Hanami – Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto

Hanami – Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto

With over 200 photos, this photo ebook will not only show you the beauty of the cherry blossoms in Kyoto but will explain and describe the way the Japanese people enjoy this season. It will provide you with information and suggestions to discover and enjoy this most wonderful season…

Taking photos of Maiko

Taking photos of Maiko

  I must admit it, I am quite fascinated by the Hanamachi, the so-called flower town, or the world of the Maiko and the Geiko (Geisha). Whenever I can, I go to admire them walking along the streets of Gion or Miyagawa-Cho in their beautiful kimono.  They’re...

Empty Kyoto

For everyone interested in or in love with Kyoto, I’d like to suggest you have a look at this upcoming photo book from landscape photographer Daniel Sofer. 2020 and 2021 were very special years due to the pandemic. Japan was closed and the streets and temples...
Cooking Lessons in Kyoto

Cooking Lessons in Kyoto

We’re often asked about Japanese cooking lessons in Kyoto. I’m glad to introduce Keiko san, a cooking instructor who can provide Japanese home cooking lessons in English in her home kitchen or a rental kitchen.She offers various menu items from which you...
Shinnyo-do Temple

Shinnyo-do Temple

Shinnyo-do, or as it is officially named, Shinshogokuraku-Ji or the”true temple of paradise”, is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect located in the east of Kyoto. Being off the tourist’s beaten tracks, Shinnyo-do is a great spot to enjoy beautiful...
Light-Ups in Autumn

Light-Ups in Autumn

Enjoy the beautiful Autumn foliage by taking advantage of the evening opening and illumination of these gardens. Here is a list of some of this year’s light ups around Kyoto, together with the dates and opening time.

Kawazu Zakura

Kawazu Zakura

Walking around the city near a place I used to live, I was pleasantly surprised to discover several cherry trees in full bloom in a parking lot up the street. This was the first time after the many years I passed nearby that I saw these trees. The plums are currently...
Ao Momiji – New Maple Leaves

Ao Momiji – New Maple Leaves

After a beautiful cherry blossoms season, things slow down a bit and all is quiet for a while. Then, around the middle of the month of May, is the perfect time to look around the temples and the mountains for the maple trees having new leaves.

Kuromontsuki Kimono

Kuromontsuki Kimono

If you walked around one of Kyoto’s Hanamachi (flower town or Geisha District), early January, you may have seen Maiko and Geiko beautifully dressed in their formal black “Kuromontsuki” kimono, and wearing a real rice stalk “kanzashi” or ornamental hairpin.