Kyoto Brochure

A MISAWA ITT TOUR

Kyoto

35th

Introduction to Kyoto

Sapporo Hakodate Misawa Aomori

Sendai

Tokyo Yokohama

Kyoto

Nagoya

Osaka

Hiroshima Fukuoka

Okinawa

Japan is a country with a long, fascinating history, and the Japanese people are wellversed in and quite proud of that history. As a result, much of the local tourism within Japan tends to center around visiting places of historical significance.

While such sites abound throughout Japan, few Japanese cities can rival the former imperial capital of Kyoto for quantity and

beauty of historical buildings and artifacts.

Kyoto is located to the west of Tokyo, and served as the imperial capital from 794–1867, whereas Tokyo has only came to prominence as the shogun capital since 1600. Kyoto was at its height during the Heian Era (794–1185) when there was no military dictatorship to share power with.

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Introduction to Kyoto

Like Nara, its predecessor, Kyoto was modeled after the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital of Changan: rectangular, with straight, bisecting streets and the imperial palace in the northeast corner. But unlike Nara, a limit was placed on Buddhist temples to keep them from overwhelming the capital (one of the possible reasons the emperor moved the capital from Nara to begin with). The strategy was successful for centuries, but you could never tell by modern Kyoto. Like Kamakura and Nara, Buddhist temples and art are everywhere.

In fact, there is a seemingly limitless supply of famous temples, shrines, gardens, battle sites and the like in Kyoto.

However, they are not usually the original buildings. Fire has long been the nemesis

of the Japanese, with their wood and paper architecture, and it has claimed almost all of Japan’s historical buildings at least once through the centuries. What nature didn’t take, the firebombings of World War II finished off, such that it is now uncommon to find a building built before 1945 which has stood untouched since its construction.

Nonetheless, even the rebuilt structures are usually centuries old, and completely true to their original ancestors. That the Japanese rebuild these cultural treasures exactly as they stood before is a great tribute to their fondness for their cultural past.

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Spring in Kyoto

In addition to the imperial palace and shogun’s castle (ca. 1569), Kyoto is home to the famous Zen rock garden at Romania Temple (ca. 1450), the Temple of the Golden Pavilion (ca. 1397), and the Honnoji Temple where national hegemon Oda Nobunaga was assassinated by one of his own generals in 1582. It is ironic that the site of Nobunaga’s death is now surrounded by a very modern shopping center. Nobunaga despised Buddhist sects and went on a campaign in the late 1500s to exterminate them. Nobunaga won those battles, but it now seems the merchants - not the warriors or priests - have won the war.

In Kyoto you will also find the fabulous Heian Jingo Shrine, the entrance to which is marked by an enormous Torii gate.

Kyoto also witnessed several of the early 17th century duels of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s most famous samurai, at Ichijoji and Sanjusangendo.

But Kyoto is famous for more than its battle sites and palaces. In fact, to the average Japanese, it is more famous for its ancient fashion. The clothes and customs of the court ladies and court gentlemen of the

Heian Era were immortalized in Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century novel The Tale of Genji. Kyoto was also home to the fabled geisha and their junior geisha-in-training, called maiko. Geisha and maiko still exist today in Kyoto’s ancient pleasure quarter, Gion, but a foreigner without a zillion dollars and serious connections can forget about even finding the establishments, much less gaining entrance. Easier to find and enter is the Kyoto National Museum, which contains exhibits of art, religion and culture dating back to the Jomon Era (7,000–250 B.C.).

Even if a person is not interested in Japanese history, Kyoto has much to offer.

During early April, the cherry blossoms paint the parks and temples pink. In fall, their complexions change to fiery red and orange. There are interesting hot spring resorts in nearby Arashiyama, which are so secluded they can be reached only by boat. The famous Kyoto meal is yudoufu, a boiled tofu dinner, and the souvenir snack (every major city has one) is sweet bean paste wrapped in fresh mochi.

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Spring in Kyoto

Kyoto has been called the Flower Capital or Flower City since the Heian period (794– 1185). This was because of Kyoto’s lively atmosphere created by its people, culture and because of the many cherry trees in the surrounding area. Indeed, you can find cherry trees anywhere in Kyoto, even in the city center.

