Page 182 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

180  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

Kyoto City: Farther Afield 2 Arashiyama
District
Poets’ hermitages, noblemen’s villas, esoteric mountain Arashiyama District
temples, and unspoiled natural scenery are among the
many attractions to be found in the outskirts of the old £ Arashiyama stn, Hankyu line;
Hankyu Arashi yama stn. @ 11, 28 or
capital. Once remote regions boasting unique char acteristics 93 to Arashiyama Tenryu- ji-mae.
and customs, they are now easily accessible, and any itinerary
of Kyoto should include at least two or three of these With something to please the
rewarding destinations. eye in any season, Arashiyama
has long held a special place
Sights at a Glance in the hearts of the Japanese.
1 Katsura Imperial Villa Kurama Ohara Even today, despite omni-
2 Arashiyama District 367 present shops specializing in
3 Sagano District 38 River items emblazoned with the
4 Takao District 162 Takano likenesses of TV and movie
5 Kurama District Enryaku-ji celebrities, the area still offers
6 Shisen-do Temple Shugaku-in a lot of unspoiled natural
7 Manshu-in Temple Takao Imperial Villa Manshu-in beauty. At its center is timeless
8 Shugaku-in Villa Sagano Shisen-do Togetsu-kyo, the graceful
9 Hieizan Enryaku-ji 30 “moon-crossing” bridge. North
0 Ohara District Sagano Line of the bridge, mountainsides
q Fushimi Inari Shrine Arashiyama KYOTO thickly forested with cherries
w Daigo District Kosei Line and pines drop steeply to
Katsura
e Uji City 9 Imperial Tokaido Line Yamashina the river, which in summer
Villa becomes the stage for ukai,
0 kilometers 5 EXPRESS WAY fishing done by fire light with
0 miles 3 MEISHIN
Muko trained cormorants. Hozugawa-
Key Fushimi 36 Daigo kudari, running the Hozu River
Central Kyoto (see pp160–61) Nagaokakyo K atsura River Nara Line rapids from Kameoka to
Arashiyama, is another popular
Expressway 1 activity. The narrow-gauge
Main road Uji River Torokko Train provides a
Uji
Railway different way of viewing
the same scenery.
Rinzai-sect temple Tenryu-ji
1 Katsura Imperial the scenery of Amanohashidate was founded by the first
Villa (see p216). Many of the garden’s Ashikaga shogun, Takauji, in
scenic allusions are to places
Katsura Imperial Villa 1339. The serene garden has
mentioned in the Chinese survived intact and features
Katsura-Misono. Tel (075) 211-1215. and Japanese classics. The a pond in the shape of the
£ Katsura stn, Hankyu line. @ 33 somewhat hurried tour includes Chinese character, kokoro,
to Katsura Rikyu-mae. Open by appt the Shoka-tei (flower-viewing or “enlightened heart.”
only Mon–Fri & some Sat: apply at teahouse) in the highest part Another Arashiyama treasure
Imperial Household Agency (see of the garden, then down past is Okochi Sanso, the private
p176). 8
the Shoi-ken (sense-of-humor villa of silent-screen star Denjiro
teahouse), and on to the main Okochi. The meticulously laid-
With its flawless attention to villa, a set of halls poetically out grounds offer wonderful
detail, Katsura Imperial Villa, described as resembling a vistas of Mount Hiei and the
or Katsura Detached Palace, flock of geese in flight. Hozu River gorge.
is often cited as one of the
finest examples of Japan ese
landscape design. Built in 1620
by Hachijo no Miya Toshihito, an
imperial prince, it was later added
to by his son, Toshitada. A sump-
tuous stroll garden (see pp34–5),
Katsura is famous for the man-
ner in which its paths and step-
ping stones control the visitor’s
line of sight, resulting in a series
of ingeniously planned vistas.
The view from the Shokin-tei
(pine zither) tea arbor, replicates Togetsu-kyo, the wooden “moon-crossing” bridge in Arashiyama
For hotels and restaurants see pp303–4 and pp329–30

180-181_EW_Japan.indd 180 08/08/16 3:07 pm
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Date 12th July 2013
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