It’s not just in the fresh air in the bamboo forests or green forests that surround the city. There is something very serene about Kyoto, deeply rooted in their daily lives.
Kyoto has nurtured its elegant simplicity in parallel with its aesthetic of cleanliness and purity for centuries. The maximum refinement is accompanied by a feeling of purity. In Kyoto, it’s not just about the ideal atmosphere, but also the current practices integrated into the lifestyle and welcoming guests.
Japan’s millennial capital vindicates the legacy of well-being and balance in its new campaign “TheKyotoPromise: EnhaceyourWell-Being,” which shows how the new habits we’ve been forced to adopt around the world to protect The pandemic is part of the spirit of the city, which permeates every corner of Kyoto with purity, balance and compassion.
Kyoto has nurtured its elegant simplicity in parallel with its aesthetic of cleanliness and purity for centuries
Kyoto City TourismAssociation (KCTA) has launched a campaign inviting citizens of the world to rediscover the ancestral values of the ancient imperial capital: compassion, purity, a sense of personal space and minimalist beauty, more current and necessary than ever, to connect with the sense of well-being offered by this beautiful Japanese city.
This campaign, entitled “The Kyoto Promise: Enhaceyour Well-Being”, reviews some of the most ingrained cultural aspects of Kyoto culture, centered on the proverbial Japanese hospitality, and reflected in various practices that have become part of it today. fundamental life of millions of people.
Neatness and cleanliness, connection to outdoor spaces, water and gardens, ornamental balance and clean lines, and the importance of personal space are the protagonists of a video, which delves into the spiritual value of these practices and traditions that have been a part of Kyoto life for hundreds of years.
Purification and balance: the legacy of Kyoto’s well-being
The video emphasizes the organic and spiritual nature of these rituals which, unlike other Western and Eastern countries, have not been recently adopted, but are the backbone of Kyoto society and their sense of ‘hospitality.
These daily customs permeate many other local and national traditions, from the thermal baths to the tea ceremony, to meditation, decoration, ikebana, water purification at the doors of temples or houses, or the various expressions. local arts.
“The Kyoto Promise: Enhaceyour Well-Being” is also an invitation to the healing of the soul, purifying the body and mind. It is about finding balance in a time of great complexity for humanity, exploring places full of beauty and peace, such as the temples, shrines and gardens of Kodaiji, HeianJingu or the iconic Torii corridors of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the spaces dedicated to thermalism (onsen), the affable bamboo forests, or the stays of the machiyas, traditional houses reconverted into picturesque lodgings, like GionHatanaka, Hiiragi or Sowaka. All magical and charming places, quietly waiting for travelers to return to reconnect with them.
Nothing, at a distance. Explore Kyoto safely and pleasantly.
This year, many of us stayed home during the spring and lost sight of the beautiful view of Kyoto flooded with cherry blossoms. But tourists are gradually returning to the city since the state of emergency was lifted in June.
“The Kyoto Promise: Enhaceyour Well-Being” reviews some of the most ingrained cultural aspects of Kyoto culture
If you visit Kyoto, it is essential to do tourism safely avoiding the “3C” *. To help contain the spread of the infection, temples, shrines, shops, restaurants, public facilities and local government are working together to implement precautionary measures against the “3Cs”. They ask for everyone’s cooperation as they strive to make the visit safe and enjoyable for everyone.
(The 3C: spaces cwrong with poor ventilation / crowded places with a lot of people cERCA / adjustments of cclose contact, such as short distance conversations).
Staying at home has reiterated the value of experiences that cannot be had through a screen. This is especially true for traveling. We make the joy of exploring a city with our two feet a part of our lives once again.
① Social distancing
Always keep a distance of at least two meters from others when queuing for a bus or train, or when queuing at a restaurant or shop.
②Masks
Use a mask in shops, museums and other enclosed or crowded public spaces, and when in closed spaces with little ventilation. Discard used masks with care. Garbage disposal is prohibited.
③ Hand hygiene
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer provided at the entrance of restaurants, public facilities and other places.
④ Get the latest information on your phone
We make the joy of exploring a city with our two feet a part of our lives once again
Kyoto City has developed an app called AnshinTsuisekiService that allows you to receive email notifications if someone who has been to a store, restaurant, or facility where you have been, tests positive for COVID-19. We ask that you cooperate to provide related information when requested. You can register by simply scanning a QR code with your phone at participating locations.
⑤ Daily health management.
Each time you return home or to your hotel room, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water for 15 seconds. Monitor your health and take your temperature daily.
Welcoming tourists to a safe Kyoto: hospitality in the COVID era
Many people want to visit Kyoto for an autumn excursion and enjoy the autumn leaves and seasonal cuisine, but do not dare to do so. His spark of uneasiness about what could happen if he became infected with COVID-19 during his journey is understandable.
You should know that KyotoTourism and tourism industry companies are working together as a team to implement a variety of infection control measures.
So we will present the details of the initiatives to stay safe, including the guidelines that form the basis of these initiatives, stickers that indicate the establishments that customers can visit in peace and a new project in which the customers can participate to help strengthen infection control measures.
- Kyoto and the project “Security today, smiles tomorrow”
– What are the colorful stickers we often see lately pasted on the entrances to the city’s shops and restaurants?
Kyoto (hereinafter, simply “Tourism Association”): these stickers are to show that the company is committed to complying with the guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In July this year, 23 tourism-related companies in Kyoto City and the prefecture responded to the Association’s call and together developed guidelines for COVID-19 infection control measures for to safer tourism (in Japanese only at https: // ha. kyoto.travel/withcorona/guideline/).
The guidelines are to protect the safety not only of tourists but also of local residents and workers
At this time, the period of stay at home and travel restrictions between prefectures were relaxing, so it was important to properly ensure the safety of everyone, including Kyoto, tourists and those in the industry ‘tourism, before receiving tourists.
These stickers were distributed to companies that support and comply with these guidelines.
– The stickers show that everyone involved in the Kyoto tourism industry came together to create the guidelines. How many establishments are currently displaying the stickers?
Tourism Association: They were around 7,500 at the end of September. Its use has spread beyond restaurants and retail stores to various tourism-related industries, such as lodging facilities, tourist facilities, and bus and taxi companies, so they have become quite familiar.
– Some of the characteristics of the guidelines?
Tourism Association: There are three main features of the Kyoto guidelines.
The first is that the guidelines are to protect the safety not only of tourists but also of local residents and workers. It is aimed at companies in the Kyoto tourism industry, who can protect the safety of local residents by taking the lead on infection control measures and acting appropriately towards tourists.
The second is that the guidelines cover several industries. Industry-specific standards have also been set for accommodation providers, restaurants, transportation providers, etc., but the guidelines cover all industries and aim to make tourism in Kyoto safe in general, thus protecting to everybody.
And the third is that the guidelines plan to integrate Kyoto infection control measures with Kyoto’s unique hospitality. Promoting infection control measures may mean that we cannot offer the same hospitality and service as in the past, but tourism companies are striving to achieve a new style of hospitality that allows infection control measures. exhaustive and hospitality coexist in harmony.
– Are there other measures that offer security to customers more than those mentioned?
Tourism Association: For everyone’s peace of mind, we would also like people to register for services such as Kyoto, Kyoto Emergency Contact Service COVID-19 Kyoto Prefecture KOCOTORO or the Confirmation Request of Contact COVID-19 COCOA. You can then register the shops, restaurants and facilities you have visited, and then receive a notification if it is a high-risk contact in case someone has become infected there. Then, you can go quickly and get tested to see if you have contracted the virus and thus minimize the risk of infecting your family and others around you.