Contact me
alive in kyoto link button
Hi, thanks for visiting alive in kyoto.
If you have questions, please first try the search engine.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, please try to find a related entry and post your question in the comment form below it. That will build the value of the site as a resource.
If you can’t find anything related, post it here, just scroll down to the comment form.
Contact me by email below about purchase of photos or use of photos or text from the site. I can also do photography or lite video (compact 3CCD, tripod, mics) to order. My background is in print journalism, so I have a wealth of interviewing experience.
Personal and business inquiries (Kyoto photography, videography, guide) should go to my email. In an emergency in Kyoto call me at 090-9871-9903.
Hi, Nils,
I enjoy your photos a lot! Thanks for making them available online.
Regards,
Mike
Hi Nils,
I’m addicted to your website and especially the photos. I really like the “ginkgoscatter” you posted today. Any chance you would post it in 1024×768 for my desktop. I can scale it in the gimp, but it’s not quite as sharp as the original would be.
Anyway, I have visited Kyoto a couple of times and I adore the place.
Best wishes, Jonathan
Nils, We have chatted thru Immortal Geisha website, I will be in Kyoto the 20th thru the 24th would love to meet you! I am writing a glossary on Kimono , so I will be doing research and buying. Leet me know if it is possible.
Thanks
Redgeisha
Hi, Nils. i am doing photography and web-making and artproject. btw, i may move to kyoto from March because of go back to school. and now i researching website about kyoto and i could find your website. To live and go to school in kyoto is first time for me even if i am japanese, and as i read your weblog, you know lots of information about kyoto. anyway, i will go to your website! just greeting. Ciao.
mayuppe
Joined Kyotown; I’ll browse and comment/suggest as the war gives me time. Thanks!
Thanks for mentioning Papa Jon’s on “alive in kyoto”. When another expat appreciates what we do enough to take the time to tell others it feels good (like maybe we’re doing something right). Your page was brought to my attention by my good friend Joe http://www.parisandmilan.com/joe/ – have a look.
Next time you stop in to to the café say hello.
Charles
hi nils. i’m hoping you can help me. i’m trying to find the names of the five hanamachi in kyoto in kanji. i’ve tried online english-japanese dictionaries, but the only name i have found is Gion. if you could direct me somewhere, or send something via email, i’d really apreciate it. it needs to be clear and legible.
this is forming part of a tattoo i’m thinking of getting done. if you can help me out, i’ll happily send a pic of the completed tattoo when it’s finished :) thanks.
A tattoo? I don’t understand the thinking there, but the 5 are Miyagawacho, Gion Kobu, Gion Higashi, Kamishichiken and Pontocho.
More info than you could want is here.
Most of the pictures of maiko/geiko on my site are taken in Miyagawacho, my mother-in-law’s neighborhood.
Nils; I was a good friend and editor of the late Y. Ernest Satow, a fine photographer. He and his wife owned and operated Tawaraya (sp?), a centuries-old inn in Kyoto. It had been in his wife’s family for many generations. Ernest died some years ago at a rather young age.
Do you know the inn? Is it still operating and in the same hands? I met Ernest’s widow briefly many years ago, but her name now escapes me. They also had a son.
Would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks! Ken Poli – former editor of ‘Popular Photography’.
Yes, Tawaraya is one of the grand old ryokans of Kyoto, and it is just across from another, Hiiragiya. I haven’t posted a picture because the times I went by there was a fishmonger’s van or some other obstruction in the way. Next time I’ll get a picture with my new camera. I believe Satow was a British diplomat who wrote some books on Japan, but I’m afraid I know nothing about him or the history of Tawaraya.
Nils, Greetings
suggestion for baby’s name: Sebastian. i think it goes well with your last name.
and thanks for Kyoto images.
best wishes
Mehyar
Olivenhain, CA
Hi,
It was nice to see your photos, I lived in Kyoto for 6 years, and still miss it still, especially cycling across the Kamogawa in the morning on my way to work.
Could I get a good quality version of the Kamo River Sundown photo.. it’d make a nice desktop photo..
Cheers!
Hey Nils!
Guess what? I teach at a school where you used to teach. I think your wife worked there too. I know this because I ran into Kurt at Kinokuniya yesterday and we were talking about websites. Wierd world.
Love your site & looking forward to the Kyotown thing. I’ll have to check it out some more. Sometimes Kansai can be small ne?
Hey Nils! I love your site; it brings back memories of my trip to Kyoto last summer. I can’t wait to go back.
I just wanted to post this image of central Kyoto from a orbiting satellite. I thought it might go well with the panoramas you posted a few weeks ago. It’s a remarkable image…
I have my own photoblog, and I check yours daily — thanks for the inspiration and views of Japan!
Hi, I linked to that image here, but thanks anyway. I have another satellite image showing all of Kyoto that I snagged off a university server by link chopping and finding an unprotected directory. I’m planning to use it in a Flash-based map.
