A Walk Through Kyoto

Morning in Kyoto

There is something about Kyoto in the early morning. Before the tour groups arrive, the stone paths are quiet and the air carries a faint scent of cedar and moss. I set out just after dawn with a camera and no particular plan.

The Temple Garden

The first stop was a small temple garden I had read about but never visited. It did not disappoint:

A stone garden with carefully raked gravel and pruned trees

The garden was designed in the traditional karesansui style — dry landscape with rocks representing mountains and raked gravel standing in for water. The abstraction is powerful: you see a seascape in a courtyard.

A few things I noticed:

The moss between the stones was impossibly green for November
The raking patterns change weekly, reflecting the gardener’s mood
No two visitors seemed to look at the same garden

The Bamboo Path

Later, I walked through a bamboo grove on the outskirts of the city. The stalks swayed gently, clicking against each other in the breeze.

A tall bamboo grove with sunlight filtering through

The sound of bamboo in the wind is not music, but it teaches you what music is trying to be.

I stood there for a long time. Sometimes a photograph is just an excuse to stand still.

More from this series coming soon. For now, browse the posts archive.