Kyoto mixes bright lights of casinos with traditional Shinto shrines

Side view of the Golden Pavilion, whose upper two floors are covered in gold leaf and is topped by a gold Phoenix. The building was rebuilt after a fire in the 1950s.

Side view of the Golden Pavilion

Letters from the Land of the Rising Sun

Autumn gardens

Dear Rich,

If Tokyo is the city of the future, Kyoto is a city of the past. The former capital has mastered the juxtaposition of the bright lights of a Pachinko casino with a traditional Shinto shrine, or the suit-and-tie businessmen with the kimono-wearing geisha.

I visited the Golden Pavilion in my first few hours here, a beautiful building covered in gold leaf and one of Kyoto’s most famous sites. Our visit was cut short by rain but it was a blessing in disguise, since it also kept away many tourists during our visit. The gardens are beautiful and the trees were a riot of color for autumn, bringing out amateur and professional photographers alike.

Sincerely,
Tanaka-san

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