Nils,
Thanks for the very kind plug on metafilter; a nice surprise; heartening, and much appreciated.
RB
i have a movabletype question for you. i have an english blog that i would like to augment with japanese [hiragana, katakana, and kanji]. i see that you do this as well, but i can’t figure out how to get mine working! would you mind contacting me at the email address i have provided? i promise not to take up too much of your time. arigatou gozaimasu!
To blog in Japanese on Movable Type, open the Movable Type mt.cfg file and set the PublishCharset line to UTF-8.
PublishCharset UTF-8
Next, set NoHTMLEntities to 1 and uncomment it!
NoHTMLEntities 1
Upload in ASCII mode
Change your template pages to UTF-8 encoding and add Japanese keywords to your index page to see if it gets garbled upon publishing. Did you upload in Ascii mode?
great thanks nils! i plan on implementing it in a redesign. your site looks great, by the way.. and your new addition to the ferry family is such a looker! my best to you!
Greetings All!
I am an international flight crew member for American Airlines and will be in Kyoto in November of 2005 – What is the scoop on the best, little wonder restaurants? Local places, lots of character and Kyoto cuisine and all the local color?
Any advice – Please drop me a line!
Best -
Barry
VoyagetoLearn@aol.com
just passing by..looking for a great cherry blossom background for my asainavenue page and then all of a sudden i see these cute pix of your bebe..and wow..so adorable..keep up the archives..
Hi Nils,
I live in Tokyo and will come for a few days to Kyoto to take some pictures.
I work with b&w only 35mm. Was wondering if you can recommend good sites not crowded where I can enjoy more atmospere than famous landmarks
My favorite subjects include architecture, people, still life above all `light`
thanks
federica
The only place that springs to mind is Nishijin, the traditional fabric weaving/dyeing district, which is one of the few areas with great subject matter (machiya) but without major tourist sites. The rest of the city will be packed weekday or weekend, you just have to deal with it. Higashiyama-ku is the most photo subject-dense area. a place in there I’ve been meaning to shoot in B&W at twilight or early morning is along the Shirakawa (the stream, not the street)
Hi Nils,
This is barrnet, from the dpreview Panasonic forum (miss you over there!). Just a quick question, if the answer jumps out at you; I know how busy life is with a 3-month old and home remodeling, etc. My wife, 14 yr old son and I, will be in Kyoto the first week of August and are looking for a ryokan, in the neighborhood of $150 per person. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
As one of the first Fluzi owners, your photos helped to sell me one. Don’t know the last time you were in So. Cal., but if you want to check out some architectural details of the Getty Center and new cathedral downtown here’s my galleries: http://barrnet.smugmug.com/
Your website and photos are always entertaining & enlightening.
Best regards, Barry
Hi,
I’m only going to recommend traditional style ryokan rather than the modern hotel type, so understand that there are more choices than I give.
With $150 as a guideline I would recommend two ryokan on the low side and two on the high side. Low: Motonago Ryokan in Higashiyama near the route between Maruyama Park and Kiyomizu Temple. The other is Kamogawa Ryokan on Sanjo Street just west of the bridge over the Kamo River. Both are conveniently located for sightseeing in Kyoto, but Kamogawa is closer to rail stations.
On the high side: There’s nothing like the real thing, and Hiiragiya is the real thing. One of Kyoto’s finest (and most expensive) ryokan, Hiiragiya (main site at Hiiragiya.co.jp), located across from Kyoto City Hall, has an annex building called Hiiragiya Bekkan with cheaper room rates. Last, Yachiyo (no website) near Nanzenji Temple is another luxurious traditional Ryokan with a wide range of room rates.
Tell them I sent you.
-nils
I was wondering if you have a link button so people can link you on their sites. I love it here and would love to link you. I’ll make the button if you don’t have any!!!
I don’t have one, I think most people prefer text links these days. I put a small version of the title graphic at the top of this page if you would like to use it.
Hello,
I would like to tell you that I just love to visit your site every day, it’s a pleasure to see some nice pictures of kyoto, it’s an enlightment for my day ^_^
I have one request : I looking for a good picture of the Amakusa Statue of Amakusa Island. Ok, I’ve noticed you’re in Kyoto, but I wonder if you had visited it, and if, maybe, you had taken a picture.
Best regards,
Ben (a french visitor).
Thanks for visiting. Sorry, I don’t know that island, but my brother-in-law lives on another island nearby. Why don’t you try asking him? His site is linked at the bottom of the right column on my site.
Nils,
I was in Kyoto a few weeks ago, having spent the previous couple of months feasting my eyes on the photos on your web-site. It therefore came as something of a shock to see how Kyoto appeared in reality. I am thinking of the streets where most people actually live, as opposed to your exquisitely chosen locales. Most of Kyoto is similar to the Bladerunner like urban wildernesses of Osaka and Tokyo.
