emd, thanks for sharing the info on Jakkoin. I plan to go to Ohara after lunch, at around 12.30pm. If I can catch a bus by 1pm and reach Ohara by 2pm, do you think I will have enough time there (I read that the temples close at 4.30pm in winter)? Hopefully the pottery shops don't close so early, so I can check them out after 4.30pm!

How long do you think it would take for a leisurely walk from Westin Miyako to Sannezaka slope in Higashiyama if we do not stop by any temples (but will be taking pictures and perhaps browse some shops)? The reason I ask is because I need to figure out what time to reserve for lunch at Okutan which is located along the Sannezaka slope.

Thanks again in advance! Have a good weekend!

Manisha, thanks for sharing about the Kitano Tenmangu shrine. It's where I plan to go to see the plum blossoms :)

Here's the website with some lovely pictures:

http://www.kitanotenmangu.or.jp/ume/info.html

You may like to go during Feb-Mar to see them next time.

Oh goodness, I am not that good at planning the specific timing of your particular day.

Perhaps it is best to see what time you actually head out to Ohara, as it might be later than you anticipate, etc. I can tell you that we left Westin Miyako at about 11:30 a.m. and got on the bus to OHara at about noon (I was having issues w/bizarre unexplained foot swelling that kept us from getting going any earlier). So we got off the bus at Ohara at about 12:30 pm and I stayed til the last bus back to Sanjo Keihan in Kyoto, leaving Ohara at 5:45.

If you only went onto the path across from the bus station to the temples and canal and canal shops in Ohara, you could do that in a few hours at a leisurely pace. That in itself would give you a break from the tourist experience in Kyoto and a feel for a slower area (although I hesitate to call it rural, as we are not talking about half acre lots, etc., and I do not know what rural means to you or anyone else). But the neighborhood behind the bus station where the nice, slow, neighborhood is, well, that was priceless for me. But perhaps you could skip it and never know the difference.

I doubt that the pottery shops will be open as late as you will be there, though. They were closed by the time I got into that area close to Jakkoin at around 4 to 4:30 p.m. on a Friday. But you know what, I couldn't have cared less, as I enjoyed the architecture of the neighborhood so much and the people tending their gardens, that I didn't really care about the shops in the least at that point. And I am a pottery buff as you are.

As for the time it might take to walk a leisurely walk from Westin Miyako to Sannezaka slope, well, I had never heard the term Sannezaka until you used it. Now I see that it is:

"Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka Area
Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, leading from Yasaka Shrine to Kiyomizu Temple in three, separate, sloped stages, is a designated national historical preservation area. Interesting souvenir shops which sell Kiyomizu pottery, Nishijin weavings and others handmade articles line each street (no cars) and lend a bustling, exotic atmosphere. These streets are also highly recommended for late evening and early morning strolls, when the visitor can easily imagine that time had stopped a hundred years ago."

So I have been there a few times but never knew it was called "Sannezaka." To get to the said shops lining Higashiyama's narrow pedestrian streets which start, in my experience, above Maruyama park going toward Kiyomizudera, it would take only 15-20 minutes to get to the start of those shops from Westin Miyako if you did not stop anywhere in between.

But, why would you want to hurry, because in that case you would miss out on Shoren-in and Chion-in and whatever you might find interesting in between.

At the risk of sounding overly poetic, in my experience the real treaures and pleasures in Kyoto only unfold when you give them time to do so, and do not run about trying to fit things into a busy schedule.

At some point, just let go and have your own experience in Kyoto and the surrounding areas. Those are the best times, IMO.

One musing: Why in the world does that website above say that the shops in Saanezaka and Ninnezaka are a good place to stroll in late evening? Because I will tell you that the shops in all the Higashiyama streets closed at 6 p.m. on our visit in early April 2006. During our March 2005 visit, which coincided with the big Hana Tuoro festival, the shops were open later, til about 8 pm, but that was only because of the festival and crowds in town for that festival.

On a regular Feb. evening, Higashiyama shops will fold faster than you can blink at 6 p.m. the latest.

oh, and tkic2, I ordered Durston's book today, so thank you for that recommendation.

Actually, my teen son saw that I had your post up on the computer and he asked me why, and when I expressed an interest in the book, he ordered it for me from Amamzon. On my account, of course. But it was thoughtful of him anyway, and perhaps it is his way of telling me it is time to plan another trip.

tkic2, I have been searching for my own info re how to get to Kayabuki no sato. Not much in the way of access info. What have you found?

