Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
KYOTO CRAFTS
After becoming capital of Japan in 784, Kyoto attracted the leading craftspeople from all
over the country. They have traditionally come to the city to service the needs of Japan's
imperial court, which was based in Kyoto for over 1100 years. In addition to the imperial
court, Kyoto was home to the headquarters of Japan's main Buddhist sects, the
kizoku
or
noble class, the main tea schools, wealthy merchants and cultured samurai. The result was
a city of small workshops filled with busy artisans, all competing with each other to tempt
the demanding clientele of the city.
It's hardly surprising, then, that the Kyoto 'brand' symbolises elegance, refinement and
excellence. Items bearing the prefix
kyo,
as in
kyo-yūzen
(Kyoto Yūzen kimono fabric), are
revered in Japan as the apogee of sophistication.
One of the aesthetic principles of traditional Japanese art is known as
wabi-sabi
, which is usu-
ally translated as spare, rustic, simple beauty. Many scholars trace the origins of this aesthet-
ic to the tea ceremony, in which rough, irregular tea bowls were sometimes prized more
highly than perfectly finished pieces.
There are many ways for the visitor to experience Kyoto's rich craft heritage. To get a
full overview of the range of Kyoto crafts, we recommend a visit to the Fureai-kan Kyoto
of Kyoto's downtown area, in the region between Oike-dōri and Shijō-dōri (to the north
and south) and Kawaramachi-dōri and Karasuma-dōri (to the east and west). Here, you will
find dozens of shops selling traditional Kyoto crafts interspersed with some of Kyoto's
trendiest modern shops.
KYOTO'S BEST CRAFT SHOPS & MARKETS
»
Morita Washi
(
CLICK HERE
) The selection of
washi
(traditional Japanese paper) at this downtown shop boggles
the mind.
»
Kamiji Kakimoto
(
CLICK HERE
) Another great
washi
shop with things like washi computer printer paper.
