Settling into our seats on the bullet train bound for Tokyo, a wave of melancholy hit us. Our holiday exploring the Tango peninsula had come to an end and we were reluctant to leave behind the warm hospitality and rich cultural experiences we had encountered there. Just as the shinkansen’s doors were about to close, a familiar figure came dashing down the platform, his face flushed. It was Shinji-san, our guide and friend, clutching my girlfriend’s blue sweater. Having waved us off he had noticed it in his car and legged it to the station to catch us just before our departure.
With a grateful smile and a hurried bow we thanked Shinji-san for his kindness as the doors closed and the sleek train glided off. I couldn’t help but reflect on the incredible journey that had brought us to this moment.
Our trip to Japan was long-awaited. I grew up watching anime and love Japanese food; I had been captivated by the country for years. My girlfriend and I spent a thrilling week exploring the neon-lit streets of Tokyo before leaving for the cultural heartland of the ancient capital of Kyoto and its namesake prefecture. A textile artist, my girlfriend was especially eager to delve into the rich history of Japanese craftsmanship.
While much of Tokyo is about the neon lights and cutting-edge technology, the city of Kyoto is better known for its temples and traditional culture. It’s undeniably charming, but it’s also teeming with visitors in rented kimonos striking poses for a snap at every shrine. They may believe that they’re embracing the culture — many are domestic tourists — but the Memoirs of a Geisha cosplay can feel jarring. Even on a dreary, rain-soaked March day the crowds were staggering, with a few too many bumbag-wearing sightseers (myself included) for my taste.
The Fushimi Inari Shrine has 10,000 red torii gates
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Even so, we couldn’t resist one of the city’s biggest draws, just beyond its centre. The Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, with its 10,000 red torii gates winding up the mountainside, offered a mesmerising cultural hike. The complex is open 24 hours a day, allowing visitors to wander the gate-lined tunnels at their leisure — and at length. The eerie yet adorable fox statues were a welcome distraction from my aching feet and the harsh realisation that I’m in deplorable shape.
Our quest for textile heritage led us back to the city centre, to the workshop at Roketsu Dyeing Studio Yamamoto. This traditional technique of roketsu dates from the 12th century and involves applying wax to cotton fabric with bamboo brushes before dyeing with natural indigo. The waxed areas resist the dye, leaving beautiful white patterns. On a piece of cloth I attempted the ancient Japanese dog motif Inu Hariko.
The old master who gives his name to the studio spent an hour or so patiently guiding us through the process while his mother filled the room with her laughter; I felt a little self-conscious about my sketches, but her adorable giggle put me at ease. And the dyeing process proved forgiving — the beauty of it is that it’s almost impossible to make an unattractive piece, even if your artistic skills are more abstract expressionism than photorealism (from £15 for a 90-minute session; roketsu.com).
The wistera-weaving workshop
MIN SETT HEIN
However, the true magic unfolded when we ventured northwest of Kyoto to the Tango peninsula, a part of the main Japanese island of Honshu that is often overlooked by first-time visitors, though it’s known as “Kyoto by the Sea”. Two hours on a train took us to Amanohashidate, where we were warmly greeted by our guides, Keiji Nagase and Shinji Inomoto, who bore a passing resemblance to Captain Haddock from The Adventures of Tintin.
Amanohashidate, or Heaven’s Bridge, is a sandbar across the Asoumi Sea adorned with thousands of pine trees, and despite the overcast weather its beauty shone through. We took the monorail up Mount Monju to the viewing point, where visitors often bend over to see the scenery upside down, as it’s said to resemble a dragon flying through the sky. I can’t say that I was entirely convinced by the comparison, but I participated in the ritual all the same — when in Amanohashidate …
Fabric is a significant aspect of Tango culture. Our next stop was bayside Miyazu, just across from Mount Monju, and a delightful wisteria-weaving workshop organised by our tour operator. It is run by Hiroko Sakane, who left Osaka to pursue her passion for the craft under the tutelage of the artisans of Kamiseya village, just inland. Fujifu, made from the fibres of wisteria vines, is believed to be one of the oldest known fabrics in Japan, dating from the prehistoric Jomon period. The ancient craft has been kept alive by a dedicated group of women in Kamiseya. I may not have mastered the intricate knotting technique, but I couldn’t help feel a twinge of envy for Sakane-san’s tranquil bayside existence.
Min Sett Hein and his girlfriend learning how to weave wisteria
MIN SETT HEIN
A few miles west of Miyazu, in the sleepy village of Yosano, we met Tokizo and Asako Sakitsu, who make silk for kimonos by hand, with each one taking at least 300 hours. Rather than dyeing the threads, they colour the silk cocoons using local plants before spinning them. The couple pour their essence into the work and I felt a deep respect for the craft, but worried who would carry on the tradition after they are gone.
