Like heaven and hell, or the elements of earth and rock, Zen and the city of Kyoto are joined at the hip.
Having made it his real and spiritual home for many years, John Einarsen, the founding editor of the magazine Kyoto Journal, is just the person to explain the relationship between Zen and Kyoto.
The visitor alighting at Kyoto Station would be hard pressed to sense any connection with Zen. But then, single temples and vast, parade ground-like Zen complexes have long co-existed with the clutter of urban Japan. And should you enter the temples themselves -- silent worlds of murmured sutras, incense, and stockinged feet gliding over ancient polished wood -- you will appreciate that of all Japan's cities, Kyoto is where you are most likely to catch the aroma of Zen.