Harmony and Grace

There is a deep-seated charm in the quiet gardens, austere temples, and sacred rituals all within a land imbued with elegance and etiquette: Kyoto, Japan’s center of culture and history. The narrow streets are too often crowded with tourists but there are quiet places in this modern city that reflect its one-thousand-year history as Japan’s imperial capital. The Japanese aesthetic of yūgen—meaning a subtle beauty that is both mysterious and profound—best describes what I experienced walking through Kyoto’s historical and cultural places.