In August I was in Uji one day and took the opportunity to visit the Byodo-in temple. As the pandemic has drastically reduced the number of tourists in Kyoto, I thought it was a good opportunity to view the famous Phoenix Hall minus the hordes of visitors that were there on my last visit - a good five years ago. Although this time there were a fair number of domestic tourists … [Read more...]
Kyoto: A Literary Guide – New Translations from Twelve Centuries of Japanese Literature
Today I am very happy to share news of a brand new publication, Kyoto: A Literary Guide, which was launched this month by Camphor Press. This book was born from the shared efforts of the Kyo-centrics: a long-standing poetry in translation discussion group - of which I happen to be a member. In addition to myself, the six Kyo-centrics who collated, translated and edited this … [Read more...]
Richard Steiner 50 Years of Woodblock Printmaking: Kyoto Exhibition July 21-26
This summer the artist Richard Steiner will be celebrating a remarkable 50 Years of Woodblock Printmaking with an exhibition in Kyoto. Here are the details courtesy of John Dougill: "The 70 piece exhibition will take place July 21-26 at Gallery Hill Gate, Kyoto at Sanjo Teramachi. Richard says he'll be there every day, there'll be coffee available, and he'll be happy to … [Read more...]
Black Lives Matter Kyoto – Peaceful March; Sunday June 21st
Black Lives Matter Kyoto Peaceful March June 21st (Sunday) 3:00~4:30 PM Start at Maruyama Park Finish at Kyoto City Hall Marching even if it rains. ***************************************** Black Lives Matter 京都平和行進 6月21日(日) … [Read more...]
Help Launch The Tea Crane Organic Tea Shop in Kyoto
Online Japanese tea vendor, The Tea Crane, is launching its first physical store in Kyoto in a beautiful machiya townhouse in central Kyoto. This will be a fully fledged tea shop with a dedicated room for the tea ceremony, and as an international learning center for tea lovers it will undoubtedly be a great addition to the city. However, The Tea Crane needs your help to realize … [Read more...]
First Fridays with Joshua Breakstone Returns to Bonds Rosary
Here's some wonderful news for jazz lovers in Kyoto. Joshua Breakstone is back and ready to play! Here's the good word from Joshua: "Good news! We’ll be starting up our “First Fridays” series at Bonds Rosary again on July 3!!! First guest, on July 3, is alto saxophonist Gary Tegler, a Kyoto fave. In August: a young saxophonist who I totally love, Kurita Yosuke, who … [Read more...]
LoVE UrBANGUILD – Facebook Live Concert; May 31st
Many independent business in Kyoto have been suffering during the pandemic and it seems the future of the legendary performance center Urbanguild is also under threat. Urbanguild has provided a space and community for all things wild, weird, and wonderful for many years now, and it would be a terrible shame to lose it. A highly creative online campaign to save this fine … [Read more...]
Writers in Kyoto Event: Meet Jeff Kingston on Zoom; May 23
Here's a quick message from our friends in Writers in Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto is delighted to present author and commentator, Jeff Kingston, as our main speaker for 2020. Due to the Corona crisis, this will be a Zoom event starting at 4.00 on Saturday May 23. Jeff will be interviewed by Japan Times columnist Amy Chavez, following which the floor will be open for participants … [Read more...]
Deep Kyoto in National Geographic Traveller UK
Many thanks to Kavita Favelle for alerting me to the presence of a short piece I wrote in the current issue of National Geographic Traveller Food (UK). For those who are curious enough to buy a copy, you can find me in the "Ask the Experts" section on page 29 answering the question, "Where in Kyoto can I buy a traditional, handcrafted kyusu teapot?" Gratitude is also due … [Read more...]
Top Dining Recommendations in Kyoto
It's been a while since I have posted any restaurant recommendations on here. However, my top dining recommendations for Kyoto are now up on the Work in Japan Today website. In this two-part article I introduce some of the main ingredients and elements of Kyō-ryōri cuisine – and also recommend the best places to eat them! To read my full list of recommendations check the … [Read more...]
Dumb Type Premiere New Work “2020” at ROHM Theatre, Kyoto – March 28th & 29th
Many thanks to Juliet Knapp of Kyoto Experiment for letting us know about this upcoming event. Dumb Type Premiere "2020" at ROHM Theatre Kyoto 2020.3.28 (SAT) – 3.29 (SUN) Legendary multimedia performance group Dumb Type have announced that the premiere of their first new work in 18 years will take place at Kyoto's ROHM Theatre this coming March. Comprising a … [Read more...]
Christmas Dinner at Tadg’s 2019
Folks in Kyoto hankering for a traditional Christmas will be delighted to know that Tadg McLoughlin will once again be serving up a full gala Christmas dinner with all the trimmings at Taigu Craft Beer Pub. Christmas dinner will be served up on two days: the 24th and 25th with three servings at 18.00, 19.00 and 20.00. Dinner includes seasonal soup and Irish soda bread … [Read more...]
Fifth Annual Writers in Kyoto Writing Competition Now Open for Entries
Writers in Kyoto (WiK) have announced the opening of the Fifth Annual Kyoto Writing Competition. Submissions are accepted from anywhere in the world. THEME: Kyoto (English language submissions only) DEADLINE: March 31st, 2020 (Midnight JST) GENRE: Short Shorts (unpublished material only) WORD LIMIT: 300 Words (to fit on a single page) FORM: Short poems, character … [Read more...]
Autumn Hiking & Rubbish Collection with PTO Conservation Group Dec. 1st 2019
This Sunday (December 1st) local conservation group, People Together for Mt. Ogura (PTO) will be holding a hiking and rubbish clearance event on Mount Ogura in Kyoto's Sagano district. This from their website: In the vicinity of Mt. Ogura’s northern flank, especially at Rokucho Pass, we are working to remove large quantities of illegally dumped rubbish that has built up over … [Read more...]
