DAY
2
Start
the morning with a ride aboard the one-car
Keifuku train out to the Arashiyama
district. On the 20-minute trip west through
the city center, take time to notice the low-slung
neighborhoods around you.
The
train lets you off at Tenryuji (“temple of the heavenly dragon”), a
Buddhist temple on UNESCO’s world heritage
list, at least in part because it has one Japan’s
finest gardens. Many Japanese temple gardens are
meant to help visitors concentrate and cleanse the
mind of extraneous thoughts and desires. To try
it yourself, sit inside the main hall and concentrate
on a single point in the garden—you may find
that the rest of the world vanishes the more intensely
you concentrate on that point. Then go for a walk
around the garden itself. The outline of Tenryuji’s
pond is the Chinese character “kokoro,”
meaning “heart.” See if the visit hasn’t
touched yours.
 |
| Bamboo
Forest Near Sagano |
Out
Tenryuji’s back gate, walk the left through
a stunning bamboo forest and uphill to Okochi
Sanso, the villa of a silent film star.
Denjiro Okochi was the Errol Flynn (or Toshiro Mifune)
of his day, and his property sprawled across acres—a
real luxury in this space-starved country. Roam
the hillside gardens, with their small outbuildings
and amazing views along the ridges. Or pause over
a bowl of whisked green tea and a sweet in the villa’s
teahouse.
About
another ten minutes’ walk further on is the
village of Sagano, where cafés
offer lunch of noodles and such, while tiny galleries,
shops and museums cover works from Japanese dolls
to antique toys. We suggest that you browse the plastic models of foods
in the shop windows
and choose the dishes you like best. Udon (thick wheat noodles)
is a specialty of this region of western Japan.
On
your way back into the city center, join the crowds
at two of Japan’s most recognized temples, Kinkaku-ji and Ryoanji.
Though equally famous, the two could hardly be more
different. Kinkaku-ji’s Golden Pavilion is the one you’ve seen in all the photographs,
visited by heads of state, covered with gold leaf
and shimmering in its 100,000-watt glory over a
pond. You’re probably familiar with Ryoanji
even if you’ve never heard its name—its
15 rocks in a “sea” of raked gravel
are the definition of minimalism. The origins and
meaning of the stone arrangement remain unclear,
which perhaps makes the garden’s message all
the more universal.
|
Ryoanji's
Famed Rock Garden |
Spend
the rest of the afternoon on some serious shopping,
or at least browsing. The twin streets Shinmonzen and Furumonzen are headquarters
for antiques and art with sky-high prices—folding
screens, ceramics, textiles and wood carvings are
just the beginning, all in a romantic, old-world
district by a gentle river. The Gion district lies just to its south, with all the implements
a geisha needs: hair ornaments, musical instruments, delicate
purses and sandals with impossibly high platform
soles. Even if you don’t buy anything, a visit
to these districts may rival time spent in a museum.
|
Shopping
in the Gion District |
Less
high-flying shoppers need to know just one name: Teramachi. This street in the city
center has a wealth of more affordable antique and
craft shopping on its north end and a cacophony
of everything from the everyday to the so-next-year
contemporary at a covered arcade north of the wide avenue Shijo-dori. Near the intersection
of Teramachi and Shijo-dori are the giant department
stores Takashimaya, Hankyu and Daimaru.
Finish
your visit to Kyoto’s central shopping district
by browsing the Nishiki arcade,
where dozens and dozens of shops sell to the restaurant
trade and regular consumers. There are sure to be
fruits and vegetables you don’t recognize
(but we bet you will afterwards!), all manner of
pickles and cooked foods, and even shops selling
packaged snacks and candies for you to take back
home. It’s a less intense, more accessible
version of Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market, but
no less exotic. For dinner, drop by nearby Kushya
and enjoy innovative kushi-yaki (dishes on skewers).
It's near the Kamo River, whose banks on warm, starry nights become a lovely promenade, for lovers out on dates and students out for a good time.