Please understand that I am not complaining, your images are fabulous, I just wonder if you might leaven them with occasional more representative pictures of the place. With your eye for composition, such images would make a striking contrast.
Incidentally, don’t you think the big conference centre at Kokosaikaikan looks like the Battlestar Galactica, except made out of stone?
Hello Nils,
I came across you Site and wondered if you could help me get information or guide me to the right people ( who will answer back in English) about contacting the Maizuru Port Promotional Center.
I am currently working on Venture Business Projects for the Kyoto Prefectural Government and looking to get information to promote the Port of Maizuru for Private Luxury Cruisers to visit from California. I looked for most Kyoto Sites in English about the Port of Maizuru, but cannot get feedback and wondered if you might know where to inquire.
Thanks and appreciate your help.
Julie Tamaki
( I’m part Japanese& Russian, who was educated in Yokohama ( in English) and have trouble reading/writing in Japanese, although I speak it fluently.
Do you mean the Maizuru city government itself won’t help you promote the port? The phone number is right on the Maizuru city website; I would just call them directly to find out who to talk to. I’ve gone through there on the way to Amanohashidate and Tango hanto, but I don’t really know anything about Maizuru, sorry.
Hello Nils,
I have a couple of movie related questions. I
believe “Lost In Translation” recently opened in
Japan. Some people have criticized it for being
condescending and even racist. If you or any of
your Japanese friends, relatives, and colleagues
have seen the movie, I’d be curious to hear what
you all thought of it. And what kind of a
reception has it gotten in Japan? Have the
reviews been favorable, mixed, or mostly
negative?
Thank You,
Paul
I’m not all that interested in seeing Lost In Translation, although I like Bill Murray, so I’ll probably watch it on DVD someday. Any gaijin who lives in Japan has got a bookful of first-timer in wacky Japan stories, and they all write endlessly about them in the gaijin magazines, so it gets to be a bit tedious, and therefore the stuff in the movie that may work overseas is old hat here. Go read the discussion at Chanpon for more views.
Hello Nils,
Congratulations for your beatiful baby! I just discovered “Alive in Kyoto” and I think its great. Keep up the wonderful work.
I will be visiting Kyoto next year and your site is very helpful….and fun.
Thanks
Hi Nils,
So many of my Internet searches on Japan have found interesting, informative good-looking results in “Alive in Kyoto.” Before I moved to Kyoto, many of my impressions of it came from you. After starting a blog of my own with “Son of Soy,” it was great to find you linking to me and making me feel welcome. Thanks!
Maybe run into you sometime…
—Rick
P.S. A blogroll at “Son of Soy” with you on it coming soon…
Congrats on your baby boy once again…
:)
I have a question for you… Are there alot of Americans living in Kyoto?
I lived in Tokyo for a year working for Disney and have missed Japan alot.
My dream would be to someday be able to live in Kyoto, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I guess before I can even think of it, first off I should be fluent in Japanese, correct?
I don’t know how many there are, but there certainly are several. It’s a university town, so there are a lot of students as well. However, there are more business opportunities in nearby Osaka, so for many people it’s easier to find work there and just visit Kyoto when they like. You don’t mention what kind of work you want to do; the necessity for Japanese skills would depend on that.
Well, for the past 10 years I have been an Executive Assistant to the President of a Marketing Firm.
When you moved to Kyoto was it for work? And were you fluent in Japanese at that time?
If I can ask, what do you do for work there?
I love your site. An information site with lovely photos. Do you have any photos or experiences with kendo or kendo dojos?
Hello, Nils-
I’m possibly staying at the Westin Miyako in Kyoto.
http://www.westinmiyako-kyoto.com/english/index_e.html
It appears that it isn’t in a very convenient location.
any idea?
cheers…weiggy
Marcus, you can read the about the author section;
Jon, no info on dojos herre, that will definitely be on the new Kyotown.com site. I competed in fencing (epee) in university;
weiggy, Miyako is in a good location for starting out a walking tour of Kyoto highlights (Heian Shrine is a good starting place for going south through Higashiyama-ku), and subway is nearby. Don’t miss the bird sanctuary at the hotel and the views from the top. There is also a NEW Miyako Hotel just across from Kyoto Station, too downtown for me.
Hi Nils!
I just wanted to post and say that I love this blog and read it every day, along with Gary Garner and Kurt Easterwood’s. Gregory is getting cuter and cuter every day, and I love looking at your photographs.
I will be heading to Tokyo in October to study for a year, and I’ll be taking a digital camera along for the ride, a Sony Cybershot 3.2 megapixel. I want to get started on digital photography as a hobby, and I was wondering if you had any tips for a beginner like me? :) I tend to look at your photos and Kurt’s for inspiration.
Thanks!
