KYOTO

Just hearing the word “Kyoto” brings up a feeling of nostalgia—images of old grandeur, painted screens, picturesque sunsets, dying traditions—as of the geisha arts—and rustic Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines set in stunning landscapes. Spared from the atomic bomb in World War II, and as the first designated imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto (long ago known as Heian-kyo, meaning the Capital of Peace and Tranquility), retains a fading but still-present air of its former glory in many pre-war buildings that are still standing such as machiya, which are traditional Japanese townhouses. In fact, the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” are on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. The preservation of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was ordered by the then-Emperor in 1877, about 10 years after the government had moved to Edo, which is present-day Tokyo. As such, it stands largely-intact today, with the grounds open to the public and with tours of the buildings conducted by the Imperial Household Agency. But the real gems of Kyoto are its temples. Kiyomizu-dera, a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, and set on a high hill overlooking the city with an immense veranda supported by hundreds of wooden pillars, was one of the nominated finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Other notable tourist and local attractions are Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, and Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion. On festivals and in the holiday seasons, these temples are packed with students hoping for divine intervention, and by lonely singles and travelers who wish to ask for o-mikuji (fortunes) or who wish to walk between the love-stones at one of the shrines housed in Kiyomizu-dera, Jishu-Jinja. The legend goes that if one can make it from one stone to another (the stones are set 18 meters apart) with one’s eyes closed, it is an indication that one will be able to find true love.