I came from Siberia(Novosibirsk) to make my research about Japanese (Zen Buddhist) art,invited here by Japan Foundation.
It is not a first time in my life when I stayed in Yurakuso. 10 years ago, when I visited Kyoto for 8 months, my friends found for me Mr.Yamamoto$B!G(Bs guest house. I was really greatly impressed by beauty of location of this place; Kamogawa(river Kamo) is right here, in 2 minutes of walk, full of beauty and life: different kinds of birds lived here, give an impression of real zoo. If you cross the bridge, you$B!G(Bll find soon one of the most ancient,big(important)and,probably, beautiful shinto shrine in Japan(Kyoto)-Kamigamo Shrine(This is World heritage). I just fall in love to this place so much that 10 years later ,coming to Japan again, I choose the same guest house for staying.

 I cannot also stop myself of mention kindness of the owner of Yurakuso-Yoshiaki Yamamoto,who always is ready to help in difficult moments of life (you never know what will happen with you in the next moment).

Lisa  / Russia  (Hanazono University)

 

 Japanese Design is very simple and functional. These are some of the most important points in design.
 Design process:
 Research, brain storming, finding inspiration, image search, idea sketches, separating, combining, mind mapping, 2D and 3D rendering(hand and computer), building mock-ups, shaping, styling, choosing shape, color and materials, modelling, rendering and in the end realising the product and the final presentation. And always in between: a lot more brain storming. 

 In the Kyoto design office where I spent 4 months, the office members where so good to me. They spoiled me and helped me so much. Amazing I can just say. Domo arigato gozaimasu. And of course we sang KARAOKE together, one of my deepest passions.

 In Japan, too many good things happened to me at once. 2 good 2 B true. The contrast between tradition and modern life is one of the most fascinating scenes in Japan, which we can find every day.

  Japanese people are so strong. They keep going on even when it$B!G(Bs so hard. Without complaining, and always together. Never selfish. Always satisfied. This and so many other things I can learn from them.

 Here in Japan I learned to keep control. Very important. We need to ask ourselves before we blame others.

 And I learned about waste. (It$B!G(Bs everywhere.) Zenbu ha mottainai desu. Totemo mottainai. There is too much of everything. This is getting dangerous. We need to learn saving energy, power, water, money, electricity, and so on$B!D(Bpaper$B!D(Bwood$B!D!D!D!D!D(B..

The earth$B!G(Bs resources are not everlasting. We need to be aware of that. I know it$B!G(Bs hard. But we can try. We should not only consume, we should also give.  OKINI.

    Sibylle

My stay at Yurakuso has been a good experience.  The people I have met here are very good hearted people.  Yamamoto san is a very good landlord and a good man.  I came to Japan to finish my last quarter of college and during my stay I study shakuhachi, sketch and do a number of writings.  I study shakuhachi under Kurahashi sensei a master shakuhachi player of the Kinko ryu school of shakuhachi playing.  I have learned a number of sankyoku pieces as well as koten honkyoku pieces.  The song played in the photo is Kyorei the oldest shakuhachi honkyoku piece.  It is very simple and uses different fingering techniques than modern pieces.  This makes it a diffucult song to play because no ornamentation is to be used and the meri-notes are created with a different method.  I began my shakuhachi studies about 1 year ago.  Previous to that I had bought a simple shakuhachi and had it sitting around the house.  One day I decided to learn to play it.  With this I also wanted to learn to create the flutes themselves.  From then on I have made shakuhachi and began to study with several teachers.  One of the first things that brought me to study the shakuhachi in particular was the spiritual aspect of the history and playing.  From early on the shakuhachi has been used as a meditation tool as well as a musical instrument.  For the fuke-shu as group of wandering musician monks the shakuhachi was more than an insturment, it was also a means to enlightenment.  I enjoy history and culture so this was an extra binding factor to my enjoyment of the sound of the shakuhachi.  The honkyoku pieces tell a story more than just create a song.     Chris

"My first impression of Kyoto is its natural beauty and its cleanliness--Everything here is so clean and pristine !. For example,The streets,the automobiles -and especially the taxies. It was a cultural shock for me to see just how methodical everything in Kyoto is.

