Page 203 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan
P. 203
TOP QUIRKY KYOTO
4 MUSEUMS
Kyoto International
Manga Museum
Home to about 300,000
manga and comic books
(www.kyotomm.jp).
Gekkeikan Okura
Sake Museum
This museum explores
the history of sake
brewing in Japan
(www.gekkeikan.co.jp).
Nishijin Textile
Center
Focuses on the history
of fabrics in the city. You
is timeless Togetsu-kyo, the sight, resulting in a series of can also try on kimonos
graceful “moon-crossing” ingeniously planned vistas. (www.nishijin.or.jp).
bridge. North of the bridge, The scenic view from the
mountainsides thickly Shokin-tei (pine zither) tea Costume Museum
forested with cherries and arbor, replicates the scenery The place to see
pines drop steeply to the of Amanohashidate (p238). life-sized dolls dressed
river, which in summer Many of the garden’s scenic in beautiful traditional
becomes the stage for ukai, allusions are to places men- Japanese costumes
fishing done by firelight with tioned in the Chinese and (www.iz2.or.jp).
trained cormorants. The Japanese classics. The tour
narrow-gauge Torokko Train includes the Shoka-tei (flower-
provides a different way of viewing teahouse), then past
viewing the scenery. the Shoi-ken (sense-of-humor 33
Rinzai-sect temple Tenryu-ji teahouse), and on to the main
was founded by the first villa, a set of halls poetically Kurama District
Ashikaga shogun, Takauji, described as resembling a 鞍馬地区
in 1339. The serene garden flock of geese in flight.
features a pond in the shape B1 £ Kurama Stn,
Eizan line @ 32 from
of the Chinese character Demachiyanagi Stn
kokoro, or “enlightened heart.” 32
Takao District Famous as the abode of gods,
demons, and superheroes,
高雄地区 Kurama was once an isolated
31 ' village of foresters. Now a
Katsura Imperial Villa A1 @ Takao bus or 8 Kyoto suburb, it still retains
to Takao
桂離宮 an untamed feeling, a quality
Esoteric mountain temples fully in evidence on the night
A5 ⌂ Katsura-Misono
§ (075) 211-1215 £ Katsura and pristine mountain scenery of October 22, when the town
celebrates its Fire Festival.
are Takao’s main attractions.
Stn, Hankyu line @ 33 to Jingo-ji, founded in the 9th Kurama-dera, a Buddhist
Katsura Rikyu-mae # By
appt only Tue–Sun; apply century, houses a wealth of temple, was built in 770 to
at Imperial Household national treasures including provide refuge for meditation.
A gate marks the beginning of
the Yakushi Nyorai (Buddha
Agency, (075) 211-1215
of healing). Set in an ancient a mountain trail to the main
Katsura Imperial Villa was cryptomeria forest, Kozan-ji, temple buildings; the main
built in 1620 by Hachijo no founded in 774, has the look hall offers splendid views of
Miya Toshihito, an imperial of an elegant estate. the Kitayama mountains.
prince, and later added to by Copies of the handscroll From the Reihokan (treasure
his son. A sump tuous stroll Choju-Jinbutsu-giga (frolick- hall) a path winds beneath
garden (p49), Katsura is ing birds and animals) are towering cryptomeria trees
famous for the way in which displayed in the Sekisui-in, a to the village of Kibune, a
its paths and step ping stones brilliant example of Kamakura collection of inns and tea-
control the visitor’s line of residential architecture. houses alongside a stream.
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