Hot green tea poured over steamed rice topped with salted kombu kelp and other flavorings is commonly known as ochazuke, but called bubuzuke in Kyoto. Records from the 1800's show that common folk cooked rice once a day, at lunchtime, and for other meals they would pour hot tea over cold rice. Today topped with a colorful variety of pickles, or eel or sea bream, bubuzuke has become a local specialty in its own right. Discover the Kyoto spirit of frugality through a simple meal of rice and tea.

Maiko are the charming symbol of Kyoto's kagai entertainment districts. Their hairstyle and hair ornaments are key elements of their kawaii appeal. The ornaments are changed every month to reflect the flowers of the season, while the hairstyle differs according to what stage a maiko is in her career. The artisans making the items worn by maiko support the girls as though they were their own daughters. Discover the warmth of the people contributing to kagai culture through maiko hair ornaments.

Red and black demons beating drums and gongs dance through the streets of Kyoto's north in the Yasurai Matsuri, one of the city's three most curious festivals. In days of old, pestilence ran rampant every year when the cherry blossoms fell. Locals believed the 2 were linked, so with lively dances they lured deities of plagues under a bright umbrella to return them to the shrine for the year. Discover local beliefs through the lens of a festival that continues in this age of advanced medicine.