocade producer, is making waves abroad as he upd...

Mountainous Keihoku in Kyoto's north is more than 90% woodlands. The drastic temperature differences...

Reizei Kimiko is the daughter of the 24th head of a once aristocratic family. Together with her husb...

The traditional, wooden townhouses built prior to 1950 that dot the downtown area of Kyoto served as...

The Tango district in northern Kyoto Pref. is Japan's largest producer of a supple fabric, supplying...

Shigemori Chisao, grandson of landscape gardener Mirei, creates modern gardens in Japan and abroad,...

In Kyoto, traditional cooking stoves affectionately called Okudo-san were once the heart of the hous...

Karakami is washi woodblock-printed with nature motifs and geometric patterns. Arriving from China a...

The eastern mountains once hosted many climbing kilns, attracting scores of potters. Kyo-yaki potter...

Verdant, furry moss, of which there are some 1800 varieties, has the power to fascinate. Moss makes...

Wire netting techniques originated over 1,000 years ago in netting to repel birds and religious alta...

Sake brewing prospered for centuries on Kyoto's abundant water supply and quality rice. But demand h...

Since ancient times taiko have been instruments of communication with the deities. They provided ins...

Expressing the infinite expanse through kanji characters brushed in shades of ink. Lying among the c...

Tokonoma are a unique feature of tatami rooms, originally found in affluent households. Through the...

Beans are a beloved food eaten every day in Kyoto, but they are also a sacred legume used in imperia...

Kyoto abounds with customs and traditions involving dramatic masks, such as Noh, a UNESCO Intangible...

Gold and silver threads, made by lacquering gold and silver leaf onto washi, are indispensable in Ni...

After the capital moved to Tokyo in the late 1800s, Kyoto citizens enthusiastically modernized the c...

Aristocracy, samurai and high-ranking citizens of the ancient capital prized writing implements of s...

Kameoka, west of Kyoto, has supplied lumber and foodstuffs to Kyoto for over 1,000 years. Today it a...

Nagakusa Sumie, born and raised in the textile area of Nishijin, was taught how to embroider kimono...

Gates allow passage through walls, fences and hedges, which separate individual premises from the ou...

The tone and timbre of Buddhist bells depends on their shape, thickness and metal composition. When...

American photographer Everett Kennedy Brown, a resident of Kyoto, traveled more than 50 countries du...

Kyoto has many shrines, temples and traditional structures, spurring people to place special value o...

Dried foods evolved as an efficient way of transporting produce to the ancient capital. The practice...

Kyoto artists are focusing on new styles of art, based in the traditions of the old capital. One cap...

Candles were long prized in the city's many shrines and temples, and throughout the ancient capital....

Tatami, cushions and futon--collectively referred to as Shikimono--evolved in the imperial palace, s...

The town of Wazuka in southern Kyoto Prefecture has recently been in the spotlight as a producer of...

The tradition of copying evolved in Kyoto over centuries through woodblock prints and reproductions...

Textile producer Shimura Shoji dyes threads for his kimono and other items with natural pigments, us...

Ornamental metalwork evolved mainly in the ancient capital through the patronage of the imperial cou...

Kimono are worn as formalwear and in cultural pursuits, but few men don them and the market has shru...

A washi designer combines huge sheets of washi with lighting to enliven open architectural spaces. S...

The Kamo River flows 23km north-south through the city center. Emperors on their enthronement would...

As the ancient capital, Kyoto is known to be graceful and splendid. But the merchant and lower class...

When Washoku, or Japanese cuisine, became UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, the flavor ca...

Belief in imaginary, spiritual dragons arrived from mainland Asia and differs in Shinto and Buddhism...

Fushimi Inari Taisha holds a festival in November, burning rice straw in gratitude of a plentiful ha...

Life in Kyoto has long been underscored by a culture of frugality and cherishing belongings; the cit...

In the 10th century samurai guarding the emperor and aristocrats began to wear colorful armor, refle...

Fermenting soybeans, Koji mold and salt produces miso. The taste of this rich, aromatic seasoning va...

Minamiyamashiro, in the very south of Kyoto Pref., was once an important transportation hub, and man...

Kyoto has been a stronghold of Buddhism for a millennium, with over 1,600 temples located in its cit...

Heian courtiers 1,200 years ago wore robes made of fabric dyed with medicinal herbs to produce color...

Upcycling means reusing discarded or unused items to create products with higher value than the orig...

Carbon- and glass-fiber textiles promise potential for a sustainable society. Textile artworks boast...

Flowers in bloom manifest the changing beauty of nature over time. Kyotoites treasure them as symbol...

Boxes are crafted from wood, paper and other materials. But in Kyoto, boxes are not mere containers....

Deities from Japan, China, and India evolved into the Seven Lucky Gods, who are popularly depicted a...

Kyoto has a culture of ordering personalized goods, yet it is more than just placing an order. As Ja...

Forty-one ritual folk dances from around Japan were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage...

The Kyoto cityscape is dotted with historic Buddhist temples, traditional Machiya townhouses, and Ry...

Kyoto has been a thriving pottery production center since the 17th century. After World War II, youn...

Stone is a noticeable feature when walking through Kyoto's townscape: pavements, stairs, and religio...

One tenth of Kyoto's population is university students: the driving force behind the revitalization...

Cooking utensils influence Kyoto cuisine, helping to bring out the inherent flavor of local ingredie...

Kyoto is not all traditional cuisine. It has become one of Japan's leading ramen hubs thanks to bein...

Paintings and calligraphy are often mounted on sliding doors and scrolls. Artisans consider the stor...

Traditional carpentry employs wooden joinery in furnishings to fit pieces of wood together without u...

Kyoto potters refine their skills in a division of labor. Two painters wield their brushes to create...

This 11th-century novel is set in the imperial court. As a work of literature and paintings, it capt...

Kyoto dominated the oil market 1,000 years ago. Various oils fueled votive lamps, flavored food, pre...

Omura Shige (1918-1999) wrote about daily life and the treasured customs of Kyoto, and introduced th...

Horses take center stage in the ancient capital's events, such as two May festivals—Aoi Matsuri boas...

For centuries, Kyoto has been the hub of kimono fashion, spawning the weaving and dyeing industries....

In Kemari, players kick a ball into the air and strive to keep it off the ground. They master the me...

In 1869, the emperor's move to Tokyo led Kyoto's economy and population into decline. A canal was du...

Japan's first central wholesale market, goes beyond mere distribution. With strong ties to local che...

This UNESCO-registered Buddhist temple houses many precious items. Its buildings and statues are Nat...

The desire to pass on knowledge spurred the evolution of books made of washi paper. Artisans carry o...

Flora is integral to traditional and modern Kyoto life. Japan's oldest public botanical garden which...

The Tayama Hana Odori is held to pray for rain in Minamiyamashiro, a major Uji tea producer. The vil...

Kyoto has about 13,000 alleys with a total distance of 940km, and an increasing number of their hous...

This iconic Kyoto destination, popular for a millennium, has the perfect climate and topography for...

Several annual rituals performed at Shinto shrines involve bows and arrows that are believed to hold...

Shamisen tones, filled with emotion, harmonize with the culture of traditional entertainment distric...

Raden, a decorative lacquerware technique, uses the glimmering inner layer of shells. The inlay appe...

The city's around 150 shopping areas manifest the diversity of the local culture. Some are reinventi...

The dark-grey, clay roofing on shrines, temples, and Machiya townhouses is buffed and smoked to boos...

Matsunoo Taisha is the guardian Shinto shrine to Kyoto's west. In April and May, the deities are car...