Kyoto

On our first night in Kyoto, and being the typical Memoirs of a Geisha reading tourists, we headed for the Ichiriki, and behaved like ill-mannered paparazzi. The sight of a maika on her way to an appointment is magical. I stayed with a longer lens and no flash and tried to reduce our annoyance factor. Warming up after with sake in a trendy restaurant on Pontocho Street is the way to go.

Below is the Ichiriki teahouse during the daytime. An easier time to take pictures, but a tougher time to spot geishas.

Nijo Castle

Built in 1603 during the foundation of the Shogunate, Nijo Castle is certainly worth a visit. The airy design, mixed with the samurai cupboards (that may just have been housing samurai ready to leap forth and protect someone at that very moment) was otherworldly for us. The nightingale floors, surrounding the principal chambers, squeaked at the slightest movement across them, and brought all sorts of period film ninja moves to mind. The panels were painted and preserved in beautiful detail, and the buttressed roofs of the gates were beautiful.

Kyoto Gosho

Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) was the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. The palace burnt down and was moved around the city several times over the centuries. The present reconstruction dates from 1855.

The palace is a bit frustrating as a one time tourist, in that the English tour moved briskly, and was not allowed to enter any buildings (they're still officially ready for return visits. We were even prevented from seeing some of the older buildings. The gardens were lovely, but rather isolated amid the other open spaces.

The only sense of history and grandeur was imparted by the narrative and readings that preceded and accompanied our visit.

Kiyomizudera

Founded in 778 this photographic marvel was rebuilt after fire in 1633. The terrace affords a view over the city, and the detail within the temple abounds.

The streets that rise to the temple are lined with interesting shops, with everything from generations old potters and sweet-makers to touristy stuff. If you wanted a $5,000 fan you can find one here, but we opted for some chirimen wrapped Abura-tori-gami (face tissue, intended to remove excess facial oils without removing make up).

I put these last two in just to show the difficulty faced in photographing many urban sites outside of the temples and parks in Tokyo. Electric distribution wires are almost universally above ground, and can truly litter the view, forcing one to look for pristine (and therefore somewhat unrealistic) photographs.

Kinkakuju

A trip to Kinkakuju seemed like required photography to me. It must have seemed that way to a lot of people for quite a long time, because the procession of shutterbugs is daunting, and the stroll circuit is well defined. A leisurely stroll is almost impossible due to crowding, but the pavilion, wrapped in gold leaf, is pretty spectacular.

Arashiyama

On the eastern outskirts of Kyoto is Arashiyama, a downright rural place to the traveler who's taken a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.

We missed the summer season, when pleasure boats and cormorant fishing are to be enjoyed, but nonetheless enjoyed the monkey station and a wonderful ryokan (Japanese inn) with baths looking over the river.

The hike to the top of the monkey sanctuary is worth the view alone, but the snow monkeys make it even more enjoyable. I'm not one for zoos, but this research station keeps the monkeys around by virtue of the food - there are no enclosures, and some people told me they had seen them down near our ryokan. We stayed at the Rankyokan Ryokan, a short boat ride from where the city becomes rural in Arashiyama. The baths look out across the river in a very natural setting, and the Kaiseki meal and service were terrific.

Looking up at the main buildings on arrival, the ryokan boat that brings you out from the city, and the view from our room.

Before dinner (and a bath), dinner, and after dinner. Reservations gave us away, and our staff had excellent English.

Here's a little more info on staying at a ryokan. It really is a must do getaway activity for even the more timid tourist.

And this was a car we saw when we came back to Kyoto. I hadn't seen one standing still without having been packed into a closet-sized garage and couldn't resist the cuteness, so I stuck it on this page.

Same for this shrine guard fox (except for the cuteness and the garage) that we passed at an Inari Shrine while out walking.