Kitayama is five stops on the subway from downtown Kyoto, but it might as well be a million miles away for the tourists who trudge around the city in search of Kyoto tropes: temples, shrines, teahouses and geishas who are more than likely tourists dressed up for the day.
Sure, Kitayama (literally "north mountain") is not without its attractions, among them Kyoto Concert Hall, Kyoto Botanical Garden and the Garden of Fine Arts, the latter designed by Tadao Ando and featuring a life-size replica of "The Last Supper." But I went north not for supper but for dessert: rare cheesecake, Linzer torte, macaroons, pancakes, mascarpone, whipped cream, dacquoise, carrot cake. The list goes on. And on. It's a good thing I have a sweet tooth.
I spent two afternoons in Kitayama recently in search of cake shops, cafes and patisseries, and finding them was the easy part. Discovering why Kitayama has become a sweet center proved a little more elusive.