Possibly Japan's most cultural and beautiful city steeped in tradition - Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) 688; Kabuki theatre 00163; Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year 00869; Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan 01618
What and Why
Kyoto (Japanese: 京都, Kyōto) carries the reputation of being the most beautiful and cultural cities in Japan (日本, Nihon). Due to the fact that Kyoto had been Japan's capital and cultural centre of more than a millennium, and as a result the city is flooded with more than 2,000 shrines, temples, palaces, gardens and cultural sites, while this fuses perfectly with the ultra-modern Japanese landscape. Pretty sure that hardly anyone, locals included, could have conquered all of them.
The city was established as capital in 794 CE by Emperor Kanmu (桓武, né 大和 山部, Yamabe Yamato). The original city, named Heian-kyō (平安京), meaning 'peaceful capital' was designed in accordance with traditional Chinese geomancy following the urban design of Chang'an (Chinese: 长安) or currently the earlier blogged X'i'an (西安).
In fact, its cultural reputation is so great that it saved itself from destruction from the war. During the World War II, the city was removed from the American atomic bomb target list through the personal intervention of the American Secretary of War Henry Stimson, as Stimson wanted to save this cultural centre as he admired its sceneries very much during his earlier honeymoon and earlier diplomatic visits. The target city was unfortunately replaced by Nagasaki (長崎) in the bombing list.
Other than physical sites, Kyoto is also renowned for being the centre of traditional geisha (芸者) performances. Hence Kyoto really oozes culture and heritage in every steps of the city.
Toponymy
'Kyoto' simply means 'capital', as it served as the capital of Japan from the 8th until the mid-19th century CE.
See
We follow the map below from south to east to north, taking one of the bus routes available.
Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂)
Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂), meaning 'temple of 33 ken', is a Buddhist temple founded in 1164 CE by the famed warrior Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛) for the Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河, né 大和 雅仁, Masahito Yamato). Sanjūsangen-dō is most famous for its massively long main hall dating from 1266 CE and the collection of sculptures it houses, including 1,001 standing Thousand-Armed Kannon (観音) statuettes with 28 standing attendants. The statuettes are made of Japanese cypress clad in gold leaf and are housed in the hall of 33 ken (間), and hence the name of the temple. The ken is a traditional Japanese unit of length, standardised now to 1.82 m. The number 33 is special in Buddhism as it infers Trāyastriṃśa (Pali: Tāvatiṃsa), the world of the 33 deva (Sanskrit: देव) deities. It is the second in the six heavens of the desire realm (Sanskrit: कामधातु, kāmadhātu) in Buddhist cosmology.
The main deity of the temple is Sahasrabhuja-arya-avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: सहस्रभुजार्य-अवलोकितेश्वर), the Thousand-Armed Kannon or Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर), which forms the principal image of the temple. Avalokiteśvara is the compassion bodhisattva (Sanskrit: बोधिसत्त्व) and is one of the eight great bodhisattvas in Eastern Buddhist culture.
There are other statues of both Hindu and Buddhist deities at the temple, many of them described in Sanskrit. This suggests the spread of spiritual and cultural ideas from India (Hindi: भारत, Bhārat) to East Asia during the period of construction.
Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)
Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) meaning 'clear water temple' is an iconic Buddhist and often seen as a symbol of Kyoto. While most of the temple present buildings were constructed in 1633 CE, commissioned by the shōgun (将軍) Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光), the temple started its first construction back in 778 CE!
Not a single nail was used in the entire structure until now and is fixed using simple wooden joinery, demonstrating the technical prowess of traditional Heian (平安) period Japanese wooden architecture (日本建築, Nihon kenchiku). The main hall has a large wooden veranda, supported by tall pillars that juts out over the hillside and offers an impressive panoramic view of the city.
