The Global Grandma: Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka... Haven’t heard of them yet?

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka...

Haven’t heard of them yet?

Read on!

From the series: "Japan, or An American Senior's Extreme Vacation."

Oh, I promised and forgot! I forgot in the last story to remind you of our names, the names of the three travelers sailing around Japan on the Celebrity Millennium: there's me, Meire, and Rosely. (Is this important to you? – Absolutely not, but if you’re my age, memory training doesn’t hurt. Plus, if this is your first story on this blog, it’s polite for us to introduce ourselves.)

Our ("our"! like it was our very own! – I laugh, I laugh, but by that time, we’d become close with the liner and viewed it as a second home)... so, our cruise ship Celebrity Millennium stopped in Osaka for two days, which gave us the opportunity to go to Kyoto on the first day of the stop, just to avoid being nervous and worrying about being late for departure.

What can you see in Japan's ancient capital in one incomplete day? – Practically nothing. To truly grasp Kyoto, visit several world-famous temples, just walk the streets and alleys, and feel how people lived and live, you need at least a week.

So, we had to choose... We picked a few alleys in the old city where we could see the streets themselves, the temples, and the little shops...

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are popular tourist destinations. They sound funny: Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, like twin sisters. (We researched on the internet: map, Wikipedia, other tourists' reviews... In my opinion, the photographs influenced our choice the most.)

A Mousetrap!

Of course, I agree with you, it’s a classic tourist trap. Yes, every tourist who comes to Kyoto comes here.

Everything here is calculated for tourists: lots of small shops selling souvenirs.

Sometimes these are small household items or home decorations, like ceramics, and sometimes they're bright trinkets for one day that will later gather dust in cabinets and on shelves for most people.

(Would you like to bring back traditional Sake as a gift for a relative? Or for yourself? Just kidding, just kidding! We don't drink.)

And of course, there’s photo-tourism here: everyone takes pictures, and many post their successful photos on their pages on various networks, attracting the next crowds of tourists just like themselves. And I am no exception.

Yes... A tourist mousetrap!

But, you must agree, what a charming mousetrap!

First, a note: "Ninenzaka (二年坂, 'Two-Year Slope') and Sannenzaka (三年坂, 'Three-Year Slope') are narrow, cobblestone pedestrian alleys located in Kyoto's historic Higashiyama district. They are famous for their traditional atmosphere, as they are lined with beautifully preserved 'machiya' (traditional wooden townhouses), which now serve as teahouses, craft shops, and traditional restaurants."

I managed to peek into a lovely courtyard; the gate was open... Everything seems simple: a tree trunk, a path, pebbles, a couple of small boulders... It seems simple. If you have a thousand years of history and culture behind you.

Original sculptures decorated the wall of one of the houses. (Just a reminder: in Japan, they don't speak English. And accordingly, all the signs are hieroglyphs that we cannot read.) So, whether they are just decorative sculptures, the work of one artist, or what purpose they serve, remained for us "a mystery shrouded in darkness," as we used to say in our youth. So, you can let your imagination run wild.

Here’s one: it either parodies tourists peeking through the cracks of local life or reminds us that we tourists are also being watched closely!

Well, here it would be nice to read what was intended...

We passed several small restaurants on the street; we could have gone in, but the heat!

HEAT! – and we don’t feel like eating, plus we're still from the cruise, where... (oh, I wanted to say "gluttony," but that word doesn't suit our ship, it doesn't fit the style of our trip, I'm looking for synonyms) ...where there is feasting and indulgence every day.

As you look at the photos, notice that these alleys do not have a huge number of wires, modern power lines, which annoy me (like all photographers) so much. The adjacent streets have plenty of that stuff.

(The next three photos are from adjacent streets.)

You circle around what you want to photograph, trying somehow to avoid this visual mess in the photo!

Often, it’s simply impossible.

But here... (do you remember the street names? Don't tell me "yes," because I constantly check myself to see if I’ve written them correctly: Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka!) So here, the conditions for photographers are practically ideal. It’s no wonder people come here for photo shoots.

I accidentally managed to catch two lovely girls in the frame.

And here is another one, it’s practically begging to be a postcard!

Well, these streets were not built for us, not redeveloped for us, the tourists! They were one of the first districts in Japan to receive historic preservation status (sometime in the early 1970s) to maintain the atmosphere and look of the streets in the spirit of the Edo and Meiji periods.

At that time, all communications were either removed or laid underground.

The architectural and cultural integrity of the area was legally protected for future generations.

