Higashiyama is one of the 11 districts in which the city is divided. When it comes to tourism, Higashiyama refers, not only to the institutional district itself, but to the streets that go round the east mountains in Kyoto.
The most known area in Higashiyama goes from Kiyomizudera to Yasaka Shrine and the Maruyama Park. From there you can still follow some roads up to Chionin, Nanzenji and Ginkakuji, where it connects to the Philosopher’s Path.
These historical streets are kept the old way, and are surrounded by old wooden houses called Machi-ya and traditional shops.
Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka
In Higashiyama there are two famous slopes. Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. These are named according to a legend. It is said that if you happen to fall down the slopes, you’ll get punished by 2 or 3 years of bad luck. Well, literally, the legend says that if you fall on Ninenzaka you’ll die within 2 years, and if it’s Sannenzaka, you’ll die within 3 years.
Even though, this is just the most known legend surrounding these streets. There are other stories that give different origins for the name of the streets. But as they are not that juicy as “You’ll die in 2 years if you fall down here”, they’ve been kept aside just for people with a bit more of historical interest. You can learn a little more about it in their website.
