| Essence of Japan | |
| Kyoto | |
| 京 | |
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| Bridge leading to the Gion District where many houses are fitted with elegant bamboo sheathing inuyarai - i.e. dog fenders - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Gion - wide main streets and narrow alleys - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Gion is now one of the few places in Japan where you can see geisha and the apprentice maiko - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Gion Kaburenjo Theatre (left) and geisha arriving (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Shopping in Kyoto's Gion district with its traditional shops - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Central Business District. Note Japanese traffic lights are on the opposite side of the road for on-coming traffic - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Many side streets have manned pedestrian crossings - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Kamo River, central Kyoto (left). Stone Garden at the Ryoanji Temple consists of fifteen rocks on immaculately raked white gravel (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Ryoanji Gardens - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Temple Bell (above) in gardens of the Golden Pavilion (right). The Kinkakuji, or Golden Pavilion, was to have been a retreat for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu but was converted into a temple on his death - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Gardens of the Kinkakuji - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Kyoto is bounded by mountains to its west, north and east. Kimono for sale at a Kyoto antique shop (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Contrasting architectural styles in a Kyoto suburb where on-street parking is prohibited - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Gardens are small or incorporated in verandas - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Large Torii on the Kamo River (left). Pleasure boat beneath the spring cherry blossom (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Philos0pher's Walk - a cheery-tree lined canal (actually an aquaduct) which got its name because a professor of philosophy at the University of Kyoto used to walk along it - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Maple leaf and white and pink cherry blossom along the Philosopher's Walk - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Along the walk there are several boutiques, craft shops and restaurants - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| These cats along the Philosopher's Walk were being fed by a couple who seemed to feed them every day. Among them were several Japanese Short Tails - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| The Ginkaku or Silver Pavilion (above) at the end of the Philosopher's Walk. It does not rival the Golden Pavilion as the so-called Silver Pavilion was never coated in its intended silver. The formal garden of the Silver Pavilion with its carefully raked white gravel (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| The steep hill with its many craft shops leading to the Kiyomizu-dera where pilgrims have prayed for over a thousand years - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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| Kiyomizu-dera - part of the Kiyomizu Temple complex which affords panoramic views of Kyoto - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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A Buddhist monk (above) and the Otowa Waterfall where visitors catch the flowing water to drink for health, longevity, and success in studies - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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| View of Kyoto from Kiyomizu-dera (left). If you have time, walk over to the pavilion (right) to see how the Japanese proverb "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" came into being - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |
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