What really impressed me was the positive nature of the local people No matter what job they were doing e.g. taxi driver,supermarket assistant,Mcdonalds' assisitant,traffic control officers--They all demonstrated a wonderful joyous philosophy towards their role in life. -It was truly a refreshing experience to meet such people.       $B!!(BStaying at Yurakuso was also a wonderful experience. I especially liked the traditional Japanese decor of the rooms. However ,the most impressive aspect of Yurakuso is its proximity to the astoundingly beautiful Kamo river where you can walk along the river embankment and enjoy the natural sounds of birdsong.. The contrast of the multiple color variations is a real treat if you are artistically oriented. I was lucky to visit Yurakuso in the autumn when the color gradations were especially luminous and radiant. Walking along the Kamo river$B!G(Bs embankment was really an aesthetic experience which gave me a sense of peace and calmness. I was invited to come to Kyoto by Sangyo University to present an academic paper on the role of symbols in the divided society of Northern Ireland. After my stay at Yurakuso and Kyoto, I would suggest that Kyoto is a positive symbol that shines brightly in a world of conflict. $B!!(BOne final footnote to my Kyoto adventure$B!](Binterestingly, my visit to Kyoto occurred a few days before the visit of president George W. Bush. I was astounded to discover two policemen knocking on my door and asking many questions about my nationality and my reason for visiting Kyoto. After showing them my passport and informing them that I was in Kyoto to present a paper at Sangyo University, they were convinced that I was not a potential assassin!!!$B!=(BAn Irishman with a gun?$B!=(BImpossible! Despite, this attempt by the FBI to disturb my serenity, I look for wand to returning to Kyoto with my Taiwanese princess$B!D(B.."$B!!(B Martin                       Martin Forker ,Nov /Belfast,U.K.

Ciao a tutti, sono Jacopo, un ragazzo italiano di 25 anni, sono stato a Kyoto per 3 settimane ed ho alloggiato qui allo Yurakuso, il signor Yamamotosan e una persona gentilissima e sempre disposta ad aiutarvi per ogni evenienza, Kyoto e una citta stupefacente, dai girdini alle ville imperiali, ai templi che si trovano per tutta la citta,

e caratterizzata da un ritmo di vita molto piu rilassato che in altre grandi citta giapponesi (tokyo per prima), oltre ai mezzi pubblici come sempre efficenti e capillari la possibilita di usare in tutta sicurezza la bicicletta per la citta e unaltro grosso vantaggio per poter scoprire affondo ogni angolo di questa antica citta. Da qui si possono fare anche molte escursioni di un giorno, per altre localita interessanti come Nara, Himeji Osaka e tante altre. Consiglio a tutti di visitare Kyoto, e se cercate un posto accogliente, economico e ben posizionato Yurakuso fa per voi. Scrivetemi pure se avete domande.

I came to Kyoto to learn Japanese language and become independent. I still learn this language but it's beatiful language.First time in Kyoto I have been in 2001 but only 5 days.The nature and spirit of this city make that I came back again to this place.Difference between my city(Warszawa) and Kyoto is very big. For example in Poland when you are walking in the city you can feel eyes who watching you.

In the bus,subway,on the street everybody watching you.For example what clothes you have,what kind of hair you have. But in Japan nobody watching you. Even if they doing this you don't feel that another man or woman watching you. In Japan,Kyoto, a lot of people have funny clothes and hair but nobody care about this.But in Warszawa if someone wear some funny clothes you can feel strange in the street.                Darek B.    dec/pl

Claire  ,   July $B!!(B2005  /fr	I am on internship for 3 monthes in Kyoto National Mueseum for art conservation studies. Yurakuso guesthouse was the best place for me . It is the cheapest place I found in Kyoto. located in very calm peaceful neighborhood by the Kamogawa river .This is the best place to have the picnic. I hope you will enjoy as much as I did and spend there your evenings.