Hey Nils and Yoshiko,
I have a question for Yoshiko. When you were at LSU, were there many exchange students from Japan there? Thanks.
There were more than I had expected in ELOP ( English Language and Orientation Program), but I encountered only a few in the undergraduate courses. May I ask why?
Oh, I was just curious because I knew that LSU does not offer a study abroad program to Japan for its local students. I did not know that LSU would be that great of a place for people to learn English. A few of my cousins went to LSU, but they have graduated within the past two years. Thank you for your answer, Yoshiko. It is much appreciated.
I’m planning to go to Kyoto sometime during my year in Japan, so I’ve got a few questions:
1) Where would be the best place to go shopping for souvenirs? Shijo-dori? I’m planning to go to the Nishijin-ori Kaikan as well, but I’d like to pick up some hairpins, fans and calligraphy stuff for my mom if that’s possible during my stay…
2) How easy is it to walk from one stone to the other at Jishu Jinja with your eyes closed? :) Oh, and are there omamori explanations in English? ( in case my Japanese starts futzing out on me…)
3) What’s the best time to go, and where are the places that are must-sees, in your opinion?
Thanks in advance for answering, and sorry to trouble you.
Oh, and I heard that Memoirs of a Geisha is going to be filmed in Kyoto! I think that’s awesome.
Stumbled on your site and going through your archives took me back to when I was a 関西外大留å¦ç”Ÿ. Spent a lot of time roaming around the places you’ve photographed while a student, and returned to Koyoto whenever I could when I moved (and spent most of my time) to 三河.
Got so asborbed in some of the stuff that I forgot for a moment I was here, in metro DC.
Jessica:
1. Can’t remember the name, but between Shijo and Sanjo on the East (closer to the river) side of Kawaramachi. There are two or three small shops, but the one I like is the one with cups in the back right, incense back left.
2. It would be impossible for me to answer this. Your fate is your own. I can’ remember about English explanations, but there are english omamori, believe it or not
3. Spring and autumn are the best times, of course, and none shall escape the crowds.
I have looked at the website and have drawn my cursor over the stamps but cannot find a hidden link to the PayPal site that will let me purchase a set of four. Hints?
Nils,
somehow your comment got deleted from my site! How the Hell are you? Did you reproduce? I can’t come to Kyoto right now; I’m busy rebuilding my house in Orange, CA. Nancy Luna is looking for you – do you owe her money?
Julie
Hello Nils,
Came to your site via a search for photos of Kyoto on Google. Decided to comment mainly due to enjoying your sense of humor displayed in the commentary here.
You seem to really be enjoying yourself there, and I hope to as well when I have a visit.
Also, I see you are proficient in web design – is this site from a template or did you design this yourself? Very nice!
-Cisco
David,
It’s just 3 columns and a header, nothing special. I started with the default MT template, and just modified the CSS to 3 columns, moved the header to the center and put the tagline under it. It would have been easier to just copy a simple 3 coumn layout.
Hi Nils,
I originally posted this as a comment to one of your entries, before I realized you had a “contact me” page. Just wanted to put it in the right place, and to make sure you got it!
…
Hi there!
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you keeping this blog. I don’t even remember how I stumbled across it, but I’ve been reading it everyday for the past few weeks, starting with your very first entry (I’m up to October 2003 so far).
My name is Mike, and I’m from Canada. I spent a year teaching in Japan, in a smallish town in Mie, called Matsusaka. I made plenty of overnight and day trips to Kyoto, and I always loved the place. Your site is making me incredibly nostalgic, and not a little regretful of the many things I apparently missed. You certainly have a knack for sniffing out the “off the beaten track” spots. Also, I must say that as an amateur photographer myself, I am deeply impressed with your talents, not to mention a little jealous of your camera!
Anyways, I didn’t know how much longer it would take me to get to the present on your blog, and start posting more timely comments, so I thought I should at least let you know that I’m combing through it whenever I have a chance here at work.
Keep up the great work!
Mike
Hi Nils,
I was sooooo excited to find you at Kyoto station on 10/6! I am sorry if it was rude to talk to you in such a spontaneous manner.
Anyway, I currently live in Silicon Valley and always enjoy your site as I miss Kyoto soooooooo much. Thank you for the wonderful site!
Noriko
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for the nice comments. I originally started the site to let my family know what I was up to, hence the name (“I’m still alive” was the idea), but none of them reads it, or at least they don’t admit to it, so it’s nice to know that a few other people besides spammers are looking.
Noriko, sorry about rushing you, I had to get on a train to Maibara at that moment, and I’m not good at multi-tasking, so even common manners can escape me when my mind is on something (the clock in this case). I used to be a newspaper reporter in a small town, so people I didn’t know would recognize me from my column mug fairly often, but it only happened once before in relation to the blog, so it was a bit of a surprise. Sorry for blowing past you like that.