The name of the temple is taken from the Otowa (音羽) waterfall embedded within the building complex. At the bottom of the temple, one will reach a pond from the water of the spring and the water is used for ablution. Recall our blog in Nikkō (日光), the water is not supposed to be drunk, although everyone does that.
The temple complex includes several other shrines, among them the Jishu-jinja (地主神社), honouring a kami (神) for love-matchmaking and is frequented by locals. The shrine possesses a pair of love stones placed roughly 10 m apart, which expectant worshippers can try to walk between with their eyes closed. If the worshipper manages to reach the other stone with their eyes closed, that true love will descend.
There are plenty of shops along the descent from Kiyomizu-dera temple back to the main road.
Gion (祇園)
Gion (祇園) is the famous entertainment district of Kyoto renowned for the schools of the geisha (芸者) area, it is very common to see fully-dressed geisha strolling around the area.
The area started as an entertainment district during the Sengoku (戦国) period, when people frequented the area after worshipping the Yasaka-jinja (八坂神社), once called the Gion-jinja (祇園神社). The name Gion derives from the Japanese transliteration of the Buddhist term Jetavana (Sanskrit: जेतव) in Chinese, 祇园 (qiyuan). Jetavana was the place where Buddha (Sanskrit: बुद्ध, né Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) gave the majority of his teachings.
Geisha, literally meaning 'performing artist' in Japanese, only female, perform in traditional old-style Japanese houses called machiya (町屋), or roughly translates to 'townhouse', where geisha entertain guests at parties, involving high-class singing, traditional dance performances and drinking. Many of these machiya and geisha schools are located in Kyoto and hence one would be able to see lots of geisha in full kimono (着物) and makeup strolling around in Gion, which brought the area fame.
The artform that geisha performed are highly developed and elaborate and involves years of training, and is considered a national cultural heritage. It must be emphasised that geisha are not prostitutes nor are they involved in any adultery act, although naturally there are individuals who do. This unfortunate misconception stemmed from various western media and continues to permeate. Geisha as a matter of fact is a highly regarded profession and enjoys a good cultural status in Japan.
Philosopher's Path (哲学の道)
The Philosopher's Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku-no-michi) is a cherry-lined walk along a small ravine that leads to Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺). During the time of my visit, it was fairly unassuming and bland, as above. However the pathway would take a very different turn and become extremely crowded during hanami (花見), the flower blossom season, when all the trees show a fully pinkish hue with cherry flowers. The path is just above 1 km.
The path took its name because two famous Japanese philosophy professors Kitarō Nishida (西田 幾多郎) and Hajime Tanabe (田辺 元) used the pathway as their favourite stroll location.
Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺)
Leading from the Philosopher's Path is Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺), or literally the silver-pavilion shrine. Its official name is Jishō-ji (慈照寺), meaning 'shining mercy shrine' and is a Zen (禅) temple.
The temple was built as early as 814 CE when it was originally a residence of the head Buddhist monk Enchin (円珍). The temple was then converted to a retreat / retirement villa by the shōgun Yoshimasa Ashikaga (足利 義政) in the 1482 CE. Ashikaga converted the residence to a Zen temple as his dying wish, as he became a Buddhist monk in 1485 CE.
The name of the temple came from the original plan to cover its exterior in silver foil, to emulate Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺). However this plan was forever delayed due to war, budget and various other reasons and is never realised until today. Its official name Jishō-ji comes from Ashikaga's Buddhist name.
Other than the temple building itself, Ginkaku-ji is also famous for its mossy Japanese garden (日本庭園, Nihon teien), plus its good integration with the surrounding landscape.
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺)
Similar to Ginkaku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, as the main picture above, was the brainchild of Ashikaga; and similar to Ginkaku-ji, when Ashikaga died the building was converted into a Zen temple by his son, according to his wishes. Due to its sheer beauty and majesty, it is probably the most visited temple in Kyoto.
