Kameoka, west of Kyoto, has supplied lumber and foodstuffs to Kyoto for over 1,000 years. Today it aspires to be an Environmentally Advanced City through the efforts of the sightseeing boatmen tackling garbage issues. Recently young people have been relocating there, attracted by a lifestyle closer to nature. A greengrocer forges ties between city and rural areas. A potter revived the Yakishime ceramic style. Discover what the future holds for Kameoka where traditional and modern customs merge.

Nagakusa Sumie, born and raised in the textile area of Nishijin, was taught how to embroider kimono with elegant designs by her parents-in-law. Eri Tomoko learnt to embellish Buddhist statues with fine strips of gold foil from her late mother, Sayoko, a living national treasure during her lifetime. They discuss the role of women in handicrafts and how the exquisite skills used in Kyoto-style embroidery and Kirikane foil trim are in danger of being lost with the decrease in specialists.

Gates allow passage through walls, fences and hedges, which separate individual premises from the outside. Temple, castle and residential gates take various forms depending on their design, location and purpose. In some cases, they act as borders between the sacred and the secular to repel malevolent forces. Discover the diversity of gates in the ancient capital, from the elaborate and decorative to the simple.