Ian Ropke writes: Stones are, believe it or not, the most important feature of a Japanese garden. If the soil is its "flesh", then the stones are its "bones". Garden stones fall into three basic categories: "named" stones, unimportant "unnamed" stones, and stones which already existed on the site. The most famous named stone in Japan is called Fujito after the … [Read more...] about Garden Stones & Superstition
Yoramu
Last Thursday Nick Coldicott, was in town and invited me out to sake bar Yoramu. Nick is the editor of Time Out Shortlist Kyoto and also writes a drinks column for the Japan Times, so when he said that Yoramu was his favorite bar, I was naturally intrigued. Yoramu lived up to his promise. The master, Yoram, a quietly spoken Israeli perfectly fluent in English and Japanese, … [Read more...] about Yoramu
Mount Hiei’s Marathon Monks
Ian Ropke writes... The world of Buddhism is full of stories of amazing human feats achieved through meditation and power of the mind. In Tibet there are especially powerful monks who travel so fast that they appear to fly; they can travel non-stop for 48 hours and cover over 320 km a day! There are also stories of diamond-like crystalline substances found amongst the ashes … [Read more...] about Mount Hiei’s Marathon Monks
Autumn Japanese Tea Ceremonies in Kyoto
Ian Ropke writes: Experiencing an Autumn Tea Ceremony For many tea connoiseurs, autumn is considered to be the finest time of the year to hold a tea ceremony; the stifling hot weather has passed, and the autumn mood is sublime. The basic form and aesthetic of today’s Japanese tea ceremony is largely credited to Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), who was inspired to develop a form … [Read more...] about Autumn Japanese Tea Ceremonies in Kyoto
Blue Note
A couple of weeks ago, jazz singer Allison Adams Tucker invited me to Blue Note to see her live performance there. It was a great show but also an excellent opportunity to check out this legendary live music venue. I spoke to the current master Ohigashi-san. A mild-mannered chap, he goes by the nickname of Chooper-san (after blues musician Al Kooper), and is as Allison put it … [Read more...] about Blue Note
Saba Kaido – The Old Mackerel Highway
Ian Ropke writes: Mackerel or saba comes into season this month. In the Heian period (794-1185), mackerel were delivered to Kyoto from the Japan Sea via the saba kaido—a 75-kilometer route connecting Kyoto with the port of Obama. To get the fish here, fifteen kilogram baskets packed with about twenty kilograms of salted mackerel were carried on horseback and on human backs … [Read more...] about Saba Kaido – The Old Mackerel Highway
Miss Daisy’s English Tea Room
This looks nice, doesn't it? This is the rudest shop in Kyoto. … [Read more...] about Miss Daisy’s English Tea Room
Kiyamachi Bar Crawl
Update 2025: Back in 2009, accompanied by my old drinking buddy David Ewen, I set out to explore some of the bar culture in the Kiyamachi area armed with my copy of 京都穴BAR (a Japanese pocket guide to Kyoto's hole-in-the-wall bars). In one evening we visited eight bars, of which, sad to say, 16 years later, just three remain. My original reviews of those three bars are posted … [Read more...] about Kiyamachi Bar Crawl
Walking Kyoto – Hōnen-in
Ian Ropke writes: This summer take the narrow road south from the gate of Ginkaku-ji Temple to the elevated world of Hōnen-in Temple. Here you will find the sun shining on a large bamboo grove. Here you will find birds singing sweetly high above. Here you will experience long, silent moments. If one walks this same path every day, one will discover the fresh new … [Read more...] about Walking Kyoto – Hōnen-in
Frank Signage
Cycling down Yasaka Dori today I spotted this "ukiyo-e small museum"... ...and the sign pleased me. … [Read more...] about Frank Signage
Gion Festival
Tourists who came from afar were apt to think that the Gion Festival consisted of only the parade of floats on the seventeenth of July. Many also came to Hiezan on the night of the sixteenth. But the real ceremonies of Gion Festival continued all through July. In the various districts in Kyoto, each of which had its own Gion float, the festival bands began to perform and the … [Read more...] about Gion Festival