For those seeking the elegance of silk fabric without the painstaking 300-hour process, Shibata Orimono, also in Yosano, offers a tantalising alternative. As I ran my fingers over the silken bolts, marvelling at the supple drape and exquisite detail — some looking William Morris-inspired; others traditional Japanese florals — he shared his secret: a marriage of cutting-edge technology and traditional aesthetics. Using Adobe Photoshop and digital weaving machines he creates mesmerising textiles with breathtaking speed and precision, though I wondered whether something intangible might be lost in translation.
Even more revelatory was Kaya Yama no Ie, an unassuming hostel perched halfway up the lush slopes of Mount Oeyama — though the word “hostel” really doesn’t do it justice. Originally a forestry school, this spacious hotel offered a level of comfort that rivalled even the swanky Hyatt Regency Kyoto, albeit with a distinctly different charm.
The Yosamusume sake brewery
MIN SETT HEIN
Part of that charm came from the seven-course kaiseki feast prepared with love by the hostel owner. The food is wonderful everywhere in Japan, but here each dish, made with mountain produce, stood out as the best I had eaten yet. I loved the tender grilled wild boar with crispy roast potatoes and the silky soy-milk crème brûlée topped with fresh strawberries, each morsel singing with authenticity and passion.
A stone’s throw from the hostel was another gem: the Yosamusume saké brewery run by Shiro Nishihara. Here, water drawn from the depths of Mount Oeyama is transformed into a drink that embodies ikigai, the Japanese concept of passion, purpose and dedication to one’s craft. As I sipped the saké straight from the tank it danced on my tongue; delightfully fruity with an aroma of sweet toasted rice.
While Kyoto has its urban charms, the true heart and soul of Japan lies in in-between places such as the Tango peninsula. It’s here, away from the crowds, that you’ll find artisans dedicating their lives to preserving ancient traditions or flavours born from a profound connection to the land. It is these authentic experiences that linger in the memory long after the fleeting thrills of social-media likes and shares have faded.
• Kyoto travel guide: When to go, what to do, and why you’ll love it
• Best hotels in Kyoto
It reminded me of the true purpose of travel — not merely ticking off sights, but forging deep, meaningful connections with people and places. If you do find yourself on the Tango peninsula, be sure to give Shinji-san my regards.
Min Sett Hein was a guest of Inside Japan, which has 14 nights’ B&B, with two on the Tango peninsula, from £5,396pp, including transfers, guides and some experiences (insidejapantours.com). Fly to Tokyo
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Three of the best places to stay in Kyoto
By Lucy Thackray
Node, Toroyamacho
The Node hotel is part gallery, part hotel
DESIGN HOTELS
Part gallery, part hotel, Node offers something different in the heart of Kyoto. The rooms here are sleek, dark and modern, with artwork throughout the hotel; guests could forget that they’re in Japan, let alone Kyoto. Handily there are plenty of reminders outside — walk 15 minutes north to Nijo Castle or east to Nishiki Market.
Details Room-only doubles from £87 (nodehotel.com)
Hyatt Regency Kyoto, Higashiyama 
The Touzan bar at the Hyatt Regency hotel
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A five-minute drive from Kyoto station and a 25-minute walk from the historic Gion district, this all-rounder has soothing rooms with lots of pine panels and texture prints, plus windows filled with views of greenery. Touzan, its excellent restaurant, does a tempting, multicourse kaiseki menu and the hotel can organise experiences including a kintsugi workshop (in which broken ceramics are repaired with gold detailing), a behind-the-scenes tour of Kiyomizu-dera Temple or a history-focused rickshaw ride around town.
Details Room-only doubles from £260 (hyatt.com)
Shiraume Ryokan, Gion
The entrance of Shiraume Ryokan
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With its kabuki theatres, geishas and tea ceremonies in Zen gardens, the Gion neighbourhood is the reason that many visitors come to Kyoto. Few hotels here offer better service or value than Shiraume. With more than 140 years of history, plum trees and weeping willows in its ornamental garden, tatami mats, paper doors and flawlessly turned-out staff, it fits perfectly with the very specific aesthetic of the district.
Details Half-board doubles from £478 (shiraume-kyoto.jp)
Is it safe to travel to Japan?
It is largely business as usual in Japan despite the 7.1-magnitude earthquake off the southwestern coast of the country last week and its meteorological agency advising that there was a greater probability of a more powerful earthquake. Japan is one of the most quake-prone countries in the world and is well prepared, and on alert, for this type of event.
“Unfortunately, earthquakes are not unusual,” the specialist operator Inside Japan says. “It is a threat that has always been there, which is why we have a 24-hour support team monitoring the situation and ready to assist clients when minor or major incidents occur.”
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