Children turned emperor, emperors turned priest, and priests turned poet are just a few of the colorful characters described in Kyoto: A Cultural Guide.

The fascinating facts, larger-than-life characters and grand events described within offer abundant proof that, more than just a treasure house of shrines and temples, Kyoto is indeed one of the most enticing cities in the world.

For example, Benkei, an eight-foot-tall monk with a wildly combative nature, was defeated on the Gojo Bridge by a voting warrior who had received his training in swordsmanship from a tengu goblin. Benkei's defeat is memorialized at Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera temple in the form of an oversize iron staff and gela created by a blind blacksmith.

Oishi entered into a life of debauchery at the lchiriki tea house in Gion with the sole intention of avenging the disgrace of his former master. After gathering together 46 other samurai, he exacted his revenge. Thus the tale of The Forty Seven Ronin was born.

A guidebook to 14 walking tours, Kyoto: A Cultural Guide is also a kaleidoscopic reference and resource book certain to please long-term residents and first-time travelers.