Shinto shrines have sacred shimenawa ropes, bells with cords attached, mirrors, various fittings, and ceremonial ornamentation that have adorned these places of worship since time immemorial. Made from wood, metal, silk threads, hemp, and other materials, this ornamentation became more elaborate and brilliant in the hands of artisans who gathered in the ancient capital, Heian-kyo, when it was established some 1,200 years ago. These crafts, which live on today, link worshippers with the deities.

The Kyoto basin is blessed with fertile soil and an abundant supply of good water. Kyoto winters are frigid; and summers, scorching. This environment yields eggplants, pumpkin, and other produce known as 'Kyoto vegetables', many of which have been grown for more than 150 years. One local farmer works to promote new varieties, while students try to revive an almost extinct variety of gourd. Discover the allure of nutritional, flavorsome Kyoto vegetables in the hands of various chefs.

Ogres, specters, demons, ghosts and hell. The ancient capital's many myths of the spirit world seem fantastic today. Kyoto's citizens lived in fear and awe of the other world and appealed to the deities for help. They honored milestones and kept the annual events in thanks to the deities for their protection. Consequences of the city's prosperity, the legends have origins in the deep in the recesses of the human mind, and the epidemics and wars that occurred throughout Kyoto's history.