And car traffic is also prohibited here. (Although it's hard to imagine how cars drove here before the ban.)

These alleys are over a thousand years old.

Sannenzaka was built in 808 AD.

Ninenzaka was built a little earlier, in 807 AD.

Both streets, of course, lead to a temple.

Initially, the streets were built to provide access for pilgrims heading to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which was founded over 1,200 years ago.

(Photos of Kiyomizu-dera and a short story are next.)

This is not the temple you see in my photos here.

In the photos – Hōkan-ji Temple.

When walking along these two streets, your visual landmark is precisely this tall, graceful five-story pagoda – one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Higashiyama district.

Its height is about forty-six meters.

By the way, it has two names: the official Hōkan-ji Temple and the popular Yasaka no Tō (Yasaka Pagoda).

Unlike the bright red color of other temples, such as Kiyomizu-dera or Yasaka Shrine, the Yasaka Pagoda has a stricter, gray or natural brown color of wood and tiles, which perfectly harmonizes with the color scheme of the entire street.

The Pagoda is the last surviving part of the temple complex, which, according to legend, was founded by Prince Shōtoku back in 589 AD. It has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt due to fires. (Well, you might say, if it was destroyed and burned, then we are looking at a "new build," a restoration! Yes, it is not the original structure... Yes, the Pagoda was rebuilt again... in 1440!)

This is Japan; there are many earthquakes. How did the Pagoda withstand them?! (To explain briefly, there is a Shinbashira in the center of the building – and for details, if you are interested, read the notes.)

Old streets simply must have their legends...

The most famous legend is directly related to their names: Ninenzaka (remember, it translates to "Two-Year Slope"): the legend says that if you stumble and fall on this slope, you will die within two years.

Sannenzaka (accordingly, "Three-Year Slope"): similarly, if you fall on this slope, you will die within three years.

(The ancestors were bloodthirsty, however.)

So, we walk the streets – and we don't fall! Just in case – advice! To avoid this curse, buy a gourd (Hyotan) at a shop on the street, which, as the locals say, will bring you safety and good luck. If anything, I warned you!

There is another version of the name Sannenzaka. (Did you read the word? Or did your eyes just skim over it?)

It is believed that the original name of the slope was Sanneizaka (産寧坂), where the hieroglyph San (産) means "birth" or "safe childbirth." This name comes from the fact that the street leads to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, where women came to pray to the Bodhisattva of Mercy, Kannon, for a successful pregnancy and safe delivery.

(Did you catch the difference in the words – the name of the street? Probably not. I included the hieroglyphs for a reason. These two words are difficult for us to read, but the Japanese use hieroglyphs! I respect that.)

We have different Gods, the words sound different, we use letters or hieroglyphs for writing... But all of us women turn to the Goddess of Mercy, asking for safe childbirth and healthy children...

We walked the streets of Kyoto for several hours.

We walk the streets; the heat is above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F), the humidity is around 80%; to say "hot" is an understatement. Japanese girls in kimonos walk the streets. Beautiful, like something out of a magazine.

It seems the heat doesn't affect them at all. Their faces are porcelain-like, while sweat is constantly streaming from my red face, which I wipe with a damp hand towel.

A little sketch. Somewhere nearby there is a shop where you can rent a kimono for the day. For a while, we walked next to an American couple: mom, dad, two children, who had used the services of such a rental.

They were clearly suffering. (And why were they suffering? Admit it, extra clothes, unfamiliar and uncomfortable for us, especially in the heat, is a mistake. Forget the money, take a picture in the kimono for memory, change, smile – and walk lightly! I don't want to offend anyone.

I especially felt sorry for the girl. What memories will she have of Kyoto? Heat?!)

The three of us, who walked along Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka for so long, remember... (you would insert: narrow alleys, the old temple... no, you guessed wrong!).

The three of us fondly remember "Starbucks"! (You read the previous story about the "Starbucks" in Kyoto, didn’t you? No? – I’ll leave the link below.)

So, Meire saw the familiar Starbucks logo, and we decided to go in, rest, enjoy the smell of coffee, and most importantly, just sit down and cool off.

But for the schoolgirls, ice cream is the way to "cool off"! Each with their own! They were standing in the shade, so engrossed in eating the cold dessert that we were simply envious! Sorry for the photo quality; I took it on the move. It was rude to photograph them face-on, but I couldn't resist the shot.

But these are from the joyful memories, and not all of them were like that.

And one more street sketch.

