specialize in river fish, dried fish and cured fish, while among the rest of Nishiki’s 126 stores you’ll also find tofu and yuba (tofu skin) variations, pickles that come in almost every conceivable color, a variety of hand-made noodles, not to mention simple greengrocers, and several cafes and eateries. There’s even cheap and cheerful b-kyu gurume (lit. b-grade gourmet) on hand in the shape of tako-yaki (octopus chunks deep-fried in batter), amongst other things.
When it’s too wet or too hot outside for temple hopping, an hour or two in the market should be at the top of your list of things to do. Whatever the weather, Nishiki-koji delivers a treat for the senses and an insight into Kyoto’s culinary traditions.
Opening Times Daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., although some stores have fixed days off. Getting There A several-minute walk from Shijo Station (Karasuma subway line), Karasuma Station (Hankyu Line) and Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Line). Also handily served by City Bus #5 via the Shijo Takakura bus stop. Contact www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp Admission Fee Free. While in the area Connected to Nishiki is the covered Teramachi arcade (page 33), a great place to browse craft shops, art galleries, book shops and many other places that off er things above and beyond typical tourist fare.
10 Byodo-in Temple
The historic “Phoenix Hall” and its priceless treasures
If you have a ¥10 coin handy, flip it over and you’ll see one of Japan’s most recognizable historic buildings—Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall spreading its wings as if about to take flight. Located south of Kyoto, in the town of Uji (page 44 for a day trip), the Phoenix Hall makes it onto modern-day currency for good reason. Not only is the design so striking, it’s the only structure at Byodo-in Temple that dates to the temple’s original construction in 1052–1053, when Fujiwara no Yorimichi, the son of the then emperor’s closest adviser, decided to convert an old aristocrat’s villa into a Buddhist temple.
While the outside of the Phoenix Hall leaves many visitors in a photographic frenzy, snapping away at the hall and its watery reflection, the inside of the hall is just as impressive thanks to a collection of exquisite historic artwork. Most notably that includes a seated statue of the Amitabha Tathagata Buddha sculpted by Heian-era (794–1185) master sculptor of Buddhist images Jocho, which was enshrined inside the hall in 1053 to celebrate its construction.
As a reminder that despite the temple’s beauty, brutality was never all that far away in classical Japan, look out for a fan-shaped marker on the temple’s grounds placed to mark the spot where prominent aristocrat and poet Minamoto no Yorimasa committed ritual suicide in the 12th century after losing control of Byodo-in Temple in battle against the Taira clan. The Minamoto clan would go on to win the resulting Genpei War against the Taira and with it rule Japan under the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333), although in his death poem Yorimasa must have feared all was lost: Like an old tree / From which we gather no blossoms / Sad has been my life / Fated to bear no fruit.
Opening Times Daily 8.30 a.m.–5.30 p.m. The Phoenix Hall viewing sessions (every 20 minutes; maximum of 50 people at a time) run from 9.10 a.m.–4.30 p.m. Getting There A ten-minute walk from Uji Station, which is 16 minutes from Kyoto on the JR Nara Line. Contact www.byodoin.or.jp Admission Fee ¥600, plus an additional ¥300 to go inside the Phoenix Hall. While in the area Uji is famed for tea and the streets that lead to Byodo-in Temple are lined with small stores that sell all manner of green tea inspired goods. On a hot day, try one of the slightly bitter green tea ice creams, or pick up an unusual souvenir like green tea liqueur or green tea noodles.
11 Nara’s Horyu-ji Temple
An early outpost of Japanese Buddhism
Deciding on just one ‘Don’t Miss’ to represent Nara is the kind of task that can leave a man awake at night. You could pick Todai-ji Temple (page 50), which is famous in part for its 15-meter (50-foot)-high bronze statue of Buddha, or maybe you could opt for Kofuki-ji Temple (page 48) because of its 600-year-old five-story pagoda, the original of which was moved to Nara from Kyoto in the 8th century. Then there is Horyu-ji Temple, which is home to not only an even older five-story pagoda, but also a building called the Kon-do (Golden Hall) that’s believed to have been built around 670 AD, thereby making it the world’s oldest wooden building. It almost came down to a game of Japan’s favorite decision maker, janken (rock, paper, scissors), but in the end, age won out.
Founded in 607 AD, 50 years after Buddhism first arrived in Japan, Horyu-ji Temple was a major base from which the recently imported religion Buddhism spread across Japan under the patronage of Horyu-ji’s founder Prince Shotoku (574–622AD). While the complex and its ancient structures are an obvious main attraction (with a scale and splendor that serve to highlight how quickly and deeply Buddhism established itself in Japan), Horyu-ji Temple is also known for its treasures. Some of Japanese Buddhism’s most precious relics are kept at Horyu-ji’s Kon-do today, including the original Medicine Buddha that Shotoku supposedly built Horyu-ji Temple to hold and a bronze image of Buddha dated to 623, while in the 8th-century Yumedono building in the complex’s eastern precinct is the jewel in Horyu-ji’s crown: a 178.8-cm (5-foot 10-inch-high) statue thought to be a life-size replica of Prince Shotoku, and which for centuries was kept hidden from all under a white cloth, only finally being uncovered in 1884.
Opening Times Daily 8 a.m.–4.30 p.m. Getting There Nara is 40 minutes from Kyoto on the Kintetsu-Kyoto Line’s Limited Express and can also be reached by JR Lines from Kyoto and Osaka. The JR Yamatoji Line runs from JR Nara Station to Horyuji Temple (12 mins). Contact www.horyuji.or.jp Admission Fee ¥1,500. While in the area Look at the full guide to Nara (page 48), which will also take you to places like Todai-ji Temple (mentioned above) as well as the historic Nara-machi area (page 50) and its old wooden buildings that now house a great selection of craft stores, cafes and restaurants.
CHAPTER 2
EXPLORING KYOTO & NARA
You could explore Japan’s two ancient capitals for years and still keep discovering new facets of the cities’ rich past and present with each visit. To encounter the most memorable and worthwhile of places and experiences in both, we’ve broken Kyoto, Nara and nearby areas into nine different (mostly) day-long excursions, starting with a day that takes in Ryoan-ji and Kinkaku-ji temples and finally a day trip or overnighter to Nara. In case you need a break from tradition, we’ve also included a whirlwind day trip to Japan’s second city, the always energetic Osaka.
1 Northwestern Kyoto 2 Southeastern Kyoto
3 Exploring Gion
4 Central Kyoto
5 Northeastern Kyoto
6 Arashiyama
7 Southern Kyoto
8 Exploring Nara
9 Day Trip to Osaka
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Arashiyama
Ryoan-ji Temple
Byodo-in Temple
Nishiki-koji