Nils
I live in Osaka and have heard of a train that goes up into the mountains during the fall season, leaves and all that.Would you have any info on this train I have heard it refered to as the “lovers train” or something like that…Any info on this would be great
Thanks
The train you are referring to is the Sagano Scenic Railway also variously known as “Torokko Train” or “Romantic Train” that goes from Arashiyama through the Sagano area to Kameoka, convenient for taking the Hozugawa-kudari boat ride back to Arashiyama.
More info and links on This page. The scenery is beautiful, but the train itself is not especially gorgeous, sort of like an oversized circus train, not a romantic old SL like those at the Umekoji train museum.
Hello Nils san
Just informing you that we made temple/shrine fees and opening hours website.
Please check this out.
http://www.templefees.com
If you think it is useful for your site-visitor, please introduce it.
Thank you.
Yuji
hi, nils. i am too frightened of the prospect of 4 more years of bush’s persecution of non-christians to stay here in this country. do you think there are enough jobs for non-japanese-speaking ex-patriots?
thanks,
elf
No, sorry, not a chance.
I hear that both China and Korea have plenty of teaching positions open. You might want to check there, elf.
Dear Nils,
Your site has been added to the upcoming new links section of http://www.theforeigner-japan.com. We would like to give you the opportunity to check if the information is to your satisfaction, and to submit a short site description and a 468*60 banner to display with your link.
Your listing can be previewed at
http://www.theforeigner-japan.com/newlinks/lifestyle/blogs.htm
Upon going public the URL will be
http://www.theforeigner-japan.com/links/lifestyle/blogs.htm
Best regards,
Eelco Hoenselaar
webmaster@theforeigner-japan.com
Hi Nils,
Would you have any idea of what the vegetarian options are like in Kyoto and Japan in general? I have conflicting images of strict vegetarianism deriving from ahimsa in Buddhism on the one hand, and of abundant meat consumption (especially fish) on the other.
We are (Indian) vegetarians, so no meat of any description (which includes fish), no eggs, but dairy is fine (which of course makes it awkward in an area where not much dairy is consumed, or is that another misapprehension of mine?)
We’re toying with the idea of a trip to Japan, but the food issue is always a problem. We’re adventurous in terms of tastes and new experiences – it is just that we refuse to eat meat. If we experience too much food hassle, we might still visit a place, but just for a much shorter period than otherwise, because there is only so far that you can tolerate plain rice and raw cucumbers (or grilled cheese sandwich, green salad and french fries in the West) :-)
Hi Nils,
I should clarify that I have read your posts that talk about Café Peace and the other restaurant offering vegetarian food (I would have to go back to check the spelling :) ).
What I am after is finding how easy it would be to get a good filling meal at a general restaurant or even in a small town that would be entirely vegetarian.
Thanks,
Well, Kyoto is really a kind of magnet for vegetarians, and it’s more than just Cafe Peace and O-banzai, though these are recommended. As Buddhism flourished in Kyoto, Shojin Ryori, the spare meals of monks, also became synonymous with the ancient capital. The famous 500-year-old Ikkyu restaurant at Daitokuji is probably the most famous of this strictly vegetarian style. Kyo-ryori is mostly vegetarian, except for including fish. Cafe Independant (sic) near Sanjo-Kawaramachi serves an excellent melange of Asian flavors, certainly vegetarian items can always be found. Tofu is of course a staple of Kyoto cuisine and all of Japan for that matter. Yudofu (boiled tofu) is a famous dish, especialy near Nanzen-ji, but includes fish broth, so you may need to inquire first. Cheap curry restaurants are a leading fast food of Japan, probably more comon than McDonalds. Vegetable curry does not always mean vegetarian, though, so please specify what you want or don’t want.
Domestic cheese is almost always bland (almost all Japanese food is mild), while imported varieties are available, but at premium prices in department store basement supermarkets and specialty stores. You cna pretend to be Turkish and eat lots of olives with yogurt, beause Japanese plain yogurt is good.
Domestic vegetables are anemic and expensive this year, owing to all the typhoons that damaged crops.
Hope this helps.
Thanks Nils, that helps a lot :-)
When we get ready to visit I’ll trouble you again for a few printable Japanese phrases that would explain that we’re vegetarian, and that we would like a meal without any meat, poultry or fish in it. Perhaps something to ask whether a dish could be prepared without the meat/fish/broth? I would have to think about it a bit to get it more concise :-)
Thanks again for the comprehensive answer,
I am planning to spend a few days in Kyoto in late January. I wonder how cold does it get at that time of the year. Does it snow? I have never been to Kyoto in the winter and so I have no idea what kinds of clothes I should bring.
In Kyoto City proper, it’s usually about 0-10 or 15 degrees in late January, I would estimate, and there may be snowy days, but only occasionally is there enough snow to pile up in the streets.
