May 2021, this year, rainy season has started a month earlier than before, and you can feel already steamy feelings
in Kyoto during this month.
After the rain, there are lots of bright greens you can see in Kyoto.
Kyoto is Green city:
Kyoto, city surrounded by the mountain is geographically, we call it ” Hottest in Summer, Coldest in Winter”,
therfore, our traditional house made with wood, is made for mainly summer time.
The building is long shape in plan, and mostly built and lying on west-east directions. Width of the
facade is counted by Traditional unit called ” KEN間”, 1 KEN is around 1.8m.
So when you walk in Kyoto, you can see which house is 2Ken or 3Ken, old times Government changed the
tax according to the width of the facade.
Walking in the city, in Kyoto is most fun part of the living in here.
Not only seeing traditional house, you can see ” ROJI 路地”, narrow street and in the deep in the community
you sometimes find nice bar, or icecream shop or survenier.
After Corvid-19 and now we are already over ” new normal” time.
I see lots of Restaurant struggling to open and keep announcing “Bento (lunch box)” selling or take away by Uber eats. Among them, it is sad to see the resaurant is going away from the street, there are lots os memory in the restaurant.
Kyoto is fun to visit by Ride:
I used to welcome Bike tour person from US, and Eurpope. They come with group tour, and
Ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. Amazing food, landscape we have in Japan offers never ending surprises.
For the person who has no language skill of Japan, Japanese language is funny, like ” Konnichiwa”,
“Ookini=thank you in Kyoto” . We Japanese are considered as very polite in our attitude.
From the work of booking and coordination, I had contact to other hotels and ryokan both in Kyoto and other city,
but in Kyoto, some hotels said ” NO” for visiting hotel by bikes. This is becausue, 1. visiblly not ok to show colorful
group of riders in the hotel lobby, 2. Not welcomed to the neighbours, 3. it is visible from hotel room, so it is not
appreciated.
3. Eaves to be longer/ more community space!
I wonder, we as tourist city in Kyoto, we must open the possibility and universal design as much as possible.
Some hotels said, ‘ you are welcome with bike”.
So many hotels are built in Kyoto, but those are only for people by foot.
Kyoto is good size to ride by bike, not only tourist but also we mother ( with kids), we move
always by mamachari (bike).
Sad things is that if you park bike without knowing anywhere your bike will be taken by city.
Kyoto, I as citizen wish to have more space for bike and green. Like Denmark or Germany,
They commute by bikes, and pick up kids by bike with big seat in front of the bike.
If you live in Kyoto, get nice bike and ridte to north(Keihoku), south (Uji ) is always possible when
its nice weather.
Social distance is key word for Corona time but we also need to think Communituy distance,
we live in Kyoto, we want to welcome guests of many kids, with foot, bike, wheel chair etc.
Also we want to them to enjoy Kyoto, with safty.
While tourist travel in Kyoto, we want to show, there are lots of small park in our city
so you can bring kids to play.
4. Finding new way :realestate /at park
Other day, I went to park with my friend from Finland. They are my neighbour and we
share our time eating, playing, going to park. As a foreigner, it is not so easy to live in Kyoto
without language skill, so it is best to have someone speaking Japanese. (OK, they speak fluent
Japanese).
I visited with them to Rokujyo kouen, very small park in shimogyoku. and there are cafe
called ” sonouchi cafe”.
The master is living in Shiga and opened this cafe by renting house.
They are ” Kids friendly” . When kids of 2-5 years old coming into the shop says
” I am thirsty!!” then he gives apple juice or water, so in case
of very hot day in Kyoto, kids are saved.
Also for us, mother and father, watching at kids is sometimes very boring.
We always wish if there is any pavilion or small cafe there, would be very nice.
and we found one!
Under Corvid19, we use more often park close to our home, and we stay long there
and we develop how to use our small park.
We as Kyoto citizen, wishes that this kind of natural phenomenon comes
to our park , not only CONVINI or STARBUCKS!– they are nice, but they
are funciton building.
In sonouchi cafe, there are very nice atomosphare.
The person living close from this park, or person teaching at the baseball
or young lady came back from Germany, and me like mother,
we chat little bit and enjoy coffee and tea.
This nice distances, and maybe we meet again, is the nice part of Kyoto.
Its small city, and we all somehow met somewhere.
5. Kids knows whats nice.
small kids said
“SAUNA!” she is from Finland and she only knew from kids book
about Sauna. But when she went in to toilet of sonouchi cafe, toilet
nicely with wood, she said to me “SAUNA”.
I remember when I studied in Finland, there are building called ‘Pavilion’ or
‘Bird watching tower’ was on the subject of Architecture courses.
I wonder, we also in Japan, in Kyoto can use much more
wood to the park or pavilion for kids!
SONOUCHI CAFE
https://peraichi.com/landing_pages/view/sonouchicafesnc
https://www.facebook.com/cafeSNC/
The toilet is very clean (not like one always in the park!)
Sonouchi, means : in the meanwhile,
that is very nice name! We will find something nice in mean time,
or you will meet someone in meanwhile. The cafe gives such a feeling in
weekend. I wish you visit sometimes.
6. So find home in Kyoto?
You can also use Kyoto wood for home. Floor, Slide door, or furniture.
Wood with bearhoot is nice feelings. and sometimes Kids and I go to Kamo river
to jump on Kame ishi ( stone of the turtles) . I see lots of kids from other country also in
Umekoji park.
I wish as mother in Kyoto, more family and kids comes to live in our community
and create own business, or enjoy city here. Its hot and cold but has season.
And it is very close to inner city.
Hope one day Corvid-19 went away ,we will see again Gion festival in July
in New way. We can keep thinking how we can beyoned the hard time, with
traditions. Maybe its very easy, with the people’s ideas.
5.Kyoto
Kyoto, I am myself from Kyoto.
and I hated Kyoto when I was a teenager cause its always compared by Osaka
or Tokyo. Now at my age of 40’s, having my kids and often going to park
in Kyoto, I like this distance and small park in Kyoto.
Life is full of wonder, and I also think Kyoto has lots of potential to be
more kids friendly and family. I want you to join, to live in Kyoto
and be part of Kyoto citizen to create better environment for commynity,
which is not only kids also seniors and founders, and business person.
You are welcome to make new future life in Kyoto.
About the house? Buy or Rent or renovating to your style?
You can contact us through website or just say hi! from SNS.
info@nae-ark.com
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