One of quaint neighbourhoods with clothes drying in the backyard, elderly Japanese women clomping around in their flat wooden sandals, old temples with stone gateways and small fruit and vegetable stores. At first glance it seems like a scene we’d see in neighbourhoods of Mexico city or old Bangalore. Over the next four days I realise any such resemblance is superficial at best.
From the way vegetables are stacked at the corner store, to how food is served or the way even strangers help us —the relentless attention to detail and unwavering courtesy of the Japanese unfurls itself in unexpected ways. This is particularly true for all the people we encounter in Kyoto, justly proud of their grand temples, imbued in a strong sense of history and none of the big city airs of Tokyo.
Zen state
Kyoto, about 500 kilometers south of Tokyo, was founded in the 8th century and remained the capital of Japan for more than a 1000 years. Unrest and civil war in the 16th century was the last troubles the city faced. It luckily escaped bombing in World War II.
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