Yoshie Doi

Photo taken on September 28, 2024 Upstream of Togetsukyo

Bridge Downstream of Togetsukyo Bridge

　　I went to Arashiyama for the first time in a while. It was Saturday, so there were a lot of foreign tourists, and the Togetsukyo Bridge was full of people taking photos. The rickshaw driver who was guiding them  spoke fluent English.

　Are there few rickshaws like this overseas? In this quaint location, the speed of the rickshaw matches the speed of Kyoto. It also relaxes your mind. For those who usually travel by train or car, traveling on foot or in a rickshaw may make time flow more slowly and calm your mind.

　Perhaps the flow of time for the rower is the same as for the rickshaw driver. Watching the boats moving on the river is relaxing. It is said that we can appreciate the beauty of Kyoto by walking through it. I once had a group of visitors from overseas walk the same course.

　He usually visits places by car. I remember him telling me that even when he visits the same place, his impressions change. He is a famous architect overseas, and he was amazed by the construction of a soy sauce factory in Kyoto during the Edo period, which did not use a single nail.

　What is taken for granted by Kyoto people is not necessarily so. By interacting with people from various regions, We have come to realize that many things that we take for granted are surprising in other countries and regions.

　When people from overseas see the scenery of Arashiyama, do they feel as if they are in a dream, like a postcard?

The end of document
Translated by Masami Otani

Tweet

Pocket