Small talk about Kyoto

Several days ago, I was talking about Kyoto with my friend. Unfortunately, Tokyonians are affected by TV too much and don't know actual Kyoto. Basically Tokyonians only see Kyoto through TV programs and commercial and if they visit there they only see what they saw through TV programs and commercial. For me Kyoto was a part of my living and I know both good part and bad part. But for Tokyonians, Kyoto is a theme park. It is no wonder, I think. He believe people in Kyoto are elegance and he didn't believe what I explained. All I could do is fake smile. Unfortunately I should not write what I said on internet.



Many Tokyonians can't distinguish Kyoto and Kyoto prefecture. When they hear the word "Kyoto prefecture", they tend to regard it means Kyoto. It is sure Kyoto prefecture is Kyoto because Kyoto prefecture includes the word "Kyoto". But there is a big difference between Kyoto and Kyoto prefecture.



京都(Kyoto) means capital capital because 京 means capital. 都 also means capital. Kyoto prefecture includes Yamashiro province, Tanba province, Tango province. Basically Kyoto means Heian-kyo and its the perimeter, it is smaller than Yamashiro province. Tanba is not Kyoto. Tango is not Kyoto. Tango and Tanba are culturally distinct from Kyoto.



As far as I read classic literature, even Arashiyama area and Ohara area in Kyoto city were not regarded as 京の都(Kyou-no-miyako). "の" means "of". Now people in Kamigata region (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe) regard Kyoto city area as Kyoto.



I took the photo at Houkokuji in Kamakura.