Here's a special guest post from our friend, Edward J. Taylor. As part of the sesquicentennial celebration of the Meiji Restoration, Kyoto has a calendar packed with events that expound upon the city’s role during that time of great social upheaval. Though the Restoration is considered by many to be a relatively bloodless end to the 268-year feudal Edo Period, Kyoto did … [Read more...]
Visiting Kyoto’s Tech Hubs
Guest post by Neil Buckland. Japan has had a long history associated with electronics, technology and futuristic designs. Think of Tokyo and it’s all bright lights, dazzling street screens and robots that often spring to mind. Yet in the past couple of decades the rise of Silicon Valley seems to have taken a lot of the technology focus away. Instead, the likes of Fukuoka, … [Read more...]
Strolling in Kyoto: Takeyacho & Ebisucho
This month Edward J. Taylor continues his ongoing exploration of Deep Kyoto’s streets by strolling not one but two: Takeyacho and Ebisucho. The whisk of brooms has replaced the wail of sirens. Typhoon Jebi had roared through the day before, supposedly the strongest storm to hit Japan in 25 years. I could certainly believe it, the way that my old wooden house shook as if in … [Read more...]
Ambling Down Kyoto’s Yanaginobanba Street
This month Edward J. Taylor continues his ongoing exploration of Deep Kyoto’s streets (and takes me along with him) for a stroll along Yanaginobanba Street. I’d originally planned to follow up my previous piece with another one related to the Gion festival, but the idea grew less interesting the more I thought about it. Not only would it be boring to read, it would be … [Read more...]
Shinmachi and the Giants of Gion Matsuri
As Gion Festival's pipes and bells chime throughout central Kyoto, Edward J. Taylor continues his ongoing exploration of Deep Kyoto's streets with a stroll through the matsuri preparations on Shinmachi. July rolled around, and not long afterward the rainy season came to an end, albeit with a devastating coda. The end of the rains ushers in the cadence of the cicada, and in … [Read more...]
Mosaic Machiya KSK (Kamishichiken)
Mosaic Machiya KSK is a great little guesthouse in a quiet area of north west Kyoto. This guesthouse is located in a beautifully renovated machiya, a traditional wooden townhouse, in Kamishichiken, which is the oldest geisha district in Kyoto. Mewby and I were recently invited to their 2nd year anniversary party and we were very impressed with what we saw there. Prior to … [Read more...]
Tracking the Changes on Kyoto’s Bukkoji-dōri
This month, once again, our good friend Edward J. Taylor continues his ongoing journey through Kyoto’s past and present with the fourth installment of his “Kyoto Streets” project and a stroll along Bukkoji-dōri. The pieces I’ve written thus far have all travelled from south to north, in keeping with how travelers would have entered the city during the Heian period. I … [Read more...]
First Fridays with the Joshua Breakstone Trio at Bond’s Rosary, Kyoto
Good news for Jazz fans! Renowned American jazz guitarist, Joshua Breakstone has moved to Kyoto and will be playing here regularly in a special series of "First Fridays" starting this July. The venue is a great new jazz club in Gion called Bond's Rosary. Says Joshua, "On the first Friday of every month I’ll be there with my trio and we’ll invite a special guest to play with … [Read more...]
Conserv’Session: Documentary Screening of “SEED – The Untold Story” at Kyoto University
Thanks to Zsofia Budai of the Conserv'Session group for the following message. On June 23rd, we will screen the documentary “SEED – The Untold Story” (2016, 94 min), at Kyoto University, in English with a presentation and discussion in Japanese in English. Film synopsis: Few things on Earth are as miraculous and vital as seeds. Worshipped and treasured since the dawn … [Read more...]
A Stroll Along Teramachi: Kyoto’s “Temple Street”
This month, once again, our good friend Edward J. Taylor continues his ongoing journey through Kyoto’s past and present with the third installment of his "Kyoto Streets" project and a stroll along Teramachi. I choose to start just below Gōjō-dōri, at one of my favorite cafes. Efish unfailingly feels welcoming, well-lit with broad windows open to the river and an … [Read more...]
