Kyoto, 29 Walks in Japan's Ancient Capital - (Tuttle Specials) by John H Martin & Phyllis G Martin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The only Japan travel guide you'll need for getting around Kyoto! Everything you need is in this one convenient package--including extensive area maps!

Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and modern-day center of tourism and traditional culture, is one of the world's most beautiful and historic cities. Founded nearly 1,300 years ago and undamaged by the war, Kyoto today is the home of over 1,600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, countless national treasures and 17 World Heritage sites, including the famed Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and Kiyomizu Temple.

To experience the essence of Kyoto, you must walk its avenues and streets, its alleys and byways. Only in this way can you appreciate the true spirit of the place--its quiet lanes and bustling main thoroughfares, and the juxtaposition of traditional and modern houses and shops, serene gardens and holy temples and shrines.

This Kyoto travel guide presents 29 easy-to-follow walking tours through Kyoto's history, its many unique districts and scenic areas full of charm and character. You'll discover not only the most renowned sites, such as the Silver Pavilion, the rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple and the garden of the Heian Shrine, but also little-known areas off the beaten track.

Much more than a guidebook, this volume tells the historical and cultural story of Kyoto's great monuments. The colorful tales, fascinating facts, larger-than-life characters and grand events that shaped the city and Japan at large will enthrall every reader. This updated and greatly expanded guide features over 100 color photos, full-color maps that trace each route and detailed diagrams of many individual sites.

Review Quotes

"More than 100 color photos and 40 full-color guide maps and diagrams of individual sites make this an indispensable guide. Each walk comes with a huge amount of detail and background information. The beauty of the photos makes this almost coffee-table book like in its quality. Yet, it is small enough to carry around." --Japan Visitor blog

"The book that out-temples all the rest; the essence of Kyoto" --Kansai Time Out

"This exhaustively researched book will be an invaluable field guide for any visitor seeking the essentials of its multi-layered heritage." -- Kyoto Journal

"What distinguishes this title from many others purporting to be the last word on the subject is its highly detailed content, reflecting a rare cultural depth and appreciation of subject." --Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times

About the Author

John H. Martin was a professor of Chinese and Japanese Civilization at the University of Richmond and taught courses in Japanese history, religion and culture at several colleges in New York State. Dr. Martin and his wife, Phyllis G. Martin, have been directors of museums in New York and have traveled extensively in Japan and elsewhere.