A romantic stage setting and geisha makeovers
A romantic stage setting
Though he and his guides are well-versed in history, Ropke likes to avoid a litany of facts. “Kyoto is like a stage setting -- a romantic, amazing place. We think of that when we go to Paris. It makes us feel romantic and nostalgic and here it should be the same. An incredible trip back in time. I try to have the guides reduce the amount of raw information to little snapshots -- how old is it? What is it? -- and just let the client enjoy looking at it, seeing what they want to see.”
And with a culture so absorbed by natural beauty and harmony, there is plenty to see. There are over 2,000 temples and shrines and the gardens are innumerable. Plum blossoms are believed to ward off danger and trees are often planted in the northeast corner of a property, the so-called devil's gate. Nijo Castle, for example, has over 140 plum trees and their pink and white blossoms are stunning in March.
We enter a street of shops selling antiques and woodblock prints of the area and it's so quiet I have to ask Ropke why everything is closed. He smiles, “No, they're actually all open.” When we step inside we are the only customers and a polite shopkeeper emerges to answer our questions.
Though he and his guides are well-versed in history, Ropke likes to avoid a litany of facts. “Kyoto is like a stage setting -- a romantic, amazing place. We think of that when we go to Paris. It makes us feel romantic and nostalgic and here it should be the same. An incredible trip back in time. I try to have the guides reduce the amount of raw information to little snapshots -- how old is it? What is it? -- and just let the client enjoy looking at it, seeing what they want to see.”
And with a culture so absorbed by natural beauty and harmony, there is plenty to see. There are over 2,000 temples and shrines and the gardens are innumerable. Plum blossoms are believed to ward off danger and trees are often planted in the northeast corner of a property, the so-called devil's gate. Nijo Castle, for example, has over 140 plum trees and their pink and white blossoms are stunning in March.
We enter a street of shops selling antiques and woodblock prints of the area and it's so quiet I have to ask Ropke why everything is closed. He smiles, “No, they're actually all open.” When we step inside we are the only customers and a polite shopkeeper emerges to answer our questions.
Geisha makeovers
We cross a bridge over a shallow river and meet three geishas posing for tourists's cameras. “Those are actually tourists,” Ropke explains. Women can receive “Geisha makeovers” and then have a photo shoot and an hour's stroll through the street with their temporary new look. A couple blocks into the Gion District, famous for geishas, I see a real example on her way to work, and others enjoying a late lunch in a nearby restaurant.
As we duck down another back street Ian points out a small bowl of salt by someone's back door used to protect against evil spirits. Nearby we find a small, family-run restaurant for a simple but delicious meal of soba noodles.
The afternoon will take me to Nijo Castle and then Kinkakuji Temple with its stunning Golden Pavilion, but for now I get some more explanation of the ancient culture that still breathes through these modern streets. “Temples are about death. Shrines are about life,” Ropke tells me. Kyoto, then, is Japan's ultimate shrine.
Click here to see photos from this trip.
Your Japan Private Tours
www.kyoto-tokyo-private-tours.com
Prices for a full-day tour run $450 US for up to four people, plus expenses such as taxi/subway fare, meals, and entry fees which can be minimal for those interested in walking tours and finding a quaint hole-in-the-wall local restaurant for lunch.
Ian Ropke has lived in the Kansai region for nearly 12 years. He has held various editorial, consulting, and translation-related positions. He has also served as the editor of both the Osaka's Visitor's Guide and the Kyoto Visitor's Guide.
Click to see a Kyoto photo slideshow from this trip.
Page 2 of 2
Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey. Visit his website at www.themadtraveleronline.com.
Read about Kevin's march in a Carnival parade in Curacao or find out how he fares in Thai cooking school in Thailand.
We cross a bridge over a shallow river and meet three geishas posing for tourists's cameras. “Those are actually tourists,” Ropke explains. Women can receive “Geisha makeovers” and then have a photo shoot and an hour's stroll through the street with their temporary new look. A couple blocks into the Gion District, famous for geishas, I see a real example on her way to work, and others enjoying a late lunch in a nearby restaurant.
As we duck down another back street Ian points out a small bowl of salt by someone's back door used to protect against evil spirits. Nearby we find a small, family-run restaurant for a simple but delicious meal of soba noodles.
The afternoon will take me to Nijo Castle and then Kinkakuji Temple with its stunning Golden Pavilion, but for now I get some more explanation of the ancient culture that still breathes through these modern streets. “Temples are about death. Shrines are about life,” Ropke tells me. Kyoto, then, is Japan's ultimate shrine.
Click here to see photos from this trip.
Your Japan Private Tours
www.kyoto-tokyo-private-tours.com
Prices for a full-day tour run $450 US for up to four people, plus expenses such as taxi/subway fare, meals, and entry fees which can be minimal for those interested in walking tours and finding a quaint hole-in-the-wall local restaurant for lunch.
Ian Ropke has lived in the Kansai region for nearly 12 years. He has held various editorial, consulting, and translation-related positions. He has also served as the editor of both the Osaka's Visitor's Guide and the Kyoto Visitor's Guide.
Click to see a Kyoto photo slideshow from this trip.
Page 2 of 2
Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey. Visit his website at www.themadtraveleronline.com.
Read about Kevin's march in a Carnival parade in Curacao or find out how he fares in Thai cooking school in Thailand.
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