Letters from the Land of the Rising Sun
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