Kyoto Granbell Hotel is a 4-star hotel with friendly staff and excellent facilities in the Gion area of Kyoto. We stayed there for one night last weekend and found it to be very comfortable and reasonably priced. The hotel is in a very central location, and very convenient for Gion Shijo Station, but at the same time it is tucked away in a quiet area away from the busy shopping … [Read more...] about Kyoto Granbell Hotel
Maiko Masquerade: Crafting Geisha Girlhood in Japan by Jan Bardsley
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. "Contemporary maiko are young women, typically between fifteen and twenty years of age, who have chosen to train in an arts profession with roots in the merchant culture and pleasure quarters of the Edo period (1603–1867). … [Read more...] about Maiko Masquerade: Crafting Geisha Girlhood in Japan by Jan Bardsley
monk: Light and Shadow on the Philosopher’s Path – Reflections and Recipes from a Kyoto Restaurant
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As this long, strange interlude continues, many of us are hankering for a trip overseas, craving fresh cultural encounters, and hungering for a taste of authentic foreign cuisines. No doubt many have Kyoto at the top of their … [Read more...] about monk: Light and Shadow on the Philosopher’s Path – Reflections and Recipes from a Kyoto Restaurant
“Time-traveling on Gojo” – A Deep Kyoto Walks Movie with Jen L. Teeter
Here is the final video showing scenes from our book Deep Kyoto: Walks. In this short movie, Jen L. Teeter guides us through an area of Kyoto famous for its ceramics and also as a portal to the world of the dead! A hat tip to film-makers Roger Walch and Ted Taylor for putting this series together. https://youtu.be/jj98Ivw9z60 Deep Kyoto: Walks is now available as a print … [Read more...] about “Time-traveling on Gojo” – A Deep Kyoto Walks Movie with Jen L. Teeter
“Gods, Monks, Secrets, Fish” – A Deep Kyoto: Walks Movie with John Ashburne
Here is the third video showing scenes from our book, Deep Kyoto: Walks. In this short movie, John Ashburne takes us on a tour of "Kyoto's kitchen" --- Nishiki Market. A hat tip to film-makers Roger Walch and Ted Taylor for putting this series together. https://youtu.be/z9upUjhjDGM Deep Kyoto: Walks is now available as a print on demand paperback and Kindle e-book. Here … [Read more...] about “Gods, Monks, Secrets, Fish” – A Deep Kyoto: Walks Movie with John Ashburne
Deep Kyoto Walks Movie: Kamogawa Musing with John Dougill
Here is the second video showing scenes from our book, Deep Kyoto: Walks. In this short film John Dougill guides us down the Kamogawa River which runs through the heart of Kyoto. A hat tip to film-makers Roger Walch and Ted Taylor for putting this series together. https://youtu.be/KnO6fQdqces Deep Kyoto: Walks is now available as a print on demand paperback and Kindle … [Read more...] about Deep Kyoto Walks Movie: Kamogawa Musing with John Dougill
A Look Inside “Kyoto: A Literary Guide”
Our book Kyoto: A Literary Guide received a very fine review from Stephen Mansfield in the Japan Times last month. However, for the most part, the book can only be bought online, which means uncertain shoppers don't really know what they are getting before they make that purchase. To remedy this problem, I have made (with the assistance of Mewby) a short video which presents a … [Read more...] about A Look Inside “Kyoto: A Literary Guide”
Deep Kyoto Walks Movie: “Not Sure Which Way to Go” with Robert Yellin
Local film-makers Roger Walch and Ted Taylor have put together a series of short movies showing scenes from our book - Deep Kyoto: Walks. Here is the first video which features autumnal scenes from Kyoto's Path of Philosophy and Robert Yellin reading from his piece, "Not Sure Which Way to Go". Deep Kyoto: Walks is now available as a print on demand paperback and Kindle … [Read more...] about Deep Kyoto Walks Movie: “Not Sure Which Way to Go” with Robert Yellin
The Gion Festival – Exploring Its Mysteries by Catherine Pawasarat
Links on this page are affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Gion Matsuri, Kyoto’s most famous festival, is held each summer in the month of July. It features gorgeously decorated floats, parades and processions, purification rituals, traditional music, displays of family heirlooms, and a giant street … [Read more...] about The Gion Festival – Exploring Its Mysteries by Catherine Pawasarat
Deep Kyoto: Walks Paperback Edition Now Available
This is a delightful collection of essays written by a diverse group of writers who share an obvious and contagious affection for Kyoto. – Matthew Stavros (Author: “Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital ”) I am delighted to annouce the release of Deep Kyoto: Walks as a paperback edition. This is a print on demand (POD) edition and has been independently … [Read more...] about Deep Kyoto: Walks Paperback Edition Now Available
Byodo-in Without the Crowds
In August I was in Uji one day and took the opportunity to visit the Byodo-in temple. As the pandemic has drastically reduced the number of tourists in Kyoto, I thought it was a good opportunity to view the famous Phoenix Hall minus the hordes of visitors that were there on my last visit - a good five years ago. Although this time there were a fair number of domestic tourists … [Read more...] about Byodo-in Without the Crowds
