Book Review: Kyoto: Seven paths to the heart of the city

Kyoto: Seven paths to the heart of the city, by Diane Durston. Five out of five stars, for story inspiration, practical information, and sheer loveliness. The pictures of ceramics, silk threads, and Kyoto locals engaged in various traditional occupations alone are breathtaking. Combine that with the various maps and practical information, and you have a “walking guide to Kyoto” that reads like a worldbook for a fantastic setting.

As it should. Just looking at shots like the tunnel of a “thousand torii” that leads up the hill behind Fushimi Inari Taisha, I see places that have been depicted in at least a half-dozen anime set in the times of the Meiji Revolution and the Shinsengumi. If you’re in one of those fandoms and you want the background of what it looked like, this is an awesome source.

And for more than just setting photos. This book covers the history of the machinamai, the wooden rowhouses of Kyoto, and how the organization of those houses and businesses led to neighborhood cultures then and today. There are bits on architecture, historical preservation, traditional crafts, what’s still being practiced and what’s been impacted by modern life. The book covers seven districts; Sanneizaka, Gion Shinbashi, Sagono Toriimoto, Kamigamo Shaké-machi, Nishijin, Fushimi, and Uji.

(If you’re wondering, “Wait, Fushimi as in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi?” Yes. That Fushimi. And the book also directs you toward Teradaya, gouges of the swordfight still intact, where Sakamoto Ryoma escaped shogunate forces by darting out a window in the nude.

…Sometimes history is just ridiculously awesome.)

Each district comes with a walking map, suggested times of year and day to see specific points of interest and crafts in progress, an estimate of “time you’ll need to see the most interesting things”, and taxi driver instructions in Japanese. There are also separate sections on crafts, cuisine, the tea ceremony, festivals, and where to find up to date travel information and books in English while in Kyoto.

Of particular note, while you can find plenty of sushi and the like on offer, kaiseki meals and Kyoto cuisine (Kyo-ryori) in general are quite different. For protein, for example, there’s less fish, and instead an extensive use of yuba (skimmed from boiled soy milk) and fu (similar, from wheat). This is the kind of detail you want to know if you’re setting a story in a specific place and time.

Also, don’t miss the little pictures on the back cover. It’s one thing to read about kai-oi, the shell-matching game, and another to see a pair of painted shells from a set, so you can visualize the players turning them over to reveal painted scenes from poetry and literature.

All this and flowing writing, too. For example, “The combination of a castle full of thirsty samurai, navigable rivers, excellent rice, and pure water contributed to making Fushimi the saké capital of Japan.” Put that together with the pictures of artistic sake labels and the crafters at work, and even a teetotaler would be interested to go and see.

Put together, a treasure of a guidebook, and proof that history never has to mean boring.

Note, I have the second edition, circa 2003. Great for fanfic and story inspiration, but if you’re Kyoto-bound, check if there’s a more recent one.

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