The season of hanami (cherry blossom viewing) is often a lot shorter than one would like it to be, especially when the weather is warm and sunny. The Japanese are said to love this season more than any other.

You can stroll along back lanes and look at the cherry trees in local gardens, or along the river. You can take in a tea ceremony with stunning kimono clad beauty at several locations. You can picnic in the city or in terraced, countryside rice fields surrounded in pink. You can see the flowers by day and by night. You can even hike into the hills and see wild cherries in all their glory. Whatever you do, you will surely be amazed.

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Autumn in Kyoto The ancient capital of Kyoto may be one of the most photographed cities in the world, especially in the autumn.

It provides visitors with a rich choice of images: red and gold leaves fluttering to the ground from feathery boughs, stone stairways carpeted with a mosaic of color, delicate, yet vivid, red branches of maples extending over a rustic gate. The season gracefully complements the beauty of the city’s old temples, gardens and woodland background. It is also a season that generously bestows upon the city warm, sunny days and deep blue skies, perfect for outings and sightseeing. Actually, viewing the maples is an ancient national pastime. They are a sight that rivals the cherry blossoms. Japan’s reputation seems to revolve around the cherries, Mt. Fuji, and geisha, so few non-Japanese realize the attention that momiji-gari (maple viewing) receives.

This tradition can be traced back to anthologies of ninth-century poetry which contain verses dedicated to the viewing of the autumn colors, and it is easy to understand why this custom remains so popular. Both red and yellow maples appear throughout the hillsides, creating an elaborate weave of warm colors which elicit a sign of appreciation from even the most disinterested viewer.

Momiji means ‘maple tree’ in Japanese, it also encompasses all trees and plants that change color in autumn. Unlike the joyful anticipation of spring and renewal the cherry blossoms herald, the viewing of the falling leaves reveals a melancholy, reflective aspect of the Japanese personality.

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Autumn in Kyoto

The ginkgo is another tree that contributes much to the seasonal display of color.

Called a living fossil, this 30-meter tall tree, native to China and Japan, stretches back to the Jurassic period. When sunlight strikes the fluttering fan-shaped leaves, the tree resembles a sparkling yellow torch. Easy to recognize by sight, it also announces its presence by its odor. The gingko bears a pulpy fruit that is foul-smelling when ripe, but tasty when roasted.

Autumn is beautiful throughout the main island of Honshu, but the season seems to have reserved its most magnificent displays for Kyoto. The old capital was chosen for its natural beauty, good hunting and the protection provided by the mountains on three sides. The city is ablaze with color and although its most popular places will be filled with people, the mood is serene, almost reverential.

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Events & Festivals

Kyoto’s greatest living treasures are its vivacious festivals (matsuri). The city hosts some 500 of these colorful events throughout the year, and almost any visit should provide the chance to catch at least one. Some of the more fascinating festivals include Hatsu Ebisu, January 8–12, where a party is held for Ebisu the patron deity of merchants, at which participants lift two gigantic rice cakes 150kg (330 lbs) for men, 90kg (200 lbs) for women; Gion Matsuri, July 17, perhaps the most renowned of all Japanese festivals, when over 200,000 people throng the Shijo-Karasuma area, and reaches a climax on the 17th when a Yamaboko-junko parade of over 30 floats is held to the accompaniment of flutes, drums and gongs; and Daimon-ji Gozan Okuribi, Aug. 16, where enormous fires are lit on five mountains in the form of Chinese characters or other shapes.

Gion Festival is renowned as one of Japan’s three great festivals. The festival is held over one month, and its climax is the procession of 32 floats, held on July 17.

Of these, 29 were registered as Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties on May 23, 1962. Each float is ornately decorated with exquisite tapestries, brocades, Nishijin fabrics, or other beautiful embellishments.

The procession itself was registered as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on February 3, 1979.

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Kinkaku-ji

Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga (1358-1409) had it constructed in 1393 for the time when he would quit politics -- the following year, in fact -- to manage the affairs of state through the new shogun, his 10-yearold son. On Yoshimitsu’s death, his son followed his father’s wishes and converted the villa into a temple named Rokuon-ji.

