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Over the centuries the finest craftsmen in Japan were drawn to Kyoto's Imperial Court as the city's workshops spawned an array of exquisite crafts. Gold-dusted lacquerware , shimmering brocades and folding paper fans were all favourites of the royal household. In the sixteenth century the popularity of the formal tea ceremony, with its appreciation of rustic understatement, created a fashion for rough-cast pottery and simple bamboo utensils . The nouveau-riche merchants, on the other hand, favoured a more flamboyant style, epitomized by the gorgeous silks and ornate hair ornaments worn in the pleasure quarters. Even everyday items, such as boxwood combs , brooms and buckets, show a certain pizazz in Kyoto. To learn more about local crafts, take a look round the Fureaikan museum , or join a demonstration class and have a go yourself. Without too much effort you can still find shops in Kyoto producing crafts in the traditional way, using skills passed down the generations. These offer superb, if often pricey, souvenirs of the city. And there's no shortage of conventional shops, department stores and even one or two flea markets where you can pick up less august mementos. |
Kyoto's main shopping district is focused around the junction of Shijo-dori and Kawaramachi-dori , and spreads north of Shijo along the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades.
In addition to Yuzen dyeing , you can try several other crafts at various venues around the city. The Kyoto Handicraft Centre offers demonstration classes for beginners in woodblock printing, cloisonné (enamel-work) and doll-making (¥1500 for 1hr; book at the ground-floor information desk 1-4pm).
Kyoto has long been famous for its high-quality weaving . The centre of the city's textile industry is the Nishijin district, located northwest of the Imperial Palace. Even today you'll still hear the clatter of looms in dozens of family-run workshops as you walk through the area.