How to Walk Through Kyoto: 50 Perspectives from a Historical Novelist by Toko Sawada

A Late Reader's Path, Issue 101

Kyoto is a city that draws many tourists from all over the world. Toko Sawada, a historical novelist, guides us through the Kyoto where she was born and raised. However, this is not a travel guide or a typical guidebook. It is more of a guide to Kyoto as seen from the inside by someone who lives there.
Kyoto is a tourist city, but it is also a government-designated city where approximately 4.15 million people live. Having been the capital for 1,000 years, it possesses many cultural assets today and retains traces of its long history everywhere. Sawada, who was born and raised in Kyoto and still lives there, sees various "discrepancies" between what tourists seek in Kyoto and the reality of the city. Things that many tourists feel are "typically Kyoto," such as matcha sweets, maiko, or Kinkaku-ji, are somewhat "removed" from the daily lives of Kyoto citizens. She also mentions that she has often felt "unpleasant" about views such as "Kyoto people are spiteful" or "you can't see their true intentions."
It is fine to view Kyoto as a "giant theme park" and feel a certain sense of "historical" or "cultural" atmosphere. However, Sawada states that if you learn "why Kyoto is the Kyoto it is today," the scenery you see will be completely different, and she has compiled 50 essays to that end. She does not just lightly skim the surface of history and culture; she provides a variety of topics. A Kyoto drawn from perspectives that tourists often overlook emerges.

As you begin reading this book, you will realize how active Sawada is. She simply loves to walk. She also uses her bicycle frequently. Especially during seasons when there are many tourists, you cannot even get on a bus. The bus from Kyoto Station to Ginkaku-ji is packed, and it takes time. She suggests that since you can get there in about an hour and a half on foot, it is recommended to take your time and look around the city along the way. A bicycle is also convenient for going to work or school. She mentions that for a certain memorial service, she went to the venue by bicycle because she thought it would be difficult to arrange a car with so many people gathering.

When Sawada was in school, she often walked through shrine grounds and encountered various festivals. For example, Yoshida Shrine, known for its grand Setsubun Festival, was on her route to school, and she was happy when the stalls would line up during that season. It is a ritual where "Hoso-shi" chases away three demons rampaging in the shrine grounds. Documents from the Heian period even contain illustrations of the "Hoso-shi." It has a strange appearance with four eyes, fangs, and a giant single horn on its head. However, there is no bean-throwing. Bean-throwing generally began in the Muromachi period. Yoshida Shrine was founded in the first year of the Jogan era (859).

Also, period dramas are often filmed there, and she says she saw location shoots many times at Myoshin-ji. Myoshin-ji, the head temple of the Rinzai sect, has about 50 sub-temples built on a vast land of about 100,000 tsubo. It is well known for places like Taizo-in, which owns a national treasure that is a masterpiece of ink wash painting, and Rinsho-in, founded by Kasuga no Tsubone. In period dramas, the sub-temples were used as samurai residences, and the stone-paved alleys were used as Edo-period townscapes.

Regarding "food," she also writes about several things that might surprise the average tourist. The image of Kyoto as having light flavors and being synonymous with Japanese cuisine is well-established. However, the consumption of bread and beef per household is among the highest in the country, and there are many types of ramen with rich flavors.
She points out that so-called "Kyoto cuisine" was born in recent years. After World War II, with the background that Japan's traditions were considered to remain in Kyoto and the number of travelers increased rapidly, it seems that items representing tradition were widely sought after for those people. Perhaps because the image of Kyoto as an ancient capital has become universal, "Kyoto-like" meals have come to be taken for granted. It seems that the food of the old Kyoto was not very popular with people from the Kanto region.

She also introduces the history of Yatsuhashi, which is famous as a souvenir. The raw Yatsuhashi "Yuko" from Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo is named after Yuko, the protagonist of Tsutomu Mizukami's novel "Gobancho Yugiriro." Yuko, wearing a traditional Japanese hairstyle, is depicted on the surface of the "Yuko" box, and a doll of her stands at the entrance of the store.
Incidentally, raw Yatsuhashi was developed in the 1960s. Before that, there were only "hard-baked board-shaped" products. They were "lightweight" and "durable and delicious." They were seen as perfect for souvenirs. There is a record that a Shingon monk delivered 50,000 Yatsuhashi to a unit participating in the capture of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War. They were considered convenient snacks that could withstand transport.
Speaking of souvenirs, "Misuya needles" were also famous. Although they are forgotten now, needles were popular as one of the representative souvenirs of Kyoto. They also appear in the works of Chikamatsu Monzaemon.

Other various information about Kyoto is introduced along with deep historical knowledge. Indeed, the Kyoto experienced by those who live there has a different expression from the city enjoyed by travelers.

(Note)
How to Walk Through Kyoto: 50 Perspectives from a Historical Novelist
Toko Sawada
Published March 25, 2025
Publisher: Shinchosha