The structure sits, following the Shinden style of the Heian period, at the edge of the lake. Pillars support the three-story pavilion, which extends over the pond and is reflected in the calm waters. It’s a beautiful sight, designed to suggest an existence somewhere between heaven and earth. To

underscore this statement of his prestige and power, the shogun had the ceiling of the third floor of the pavilion covered in gold leaf. Not only the harmony and balance of the pavilion and its reflection, but also the richness of color shimmering in the light and in the water, make Kinkakuji one of Kyoto’s most powerful visions.

In 1950 a student monk with metaphysical aspirations torched Kinkaku-ji, burning it to the ground. Kinkaku-ji was rebuilt in 1955 based on the original design, except that all three stories were covered with gold leaf, in accordance with the shogun’s original intention, instead of only the third-floor ceiling.

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Kiyomizu-dera

Unique Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most visited temples in Kyoto and a prominent feature in the city’s skyline, stands out because it’s built into a steep hillside, with 139 giant pillars supporting part of its main hall. In the past, people would come here to escape the open political intrigue of Kyoto and to scheme in secrecy.

From the wooden veranda, one of the few temple verandas where you can walk around without removing your shoes, there are fine views of the city and a breathtaking look at the valley below. “Have you the courage to jump from the veranda of Kiyomizu?” is a saying asked when someone sets out on a daring new venture.

Interestingly enough, Kiyomizu-dera does not belong to one of the local Kyoto Buddhist sects but rather to the Hosso sect, which developed in Nara. The temple honors the popular 11-faced Kannon (goddess of mercy), who can bring about easy childbirth. Over time Kiyomizudera has become “everyone’s temple.”

You’ll see evidence of this throughout the grounds, from the little Jizo Bosatsu

statues (representing the god of travel and children) stacked in rows, to the many koma-inu (mythical guard dogs) marking the pathways, which have been donated by the temple’s grateful patrons. The original Kiyomizu-dera was built here in 798, four years after Kyoto was founded; the current structure dates to 1633.

On the north side of the main hall is a small shrine called Jishu-jinja, dedicated to Okuni Nushi-no-mikoto, a land-ruling deity also considered to be a powerful matchmaker.

Many young people visit the shrine to seek help in finding their life partners. They try to walk between two stones placed 18 meters (59 feet) apart, with their eyes closed. It’s said that love will materialize for anyone who can walk in a straight line between the two.

Shops selling souvenirs, religious articles, and ceramics line Kiyomizu-zaka, the street leading to the temple. There are also tea shops where you can sample yatsuhashi -- doughy, triangular sweets filled with cinnamon-flavor bean paste -- a Kyoto specialty

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Restaurants Most of Kyoto’s restaurants accept credit cards; however, some of the finest traditional restaurants do not, so it’s wise to check ahead, especially since traditional kaiseki ryori (a Japanese meal of several exquisite courses that include only the freshest seasonal ingredients cooked lightly and served on complimentary ceramics) can be quite expensive. Customarily, people dine early in Kyoto, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., so most restaurants, apart from hotel restaurants and bars, close around 9 p.m.

The average Japanese businessman wears a suit and tie to dinner -- no matter how casual the restaurant is. Young people tend to dress more informally. Many Kyoto restaurants have English speakers on staff, if it turns out that you need assistance making reservations.

an interior garden, and the place even has some stained-glass windows and a pair of witty resident parrots. The coffee is excellent with a range of prim, white-bread sandwiches, cakes, and meat loaf. Inoda closes at 6 p.m. Reservations not accepted.

No credit cards. Address: Sakai-machi-dori, Sanjo-sagaru, Kyoto, Japan

Café Carinho (Indonesian, ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, Sakyo-ku) By day this friendly café serves Brazilian coffee, Montréal-style bagels (made from Canadian stone-ground flour), and ¥1,000 lunch specials with choices like chickpea hamburgers. At night chef Déjan Alakhan conjures up a range of Indonesian curries, satays, and desserts flavored with exotic spices. The café has a small veranda and is decorated in cheerful red and green tones.

Capricciosa (Italian, ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, From Ginkaku-ji, it’s a 15-minute walk west Shimogyo-ku) down Imadegawa-dori. No credit cards.

