Scenes in and Around Kyoto

Available for over a year

What would it be like to walk the streets of 17th Century Kyoto? Cathy FitzGerald explores a sumptuous pair of Japanese screens that depict the historic city in incredible detail. Follow the link to zoom in and examine the artwork as you listen. Temples, shrines, castles, shops and homes: the image is crammed with tiny scenes. A man in a barber's shop examines his new hair cut in a mirror. People peer down into the street to watch a parade pass. Weary pilgrims sit on a verandah, sharing fruit. Men and women of every age and every social class appear: more than 1,800 in all. Cathy FitzGerald hears how these glittering screens were made - and what they tell us about everyday life in the 17th Century Japanese city.