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.

Japanese-style paintings are the embodiment of Kyoto aesthetics. Their delicate scenes are created using unique mineral pigments. Flower artist Rieko Morita emphasizes life in her work. She infuses it with the vitality she feels within the flowers. Modern artists, like her, are grounded in a history that stretches back 1,000 years to the dynastic paintings of the Heian Period. All kinds of schools with distinctive styles were born throughout the long history. The Kano School of painting was favored by samurai. The Rimpa School was characterized by decorativeness. The Maruyama School stressed realism. Various traditions give Kyoto paintings diversity and allure.