Kyoto City of Zen

This travel pictorial and Japan travel guide captures the sites and soul of Kyoto—Japan's historical and spiritual center.

An elaborate kaleidoscope of craft, artistry and religion, Kyoto is one of the world's most popular travel destinations. Art and design form the weft and warp of this vibrant 1,200-year-old city, home to hundreds of gardens, palaces, villas and magnificent wooden temples, including seventeen UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Like a Zen koan, Kyoto defies easy description. Its citizens may work at Nintendo designing video games, at a company designing precision medical instruments, or sitting cross-legged meticulously affixing micro-thin flakes of gold foil onto a painting. All of them share a living heritage grounded in centuries of traditional culture.

In Kyoto: City of Zen, local Kyoto expert Judith Clancy presents the most important gardens, temples, shrines and palaces of this ancient capital city and enduring cultural center. In addition to unveiling the city's spiritual and historical riches, this travel book shares with readers the exquisite foods, artistic crafts, religious ceremonies and architectural traditions that have flourished in Kyoto for over a millennium. Tea ceremonies, calligraphy, weaving, pottery, painting, drama, and many more traditional arts and crafts are presented through more than 350 photographs by Ben Simmons, whose images capture the true essence of Kyoto. The city's natural setting also comes into focus as you walk along leafy mountain paths and through spectacular parks and gardens viewing the best foliage each season has to offer.

Aceasta pictura de calatorie si ghidul de calatorie din Japonia surprinde site-urile si sufletul orasului Kyoto - centrul istoric si spiritual al Japoniei. Un caleidoscop elaborat de mestesuguri, arte si religie, Kyoto este una dintre cele mai populare destinatii de calatorie din lume. Arta si designul formeaza batatura si urzeala acestui oras vibrant vechi de 1.200 de ani, gazduind sute de gradini, palate, vile si temple magnifice din lemn, inclusiv saptesprezece situri ale Patrimoniului Mondial UNESCO. La fel ca un Zen Koan, Kyoto sfideaza descrierea usoara.