Dear Nils,
Wondering if you’d mind helping me with this: a dear friend of my mother’s made a beautiful quilt for our new daughter, and I’m wondering if there’s an appropriate title/name in Japanese that we could use to bestow honorary grandma status on her. (Yes, she’s Japanese.)
Thanks for your time.
Hi Nils…
I was just curious… What is it like in Kyoto for Christmas?
I know the main religion is Buddhism but was just curious…
Nils and Family
I think I can speak for the many persons who’s lives you have touched and tell you what a great relief to know that your brother and his family were spared from one of the greatest disasters to befall humankind.
My heart goes out to all who suffer during this time. We must all join together and help our unfortunate world family, wherever they are.
Thank you for keeping this wonderful window, into that beautiful land and culture open for us.
Happy New year!
I love your site. I’m visiting Kyoto a few times a year, as I’m working on a research project related to long-term recovery from disasters (natural and manmade) with a team at Kyoto University, and I find your site whets my appetite for my next visit and gives me lots of ideas about things to do. My question is: I’d like to bring my 13 year old daughter with me on a visit this summer, and I’m looking for good ideas for how she could occupy her time for 2 or 3 weeks in/around Kyoto — other than the normal tourist attractions. Do you know of any workshops (language, culture), homestays, etc… that are appropriate for her age group? I’m finding a lot of offerings for high school and college aged kids, but not for middle school kids. Any and all suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Excellent site. Beautiful pictures. My wife and I loved Kyoto. Stayed at a ryokan near a large red Torii gate across a four lane (?) street.
I took a picture of my son’s girl friend sitting on the steps of a huge huge piece of architecture identified as a gate – big enough to have a shrine on the second floor. It was apparently once part of a large temple complex. Is this description enough that you could furnish a name for it?
Chuck,
The first one is probably the torii gate at Heian Jingu (actually it is also a gate), and the second is probably the San-mon at Nanzen-ji (also see today’s entry) or , buddhist temples. also here
Hi Nils,
Perhaps another dull accomodation request. My partner and want to spend a weekend in Kyoto, as part of a work trip to Tokyo. We’re NOT looking for budget accomodation, but would love to experience a relaxing time in Kyoto. Any suggestions? A friend had suggested the Rantei, but it’s sold out. Many thanks.
Debbie.
In the same neighborhood as Rantei (Arashiyama) is Togetsutei and several are listed here; look at Hiiragiya Bekkan, Sumiya, Kikokuso, and put “ryokan” in my search box to find Tawaraya picture and video.
konnichiha!
Im sorry to bother you, i tried to search your site but I couldnt find any info on the different studios where you can get made up like a maiko. I know about studio Shiki, but I would like to have some options…Any recommendations?
I appreciate your time!
Ookini!
Melissa
Free historical/cultural attractions for everybody wearing a kimono… Sounds awesome. I hope you will cover this for us!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4328439.stm
ciao
cepo
very informative blog thanks
I have a specific problem – a family of six – actually more than one problem
but I wonder what would be the most suitable accomodation in kyoto, ryokan being charged on a person basis are likely to be unbearable; what places charge by the room? which ones are the best?
best regards
Hi Nils,
I am really interested in spending a week to 10 days in Kyoto in the fall.(Late Oct. early Nov.) I am an ESL/EFl teacher (with Master’s Degree in TESL)from Nova Scotia, Canada. I would like to find a family in Kyoto to stay with. I will offer English conversation and daily lessons in exchange for the oppotunity to experience Japanese culture first hand. Could you tell me how I might go about finding a situation like this? I don’t have a website.
Thanks, Sandra
Hey there,
I’ve been a fan of your work for a while now (http://www.vincentvds.net/blog/)and I was wondering
if you would be interested in an invite to Yahoo! 360.
Yahoo! 360 is Yahoo’s cool new blog (beta) that has everything you could want. I noticed that you already have a flickr account, so I added you as a contact, I hope you dont mind.
You can see examples of Yahoo! 360 by cliking on my links below.
Please send me an email if you are interested and I will send you an
invite asap.
Thanks!
Rob Greenleaf
360.yahoo.com/robgreenleaf
http://www.flickr.com/photos/habitforming/sets/
Hi Nils,
Am thinking of booking a room in Daiya Ryokan for my trip in July, would you know if they have futon beds in the rooms? There is no mention at all so I was afraid of having to sleep on the floor as I am not bringing any sleeping bags along.
Thanks for your help I appreciate you.
Best regards,
Daniel
Hi Nils,
My name is Veronica Woodard and I will be moving to Japan in July. I am going as a part of the JET (Japanese English and Teaching Program). I just graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles and your family firend Sue Pramov gave me your contact information. I am going to be moving to the Gunma-Ken prefecture around Maebashi. I was wondering if you had any advice for me, do you know the area? If not do you know a good website for me to look up to get information on that area? As an American moving to Japan is there naything that I need to know? I ma full of questions please email me and maybe you can help me out. I will warn you that I have a lot of questions, but would be forever indebted to you if you helped me.
