Kyoto

Download or read book Kyoto written by John Dougill and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2006 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kyoto, the ancient former capital of Japan, breathes history and mystery. Its temples, gardens and palaces are testimony to many centuries of aristocratic and religious grandeur. Under the veneer of modernity, the city remains filled with countless reminders of a proud past. John Dougillexplores this most venerable of Japanese cities, revealing the spirit of place and the individuals that have shaped its often dramatic history. Courtiers and courtesans, poets and priests, samurai and geisha people the pages of his account. Covering twelve centuries in all, the book not onlyprovides a historical overview but also brings to life the cultural magnificence of the city of "Purple Hills and Crystal Streams."