With a population of 1.5 million, Kyoto now forms part of the massive Kobe-Osaka-Kyoto metropolitan area, but even today the Chinese characters of Kyoto mean 'capital of capitals'.

Japan has a knack for creating moments of calm even in the busiest cities. At Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera temple we encountered many young women, dressed in their finest kimonos, protecting their fair skins from the sun with parasols, and delighting others with their poise and immaculate dress and makeup. More of this, shortly.

But let's back up a little. Our ship, Celebrity Millennium, was berthed in Kobe, so to reach Kyoto we took a bullet train, an exciting experience in itself. Even with the rail system, the Japanese attention to detail (and we discovered that includes meticulous time-keeping) is evident. Other nations please take notice: the average annual delay on these trains is 18 seconds!

Catching trains in other countries is always is a little unsettling, and when you cannot read the signs or speak the language, it has its moments! However, the ever-courteous and helpful locals are usually happy to assist, and most ticket offices has someone who can speak English and will most likely take you to the ticket machine and hit the buttons for you.

But sure enough, not even 18 seconds late, this huge silver whale of a train slid in as expected. Trains arrive every few minutes and gobble up the 80 kilometres to Kyoto in just under half an hour. Twenty-seven minutes, to be exact, in true Japanese-style.

The Shinkansen, meaning 'new trunk line', was developed for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. It is a network of high-speed railway lines made for what many call, Bullet Trains, which reach maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph). Inside there is comfort and cleanliness and little feeling of travelling so fast, until you look out at suburbs whizzing past. NO graffiti, of course! Constant communication (notice, in English too) on the display above the door.

For many commuters these trains are an extension of their office. Phones are muted and laptops brought out of briefcases in what is, for many, the beginning of their regular day's work.

The Kiyomizu-dera temple, founded in 778AD, is regarded as a Historic Monument and is UNESCO World Heritage listed. On the sunny day we visited, many visitors, wandering the pathways and taking selfies seemed more interested in the gardens and the cool spring air, and the chance to be out and about with their families. And why not!

Many of the present buildings were constructed in 1633 and it is hard to believe that not a single nail was used in the construction of the temple. Traditional techniques continue in the maintainance of the buildings.

Many young women visiting the temple and its grounds use the visit as an opportunity to display their best traditional costumes, but a designer handbag and the ubiquitous mobile phone, of course, are today's accessories of choice.

Interestingly, the name 'kimono' simply translates as 'a thing to wear'. Fashion and culture, though, dictate that they are made from rich fabrics, sometimes lavishly embroidered, and inevitably eyecatching, although very modest.

The prominent position of the temple makes it also a good place to get your bearings and see the rest of the city of Kyoto spread out below. Although tourism is a large market for the city, electronics is the major industry.

Kyoto has around  2000 religious places, 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture intact – it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan, which explains its heritage listing. During the 8th century the Emperor chose to relocate the capital but in the mid-15th century the city suffered extensive destruction and did not really recover until a century later.

A poignant corner of the temple grounds, off the path from the entrance, resembles a cemetery with head-stones, and in a way it is. These are the Ojizo-sama statues considered the guardians of children. Usually the statues are for children who died before their parents, and the bibs are placed on them to protect the children in their afterlife.

Cleanse your soul with pure water of Kiyomizu is the admonition for visitors. Beneath the main hall is the Otowa waterfall, streaming for thousands of years. Where three channels of water fall into a pond, visitors can catch and drink the water and make a wish. The water is believed to have lucky powers. However, it is said that if someone drinks from all three of the streams, they show themselves as greedy and will have their wish denied.

These well-dressed young women are watching the action. Notice the 'bundle' on the back of the traditional dress. This is called the obi, a belt used to tuck excess cloth out of sight.

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Kiyomizu-dera is one of the most famous temples in Japan. This main hall of the magnificent wooden temple has a large veranda, created to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims. It is supported by tall pillars, and juts out over the hillside, offering impressive views of the city. 

Inevitably a culture grew up connected with the steepness of the location. The popular Japanese expression 'to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu' is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression 'to take the plunge'. In the early Edo period there was a tradition that, if a person could survive the 13-metre jump from the stage, their wish would be granted.

A startling 234 jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, it is said that 85.4 percent of the hardy jumpers survived.  Understandably, jumping is now prohibited. These days it is the ideal place to take photographs of the valley - as well as yourselves.

