HIVE Home, Gift and Garden

Kyoto Serenity

Kyoto Serenity - Main image
Kyoto Serenity - View 2Kyoto Serenity - View 3Kyoto Serenity - View 4Kyoto Serenity - View 5Kyoto Serenity - View 6
$52.5 $105 In stock

Category: Books - Travel

The lively spirit of Kyoto is best experienced during Gion Matsuri, one of Japan’s largest festivals. The parades of elaborate floats, called yamaboko, are art exhibitions in motion, presenting the exquisite local craftwork. This same attention to detail can be seen in the Japanese approach to architecture and interior design. Where Kyoto’s festivals are colorful and over the top, the ubiquitous design aesthetic is more restrained and simplified, allowing the quality of the materials to speak for themselves and offering a respite from buzzing life in the city.

Through the pages of Kyoto Serenity, Japanese culture is on full display, exploring timehonored traditions such as geishas, tea ceremonies, and flower.

  • Author: François Simon
  • 312 pages
  • Over 200 illustrations
  • W 10 x L 13 x D 1 in
  • Hardcover
Before you pay

Check the method and total at checkout.

When it ships

Allow for processing time as well as the journey to you.

Standard Shipping: Handling (business days) 0–1; Transit (business days) 7–15.

Express Shipping: Handling (business days) 0–1; Transit (business days) 7–15.

View policy
If you need a refund

Keep your order number and contact the store to start.

Please contact us for the refund processing timeframe before returning an item.

View policy
Delivery costs

Review the cost for your destination and chosen service.

Standard Shipping · United States: $0.00

Express Shipping · United States: $3.99

View policy
Returning an item

Check the return conditions before sending anything back.

United States · Return window (days after delivery): 30. Return method: By mail. Return postage: Seller pays.

View policy

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Madison B. ★★★★★

The section on Gion Matsuri’s yamaboko floats reads like slow-motion poetry, making you feel the heat of July crowds and the creak of those massive wooden wheels. It’s the rare travel book that captures motion, not just monuments.

Henry ★★★★★

I picked this up before a July trip and the Gion Matsuri section alone made the whole thing worth it — it actually explains what each yamaboko float represents instead of just listing dates. Read it on the plane and felt like I already knew my way around the parade route.

Natalie ★★★★★

The chapter on the yamaboko floats completely changed how I watched the Gion Matsuri parade—I was spotting carpentry details and tapestry work I'd have walked right past otherwise. It reads like a local walking you through the streets rather than a dry guidebook.

Related Products