Memoirs of a Ginger

I understand that Kyoto was one of the shortlisted cities designated as potential sites for the detonation of "Little Boy" in the summer of 1945. Like Paris and Rome, it was fortunately spared destruction,  though I am off to the city that was not so lucky tomorrow.

The Kyoto train station (we are staying above it) is a vast glass covered atrium with a very large Christmas tree at one end. The ubiquitous Isetan dominates the western end of the station and our hotel, the eastern end. Our room is a train spotters paradise with a view of Shinkansen arriving every few minutes to stop briefly before heading on towards Tokyo one way and Osaka the other.

The city is set out in a fairly rigid grid pattern with most of the action to the north of us. To the north east and just across the river is the Gion area full of lovely old timbered houses as well as the occasional maiko (trainee Geisha). The streets here are narrow and most of the old houses are now either restaurants or expensive ryokans in which to stay, or both.

The street shown here is a far representation of the narrow old streets of Kyoto. This one in fact is on the left hand side of the river in a street called Pontocho.

The clash between the old and the new is everywhere here. A garish purple vending machine opposite a traditional restaurant where you sit on a cushion on the floor around a low table to eat.




I have become fond of the vending machines that distribute a dizzying array of both hot and cold drinks (including coffee and tea) as well as beer and Suntory mixed drinks.

And here is another pretty typical older house located in the Gion District.

 

 

The last of the leaves are stubbornly hanging on to the trees despite the near freezing weather and with the sun, help create some dazzling sights in the Gion district.

 

 We saw a few Maiko including this young lady below.

 

 

 

 

 

The most famous sight in Kyoto is probably Kinkaku-ji temple (there are many indeed). We were blessed this morning with perfect sunny weather and few people up early on Christmas Day to admire her. Built in the 1300s as a villa by a wealthy shogun, Kinkaku-ji was transformed into a temple at his request on his death. What we see today is only 60 years old as a monk, who was obsessed with the temple, managed to burn it down in 1950 !

 

Still, the reproduction and the setting, are both superb and truly dazzled today:

 

 

 

I will post some more picture from Kyoto before we leave.