Influenced by China, hand-held fans in Japan date back to burial tomb paintings showing drawings of fans in the 6th century. The folding fan was invented in Japan sometime between the 6th to 9th centuries. Although used to accessorise ceremonial and formal outfits, now they are attractive, useful and often very cheap souvenirs. Easy to pack too!

Finally we left the temple and its grounds to explore another side of Kyoto......

Japanese people love snacks as well as sweet things, so a cream puff with a thick and gooey filling had queues lining up along the steep cobbled street below the temple.

Inside the simple cafe, these ladies had finished their morning tea and were doing what anyone else would do when dressed up and having fun.

Sweet.....

.... and simple. Restraint - especially with art – seems to be a national trait.

We could smell these freshly-baked rice crackers for metres before we got to them. And if you didn't think that crackers could have a 'menu', then read the sign.

Lunchtime, and our guide led us to this lovely place, easily recognised by its sign.

In addition to a starter of vegetables and seaweed, this bowl of udon noodles, served with sauces we added to give it the flavour we each wanted, was just enough for a hot day of sightseeing. Udon are the thickest of the noodles served in Japanese cuisine. White and wheat-based, they are about half a centimetre wide. They are served chilled, with a dipping sauce in the summer months, or in hot dishes and soups when the temperature is cooler.

Everyone has heard of geishas, but not everyone understands who they are, and more importantly what are their duties in that role. Much misinformation has spread after the book Memoirs of a Geisha was published in 1997. Our guide was at pains to put us straight as we walked through the Gion district of Kyoto, heart of the area where geishas (or geiki) are trained, and the ancient teahouses where they work.

It is traditional for men to come and drink and be entertained by geishas at the many teahouses in this district. This practice has led to confusion. The women, all unmarried (they must resign if they marry) can be any age. Our guide told us the oldest one she has met was 93. Once a man has been accepted into a 'teahouse' he cannot move on to another one. The code of practice is discretion and what happens in the teahouse stays in the teahouse.

However, while the women entertain the men, it is NOT sexual, she underlined to us. Geishas (geiku) may attend three or four parties a night. These women have undertaken years of training, as a maiko (a student geisha), and even once qualified, they still attend school daily, refining the arts of singing, dancing, food service, flower arranging and other hospitable skills.

Of course, anything can lead to tourism and these people are off for a carriage tour of the district, with an intentionially attractive male  'driver'.

Nearby we spotted these two immaculately dressed maiko, out for a stroll, complete with the traditional heavy makeup they must wear.

Kimono are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zōri or geta) and split-toe socks alled tabi.

 

If traditional arts and crafts are your passion, then you should not miss a visit to Fureaikan, Kyoto's Museum of Traditional Crafts. Seventeen different crafts have been designated as particular to this area, and each has a place in the lofty building. As soon as we entered, we found ceramic painting (above) meticulous and dainty.

Fine handcrafts developed in Kyoto because, as the capital, many wealthy and privileged people lived there, and became patrons of the finest artisans. Buddhist temple officials also sought lavish accoutrements for their temples and sought out the most skilled artists.

In handcraft households, work was carried out on a division of labour system, where each person added their own specialty skill in the process. In Japan, odd numbers are 'lucky' so this teaset would almost certainly have three or five cups.

Sake brewing, made using fermented rice, is Kyoto's traditional industry. Two major sake brewers are headquartered in Kyoto.

The crafts cover many skill-sets - textiles, ceramics, dolls, lacquerware and carving. In addition there are always some special pieces on exhibition, demonstrations (maybe a maiko dance performance), the library and, of course, a gift shop.

Near the gift shop, this woman is completing some very intricate embroidery, but she is not alone. In the background there is chatter and laughter, as this is the local ladies' regular sewing group!

Coffee is popular in Japan too, although it may not come the way you expect it to. This was at a cafe in the railway station.

Too soon, it was time to catch the Shinkansen train for our super-swift return to Kobe. If we had taken longer (on a trip to Tokyo, let's say - 2 hours 20 minutes from Kobe) we may have had a chance to buy snacks from the cabin attendant who reportedly has dozens of delicacies  in her trolley from which to choose.

Oh well, next time!

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Pictures and text: ©Sally Hammond

Video: © Gordon Hammond

(This visit was made so much better and easier thanks to our guide, Mie Tamada from WaRaiDo Guide Networks, and initial help and information from Alison Roberts-Brown of Tourism Garden).