A convenient location under Kyoto Closed Mondays. Address: 1148 NishidaStation, a casual atmosphere, and huge cho, Imadegawa-dori, Kyoto, Japan bowls of steaming spaghetti make this unpretentious Italian restaurant (part of a Daikokuya (Japanese, ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, nationwide chain), a popular spot. The pasta Nakagyo-ku) dishes are large enough to share, and the If you’re shopping downtown and want a pizzas are a good value. Capricciosa has quick meal, stop in at Daikokuya for a soba two more branches, on Kawara-machi-dori dish or domburi, a bowl of rice with your in the Opa department store and in the Vox choice of toppings. The oyako domburi, building. No credit cards. Closed the 3rd rice with egg and chicken -- oyako means Tuesday of every month. Address: Kyoto “parent and child” -- is the best choice.

Station basement, Porta Restaurant Zone, The buckwheat for the soba is ground inKyoto, Japan house on an antique stone mill powered by a wooden waterwheel. Fresh noodles Inoda (Café, ¥800 to ¥2,000, Nakagyo-ku) are also served with exceedingly delicate, One of Kyoto’s oldest and best-loved light, and crunchy tempura. Both tatami kissaten (coffee shops), this century-old and table-and-chair seating arrangements establishment is hidden down a side street are available. You can recognize Daikokuya in the center of town. The turn-of-the- by the big red lantern outside the door.

20th-century Western-style brick buildings Reservations not accepted. AE, D, MC, V. along Sanjo-dori nearby are part of a historic Closed Tuesdays. Address: 281 Minamipreservation district, and Inoda’s original kurumaya-cho, Takoyakushi, Kiya-machi old shop blends well with its surroundings. Nishi-Iru, Kyoto, Japan Floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlook

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Shopping

Compared with sprawling Tokyo, Kyoto is compact and relatively easy to navigate. Major shops line both sides of Shijo-dori, which runs east-west, and Kawara-machi-dori, which runs north-south. Concentrate on Shijo-dori between Yasaka Jinja and Karasuma Station as well as Kawara-machi-dori between Sanjo-dori and Shijo-dori. Some of modern Kyoto’s shopping districts are to be found underground. Porta, under Kyoto Station, hosts more than 200 shops and restaurants in a sprawling subterranean arcade. Roads leading to Kiyomizu-dera run uphill, yet you may hardly notice the steepness for all of the alluring shops that line the way. Be sure to peek in for unique gifts. Food shops offer sample morsels, and tea shops serve complimentary cups of tea. Shin-Kyogoku, a covered arcade running between Teramachi-dori and Kawara-machi-dori, is another generalpurpose shopping area with many souvenir shops.

Shopping Suggestions: Daimaru Department Store • Shimogyo-ku Daimaru mainly appeals to a more expensive and conservative taste and is on the main Shijo-dori shopping avenue. Its basement food hall is the best in town.

Address: Shijo-Karasuma, Kyoto, Japan Hankyu Department Store • Shimogyo-ku Hankyu, directly across from Takashimaya on Kawara-machi-dori, has two restaurant floors. Window displays show the type of food served, and prices are clearly marked.

Address: Shijo-kawara-machi, Kyoto, Japan

Kitano Tenman-gu Market • Kamigyo-ku The flea market at Kitano Tenman-gu is held on the 25th of each month.

Address: Imakoji-agaru, Onmae-dori, Kyoto, Japan Kyoto Craft Center Crafts • Higashiyamaku. The Kyoto Craft Center, on Shijo-dori in Gion, has two floors of contemporary and traditional crafts for sale in a modern setting. More than 100 crafts studios are represented, giving a diversity to the products for sale.

Isetan Department Store • Shimogyo-ku Isetan, in the Kyoto Station building, has 13 floors, including a restaurant floor, a cosmetics floor, an amusement arcade, and an art gallery. It closes periodically on Tuesday.

Address • Karasuma-dori, Kyoto, Japan 12

Heian Shrine

One of the city’s newest historical sites, Heian Jingu was built in 1894 to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto.

The shrine honors two emperors: Kammu (737–806), who founded the city in 794, and Komei (1831–66), the last emperor to live out his reign in Kyoto. The new buildings are for the most part, replicas of the old Imperial Palace, at two-thirds the original size. Since the original palace (rebuilt many times) was finally destroyed in 1227, and only scattered pieces of information survive relating to its construction, Heian Jingu should be taken as a Meiji interpretation of the old palace.

