Stimulating all five senses, kaiseki-ryori is a Kyoto culinary work of art. Eiichi Takahashi, 14th generation owner of Hyotei, stresses kaiseki's roots in cha-kaiseki meals served at tea ceremonies. Leading chefs and researchers explore new potential for kaiseki. Takuji Takahashi, 3rd generation owner of Kyo-ryori Kinobu, creates novel dishes using Western methods while preserving the form of Japanese cuisine. These inquisitive minds pursue the ultimate in culinary hospitality.

Kyoto has about 2,700 temples where an array of benevolent, meek, and ferocious Buddhist statues are worshipped. World Heritage temple Toji has a configuration of statues in an imposing, 3D mandala and a beautifully woven mandala, which captures the cosmos. The jizo statues standing on street corners have a special place in the lives and hearts of Kyotoites. Today, sculptors continue to breathe life into Buddhist statues, and skilled craftsmen create magnificent works using gold leaf in microns.

Various locations in Kyoto have been famous cherry-blossom-viewing spots for 1,200 years. As spring approaches, the locals' actions revolve around thoughts of hanami. The cherries keep family ties strong; 3 generations gather once a year for hanami festivities. A 3rd-generation cherry gardener who conserves cherry trees and a photographer who has snapped Kyoto's cherries for about 40 years talk about the enduring allure of these flowers, which feature in bento meals and embroidery designs. The blossoms uplift the hearts of Kyotoites who treat hanami as a special celebration.