One of the best books you can read about Kyoto is a novel by Yasunari Kawabata: The Old Capital. It is both a great story, and a wonderful guide to the city and its seasonal traditions. One of the most famous scenes in that book is in the gardens of Heian Jingu when the characters Chieko and Shin'ichi go to see the cherry blossoms. I visited Heian Jingu yesterday to see these … [Read more...]
Petals on a wet, black bough…
Sa-ku-ra! Sa-ku-ra! Yes, the hanami season has arrived and the cheery, cherry blossoms look so good I could just EAT them! Well, there is no more romantic location than Kyoto to see cherry blossom, but what's your favorite location within the city? For me it's the tree-lined Kita-Shirakawa canal. Heading away from the Path of Philosophy follow it down Imadegawa a ways … [Read more...]
Japan International Poetry Society
Simply said, we just want to increase the chances of listening to good poets and poetry, mainly in English, here in Japan. - Keiji Minato It's an old tip but a good one: to really enjoy a poem, it should be read aloud. And nothing brings poetry to life more than hearing it read by the original poet. On Monday night I attended an event with acclaimed American poet, translator … [Read more...]
Tengu
Ian Ropke writes: The mountains throughout Japan are home to a very long-nosed creature known as a tengu or mountain goblin. The origins of tengu are not very clear. They can be found in both Shinto and Buddhist texts. Some scholars trace the origin of the tengu to one of the primary gods of Shinto: Susano-o, who shares many of the characteristics for which tengu are feared … [Read more...]
Guest House Cono
UPDATE JANUARY 2012: Sadly Guest House Cono has now closed. Last Wednesday was the anniversary of the day Mewby and I first started dating... Time for a big posh swanky dinner! I let Mewby choose the venue this time and she chose Guest House Cono. Contrary to the name it's not a guesthouse. It is in fact a big posh swanky restaurant. The interior is simple, soft-lighted, … [Read more...]
Kyoto: A Cultural History
In the movie “Lost in Translation”, the character of Charlotte (played by Scarlett Johansson) takes a day trip alone to Kyoto. As she wanders through a temple and a shrine her sense of being lost in this alien land is compounded by the fact that she has absolutely no idea at all what she is looking at. This is a very common experience for foreign visitors to Kyoto. Even if you … [Read more...]
Kimono Old & New
As today is 成人の日 ("seijin no hi" or "Coming of Age Day") it seems timely to post Ian Ropke's article on the kimono. First though here are some pictures of some brand new adults sporting their kimono's for the day, and one other of a lady I spotted at Ebisu shrine. Click on the pictures to see them in better detail. Ian writes... An industry caught in time An … [Read more...]
The Glorious Art of José Benitez Sanchez
Undoubtedly the most colourful exhibition in Kyoto right now is the exhibition of Huichol yarn paintings at the Kampo Museum in Okazaki. To celebrate the 400th anniversary of links between Mexico and Japan the Kampo museum is currently exhibiting the visionary art of the artist/shaman José Benitez Sanchez. I visited yesterday and was completely blown away by the gorgeous … [Read more...]
Garden Stones & Superstition
Ian Ropke writes: Stones are, believe it or not, the most important feature of a Japanese garden. If the soil is its "flesh", then the stones are its "bones". Garden stones fall into three basic categories: "named" stones, unimportant "unnamed" stones, and stones which already existed on the site. The most famous named stone in Japan is called Fujito after the … [Read more...]
Mount Hiei’s Marathon Monks
Ian Ropke writes... The world of Buddhism is full of stories of amazing human feats achieved through meditation and power of the mind. In Tibet there are especially powerful monks who travel so fast that they appear to fly; they can travel non-stop for 48 hours and cover over 320 km a day! There are also stories of diamond-like crystalline substances found amongst the ashes … [Read more...]
La Table de Thierry
UPDATE January 2012: Sad to say, but this fine restaurant has now closed. I wanted to take Mewby somewhere a little bit posh for her birthday, so I asked my friend Helen B. if she could recommend a nice place. She always has the best recommendations and she didn't disappoint me this time either. La Table de Thierry is a gorgeous French restaurant on the 9th floor of the … [Read more...]
Autumn Japanese Tea
Ian Ropke writes: For many tea connoiseurs, autumn is considered to be the finest time of the year to hold a tea ceremony; the stifling hot weather has passed, and the autumn mood is sublime. The basic form and aesthetic of today’s Japanese tea ceremony is largely credited to Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), who was inspired to develop a form based entirely around natural materials … [Read more...]
Saba Kaido – The Old Mackerel Highway
Ian Ropke writes: Mackerel or saba comes into season this month. In the Heian period (794-1185), mackerel were delivered to Kyoto from the Japan Sea via the saba kaido—a 75-kilometer route connecting Kyoto with the port of Obama. To get the fish here, fifteen kilogram baskets packed with about twenty kilograms of salted mackerel were carried on horseback and on human backs … [Read more...]
Kei’s Cafe Oggi
Our Mewby was very pleased with her lunch yesterday. We ate at Kei's Cafe Oggi on Gojozaka. It's famous for its antique furniture and for its light and fluffy rice-filled omelettes. Neither of us was in an オムライス mood though. I went for the vegan option and got myself a fantastic vegetable sandwich instead. Just look at the way the colours of those fresh vegetables leap … [Read more...]
