Kyoto cuisine evolved in the old capital to please aristocratic eyes and palates. The local soft underground water inspired a cuisine that draws out flavors using dashi stock. Seafood was geographically hard to get, so locals refined techniques and contrivances, and the use of seasonings and utensils, for making tasty dishes with the available produce. Artisans provide quality products to maintain this food culture. Discover how the chefs' attention to detail brings out the ultimate in flavors.

Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu lies in the southwest of Kyoto Prefecture. On September 15, this shrine holds the Iwashimizu-sai. This some 1,000-year-old festival is held in prayer for the peace of all living things. In the darkness at 2 a.m., the mystical ritual begins with three mikoshi portable shrines, on which the deities ride, departing down the mountain. The scene is a living manifestation of ancient picture scrolls. Discover the Kyotoites' respect for life through this festival's rituals.