Kyoto: a contemplative guide Book

When I first came to Japan in 1984, to Kyoto, this was my guide to the cultural history of the city. It was showing age even then (first published in 1964), but in charming or at least not bothersome ways, references to the streetcars which even by the eighties no longer existed, for example. Much more than a travel guide. Mosher focuses on sixteen representative places and offers a compelling history of each. The work has been in and out of print, but seems to be available now. Over the years I've given copies to several friends who were visiting Kyoto for the first time. It's that sort of book. I'd recommend it to anyone planning a visit real or imagined.