You'd stop to look too.

I promised a friend that I'd post pictures of the sakura by the river once it bloomed. It's a little late but here they are.

I've learned enough about Heian Jingu to expect crowds there in sakura season. The maiko performance in the shrine courtyard was a surprise though.

I knew the light wouldn't be good - it was too late and cloudy - but I went down to Kiyamachi-dori anyway.

A friend from overseas is spending a week here.

Eikando, a temple in the eastern hills of Kyoto. The sun was out, the sky was blue and the trees so bright they did not seem real.

At the Nishijin Textile Center in Kyoto, kimono fashion shows are held a number of times a day, almost every day of the year. The photos below were taken at one show.

There wasn't time to go see this year's irises and the season is pretty much over.

But I caught a few stragglers. And at Heian Jingu, there's always something to enjoy no matter what time of the year.

Rakushisha (落柿舎) is one of those attractions where people hover at the threshold, wondering if the place will be worth the entrance fee.

The road in to Shimogamo Jinja runs through a forest. It runs long and straight: long enough so you do not approach lightly and straight enough for you to gather arrow intent as you move to the shrine.

Kyoto's November is lovely but Kyoto has been around for centuries and news of that loveliness has got out.

Kyoto's November is crowds and coach buses.