Two-year Slope, Pedestrian street in Higashiyama district, Japan.
Two-year Slope is a stone-paved pedestrian street in Kyoto lined with low wooden buildings topped by slanted roofs on both sides. The path climbs gently uphill and opens into a wider area near the temple at the summit.
The route developed during the Edo period as a pilgrimage path connecting residents to distant temples. Over the centuries, craftspeople and merchants settled along the way and stayed even as the city changed around them.
Artisans work in small shops along the path, selling handmade ceramics, paper goods, and local sweets made fresh daily. These craftspeople follow traditions passed down through their families for many generations.
The path is open daily from sunrise to sunset and is best explored on foot at a relaxed pace. Wear comfortable shoes because the route climbs uphill and the stones can be slippery when wet.
The area follows strict building codes that forbid modern signs and require old wooden structures to stay intact. This makes it one of the few places where the feeling of old Kyoto genuinely survives today.
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