Core Kyoto

Kyotoites have lived in kyo-machiya townhouses for centuries. Each year, 1,000 are demolished, but Kyo-machiya Sakujigumi, a group of craftsmen skille...

Stimulating all five senses, kaiseki-ryori is a Kyoto culinary work of art. Eiichi Takahashi, 14th generation owner of Hyotei, stresses kaiseki's root...

Kyoto has about 2,700 temples where an array of benevolent, meek, and ferocious Buddhist statues are worshipped. World Heritage temple Toji has a conf...

Various locations in Kyoto have been famous cherry-blossom-viewing spots for 1,200 years. As spring approaches, the locals' actions revolve around tho...

Japanese-style paintings are the embodiment of Kyoto aesthetics. Their delicate scenes are created using unique mineral pigments. Flower artist Rieko...

The quality of hospitality found at accommodations in Japan's old capital, Kyoto, is known worldwide. They exude a time-honored culture and uniqueness...

The main stage for hospitality in the glittering kagai entertainment district is the ozashiki function. Geiko and maiko refine their skills over years...

The origin of Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's 3 great festivals, goes back more than 1,500 years. Diviners advised the people to ride horses in prayer for...

Sen-no-Rikyu (1522-1591) began the chanoyu, or tea ceremony, that is practiced today, 400 years ago. His simple, rustic wabi philosophy is still disce...

Gion Matsuri began as a prayer for the country's health when 66 halberds were erected and 3 mikoshi shrines were paraded through plague-ravaged Heian-...

In the 1200's, the monk Dogen brought shojin-ryori, a vegetarian cuisine, from China along with Zen Buddhism, which forbids the killing of animals and...

Kyoto has many mountain springs, rivers and groundwater. The capital relocated here about 1,200 years ago for the water supply that enriched the citiz...

As demand for lacquerware grew in the political and cultural hub of Kyoto, artisans refined their designs and techniques with a distinctive approach t...

A pointed boulder with a large stone at its foot reaches for the heavens. The white gravel between them represents a swift flowing river, without the...

Nishijin-ori symbolizes the ancient capital's elegance and luxury. The obi-weaving process is divided into detailed tasks, such as mon-template design...

The ancient capital has many shinise, or established businesses, with unbroken histories. Kyoto Prefecture classes a firm founded at least a century a...

The changing leaves vividly color Kyoto, which lies in a basin and has marked temperature differences. For more than a millennium, people have delight...