Kyoto: Seven Paths to The Heart of The City

by Diane Durston, Katsuhiko Mizuno (Photographer)

What better way to see Kyoto than at dawn, when the back streets and alleys of this 1,200-year-old city are still under the spell of the past? Old folks fuss about with their bonsai and laundry poles, pausing to chat on their way to the neighborhood shrine with flowers and morning prayers.
Knock-kneed white egrets stalk the stream beds for breakfast, and the giant bronze temple bells awaken the former capital of Japan every morning as they have done for centuries.

Through wars, fires, famines, tyrants, and now rapid modernization, the old neighborhoods of Kyoto are the places where the customs and traditions of this fascinating city, with its confusing blend of old and new, have managed to survive.

American writer and former Kyoto resident Diane Durston introduces seven must-see precincts of this ancient capital city, including four Historic Preservation Districts. Among them are the world-famous geisha quarter, the kimono textile neighborhoods, the sake-brewing area of Fushimi, and the
tea-growing region of Uji. Durston weaves together local lore and historical sites to create a panoply of provocative walking tours that take the reader back in time to the elegance of earlier days.

Accompanying each section is a full-color map and the fine photography of Katsuhiko Mizuno, a Kyoto native and one of the city's most famous photographers. Sections highlighting Kyoto crafts, cuisine, festivals, and tourist essentials round out this attractive volume, making it the perfect
introduction -and guide- to one of the world's most evocative cities.

FEATURES
* Photographs by one of Kyoto's most renowned photographers

* Locations of the most important Historic Preservations Districts

* Detailed maps and suggested routes

* Scenic and little-known walking paths

* Completely revised and updated information

Genres: Japan, Travel, Japanese Literature, Nonfiction, History, Photography

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[Alex Pler · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es una guía al uso, sino un recorrido por 7 distritos clásicos de la ciudad, la mayoría incluidos en el plan de preservación del gobierno. Uno de los pocos testimonios que sobreviven de otra época, con sus gremios, tradiciones y dialectos particulares. La autora parece conocerlos bien y que los mapas estén dibujados a mano le añade mucho encanto a la lectura. Con ganas de recorrerlos en persona y callejear.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful resource for both the armchair traveler and the independent traveler who wants to embark on an exploration of the authentic city. This lavishly illustrated book doesn't neglect the fundamentals, and gives the low-down on important historical sites as well as outlines walks to take to see them. The seven walking tours of the city's most lovely neighborhoods are very nicely done, and I can testify that the information (at least on the several that I tried) seemed accurate. But it's Durston's intimate feel for the city that is most remarkable.

[Jason Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would be unfair to tag this as simply a guidebook to Kyoto. After all, it doesn't cover major sites like the Golden Temple or the old Imperial Palace.

But it is so much more. It offers snapshots of short walks and explorations that open a window into the fantastic history of the city and the kind of country it was once capital of.

On my last Kyoto trip I missed almost everything in this book - and I feel like I missed out. Next trip it is certain to be my guidebook. Or my non-guidebook guide to the must explore corners of the city.

[Chuck Clenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice brief deep dive into the heart of Kyoto's thick history. Perfect for someone trying to dig a little deeper into Kyoto's ancient history and see the city in a more well-rounded light. Also, lots of beautiful photos.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, and many of the things discussed will absolutely feature in my next trip to Kyoto, as a lover of all things Japan, there was a certain feeling of the fascination with the "otherness" and "primitive" nature of traditional Japanese culture that definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Remembering that this was written in the mid-1980s certainly helps to contextualize that mindset, but reading this in 2021 was a little hard to swallow at certain points. They're people, just people, who are just trying to live their lives. The fact that certain aspects of traditional Japanese building construction is vanishing is not some sort of value statement or horribly sad commentary on the modernization and loss of "Japan-ness," it's just people who want modern comforts. As a culture, they are not quite as tied to things having to be the same in order for them to have meaning. I think as long as you can sort through those feelings, this is a really worthwhile read. I definitely picked out various things that I will go out of my way to find the next time I am in Kyoto, and it has a lot of value for that.