Thank you so much,
Veronica Woodard
Hi Nils,
Just discovered that I celebrate my Birthday on the same day as Gregory!
Unfortunately, I discovered this website too late to say “Happy Birthday” to him this year, hopefully, I get the chance next year.
Gregory is sooooo cute, looking forward to more of his pics in time.
to mr nils i have seen your work and it is lovely I am 15 and doing a geisha kimono in textiles class and I would be honoured if some one who sees them everyday would it be possible for you to send me some information on them as I live in the uk and i am very limited on contacts directly in Kyoto and it would be such a help if you could thankyou ever so much
Louisa Burn aged 15 North wales UK
Well, Louisa, I can’t tell you how to make a kimono, and a geisha’s kimono is much more complicated, with at least two full brocade kimonos, various undergarments, collars… I assume you are going to make something that looks somewhat like a geisha kimono. You can look here at the Nishijin website for information in Nishijin weaving. Nishijin is the famous textile district of kyoto. And here are some dolls in kimono. Good luck.
could you please give me the adress and telephone number of that dentist dr. okamoto???
She’s not an English speaker, but she’s a good dentist. The phone number is 712-3880, and her office is in Sakyo-ku, near Eizan Mototanaka Station. Address: Tanaka higashi hinoguchi-cho 38 In Japanese: 左京区田ä¸æ�±æ¨‹ã�®å�£ç”º38. Open weekdays 9-12 and 2:30-6:30
Hi
Love the site
Could you perhaps make some desktop background photos.. without the writing in the bottom left.
I miss Kyoto a lot, having lived there 6 years, and haven’t found any good background photos for my desktop.
Cheers!
Hello there,
I’m from Toronto and will be in Kyoto for only 1 day end of July with a friend of mine. Wondering if you could suggest a couple of key sites/experiences we should see/do and maybe even suggest some great authentic food.
Thanks so much. Excited to go.
Nils,
I found your site and I love it. I’m planning on coming to Japan for 4 or 5 months and I’ve been looking for places to stay in Kyoto. I’ve lived in Japan before for several years and I speak decent Japanese. I hesitate to say fluent since the more you know the more you know how little you know…
I have a family (wife + 2 small kids) and I was thinking of a “monthly mansion” since we don’t want to buy a lot of furniture for such a short stay. What do you think of that?
Also, since I’ve never lived in Kyoto before (I lived in Atsugi-shi, not the Atsugi airbase), what area of kyoto do you think would be the most family friendly?
Lastly, I speak Tokyo-ben and I’m a little worried about communicating. I went to Niigata once and although I could talk to people in “standard” Japanese once they got going with each other it was like I had landed on mars! I don’t know the genesis of your language acquisition but have you had any problems?
Thanks a lot for any help!
Dean
P.S. I’m from Santa Barbara, North of the O.C…
Here’s a monthly mansion that’s cheaper than Leopalace, but these things are small.
Thanks, I checked it out and it’s real small. I also found a list of companies at Yahoo. I think we can find something that’s nice like a 2LDK or a 3LDK.
I was wondering if you (or any readers of this blog) think that it’s better to live in the city core or more toward the outer edges? Sorry about my ignorance but I’ve never lived in Kyoto, only visited.
Hi Nils!
I am plannig a trip to Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto) and I was reading that Japanese people use more cash than credit cards to make purchases. Is this true? I will appreciate your opinion because I need to know how much cash I need VS credit on my credit card.
I don’t want to run out of cash and not being able to use credit card in some places.
Thanks a lot and thanks for sharing your life in that beautiful country.
Use of credit cards is common. There are stickers in the windows, as anywhere else. If you are not sure, you can ask, “credit card OK?”
Just a short note to tell you I like your site a lot. Nice to read about Kyoto for a change. I live in Nagaokakyo myself and just adore the region, so I’ll keep on visiting Alive in Kyoto. Keep up the good work and stay safe! O yeah: I filled in the URL-blank, but don’t bother checking, unless you’re Dutch is good, haha.
Hello! I’d first like to say that your website has given me a view of the side of Japan that I’ve wanted to become familiar with for a very long time. Kyoto is seems to be wonderful! But I have a question from a sophmore high school class.
Recently we have been learning about Japan and it’s traditions, and we’re currently learning about how the Japanese arts began to develope, and the geisha came up. Many seem to think that they are no longer in existence in Japan, but I think that they are. I know it’d be a vastly declined number, but I was wondering if I could get a rough number of geisha at least in Kyoto? Thanks!
I visited your website a few months ago when I was looking for information on Kyoto, and now I’m in Kyoto studying architecture at Seika University.
