A Kyoto resident’s exemplary parallel parking technique.
“Kyoto is famous for many things: history, temples and shrines, yatsuhashi, geishas, bubuzuke… While it’s well-known for these things and more, there’s another item we’d like to add to the list: Its residents’ exceptional parking skills.”
A typical Kyoto street with immaculately parked cars. Katana-wielding samurai are probably sent out by the city government to cut the portions that protrude out to the street.
Foreign visitors in Japan especially note the streets for being clean and car-free.
No doubt one of the reasons the country’s streets are free of parked cars is the government regulation that requires potential car owners to present a parking space certificate before they can exchange their yen for a Toyota or a Subaru.
But while a Saitama or Nagoya native may have adequate skills to put away their cars where they won’t be a nuisance on the street, Kyoto residents simply take parking proficiency to another level.
In Kyoto, inch-perfect parking is apparently the norm.
Says author and Kyoto resident Makoto-san:
When I started living in Kyoto City after entering university, the thing that surprised me the most was how many cars were parked right up against the walls of Kyoto townhouses.
Even in narrow alleys where it’s difficult to turn around, cars were parked just barely against the wall.
Having just gotten my driver’s license, I was constantly impressed every time I walked through the city.
What prompted me to consciously observe the parking techniques of Kyoto people was a light truck parked in front of a tatami mat shop.
I was astounded every time I saw a car parked with its nose rubbed up against the wall.
It helps that few Japanese are obese, because otherwise how would you get out of your car with this kind of parking?
These kinds of parking in a confined space are sure to make us uncouth car-owners here in Ibaraki squirm.
You’d expect pros such as rental car agents or car dealers using impressive skills to move cars in and out of their store lots, but Kyoto residents apparently use the same kind of skill as they go about their everyday mundane lives.
Just one of the many things in Kyoto that you might want to check out when you find yourself walking the streets of Japan’s ancient capital.
For the few Kyoto residents whose parking skills are less than stellar, an old tire propped against the wall prevents untoward accidents.
See more at Kyoto’s Girigiri Parking Collection.