I am from Taiwan.It's a nice choice for low budget travellers. Located in the northern Kyoto,3minutes walk to the most famous river ,Kamo River,10 minutes to one of the world heritage Kamigamo Jinjya Shrine.I was very lucky to witness a wedding ceremony right in the Kamigamo Shrine.And at another one,Kitano Tenmangu Shrine ,30minutes by cycling.I attended a summer ceremony with friends from Yurakuso.We had a great time at the flea market outside the shrine.

Sharon          June $B!!(B2005  /tw

Dopo Anni di studi sul Giappone,sono riuscito per la prima volta a visitare questo stupendo paese.In particolare Kyoto,dove ho trascorso 2 mesi e mezzo tra ricerche per la mia tesi di laurea e visite ai numerosi santuari shintoisti e templi buddhisti che fanno di questa citta' una delle piu belle del mondo.Qui tutto e'armonioso e la natura rende ancor piu'bella e piacevole la vita tanto da non voler piu' ritornare in Italia. Consiglio a tutti di visitare il Giappone, perche' paesi come questo al mondo non ce ne sono.E non dimenticate Kyoto,perche' Kyoto e' il Giappone.

FINESSO SAVERIO   Marzo_Maggio$B!!(B2005  /it

I'm from Gdansk, Poland. I was living here in Yurakuso for one month. I saw here two different cities Kyoto and Osaka. These two cities have everything that you may want. Many parks,temples,shrines,rivers,mountains,forests,and a lot of shopping centers. You can have good time here and feel free among very nice and polite japanese people and beautiful culture. I'm liking very much that so many people of every ages are driving here on the bikes . I'm sure that you can see many differences between your country and Japan. Mr.Yamamoto is very helpful and can share information.

Alchim  ,   May 2005 /pl

I 'm from Nepal ,studying in Germany and I came here to visit my japanese friend and her family.  During my stay in Kyoto,I've seen Japanese cultures besides that I've enjoyed japanese foods too. If someone want to taste real japanese foods,they should better visit japanese family.There you can enjoy j-foods better than restaurant as well as you can see and feel j-living style and politeness and friendness of japanese poeple

Kulbir Shakya  march2005/np

Fuer mich das wichtigste nach einem Jahr Aufenthalt in Japan ist das ich wirkliche Freunde machen konnte. Ich habe durch mein Auslandsstudium an der Doshisha Universitaet nicht nur die japanische Sprache, Kultur sondern auch viele andere wertvolle Dinge lernen koennen. Nun werde ich fuer ein halbes Jahr auf der Expo in Aichi arbeiten. Ich freue mich auf Nagoya und neue Leute kennenzulernen. Kyoto und den Aufenthalt hier werde ich sicher aber nicht vergessen. Auch Dank Herrn Yamamoto.        Denni  Dec_Feb /de

Ondrej & Kristina       2004-2005 /cz

We spent here the New Year$B!G(Bs Eve so we had unusual opportunity to see the local customs of celebration. We visited the Chion-in Temple where is possible to find the biggest bronze bell in Kyoto. The New Year$B!G(Bs beginning celebration is absolutely different from custom in Europe so we were very happy that we were able to have that experience...We slept only several hours every day, walked many tens kilometers and we were absolutely tired at the end. Nevertheless, we really enjoyed our stay in Kyoto

I have been living in Japan for 10 months, teaching English, sightseeing and learning Japanese. I have lived in Yurakuso for 3 months and it`s been fun. Yurakuso is in the perfect spot- right near kamogawa river, kyoto botanical gardens and loads of great restaurants and coffee shops.  Will  Feb_May 2004      /au

$B!!(B

We're not a high-class hotel
but
We're genuine and good value