The top two storeys of the main pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf and hence the name 'the golden pavilion temple'. The official name of the temple is actually Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺), or literally the deer park temple, reflecting Sārnāth (Sanskrit: सारनाथी) as blogged in Bōdh Gayā (बोधगया).
Gold was an important element in the pavilion because it was believed that the shininess of the colour would purify any pollution or negative thoughts towards death. Moreover during the Muromachi (室町) period, construction are usually excessively designed to make an exaggerated visual impact. In fact during later afternoon, when the whole pavilion is reflected onto the water pond, the light ray is so strong it can be blinding.
The pavilion serves to house the relics of the Buddha. Incredibly the present pavilion structure dates only from 1955 CE, when the entire building was rebuilt. In fact most of the buildings inside the complex was rebuilt after they were ravaged by fire over the years.
Ryōan-ji (竜安寺)
Ryōan-ji (竜安寺), meaning 'temple of the dragon at peace' is another Zen temple in Kyoto which is famous for its rock garden. As a matter of fact, the Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest examples of Japanese dry garden (枯山水, kare-sansui), a garden-scape that features rock, vegetation and water arrangements amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles for meditation purpose.
Honestly once you enter the temple, you will feel very calm with the landscaping and you will struggle to raise your own voice. Literally you can only hear white noise and sounds of nature inside the temple. You cannot be more zen than being in this temple.
The iconic garden is strategically placed within it 15 stones of different sizes in five groups. The stones are surrounded by white gravel, which is meticulously raked daily by the monks. The garden is meant to be viewed from a seated position on the veranda of the monastery. The stones are also arranged so that when looking at the garden from any angle, it is never possible to view all 15 of them at the same sight. It is traditionally said that only through attaining enlightenment would one be able to view all the 15 boulders.
Buy and Do
Kabuki (歌舞伎)
I watched a kabuki (歌舞伎) show in the famed Minami-za (南座) theatre, literally meaning the southern seats. I made a huge mistake as I was expecting to see female geisha but instead I got the traditional all-male art of kabuki. That is another punishable act when I travelled without proper research.
Kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama characterised by its iconic kumadori (隈取) make-up and elaborate costumes. Kabuki literally means the skill of singing and dancing, and most performances are done without major dialogues or even facial emotions and all emotions are conveyed through the dance and the colour of the costumes.
One interesting fact is that the actors do their own makeup, with the process the actor understand, learn and develop the character himself. Kabuki makeup has several fixed types, and its role is to show the personality and status of a character, upon entrance into the scene, so in a sense there is no such thing as a subplot in kabuki. Traditionally a white face signifies a good or high status person, a brown skin colour represents peasants and a red face shows the villain.
There are apparently many genres of kabuki and traditional kabuki show can last for a full day. For a tourist I picked a shosagoto (所作事), meaning daily stuffs, and shosagoto pieces place their emphasis on dance to convey daily routine stories. Most shosagoto are performed without dialogue, where dance can be used to convey emotion, character and plot.
Kabuki are now only performed by an all-male cast, but ironically kabuki started off in 1603 CE in the early Edo (江戸) period with an all-female troupe! Female performers were banned since 1629 CE for being too arousing or flirtatious which was not considered appropriate under the then shogunate rule. This tradition continued today and even when there is a female character, it would be performed by a male, known as onnagata (女形). Hence there is no way that geisha would have appeared in a kabuki show. Kabuki is clearly a prominent Japanese art and is firmly inscribed as an ICH.
Yojiya aburatorigami (よーじやのあぶらとり紙)
The famous product to buy, especially from Gion, is a face-oil-blotting paper called Yojiya aburatorigami (よーじやのあぶらとり紙). The blotting paper from Yojiya is used by geisha and kabuki actors to remove their facial cosmetics as it has superb ability to absorb excess oil without smearing makeup. It is extremely popular amongst Asian female tourists.
