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KYOTO, JAPAN
Leaves scurry in a rushed swirl across the stone steps leading up to the temple gates as the city fades behind us. In any season, Kyoto is a dream, but seen in fall color, one knows their visit was perfectly timed.
Each footprint vanishes into the grooves of rhythmic circles, as a zen gardener pulls his broom methodically through the gravel, creating linear grooves designed to promote stillness in the viewer's mind. Deeply part of Japanese living and culture, zen gardens were first established in the 13th Century as a place for monks to meditate Buddha's teachings. Here, at the stunning Ginkaku-ji Temple, this art form is maintained daily –a practice, in itself a meditation.
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Sunlight dapples the ground, highlighting an array of colorful leaves that have quietly found their seat. A playful breeze rustles the scene, rearranging the pattern in an ongoing evolution. Kyoto, as seen through the veil of fall, is as red as apples and cherries. So different a picture than the countless white blossoms exhibited in these exact same trees just two seasons ago. A recurrent joy for the wide-eyed visitor.
The glazed rooftops of the Enkouji Temple appear like steps that follow the hillside slope toward the glow of central Kyoto. Like a lantern, the town beckons the eye, even if the heart begs to stay here on this elevated plain, bathed in fall color and steeped in enlightenment.
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The essence of Japanese architectural design is minimalism, effortlessly at one with the outside landscape. Walls of rice paper panes glide between the floor and ceiling in a widened embrace of the view, while softened sunlight illuminates the room through the parchment diffusion. The outside enters like a welcome guest, framed in perfect proportion to the interior space. From the tranquil Honen-in Temple, to a bustling Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe, Kyoto is home to this timeless design practice, so comfortable in its place, as if ordained by nature.
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Centuries before the advent of screws and metal fasteners, Japanese builders developed ways to adjoin wooden beams in the construction of buildings that would stand for generations. Intricately carved “male” ends of posts and beams are joined with geometrically, matching female ends to create load-bearing bracing. Nowhere is this engineering art form more evident than in the Anraku-ji Temple. Look up and be amazed. All done by hand, without the aid of a computer program or 3D printer!
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The national garment of Japan is also the most beautiful interpretation of unisex fashion. History and heritage is woven into each design, along with comfort and practicality. In Kyoto’s Gion district, history and Japanese culture literally line the streets. Hence, a haven for great kimono watching. But don’t just admire, acquire!! Vintage, bespoke and everyday options are available, which makes for a fun treasure hunt. We suggest meandering to YAYA, a little vintage boutique in Southern Higashiyama.
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Charming house-shaped wooden plaques called Ema are layered in an orderly, shingled jumble at Saginomori-jinja Shrine and other Shinto shrines all across Kyoto. Purchase one and sit with it in your lap while studying the treetops overhead as they tickle the clouds. Think about this moment and the time before –and ahead. Put a prayer into words and scribe it onto your plaque, then fasten it amongst the others –your wish now afloat like a whisper.
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The squishy delight of Mochi is a true Japanese treat. A rice cake made of a short-grain rice and a dash of water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into a paste, then formed into shapes, usually that of a bite size igloo. In Japan, it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki.
Originating in China, Matcha is a finely ground powder made with specially grown green tea leaves and is enjoyed across all of East Asia –and now, the world. These days, it is mostly produced in Japan, where one may experience its special allure at the Honen-in Temple where it is served along with a dreamily presented side of Mochi! For those who desire a fuller menu, nearby is the Green Terrace Riverside Cafe located just along the Philosopher's Walk, the renowned pedestrian path that follows a cherry tree-lined canal in Northern Higashiyama district.
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At this quaint inn in Kyoto, the arrival of each new guest is denoted with the addition of two shoes joining the lineup of footwear at the front slatted-wood door. One can immediately see before entering if it’s a full house or not. No matter how many guests are in residence, this tranquil ryokan is as quiet as a sleeping cat. In each room, a ceramic vase with a single-stem flower occupies a zen niche, thoughtfully waiting to inspire contemplation. But the pièce de résistance is the onsite onsen. A renewing ritual that calls out to the visitor exploring Kyoto to return and fold into the warm water bath —wide enough to include friends!
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Soba at Juu-go
Japanese soba noodles are made with buckwheat. Brown and flat and thin like spaghetti. It’s strong in flavor and often served cold, in salads or with dipping sauces. In Kyoto, it’s also performance art at Juu-go where the kitchen becomes theater as the chef makes and serves the noodles right before your eyes.
Confused between SOBA and UDON noodles? Here’s a simple tip: SOBA has a “B”, as in Buckwheat”, or “Brown”.
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Centuries before Martha Graham redefined modern dance, Izumo no Okuni invented the theatrical art form of kabuki here on the dry riverbed of the Kamo River. By the mid 1600’s, Okuni's troupe became immensely popular, renowned for their performers who were often lower-class women recruited to act in her all-female theatre group. Her groundbreaking work is present today in reenactments along the parched river and in Japan’s not-to-miss Kabuki theaters.
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Within the cobbled labyrinth of Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama District, all pathways seem to lead to the tall and graceful, multi-roof Hokan-ji Temple, known locally as the Yasaka Pagoda, or “Tower of Yasaka”. Inspired by a dream, it was built by the Imperial Prince Shotoku in 589, here in the storied warrens of Gion, where time stands still.
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The mesmerizing glow of the Yasaka Shrine at night serves as a beacon that leads to the historic Gion district. A gentle breeze rolls across the plaza, encouraging rows of lanterns to sway hypnotically, as if a spirit ran its hand along a curtain of light.
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A tradition known as Hatsumode - the first shrine visit of the new year - invites worshipers to take home a flame from the shrine’s sacred fire, with which to cook their first meal of the new year.
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One feels a thrilling sense of peace in seeing the midday sunlight slant through the towering bamboo like swords. A “thrilling peacefulness” may be a contradiction in terms, but such is the sense of balance at Enkouji Temple. Darkness threaded with light. Cavalier breezes stilled. Yellow challenging green. Opposites together, in peace.
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Allow your thoughts to drift like smoke across the landscape at Nanzenji Temple with its massive brass urn containing a mountain of sand that hosts a grove of incense sticks. Each stick lit with hopes and dreams, as it lofts a scented cloud towards the gods. At Saginomori Temple, take the thick rope in both hands and pull down hard. Your heart is heard in the ringing of the bell.
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There is an inspired moment in Kyoto that’s very special. The moment when one steps through the modest doorway of an ancient temple. The mountains and trees seem to bow in greeting the visitor. Imagine centuries of footsteps that have traversed this very threshold. Yours newly added, like new links on an eternal chain.
Top two images: Nanzen-ji Temple
Bottom image: Manshu-in Temple
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