KYOTO WINTER SPECIAL 2009 "December 1,2008-March 31,2009"

Impressions of Kyoto

This corner features the words of non-Japanese people who live in Japan. You can learn even more about Kyoto by reading these columns, which are about Kyoto through the eyes of non-Japanese visitors and residents.

Derek Wessman
7years in Japan

Hanatouro in Kyoto

Japan is a place where one can experience a completely different world from their own, and Hanatouro is an event that transports a person more than any other. With the pleasant flower lantern-lined streets stretching ahead amid numerous revelers and goings-on, the senses are at once excited by the bustle and entranced by the dancing shadows. There, a visitor can envision not only how old Kyoto may have looked in bygone times, but also how it may have felt to walk the old capital’s storied streets.

The sheer scale – just how many lanterns line how many streets – is another delightful surprise. One can stroll along alone and explore at length as their thoughts wander in the distinctively soft light, or they can enjoy the fascinating atmosphere with friends or loved ones. And of course, the romantic feel of a walk among the gentle lantern light goes without saying. The lanterns are not the only feature of this event, however. The exquisite glow rising up from the streets serves to enhance and display the beauty of Kyoto in an unmatched, timeless way. Flower arrangements seem to have finally found their true venue of exhibition, and the priceless buildings of Kyoto are shown in what one is constrained to think must have been their intended showcase.

The natural elements so prevalent in Kyoto – reflective ponds, soaring bamboo, and majestic trees – are lit up in a manner that brings out an entirely new beauty. Indeed, Hanatouro is perhaps most enjoyable because it delights the senses by placing an already impressive city in a literally different light.

Arashiyama Hanatouro (December 12 – 21, 2008)
Higashiyama Hanatouro (March 13 – 22, 2009)

Rowan White
5years in Japan

Winter in Kyoto

Kyoto really takes on a different feel in the winter. The reflective stillness of the season seems to seep from the very rocks and trees. That’s not to say that Kyoto is not serene in other seasons; it is, and famous for being so. It’s just that in the stark and quite brittle cold of this time one can sense something that can almost, but not quite be described. The stars glimmer more brightly over the surrounding mountains. The strikingly vivid colors of Kiyomisu temple and Kinkakuji leap out from their monochrome backdrop. The simplicity of a Japanese garden is accentuated.

If you’re brave enough to venture out at night you may be able to enjoy a light-up at one of the temples or gardens, which is especially dramatic after a fresh fall of snow. Spare a thought for the priests, who are often dressed in their traditional garb even at this time of year!

It’s during this time that the many taverns of Kyoto really come into their own as bastions of boisterous warmth and sanctuary between sightseeing spots. Enjoy a Japanese hot pot, some grilled chicken or perhaps even some seasonal crab brought down from the north of the prefecture, all rounded off with a serving of piping hot sake.