Kyoto

Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants, and Inns

A completely revised version of the classic guidebook to Kyoto, with a foreword by Donald Richie.
Down the cobbled paths and behind the tranquil noren curtains of Kyoto, the old way of life goes on, nurtured in the restrained furnishings of the traditional inns and in the old shops where fine handmade items still add a touch of quality to life.
Since the first edition appeared in 1986, this lovingly written travelogue-cum-guidebook has become de rigueur for knowledgeable travelers seeking to find "the real Kyoto" behind the modern face of the city's constantly changing boulevards. Old Kyoto focuses on the family establishments that have been in business for at least a hundred years, and in some cases for over ten generations. Astonishingly, many of the old shops and inns of Kyoto can still be found on narrow backstreets, under the heavy, tiled rooftops of traditional machiya dwellings. Here, the adventurous traveler will uncover treasures: the way in which a hand-crafted calligraphy brush is bound, a miniature garden tended, a bamboo basket woven.
For critics and travelers alike, Old Kyoto has long been regarded the essential guidebook to Japan's most cherished city. This second edition of Old Kyoto is completely updated. Shops have been added, and maps, prices, directions, descriptions, and general information have all been thoroughly revised.

Kyoto (City Guide)

Discover Kyoto

Celebrate the seasons at an elaborate geisha dance
Rid yourself of bad karma at Jingo-ji - just try not to get addicted
Sift through reams of vintage kimono fabric at the local flea markets
Make a night of it in the baths at Funaoka Onsen

In This Guide:

The only full city guide to Kyoto
Personally researched by a long-term resident author
New coverage of traditional crafts, with the best places to buy handmade paper, fans and pottery
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights.

A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto

Designed for the layman as well as the professional, this concise yet comprehensive guide provides both practical information and theoretical insights into the design of the Japanese garden. Kyoto, the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, possesses a richness of garden art without equal as a living chronicle of Japanese cultural history and environmental design. Following the introductory essays are individual entries for more than fifty temple and palace gardens. The text is augmented by an excellent selection of photographs, historical prints, maps and color plates.

Kyoto: Seven Paths to The Heart of The City

What better way to see Kyoto than at dawn, when the back streets and alleys of this 1,200-year-old city are still under the spell of the past? Old folks fuss about with their bonsai and laundry poles, pausing to chat on their way to the neighborhood shrine with flowers and morning prayers. Knock-kneed white egrets stalk the stream beds for breakfast, and the giant bronze temple bells awaken the former capital of Japan every morning as they have done for centuries.
Through wars, fires, famines, tyrants, and now rapid modernization, the old neighborhoods of Kyoto are the places where the customs and traditions of this fascinating city, with its confusing blend of old and new, have managed to survive.
American writer and former Kyoto resident Diane Durston introduces seven must-see precincts of this ancient capital city, including four Historic Preservation Districts. Among them are the world-famous geisha quarter, the kimono textile neighborhoods, the sake-brewing area of Fushimi, and the tea-growing region of Uji. Durston weaves together local lore and historical sites to create a panoply of provocative walking tours that take the reader back in time to the elegance of earlier days.
Accompanying each section is a full-color map and the fine photography of Katsuhiko Mizuno, a Kyoto native and one of the city's most famous photographers. Sections highlighting Kyoto crafts, cuisine, festivals, and tourist essentials round out this attractive volume, making it the perfect introduction -and guide- to one of the world's most evocative cities.
FEATURES
* Photographs by one of Kyoto's most renowned photographers
* Locations of the most important Historic Preservations Districts
* Detailed maps and suggested routes
* Scenic and little-known walking paths
* Completely revised and updated information

Kyoto Travel Map: 2005/2006 Edition (Periplus Travel Maps)

