Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Senbon Streetscape


To the west of the city's heart lies Senbon Dori. Like most of Kyoto's major streets it runs from one end of the city grid to the other - in this case North to South. It is the main vein of an area rarely visited by tourists - unless they happen to be passing through to one of the nearby temples or shrines such as Kitano Tenmangu or Kinkakuji. It's a little grungy in parts, daggy if you like. Old-school charm; traditional food shops, bric-a-brac, plastic slippers,  electricals, hand-woven silk scarves and delicate sweets - it's all here but in no sense of order to speak of. There's just something about this edge of town that feels homely - and with that comes both the feeling of welcome and the cold stares of "what the hell are you doing here in our hood". It's not so much of a question as a statement.  I'll take the good with the not so comfy. The area is like a country town within a city and from time to time I just like to wander around stirring up the dust. 

Fancy a walk?






















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