The Kamo River flows 23km north-south through the city center. Emperors on their enthronement would once purify themselves in its waters, and dyers would rinse bolts of fabric downstream.

“As I walk along the Kamo River to get to the theater ... “The thought then occurs to me that rivers and bridges are places where people naturally gather and where culture and civilization ...

The Lake Biwa Canal was built in the late 1800s to revive Kyoto’s economy. Now, sightseeing boats offer trips along it during the spring and fall. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times The Kamo ...