December 2023
I spent this morning just doing a Sunday Saunter. It was nice to see a side of Kyoto that has history, beauty, and serenity.
These are a few things that caught my eye.
A small little ray of sunshine outside someone’s front door
A random sign on one of the many, many shopping streets.
The ginkgo trees are beginning to lose their leaves.
As the leaves fell, some took the time to create the perfect Christmas Card.
Some people know how to have all the fun.
Yaji-san & Kita-san on the Sanjō Ōhashi Bridge
During the Edo Period, the Tōkaidō road became the most important route in Japan, connecting the capital Kyoto to Edo. The most popular way to travel the Tōkaidō was by foot, as only the richest being able to rent a kago (A small basketwork palanquin slung from a pole carried on the shoulders of two men.). Because of this Tōkaidō was dotted with inns, but it still was not an easy trek. The number of people traveling through the Tōkaidō route just for sightseeing started to rise after the appearance of a book, Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige, which told of the amusing adventures of two travelers, Yaji-san and Kita-san. So today, these two are immortalized where their voyage ended.
Someone had the creativity to add art class articulated hands to a mannequin. It gave him a sense of reality and a great way to hold a sign.
I will admit I have a passion for dango, especially matcha dango
Not far from my hotel runs the Shirakawa River. It is beautiful both day and night.
The Shirakawa River- means “white river” in Japanese and is so called because it is composed of sand and granite. The water originates in the foothills of Mount Hiei on the outskirts of Kyoto, wends its way through parts of Kyoto, and eventually flows into the Kamo River.
Most Japanese rock gardens in Kyoto have historically used gravel as one of their design elements, sourced from the upper reaches of the Shirakawa River.
It is funny how the streets of Kyoto, outside of the Gion District and the popular tourist destinations, are not crowded and a pleasure to walk.
However, this area is primarily filled with very small mom-and-pop restaurants. You are reminded of the high number of tourists, as every restaurant is filled to the brim by 7:00 in the evening. It makes it very difficult to decide on dinner at the spur of the moment.