Traditional washi paper flourished in the temples, shrines and palaces of the ancient capital. Enduring today, this versatile paper is used to decorate interiors, such as sliding doors and hanging scrolls. Kurotani has been the papermaking center of Kyoto washi for 800 years. Katazome-washi is dyed with traditional yuzen-dyeing patterns. Useless washi and centuries-old books are used in recycle-themed artworks. The efforts of Kyoto's artisans and artists nurture Kyoto's washi culture.

Ikebana is the traditional art of flower arranging. Developed in Kyoto it merges Asian naturalism with the floral offerings to Buddhist altars. The Ikenobo headmaster upholds the school's 550-year-old tradition. A potter imagines vases as extensions of the flowers they hold. A practitioner creates progressive arrangements steeped in tradition. Plants are not mere ornaments. Practitioners impose their lives on that of the flowers. Ikebana's quintessence is in the representation of life as beauty.