Still, the dignity and the relative spacing of the East Hon-den and West Hon-den (the Main Halls), and the Daigoku-den (Great Hall of State), in which the Heian emperor would issue decrees, conjure up an image of how magnificent the Heian court must have been. During New Year’s, kimonoclad and gray-suited Japanese come to pay homage, trampling over the imposing gravel forecourt leading to Daigoku-den.

There are three stroll gardens at Heian

Jingu positioned east, west, and north of the shrine itself. They follow the Heian aesthetic of focusing on a large pond, a rare feature at a Shinto shrine. Another notable element is the stepping-stone path that crosses the water -- its steps are recycled pillars from a 16th-century bridge that spanned the Kamo-gawa before an earthquake destroyed it.

Spring, with sakura in full bloom, is a superb time to visit. An even better time to see the shrine is during the Jidai Festival, held on 22 October, which celebrates the founding of Kyoto. The pageant, a procession of 2,000 people attired in costumes from every period of Kyoto history, winds its way from the original site of the Imperial Palace and ends at the Heian Jingu.

Another choice time to come to the shrine is June 1–2 for Takigi No performances, so named because they’re held at night, in open air, lighted by takigi (burning firewood).

Performances take place on a stage built before the shrine’s Daigoku-den.

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Nijo Castle

The Tokugawa shogun’s Kyoto home stands in stark contrast to most of Japan’s other remaining castles, which were constructed purely for defense. Built by the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, in 1603, Nijo Castle is considered the quintessence of Momoyama architecture, built almost entirely of Japanese cypress and boasting delicate transom wood carvings and paintings by the Kano School on sliding doors. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed.

The main building, Ninomaru Palace, has 33 rooms, some 800 tatami mats, and an understated elegance, especially compared with castles being built in Europe at the same time. All the sliding doors on the outside walls of the castle can be removed in summer, permitting breezes to sweep through the building. Typical for Japan at the time, rooms were unfurnished, and the mattresses were stored in closets.

One of the castle’s most intriguing features is its so-called nightingale floors. To protect the shogun from real or imagined enemies, the castle was protected by a moat and stone walls. How deep the shogun’s paranoia ran is apparent by the installation of these special floorboards, which creaked when trod upon in the castle corridors. The nightingale floors were supplemented by hidden alcoves for bodyguards. Furthermore, only female attendants were allowed in the shogun’s private living quarters.

Outside the castle is an extensive garden, designed by the renowned gardener Kobori Enshu, that’s famous in its own right. The original grounds of the castle were without trees -- supposedly because the falling of leaves in autumn reminded the shogun and his tough samurai of life’s transitory nature, making them terribly sad.

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Kyoto Entertainment

Kyoto’s Minamiza Theater (Origin of the Kabuki Theater) Shijo Ohashi higashi-zume Higashiyama-ku Kabuki, one of Japan’s most famous traditional entertainment forms, combines high drama, with dance and music. In kabuki all roles, male or female, are played by men, generally made up according to the gaudy make-up tradition called kumatori. The stage itself is equipped with various devices including a stage that can be rotated (or mawari-butai, which allows for set changes without using a curtain), and a seri trapdoor (so that actors can make sudden stage appearances). Kabuki got started in 1603 in the Shijo Kawarmachi area by the female dancer Izumo-no-Okuni, who used to dance nenbutsu-odori (Buddhist chant dances) along the Kamo river. The Minamiza Theater was the first kabuki theater built in Japan. Today, the theater is used for a wide variety of performances including musicals

and modern plays. The annual kaomise performance (in December) stages all of the year’s most popular kabuki scenes, with the leading roles played by the country’s top stars.

Gion Corner Theater 570 Minamigawa Gionmachi Gion Corner presents an easily absorbed, condensed package of traditional Japanese performing arts twice nightly at 7:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. from March to November. The routines are performed by Kyoto geisha and maiko. The show includes bunraku (puppet shows), gagaku (courtly music), koto and shamisen music performances, ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), kyogen (classic comic dramas), tea ceremony and dance, the full gamut of Japanese stage arts. It provides a rather brief but colorful introduction to traditional and classical Japanese entertainment, with interesting settings and brilliant costumes.

