Amy reporting from Kyoto

I'm taking a month off from organising the PikaPackage Project , which will resume in July, for a recharging month in Kyoto, Japan.  I love Kyoto -- although I've been to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, my heart is set on Kyoto -- it's a place where modern shopping conveniences are just a hop and skip away from the suburbs (surrounded by mountain fresh air!).

There are so many shops that I'm in love with, but I'm going to let the readers at Boesom have a quick look at the wonderful shop fronts at Kyoto which I have discovered along my walking tours in the district -- which I'm hoping to compile into a small book soon!
The Sanjo and Shijo district is particularly my favourite, with a rooftop shopping experience designated along a few streets. There's modern delights -- coffee shops and clothing stores, as well as quaint Japanese style shops offering tabi (traditional men's shoes) and kimono fabrics sitting comfortably next to each other.

I picked up a mook (magazine + book) that focused on Art + Culture and have decidedly made it my guide for the trip, and although I don't understand a word they say, it is a fantastic walking/biking guide to lovely small shops around Kyoto. 
I live up North Kyoto, and the town is about 5 kilometres away southwest, and I can usually reach there in about 30 – 40 minutes from where I stay with my best friend.



9: The Angers shop sells a lot of Scandinavian goods such as Marimekko, as well as vintage inspired homewares.


10 & 11: The Linnet shop, where I met the lovely owner, Mayumi and her assistant, Kayo!

{originally posted in June 2008}