I did find this, regarding how to get to Miyama, the area that contains the thatched roof houses and the museum, and it is more specific than anything else I can find. But it sounds like a long trip from Kyoto, like 3 hrs. one way:

Miyama Folk Museum
This is 200-year-old thatch-roofed house has been turned into a museum devoted to equipment, bamboo products and daily life tools. A visit to the attic will teach you a lot about how the roof has been thatched. Open: 9:00-17:00 (Apr.-Nov.); 10:00-16:00 (Dec.-Mar.); closed on Mon. (unless a national holiday). Information: 0771-77-0587.

Miyama Nature and Culture Village
This new outdoor village offers the visitor all kinds of hiking, camping, fishing and craft experiences. You can take a course on pottery or how to make washi paper. Accommodation options include a night in a thatch-roofed house or the Kajika-so villa, which has a nice spa. Overnight rates are per person and include dinner and breakfast. Information: 0771-77-0014 or http://www.m-kajika.jp (information in Japanese only).

Access
To get to the village of Kita and the museum, take the JR bus to Shuzan from Kyoto Station (90 min.). Then change to the local bus bound for Agake (40 min.), and then take the bus to Kita (15 min.). To get to the Miyama Nature and Culture Village take the same bus as for Kita, but get out at Chimi-guchi (17 min.)

emd, thanks for giving me an indication of walking time from Westin Miyako to Sannenzaka. I had planned for 3.5 hours (leaving Westin at 9am and making lunch reservation at 12.30pm) to explore the area in between, before our lunch at Okutan. Looks like I should be fine, time wise. Okutan is a 13 generation old restaurant specialising in tofu cuisine (yudofu) recommended by Durston, so I want to secure a table with a reservation.

Frommer's also recommended it:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kyoto/D38848.html

I've given up on going to see the thatched roof houses in Miyama town as it is too far away (yes, about 3 hrs one-way) and difficult to get to via public transport (buses are infrequent). The pictures look really nice, but I also read that there's nothing much to see/do other than to admire those unique houses.

http://www.kyotokimono.com/WhatsForS...02/Miyama.html

http://www.kyoto-kankou.or.jp/ssd_ky...h/2001_06.html

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/...buil/kayabuki/

Also found comments given by different participants about a trip to Miyama below:

Kyoto Countryside tour day
Comments of various participants:
· A long day, with not too much to see. Miyama was mildly interesting, but we spent too much time there. A day trip to Nara would be better.
· It was a nice day - but not as memorable as the others. The drive to the village was spectacular and the thatched houses were neat. But after that I would have liked to spend less time in the van and more walking around. Lunch wasn't that good and the walk up to the temple felt rushed because we didn't want to hold the group up.
· Far too long. Perhaps the workshop on vegetable dying would have been fun and still have given us a taste of the countryside. I did love Miyama.
· Even through this was a long drive in the country, it was well worth the ride. The "bus", limo was luxurious but not for someone who easily gets carsick. The views are wonderful but the roads are windy. Perhaps the trip could be in reverse or start earlier so that we could have spent more time at the second temple which had the incline, I would like to have walked it. Make sure folks buy plenty of that green tea candy in the wrapper that you eat! I think this is the only place that we found it.
· It is a nice option for those who want to spend the day on the road. If we hadn't gone on the trip, I would not have found the green tea candy but I would have rather stayed in the city and spend time shopping near Kyoto Tower and walking around town.

http://www.kyotokimono.com/WhatsForS.../feedback.html

emd, here's another site with access info to Miyamo-cho Kita :

http://www.kippo.or.jp/KansaiWindowH...sh/000443.html

Just found an excellent website with Japan travel info:

http://www.att-japan.net/tinyd0+index.htm

For anyone who might be interested, I emailed Clancy and she replied that she is busy doing private tours in Kyoto, but that she is going to be posting her 2007 cultural workshop schedule on her website.

I see that you asked about Nijo-jo, and thought I'd mention that it was one of my favorite places in Kyoto, in part because of its many truly beautiful Kano-school painted screens. As mrwunrfl noted, it is VERY different than Himeji-jo. Enjoy your trip!