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Gion

Gion is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine.

This part of Kyoto has two hanamachi (geisha districts): Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi. Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment. Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district.

There is a popular misconception that Gion was a red-light district. However, as it was a geisha district, and as geisha are entertainers, not prostitutes, Gion is not, and never was, a red-light district. Shimabara was Kyoto’s red-light district.

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Daitoku-ji

The Daitoku-ji complex of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism consists of 24 temples in all, several of which are open to the public.

The original temple was founded in 1319 by Priest Daito Kokushi (1282–1337), but fires during the Onin Civil War destroyed it in 1468. Most buildings you see today were built under the patronage of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. However, it’s thought that Priest Ikkyu oversaw its development. Ikkyu, known for his rather startling juxtapositions of the sacred and the profane -- he was a priest and a poet -- is reported to have said, “Brothels are more suitable settings for meditation than temples.” The layout of the temple is straightforward. Running from north to south are the Chokushi-mon (Gate of Imperial Messengers), the Sanmon (Triple Gate), the Butsu-den (Buddha Hall), the Hatto (Lecture Hall), and the Hojo (Abbots’ Quarters). The 23 subtemples are on the west side of these main buildings and were donated mainly by the wealthy vassals of Toyotomi.

The Chokushi-mon originally served as the south gate of Kyoto’s Imperial Palace when it was constructed in 1590. Then Empress Meisho in the mid-17th century bequeathed it to Daitoku-ji. Note the curved-gable style of the gate, typical of the Momoyama period. The San-mon is noteworthy for the addition of its third story, designed by tea master Sen-no-Rikyu (1521–91), who is buried in the temple grounds. Three subtemples in the complex are noteworthy: Daisen-in, Koto-in, and Ryogen-in.

The subtemple Koto-in is famous for its long, maple-tree-lined approach and the single stone lantern that is central to the main garden. Ryogen-in is not as popular as some of the other temples of Daitokuji, but it’s often quiet and peaceful. The subtemple has five small gardens of moss and stone, one of which, on the north side, is the oldest in Daitoku-ji.

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Nishijin Textile Center

The museum was founded in 1915 and is located on the third floor of the Center.

Kyoto’s silk weaving was adapted from Chinese techniques and received backing from the imperial court in the early days, but this support was interrupted during the 15th century civil wars. The industry was revived during the Edo period, helped by

the Tokugawa decree that the aristocracy patronize Nishijin artisans. Dutch and French methods and machinery were introduced during the Meiji period. Today fabrics such as crepe, satins, gauzes, brocades and damask are still produced by traditional methods to make obi and other products - samples of which are on display.

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Kyoto Station

The new Kyoto Station building was built on the occasion of the 1,200th anniversary of the Heian Capital foundation. It was opened to the public in 1997 and stands in perfect contrast with many foreign tourists’ image of Kyoto as the capital of traditional Japan.

A department store, hotel, theater, game center, shopping mall, government offices, various restaurants and an observation deck can be found on the facility’s 15+ floors.

The first Kyoto Station opened for service by decree of Emperor Meiji in 1878. It was replaced by a newer, Renaissanceinspired facility in 1914, which featured a broad square leading from the station to Shichijo Avenue. Before and during World War II, the square was often used by imperial motorcades when Hirohito traveled between Kyoto and Tokyo: the image of Kyoto Station with its giant Rising Sun flags became a well-known image of the imperial era. This station burned to the ground in 1952 and was replaced by a more utilitarian concrete facility by the following March.

The current Kyoto Station opened in 1997, commemorating Kyoto’s 1,200year anniversary. It is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total floor area of 238,000 square meters. Architecturally, it exhibits many characteristics of futurism, with a slightly irregular cubic facade of plate glass over a steel frame. The architect was Hiroshi Hara. Kyoto, one of the least modern cities in Japan by virtue of its many cultural heritages, was largely reluctant to accept such an ambitious structure in the mid1990s: the station’s completion began a wave of new high-rise developments in the city that culminated with the 20-story Kyocera Building. For this, there are opinions criticizing the station design for taking part in breaking down the traditional cityscape.

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Misawa ITT Office Location: Bldg. 973 Phone: 226-3555

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