Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II

“Kyoto is famous for its masterpieces of Japanese architecture, including many listed as National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties and World Heritage… Yet when visitors ask me what to see, I often recommend just walking or cycling aimlessly through Kyoto’s backstreet neighbourhoods… …it is here that the modest magic of the ordinary reveals itself.”

More than two years have passed since the founder of Kyoto Journal and long-time Kyoto resident John Einarsen started the hit photo series on Instagram which became the basis for the 2017 book: Small Buildings of Kyoto.

Small Buildings of Kyoto II is a testament to the enduring charm of Kyoto’s everyday architecture. While these buildings may not exude beauty in the way that the polished façade of a Gion geisha house or interiors of the sumptuously-decorated Nijo Castle do, their quaint and quirky characteristics tell a story no less fascinating: the way Kyotoites live today.