Kyoto, Curated

Perhaps no other Japanese city is quite so synonymous with age-old refinement and high culture. The Kyoto of today still safeguards artisanal traditions handed down through the centuries, though modern-day residents freely interweave the old with the new. Their eye for craftsmanship is evident in the local textiles and homewares—sometimes reimagined for the 21st century—and the delicate raked-sand gardens of the city’s UNESCO-inscribed temples. If you know where to look, Kyoto has its share of avant-garde cocktail bars and restaurants where chefs prepare multicourse kaiseki meals with global touches. Exciting things are also happening on the hospitality front: architects and interior designers have transformed heritage buildings into sleek hotels that look to the future yet honor the past. Come with us as we explore the hidden charms of Japan’s former imperial capital.