Brief Encounters | A weekend break in Kyoto, Japan – manga, markets and delectable seasonal morsels
- In 1945, Kyoto was saved from the atomic bomb by an American official who had been seduced by its charms
- Discover why he, and countless since, fell in love with the city, its customs and its cuisine
Manga – literally “whimsical or impromptu pictures” – are as Japanese as sushi and sumo, verging more towards literature than mere comics, and an integral part of life in the archipelago for many. So, although the tourist bods in Kyoto might point towards the city’s plethora of temples, shrines, palaces and gardens, the International Manga Anime Fair (September 21 to 22, US$11 to get in) is just as much a window into Japan’s cultural capital. As Aramata Hiroshi, executive director of the Kyoto International Manga Museum (300,000 exhibits; closed Wednesdays), puts it so neatly on the museum’s website: “For over 60 years I have been reading manga, a medium which was at one time misunderstood as harmful [ …] But we have now left those days behind us, as manga has begun to be valued as one of the coolest cultural media, and I warmly rejoice in this.”
New to the genre? Try Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, loosely based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West.
Kyoto was pinpointed as a potential target for the atomic bomb in 1945 but was shifted to the reserve list after United States secretary for war Henry Stimson, who had apparently honeymooned there in 1893 and visited several times subsequently, cried foul.
Where to stay
Very much in a class of its own, Yoshida-Sanso was built for a member of the imperial family in the 1930s. Beautifully kept and with arresting views of the mountains, its three pristine rooms – named Nanten, Fuku and Kotobuki – are decked out in traditional style with futons and tatami floors. Naturally, aristo-heritage-design doesn’t come cheap at just under US$300 a night, though that does include breakfast.
Elsewhere, there are boutiques and ryokans galore, many with baths built for wallowing and/or outdoor hot tubs.
What to buy
Could there be a greater gulf between a) dinky patterned smartphone cases, and b) professional kitchen knives whose manufacturing heritage stretches back to 1560? Both are on sale in Kyoto, the former seemingly everywhere, the latter at Aritsugu – one-time imperial blacksmith – in Nishiki Market. Superb steel and craftsmanship – both native to Japan – add up to thinner, harder, sharper knives; few professional chefs would disagree. And nobody balks at prices of around US$150.
