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  3. TRAVEL: 2007 through 2011
  4. APRIL, 2008 JAPAN (KYOTO TRIP)

KYOTO V

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This is the street that our Hotel was on. Well, almost on. It was set about 1/2 block off the road, actually
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This is the street that our Hotel was on. Well, almost on. It was set about 1/2 block off the road, actually

  • This is the street that our Hotel was on. Well, almost on. It was set about 1/2 block off the road, actually
  • These are traditional Machiya, or row houses. They usually house both a business and the owner's residence. Locals call them unagi no nedoko, which literally translates to "bedrooms of eels." The term describes the dimensions and is not intended as an insult to the inhabitants: These buildings are often at least 10 times as long as they are wide. Taxes used to be levied based on frontage, so people built long and narrow to have sizeable buildings and very little road frontage. In the Edo period, people of nobility were starting to fear that the business class was becomming too powerful, so laws were passed prohibiting business owners from having more than 2 stories in their buildings. The second stories actually used to have closely spaced vertical wooden slats (instead of the glass you see here). The spaces between the boards were "obviously" for ventilation (obvious to the visiting nobility), but in actuality, the design was to allow the business owner to watch from the second story without being seen. You see, in addition to the prohibition on the height of buildings, laws were also passed forbidding commoners from ever being above noble-men. The business owners wanted to be able to observe what was going on in the streets below. They had to make sure that they could see down without being seen. You'll see a better example of a Machiya with a traditional 2nd story in a moment.
  • We are now headed into the Nishiki Market. Just walk to the roof you see over the road and turn either right or left.
  • The apparent shop fronts in Nishiki Market are, for the most part, genuine Machiya, many of which are several hundred years old. However, the old street has been upgraded to be a comfortable walkway, and a roof has been installed, extending for several blocks, giving it an atmosphere somewhat like a modern mall. Because so many shops are food oriented, it is sometimes called "Kyoto's kitchen."
  • Here you see some of the wooden slats on the second floor, as I was mentioning earlier. This shop, Aritsugu, has been in Kyoto since 1560, although it moved to Nishiki only about 25 years ago.
  • Aritsugu specializes in fine, hand-crafted (and expensive) cutlery. They also have other hand-crafted kitchen items, such as strainers, ladles, confectionery molds, copper tea pots, and soup pots. I must admit that I did purchase from here a hand-twisted copper tea strainer and cup, along with a very small (tiny actually) knife. The tea strainer makes wonderful Japanese tea. The knife is very sharp, and I plan to just keep it as a souvenir.
  • This place was bustling. I passed it several times and it was full and busy each time, with many purchases by apparent locals.
  • I never quite figured out what this fellow was doing, but I think he was doing some type of fine repair work on a very up-scale knife. I assumed that patrons brought their own knives in to be sharpened and reconditioned.
  • Somehow, I think that the seafood here may be fresher than what I can get at Saipan's local supermarkets.
  • Different types of vegetables, if I remember correctly, most of them pickeled.
  • If you prefer to have your fish cooked before you buy it.....
  • This shop is devoted solely to seaweed, all pressed, dried, and wrapped for sale.
  • Rice cracker shops are present in most neighborhoods, with Nishiki being no exception.
  • This shop had everything to do with Japanese tea, including different grades of tea and all the accessories.
  • OK. I'll admit it: On our way back to our hotel from Nishiki we stopped at a Starbucks for a coffee. Believe it or not, there are no Starbucks on Nishiki (nor are there McDonalds or other fast food places! That is definitely NOT a complaint: I think it's a very GOOD thing and I hope that they KEEP it that way.). I had to get a picture of Bev photographing the Starbucks menu. To anyone who says that I have photographed stranger things, I simply say, "Touché!" I don't believe I have yet seen your Starbucks menu photo, Bev. What happened to it?
  • Our hotel lobby. Many of the businesses have large windows looking out onto outdoor spaces with Zen gardens. This is one of the narrower ones, but they seem to tuck them in wherever they can. Time to head to Kyoto Station for our return to Narita! Please join us in the next album for that!<br /> <br /> If you would like to join us on our return trip to Narita, click on the following link: <a href="http://optimimagery.com/Travel/APRIL-2008-JAPAN-KYOTO-TRIP/BACK-TO-NARITA/9951818_ikTvx/1/679470973_iZvJH">http://optimimagery.com/Travel/APRIL-2008-JAPAN-KYOTO-TRIP/BACK-TO-NARITA/9951818_ikTvx/1/679470973_iZvJH</a>
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