One of Kyoto’s most famous sights is Kinkaku-ji, more commonly known to foreigners as the Golden Pavilion. Originally built as a retirement villa for Yoshimitsu, the third Ashikaga shogun (1358-1408). After his death, the pavilion was converted into a Zen temple. In 1950 a young monk/university student set fire to the temple and burned it [...]

In March 2007 I was in Japan to manage a tour and had a free day before the arrival of the group. As I was wandering through the old streets of Kyoto between the Gion district and the Kiyomizu Temple, I came across this maiko (apprentice geisha) entertaining a group of men. I snapped this [...]