The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto

ForeWord Magazine's BOOK OF THE YEAR Awards, Silver Medal Winner, Home & Garden
Supreme examples of the art of Japanese gardens, not easily accessible to the public.
The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto is the attractive sequel to Landscapes for Small Spaces by the same photographer, Katsuhiko Mizuno. In this new book, Mizuno introduces the gardens of Kyoto that are not easily accessible or are totally closed to the public.
Mizuno was born in Kyoto and has spent most of his life in this old capital, established in the eighth century. Kyoto is not susceptible to short-term fashions, and this rigidness can be seen in the way it has kept the tradition of garden art alive over the centuries in public and private spaces. Thanks to his familiarity with the city, Mizuno has been able to penetrate its hidden corners and capture the beauty of unknown gardens with his cameras.
The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto displays more than fifty gardens, from private dwellings to the Imperial Palaces and Villas, temples, tea schools and shrines. The elements and structure of each garden are explained by Masaaki Ono, who studied under the greatest twentieth-century garden designer, Mirei Shigemori. Plans drawn by Ono also accompany some of the garden descriptions.
Some Japanese gardens are planned so as to be seen from one vantage point, but many are designed for viewing from multiple angles. In his previous book, Mizuno only showed us one aspect per garden, but this time we are given various views as we explore the stroll gardens or look down from the verandas of the buildings surrounding enclosed gardens. This three-dimensional approach will help both professional and amateur garden designers and landscape architects to understand the structure as well as the diverse vegetation used in one garden.

Wallpaper City Guide: Kyoto (Wallpaper City Guides) (Wallpaper City Guides (Phaidon Press))

WALLPAPER* CITY GUIDES not only suggest where to stay, eat, and drink, but what the tourist passionate about design might want to see, whether he or she has a week or just 24 hours in the city. The guides feature up-and-coming areas, landmark buildings in an 'Architour', design centers, and a selection of the best shops to buy items unique to the particular city. WALLPAPER* CITY GUIDES present travelers with a fast-track ticket to the chosen location. The edited guides offer the best, the most exciting, and the most beautiful of the featured city. In addition to looking beautiful, the guides are expertly designed with function as a priority. They have tabbed sections so the tourist can easily find what he or she is looking for. Also included are color-coded city maps, rate and currency cards, and an easy navigational tool. They are the ultimate combination of form and function. Compiled by the well-traveled editorial team of Wallpaper* and by an extraordinary network of international correspondents, the guides are truly THE insider's guide to each featured city. The contributors to these guides have put their heads together to come up with fascinating, efficient guides that keeps the hip, urban traveler with his or her finger on the pulse. The City Guides are being published as Wallpaper* magazine celebrates its tenth anniversary. For the past decade, Wallpaper* has been the first to uncover and enticingly present the best in new design and urban travel spots across the globe. The City Guides are the perfect way to present a decade of experience in one precisely edited guide to each of the 50 cities represented.

Not Just a Good Food Guide: Osaka, including Kyoto & Kobe (Not Just a Good Food Guide)

OSAKA INCLUDING KYOTO & KOBE: In Kyoto, you can savour mouth-watering cuisine in a unique and spectacular setting. The vegetarian cuisine of Shojin-ryori originated from Buddhist temples and can still be sampled at elegant teahouses in the grounds of well-known Kyoto temples. Find out where and how to experience this specialty dish, plus numerous others in this culinary introduction to the Kansai region.

Not Just A GOOD FOOD GUIDE: OSAKA including KYOTO & KOBE serves as essential guide for anyone who is keen on savouring the delectable cuisine of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

About Not Just A Good Food Guide series

This series of books introduces readers to the local and regional culinary delights that can be found in a particular city. Authored by food lovers with discerning tastes, each book includes:

-a description of the food introduced
-a listing of accessible outlets
-tips on dining etiquette and local customs
-a selection of key phrases in the local language

Fodor's Pocket Kyoto, 1st Edition: The All-in-One Guide to the Best of the City Packed with Places to Eat, Sleep, Shop, and Explore (Pocket Guides)

Fodor's Pocket Guides are designed for people who just want the highlights. They contain full, rich descriptions of major cities around the globe including the most worthy sights, the best restaurants and lodging, plus shopping, nightlife, and outdoors highlights--all in a handy, pocket-size package.

Fodor's Pocket Kyoto gives you: All the basics you need to help you decide what to see and do in the time you have; smart contacts and detailed practical information, including the scoop on public transportation, local holidays, what to pack, and more; the very best dining and lodging in every price range; great recommendations for shopping nightlife, outdoor activities, and essential side trips; and detailed maps with sights, restaurants, nightspots, and hotels clearly marked.

An excellent choice for people who want everything under one cover." - Washington Post

Must-See in Kyoto (Japan in Your Pocket Series, Vol 5)