I think I saw you this morning with your son as I was riding my bike along the river, your face looked so familiar and then I remembered finding your website. And looking at your picture again I’m pretting sure it is you.
Your website is a great resource, I’m realy glad I found it. Kyoto is a great city.
Caleb, There are, I think, a few hundred geiko and maiko in the five hanamachi in Kyoto, so it’s not dying out yet. There are debuts of new maiko now and then, so fresh faces appear, not that I know many of them.
Nils, On Oct. 18 2005 I posted a comment on your jan 2003 post about the Sesshu Exhibit. I had read the previous note posted on Sept 18, 2005 posted by Cheryl Crain regarding her Sesshu Long Scroll .
I am trying to contact her. Her phone in Hilo is unlisted. I know when she posted on your site, she submitted her email as did I. Big Favor: could you email her and send her my email address? Cheryl and I went to college together in the late 60′s and I’d just like to reconnect.
Thanks. Mary Severine, San Diego, California
Hi wpould like to know the Japanese word for a NZ shellfish GEO DUCK – or (gooey duck)
Thanks – Interesting seafood – name list
hajimemashite. watashi wa sanjana to moushimasu. indojin desu. 2003nen jyuunigatsu kara nihongo o benkyou shite imasu. ima nihongo nouryoku shiken no 2kyuu o benkyou shite imasu. nihonjin to kaiwa shitain desu. kyoumi ga attara renraku shite kudasai.
Nils,
Beautiful site.
My question is not exactly about Kyoto, but a bit more in the south.
Im looking for the exact place (in google earth) of Kizuminami Water Tower.
See http://www.yannarthusbertrand.com/yann2/Sortie_HTML/img/large/TVDC/EXPO_TVDC_177.jpg
Thanks for your help !
Philippe / Geneva
Hi Nils,
I love your blog, you do a great job of making me all natsukashii for Kyoto, thanks for sharing with the world.
If you’re down by Takashimaya on Shijo and Kawaramachi anytime soon, please swing by ‘A’ or Chikkyu-ya for me and have a beer there, I have no idea when I’ll be back there, and the Yebisu tastes especially good in those two places. If you don’t know where they are, I can send you the gps info…
:D
-Will
Hello Nils,
This is my first experience with a blog so forgive the questions if they seem silly.
What is the wish list for? Are these items that are unavailable in your area? I am coming to Kyoto in October 2006 and if there is something form Canada or the U.S you need perhaps I can bring it for you. Where can I read about how and why you came to Japan?
Hey Nils,
been a fan of your site for a couple of years as it kept alive my own memories of Kyoto but when is it heading back to become ” Alive in Kyoto ” rather than ” Greg in Kyoto ” !!!
He’s a lovely kid, and I cant waiting until he gets a blog of his own, but where has the old town gone to? Fatherhood must be consuming you and blocking our view through your eyes!
Thanks.
Hi Nils,
I was just wondering if you knew of any estate agents in Kyoto who are good to go to when renting old Japanese houses?
Thanks
Try the machiya club link in the right column, and Tsurukawa-san at 075-722-1117
Seeing your photos brings back many memories of life in Japan — riding my bike beneath the towering, flowering cherry trees along the river in Fukui-shi. And the cicadas, and Noh in the ruins of a castle, and a waterfall of lightning bugs… so many pleasant experiences.
Thank you for sharing your work and your family’s experiences.
Best to you,
A fan in San Francisco…
Hi Nils,
I’ve enjoyed your site for some time. I live in Texas now, but I was born in Kyoto and like to look at your photos as events and the seasons pass.
Do you know of a Kyoto telephone directory that is online? I am trying to locate some folks.
Regards,
John
Nice site. I really enjoy your pictures and thoughts. I will be in Kyoto this summer. I am bringing my girlfriend with me. It will be her 1st time in Japan. I have been to Kyoto several times as I grew up in Yokohama and Hayama. My pops was in the US Navy. I live in San Jose California now.
Keep up the good work.
P.S. Cute kid. Reminds me of me. I too am half/half.
Hiya, i’m sorry i won’t be getting to Kyoto this trip…hopefully i’ll be back there tho, one day (i got a great airfare deal, so there should be more)
adorable kid! : >
Nils,
Glad to see you’re still alive (In Kyoto).
Mr. Okawa is retiring from CSUF Fencing next Monday (May 15) and we’re having a retirement banquet in his honor. Contact me. We’re trying to update the alumni database. Michael Hinojos will be taking over as coach next season.
If you’d like to contribute any photos, etc. send them to me via e-mail. B-T-W, one of the plans is to generate funds to start a Heizaburo Okawa Scholarship. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Nils,
I just came to your website and I love it. I enjoy all your photos. I just came to Tokyo three months ago. So this website is very informative to me, since I still don’t know anything about Japan. Even the language :p
I’ll check this website regularly :)
Leave your response!
Kyoto Event Calendar
Links