| Of course, if you are coming to Kyoto, odds are you are most interested in the history. Kyoto is home to around 2000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Only about 10% are regularly open to the public, but that’s enough to keep you busy. Some of the most famous temples in Japan are located within walking distance of each other on Higashiyama (East Mountain), and scores more are a short bus-ride through town. Many old palaces, castles, and royal retreats are open to the public – some require advance notice, but English-language tours can often be reserved the same day. In addition, unlike most Japanese cities, Kyoto retains many neighborhoods that have been untouched by the passage of time, their buildings older than America. The most famous of these is probably Gion, the entertainment district where geiko and maiko host wealthy patrons of the traditional Japanese arts (geiko is a special term for geisha that work in Kyoto: maiko are geisha-in-training; they become geisha during a coming out celebration around their 20th birthday). One reason Kyoto has kept so many historic districts intact is because it has been a cultural city for centuries and became a museum city when the emperors left; its citizens take pride in that. Also, Kyoto escaped the firebombing that befell most of Japan during World War II. This is because it didn’t have very much military value, and because it was on a list of cities that might be test cases for the Atom Bomb. Those cities were left relatively untouched so the affects of the bomb could be more easily observed. As late as two weeks before “little boy” made its run, Kyoto, and not Hiroshima, was the target. Luckily an American general had visited the old capitol, and vetoed the destruction of such a culturally important locale. |
| The mountains that surround Kyoto on three sides add a remarkably green atmosphere to all but the densest downtown areas, and provide a plethora of outdoor activities a short jaunt from the city center. The mountains also act to trap moisture, making Kyoto one of the most humid spots in the Japanese islands, and consequently one of the hottest during the summer. In winter they trap cold air, making the city much more frigid than the surrounding area. Not surprisingly, Kyoto has four (or five) very distinct seasons. The best times to come are in spring and fall, when the weather tends towards perfection and everyone gets outside to enjoy nature; cherry blossom viewing is a famous Japanese tradition in spring with Kyoto being a hot spot, but the lesser known coyo (changing of the leaves) brings out just as many natives and visitors to enjoy the fall colors of Kyoto’s varied flora. Because of its extremes, Kyoto is home to both palm trees and evergreens, with everything in between (even an occasional cactus). If you come during the unofficial fifth season – the rainy season, starting in mid-June and lasting six weeks – you need not fear. Most days will be sunny most of the time, partially because of changing weather patterns and partially because most of the rain is concentrated in large storms and typhoons that pass through the area (September is the height of typhoon season). The least pleasant time to visit is probably the summer, when everything and everyone gets sticky with condensation and perspiration. Still, this can be overlooked by the hearty because the summer season is also the most raucous, with festivals taking place nearly every day throughout the region. People populate the riversides, picnic in the parks, and party all night (the most popular night spots stay open until 5 am officially, although many go until the sun rises and beyond). |
| Kyoto is set up in a grid system, so it’s pretty easy to get your bearings. Two rivers run north to south down either side of the city. Two smaller rivers join in the north, at Demachiyanagi, to form the Kamogawa River, which runs down the east side. The Katsura River borders the southern half of the city on the west. Kyoto has a number of small rivers and canals that run through it; these add to the romanticism of the atmosphere, but can confuse an unsure visitor. If the waterway isn’t large, it isn’t one of the marker rivers. Higashiyama is a string of small mountains that run down the far eastern border of the city, with a slightly larger mountain chain bordering the westernmost edge. Kyoto city fades into the mountains to the north, which are much larger but also farther away. To the south is a plain that leads to Osaka, and eventually Osaka Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Kyoto has 10 east-west streets that make good markers, since they are numbered. Unfortunately, they are numbered in Japanese. The ordering starts from the north and increases as you head south. Most of the action is between shichijo (seventh avenue) and nijo (second avenue), with the train station on hachijo (eighth avenue) and downtown concentrated between sanjo and shijo (third and fourth avenue). All north-south streets have Japanese names. Downtown is mainly between Kawaramachi and Karasuma, while many of the temples are across the Kamogawa River in the Higashiyama area. Most are accessible from Higashioji, one of the easternmost streets in the city. The main palace grounds, Gosho, are in the north. Karasuma and Kawaramachi streets to the west and east, and Imadegawa and Marutamachi streets to the north and south border it. |
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