I was trying to come up with an analogous city in the US to Kyoto. It is about 1.5 million people, a tourist destination (we saw more westerners there than anywhere else in Japan) and has a lot of religious shrines. (though, to be fair, there are a lot of shrines in Tokyo, too)
San Francisco? I don't think that Kyoto is THAT touristy. New Orleans? I don't think Kyoto is THAT drunk. Savannah? Maybe, I don't know the place at all, but I don't think it is big enough. Maybe Austin, but Kyoto isn't that self aggrandizing. Well, let's just say that it is not only a big tourist destination, but a city in its own right.
IT does have some odd art associated with it:
and it is also well known for its turnips.
I am not sure about how well known it is for its wood, but here is some that is seasoning:
Kyoto is also well known for its knives:
We didn't buy any, but it was fun to look at them.
Additionally, there is a "Bamboo Forest" in the city.
Sadly, we got there too late to really enjoy it. But we did walk through it in the dark. We were about the only people there.
After the Bamboo Forest, we walked over to the river where they fish with cormorants.
I remember as a child a book where the cormorants were used for fishing. I can't recall the name, and when I do a search I always come up with Ping. But I do remember the birds attached by a line to the boat, and the ring around the bird's neck so it couldn't swallow the fish.
When we got to the cormorant fishing pier, they wanted about $20 a person for a 1 hour cormorant cruise. We didn't really want to spend that much time in a little house boat waiting for the fishing boats, so we watched from the banks.
At first, all we saw were the two dozen house boats with tourists sitting in them with cameras. Some had food, some had drink. It was raining.
Then, shortly we heard a pounding coming down the river from two boats being paddled very vigorously and occasionally a loud WHOMP! when they hit their big oars on the gunnels of the boats.
They also had large lanterns with big flames in them. As they got closer, you could see the cormorants, probably half a dozen per boat, being dragged behind on ropes.
Every now and then one of the fishermen would holler, and pull a bird up by its rope. They would then strip the fish from the cormorants throat, and toss it back it. This was usually accompanied by applause from the house boats.
The birds didn't seem to mind, and as a matter of fact seemed trained to all dive at the same time. Though that may have been an illusion.
They have been doing this for a long time.
as you can see by this old print.
It was worth the subway/tram ride to get there.
Next?
Dinner!
San Francisco? I don't think that Kyoto is THAT touristy. New Orleans? I don't think Kyoto is THAT drunk. Savannah? Maybe, I don't know the place at all, but I don't think it is big enough. Maybe Austin, but Kyoto isn't that self aggrandizing. Well, let's just say that it is not only a big tourist destination, but a city in its own right.
IT does have some odd art associated with it:
and it is also well known for its turnips.
I am not sure about how well known it is for its wood, but here is some that is seasoning:
Kyoto is also well known for its knives:
We didn't buy any, but it was fun to look at them.
Additionally, there is a "Bamboo Forest" in the city.
Sadly, we got there too late to really enjoy it. But we did walk through it in the dark. We were about the only people there.
After the Bamboo Forest, we walked over to the river where they fish with cormorants.
I remember as a child a book where the cormorants were used for fishing. I can't recall the name, and when I do a search I always come up with Ping. But I do remember the birds attached by a line to the boat, and the ring around the bird's neck so it couldn't swallow the fish.
When we got to the cormorant fishing pier, they wanted about $20 a person for a 1 hour cormorant cruise. We didn't really want to spend that much time in a little house boat waiting for the fishing boats, so we watched from the banks.
At first, all we saw were the two dozen house boats with tourists sitting in them with cameras. Some had food, some had drink. It was raining.
Then, shortly we heard a pounding coming down the river from two boats being paddled very vigorously and occasionally a loud WHOMP! when they hit their big oars on the gunnels of the boats.
They also had large lanterns with big flames in them. As they got closer, you could see the cormorants, probably half a dozen per boat, being dragged behind on ropes.
Every now and then one of the fishermen would holler, and pull a bird up by its rope. They would then strip the fish from the cormorants throat, and toss it back it. This was usually accompanied by applause from the house boats.
The birds didn't seem to mind, and as a matter of fact seemed trained to all dive at the same time. Though that may have been an illusion.
They have been doing this for a long time.
as you can see by this old print.
It was worth the subway/tram ride to get there.
Next?
Dinner!
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