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On Foot in the Ancient Capital by Judith Clancy ~ An Exclusive Excerpt from Deep Kyoto: Walks

May 7, 2014 By Michael Lambe 7 Comments

Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links from which the owner of this website may earn a commission.

judithKyoto Journal have posted an an interesting interview with Judith Clancy in which she reflects on her life here in Kyoto and the many books she has written about this city.

Kyoto city is an affair of the heart for me. I love the history, the art, design sense, spatial images, space of houses, safety and quiet. If you live abroad, you have to conform to the standards of the society, if you’re really going to live in it. I like Japanese standards of humanity, morality, safety, friendship… Kind of 19th century ideas perhaps, but they suit me. I like going to the shrine with neighbours every year to be blessed. It’s very comfortable to live in this city… LINK

Judith Clancy has lived in Kyoto for more than 40 years, writing and teaching about Japanese culture. She is the author of four books about Kyoto: Exploring Kyoto, Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide, Kyoto Gardens, and Kyoto City of Zen. Her books have opened up this city’s culture, architecture, religion and cuisine to countless visitors and long-term residents alike. I am very pleased that Judith is also one of the contributors to our book, Deep Kyoto: Walks.

To whet your appetites for our book here is an exclusive extract in which Judith reflects on life in her traditional Nishijin neighbourhood.

On Foot in the Ancient Capital

In many neighborhoods, neat rows of blooming potted flowers, set out in tiered rows seem to magically appear just as they are beginning to bloom. One wonders: where have they been all this time? Could these tiny homes have a secret storage area that my house lacks?

My 88-yr.-old neighbor and I stand over her forget-me-nots or tiny camellia bushes, and discuss how their seed arrived airborne years ago and decided to stay. Too elderly now to repot and replant, she marvels at the floral display that gives her such pleasure, merely in response for a twice daily dosing of water from a battered 2-liter bottle. Other neighbors are out front of their miniature gardens plucking deadheads, discussing the weather, or admiring each other’s gardening skills. Since most homes have baths nowadays, this morning ritual has seemingly replaced the public bathhouse as a chance to share local gossip.

Looking up a little brings into view the lattice frontage of old homes that mark a proud architectural heritage – one that I now love looking at, but that took years for me to appreciate. It is one of the details that embellish the cityscape in the most minute ways that only walkers can appreciate: a round clay window, curved bamboo fencing, a tiny clay image of the demon-queller Shōki . Local residents take them for granted, but coming to Kyoto when I was young, fast-forwarded me into this process of seeing. It seems that people staring at their smart phones while walking the streets of Kyoto deny themselves something precious and real.

spring in kyoto
***************************************************************************************
Text by Judith Clancy. Image 1 courtesy of Kyoto Journal. Image 2 by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. To read the rest of Judith Clancy’s On Foot in the Ancient Capital, purchase your copy of Deep Kyoto: Walks.

DeepKyoto-cover-0423-final

About Deep Kyoto: Walks

Deep Kyoto: Walks is an independently produced anthology of meditative strolls, rambles, hikes and ambles around Japan’s ancient capital. All of the writers and artists involved in this project have lived and worked in Kyoto for many years and know it intimately. The book is in part a literary tribute to the city that they love and in part a tribute to the art of walking for its own sake. Deep Kyoto: Walks is available as a paperback or e-book from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp.

See also:

Kamogawa Musing – An Excerpt from Deep Kyoto Walks by John Dougill
Not Sure Which Way to Go – An Excerpt from Deep Kyoto Walks by Robert Yellin
Gods, Monks, Secrets, Fish – An Excerpt from Deep Kyoto Walks by John Ashburne

Learn more:
Exploring Kyoto
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.jp
Kyoto Gardens
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.jp
Kyoto City of Zen
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.jp
Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.jp

Filed Under: Books, Literature Tagged With: #DeepKyotoWalks, Deep Kyoto Walks

Comments

  1. Hugo says

    May 7, 2014 at 10:50 pm

    Nice story, it’s amazing what people here do with their tiny front gardens, only Kyoto I heard someone say once….

  2. Mandy says

    May 9, 2014 at 4:02 pm

    Very much looking forward to the book coming out! Walking is my favorite way to explore any part of the world, and Kyoto is no exception. Any news on when the hard copy might be available? (I’m such an old-fashioned girl :P)

  3. Michael Lambe says

    May 9, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    Hi Mandy,

    We are going to wait and see how successful the ebook is and then try to crowdfund a hard copy for release later this year – late autumn probably. If we can’t crowdfund it, I think we will probably go the Print-on-demand route, but I suspect this book will sell well because the content is top notch!

    Michael

  4. Kavey says

    May 10, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    I have her Kyoto Machiya guide!

  5. Michael Lambe says

    May 10, 2014 at 7:03 pm

    I do too! => http://www.kyotojournal.org/reviews/kyoto-machiya-dining/

  6. Laura Gould says

    July 22, 2014 at 11:04 am

    What a wonderful series of walks! And writers. (I have a Nook, so unfortunately this is as close to the book as I will be able to get. I also would actually prefer a hardcover or large, quality paperback. ) Thanks for the privilege…

  7. Michael Lambe says

    July 22, 2014 at 11:41 pm

    Hi Laura,

    Thank you for your interest in our book. If you download a free Kindle Reader App from Amazon you can read the book on most devices, including computers, tablets or smart phones. Your other option is to wait for the physical copy of the book which we hope to crowdfund and produce by the end of this year.

    Best wishes,

    Michael

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