Kyoto on a Budget

Everyone visiting Japan wants to see Kyoto, the nation's cultural capital. This ancient city contains such a wealth of wonderful sights that you really should take your time to explore it thoroughly. For people on a budget this can be a problem. So here we offer some tips on how to have an enjoyable time in Kyoto that's affordable too.

Wood that won't Burn

The Japanese traditionally built in wood, a beautiful material well suited to the local climate. It's tough, too - many wooden structures from 1,000 years ago are still standing. Japan changed to concrete and steel because of wood's fire hazard, but now a revolutionary fireproofing treatment is bringing wooden architecture back into fashion.

Wrap it up, Japanese Style

The furoshiki is an old and uniquely Japanese gracefully wrapping items of almost any shape, allowing them to be easily carried. During a recorded history of 1300 years, scores of furoshiki techniques have been developed for using a simple square of elegant material to wrap everything from a pair of sake bottles to a watermelon.

Fooling the Eye

There's a new art trend coming out of Japan. Called Trick Art, it takes the techniques of trompe l' oeil painting to new extremes, totally confusing the viewer as to what's not. In the popular new museums that showcase this style, visitors are encouraged to touch and enjoy the exhibits, and even to become part of the art themselves.