Camera crews are common sights in Kyoto's historic streets and peaceful rural areas. The first film screening in Japan was held here in 1897, and Kyoto became the cradle of the Japanese movie industry, giving birth to masterpieces. Studios attracted expert craftsmen who created the sword fighting scenes, wigs and props needed to give samurai dramas authenticity. Discover a facet of the ancient capital at Uzumasa, the heart of the local film industry, where culture and history take center stage.

Fusuma are uniquely Japanese fittings, dating back a millennium, that act as partitions, sliding doors and walls. Painting them can transform a room's ambience. Fusuma paintings have evolved in keeping with the times, space, and patrons and artists' tastes. In the 1500's, magnificent paintings became signs of the wealth and power of the samurai class. In temples, ink paintings conveyed Buddhist teachings. Discover how fusuma paintings have raised furniture to the level of art.

Boys dressed as maidens walk the streets at night wearing lanterns adorned with intricate, cut-paper designs on their heads. Girls perform a votive dance. This intriguing festival held in Yase, located at the foot of Mt. Hiei in Kyoto's northeast, dates back some 300 years when a Senior Councilor in the shogunate sided with the people of Yase in a land dispute, which occurred nearby. Discover the residents' enduring gratitude as they prepare to fete the Councilor, now revered as a deity.