Season 1

Kyotoites have lived in kyo-machiya townhouses for centuries. Each year, 1,000 are demolished, but Kyo-machiya Sakujigumi, a group of craftsmen skilled in machiya restoration, use natural materials and traditional metho…

Stimulating all five senses, kaiseki-ryori is a Kyoto culinary work of art. Eiichi Takahashi, 14th generation owner of Hyotei, stresses kaiseki's roots in cha-kaiseki meals served at tea ceremonies. Leading chefs and re…

Kyoto has about 2,700 temples where an array of benevolent, meek, and ferocious Buddhist statues are worshipped. World Heritage temple Toji has a configuration of statues in an imposing, 3D mandala and a beautifully wov…

Various locations in Kyoto have been famous cherry-blossom-viewing spots for 1,200 years. As spring approaches, the locals' actions revolve around thoughts of hanami. The cherries keep family ties strong; 3 generations …

Japanese-style paintings are the embodiment of Kyoto aesthetics. Their delicate scenes are created using unique mineral pigments. Flower artist Rieko Morita emphasizes life in her work. She infuses it with the vitality …

The quality of hospitality found at accommodations in Japan's old capital, Kyoto, is known worldwide. They exude a time-honored culture and uniqueness. The entrances are cleansed with sprinkled water and the rooms have …

The main stage for hospitality in the glittering kagai entertainment district is the ozashiki function. Geiko and maiko refine their skills over years in dance and other performing arts to present at ozashiki. In this w…

The origin of Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's 3 great festivals, goes back more than 1,500 years. Diviners advised the people to ride horses in prayer for bumper crops and to appease the Kamo deities, who were causing storm…

Sen-no-Rikyu (1522-1591) began the chanoyu, or tea ceremony, that is practiced today, 400 years ago. His simple, rustic wabi philosophy is still discernable in the designs, movements and mindset. In Uji, Kyoto, the year…

Gion Matsuri began as a prayer for the country's health when 66 halberds were erected and 3 mikoshi shrines were paraded through plague-ravaged Heian-kyo in 869. The 33 yamahoko floats in today's climactic procession on…

In the 1200's, the monk Dogen brought shojin-ryori, a vegetarian cuisine, from China along with Zen Buddhism, which forbids the killing of animals and the eating of meat. He once said, "Meals and their preparation are p…

Kyoto has many mountain springs, rivers and groundwater. The capital relocated here about 1,200 years ago for the water supply that enriched the citizens' lives and gave rise to Kyoto's culture. Farmers grow vegetables …

As demand for lacquerware grew in the political and cultural hub of Kyoto, artisans refined their designs and techniques with a distinctive approach to aesthetic beauty. This became kyo-shikki, or Kyoto-style lacquerwar…

A pointed boulder with a large stone at its foot reaches for the heavens. The white gravel between them represents a swift flowing river, without the use of water. Karesansui is a unique dry-gardening style that develop…

Nishijin-ori symbolizes the ancient capital's elegance and luxury. The obi-weaving process is divided into detailed tasks, such as mon-template design and yarn dying. Each artisan has a specialist role. With a deep sens…

The ancient capital has many shinise, or established businesses, with unbroken histories. Kyoto Prefecture classes a firm founded at least a century ago as shinise. Over generations, more than 1,100 Kyoto shinise have m…

The changing leaves vividly color Kyoto, which lies in a basin and has marked temperature differences. For more than a millennium, people have delighted in their beauty and picnicked under the trees. Today, the changing…