Honestly, these photos still evoke a heavy feeling in me. Yet, outwardly, everything was "normal." Exotic, but normal.

Near the Pagoda, there is a rickshaw stand.

The rickshaw pullers – young, tanned, muscular men – are on duty at their carriages, ready to take tourists through those famous streets.

A reminder that both streets go up the hill, meaning the young men first go down one, then pull up the other.

And they are pulling a carriage with two passengers.

In 100-degree heat.

Running.

Somewhere, I can explain it to myself: this is their job. That's how they earn money to live. Probably not the smallest money, otherwise, they wouldn't run. This has been traditional in Japan for many years. I also read about tourist entertainment in Kyoto online, and riding rickshaws was advertised among them! So, is it acceptable? And it sounds extravagant. You come home and boast, "I rode a rickshaw in Kyoto!"

But I don't understand it: how can you ride on a person? People no longer need it... we have other means of transport... Or maybe tourists' brains melt from holiday idleness: should I ride a rickshaw?

No, I don't interfere with other people's traditions, I don't condemn other people's customs; I'm just telling tourists: look at yourselves from the outside. Illustrations from some book surface from the depths of my memory, where a fat bourgeois colonizer rides in a carriage pulled by a skinny rickshaw puller. But even without any associations from the past, riding on a person?!

What do you think about this?

Would you ride in such a carriage? With a rickshaw puller?

Observing tourists is no less a pleasure than getting acquainted with historical sights.

The three of us – Meire, Rosely, and I – successfully avoided the curse of the slopes, never even stumbled, didn't buy anything, not even a gourd, (we didn't ride rickshaws!), but we took away impressions for the rest of our lives. Leaving this charming (but very hot in the summer) place, we discussed the mastery and sense of beauty through minimalism possessed by the people who built this city.

And now it’s time to leave the charming "mousetrap" of the streets and move on, because Kiyomizu-dera awaits us.

P.S. For my memory, as is tradition! Thanks to everyone who read this, and until the next story. Oh, yes, the link to the story: "Never assume!" or "Starbucks" in Japan.

https://theglobalgrandma67.blogspot.com/2025/11/never-assume-or-starbucks-in-japan.html

I told you that I am a retired teacher. But a teacher is a teacher for life. Here is a note for those interested in the pagoda's earthquake resistance. Interestingly, I recently read a very interesting article about the high-rise buildings in Osanbashi; they are also equipped with built-in dampers. It's fascinating that this is ancient knowledge.

Earthquake-Resistant Features of Yasaka Pagoda.

The most important structural elements that allow the pagoda to withstand strong earthquakes include:

Shinbashira - The Central Pillar At the heart of the structure is a massive central pillar, called the shinbashira, which is not rigidly anchored to the foundation.

This pillar runs almost the entire height of the pagoda.
It acts as a kind of counterweight or pendulum. During an earthquake, when the pagoda's floors begin to sway from side to side, the shinbashira oscillates in counter-phase or at a different frequency. This effectively dampens the floor vibrations, reducing their amplitude and preventing destruction.
The floors are generally not rigidly connected to each other or to the central pillar, allowing them to move independently.

Flexibility and Wooden Construction Pagodas are built primarily of wood, which is a surprisingly flexible material.

Wooden Joints: Instead of using nails, most joints in traditional Japanese architecture are made using a complex system of mortises, tenons, and locks. These joints have a certain amount of movement, allowing the structure to "dance" or bend with the ground during tremors, and then return to its original position.
Damping: The flexibility and friction in the wooden joints act as natural dampers, absorbing and dissipating earthquake energy.

Staged Movement Compensation Each tier of the pagoda is actually slightly smaller than the previous one, and the heavy, curved roofs add weight to the end of the "lever." This stepped structure, along with the flexible joints and the central pillar, allows each floor to shift and return to its place without accumulating destructive tension.

Ultimately, the pagoda is not a rigid, fixed structure but a complex, flexible system that absorbs earthquake energy through controlled movement, which is what allows it to remain standing while surrounding buildings may collapse. Just a reminder that the first Pagoda was built in 589, and the modern five-story pagoda was completed in 1440 after the previous version burned down during a rebellion. Japanese artisans passed down and perfected the secrets of earthquake-resistant wooden architecture for centuries, which made it possible to accurately recreate the stable structure.

P.S.

The Global Grandma

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka... Haven’t heard of them yet?

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka...

Earthquake-Resistant Features of Yasaka Pagoda.

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