Eat and Drink
Matcha (抹茶)
The best matcha (抹茶), the powdered green tea, comes from the outskirt city of Uji (宇治), which is part of the greater Kyoto. The tea is available everywhere. Having said that, matcha originally comes from China (Chinese: 中国, Zhongguo) and not Japan.
Kyōyasai (京野菜)
Kyōyasai (京野菜) is the term for heirloom vegetables originating Kyoto. It is claimed that kyōyasai is more nutritious and has more minerals and vitamins than many other vegetables and is therefore highly valued. Kyōyasai clearly are eaten mostly in upscale restaurants and play an important role in traditional washoku (和食) cuisine, especially in the celebrated kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理), as blogged in Nikkō (日光). In fact, Kyoto is well known for its kaiseki, as it was the home of the imperial court for over a millennium.
Getting There and Around
All these monuments are best accessed by public buses, which almost connects each and everyone of them along their bus routes. The entrance fee of the respective shrines ranges from JPY 200 to 1000¥. Kyoto deserves at least a week of visit, and that would only give a cursory glance to some of the sites.
The region of Kansai (関西) has a fully integrated rail system and one can buy a ticket that can access Kyoto, Osaka (大阪), Nara (奈良) and Kobe (神戸) conveniently. Capitalise on it for a full tour.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the middle of the 19th century. As the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years, Kyoto illustrates the development of Japanese wooden architecture, particularly religious architecture, and the art of Japanese gardens, which has influenced landscape gardening the world over.
Kabuki is a Japanese traditional theatre form, which originated in the Edo period at the beginning of the seventeenth century and was particularly popular among townspeople. Originally, both men and women acted in Kabuki plays, but eventually only male actors performed the plays: a tradition that has remained to the present day. Male actors specialized in women’s roles are called onnagata. Two other major role types are aragoto (rough style) and wagoto (soft style).
Washoku is a social practice based on a set of skills, knowledge, practice and traditions related to the production, processing, preparation and consumption of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources. The basic knowledge and the social and cultural characteristics associated with Washoku are typically seen during New Year celebrations. The Japanese make various preparations to welcome the deities of the incoming year, pounding rice cakes and preparing special meals and beautifully decorated dishes using fresh ingredients, each of which has a symbolic meaning. These dishes are served on special tableware and shared by family members or collectively among communities. The practice favours the consumption of various natural, locally sourced ingredients such as rice, fish, vegetables and edible wild plants. The basic knowledge and skills related to Washoku, such as the proper seasoning of home cooking, are passed down in the home at shared mealtimes. Grassroots groups, schoolteachers and cooking instructors also play a role in transmitting the knowledge and skills by means of formal and non-formal education or through practice.
After 1868, when Japan opened to Western influence, actors strove to heighten the reputation of Kabuki among the upper classes and to adapt the traditional styles to modern tastes. Today, Kabuki is the most popular of the traditional styles of Japanese drama.
The conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan consists in a set of traditional skills, techniques and knowledge. Roughly seventy per cent of the country is forested. Therefore, wood has been used in houses since ancient times. In fact, the world’s oldest surviving wooden structure is the Horyu-ji temple that was built in the early seventh century. Some examples of the seventeen skills described in the nomination file, include sakan plastering, the harvesting of Japanese cypress bark, lacquer painting of traditional structures, the production of tatami mats (flooring material), and many more. Until the nineteenth century, master craftsmen trained apprentices as successors to transmit knowledge of the traditional skills. Due to modernization, however, this process became more difficult, so preservation associations were formed. Knowledge includes not only techniques for building new structures, but also restoring existing ones. Due to the country’s hot and humid climate, repair work must happen often. At restoration sites, craftspeople with different skills must complete the work together. Some maintenance work also requires the involvement of local residents. For example, reed or straw thatch on a roof needs to be completely renewed every twenty years, which is a labour-intensive job. The element thus serves a social function by fostering cooperation and social cohesion and strengthens Japanese people’s sense of cultural identity.
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