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.

The tone and timbre of Buddhist bells depends on their shape, thickness and metal composition. When the ancient capital was established in the late 8th century, temple bells were positioned in auspicious directions in relation to the imperial palace so their peal could protect the city. Some people are working to create a new "sound of Kyoto" based on these bells. The small bells used in Buddhist rites have transcended boundaries and are being used in everyday life for their calming properties.

American photographer Everett Kennedy Brown, a resident of Kyoto, traveled more than 50 countries during his career as a photojournalist before settling in Japan over 30 years ago. He expresses Kyoto as he sees it using wet plate collodion photography. Up-and-coming artist Yamada Shinya merges the worlds of Nihonga painting and anime characters in his works to international acclaim. They discuss the source of Kyoto culture through their respective arts.