Sometimes Mewby and I head back up to north Kyoto to revisit our old haunts. One Sunday afternoon we spent a pleasant afternoon up by Demachiyanagi flying the kite that I'd brought back from Bali. There's a spit of land there where the two rivers meet that's just perfect for it. Many kids (and their dads) were eyeing my paper bird with silent envy, but the two ladies … [Read more...] about Blues Cafe Ball’n’Chain
The Photographs of Frédéric Devos
This is the fourth in a continuing series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer chooses five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tells us a little about what those pictures mean to them. So far the participants have each shown a unique and canny eye on the city they live in. Today's participant, French traveler and photographer Frédéric Devos, … [Read more...] about The Photographs of Frédéric Devos
Club World
OK. Let me be completely honest about this. I'm an old git and I don't go to clubs anymore. The only other club I've reviewed up here is Club Metro and that's only because they have an '80s night (that's how old I am). So when John Gatewood II wrote to me saying he was "a bit sad" I hadn't reviewed World on Deep Kyoto and then invited me along, I have to admit I was a little … [Read more...] about Club World
The Photographs of Ken Rodgers
This is the third in an occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer chooses five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tells us a little about what those pictures mean to them. Previously, we have featured Kyoto Journal's founder editor John Einarsen and associate editor Stewart Wachs. This time it's the turn of KJ's managing editor … [Read more...] about The Photographs of Ken Rodgers
Rokudo-Mairi & The Haunted Candy Shop
"The Japanese say that the heat of summer is the best time for ghost stories, as the little tingle they give you helps to fight the heat," writes Jeffrey Angles in his fascinating blog International Date Line. He goes on... In fact, during the Edo Period (1600-1868), there was a summertime pastime known as “One Hundred Tales” (百物語). In it, a group of friends would light a … [Read more...] about Rokudo-Mairi & The Haunted Candy Shop
The Photographs of Stewart Wachs
This is the second in an occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer will choose five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tell us a little about what those pictures mean to them. Last week we featured Kyoto Journal's founder editor John Einarsen. This week's photographer is KJ's associate editor Stewart Wachs. Stewart … [Read more...] about The Photographs of Stewart Wachs
Ryokan Pleasures & Possibilities
The Exotic World of the Japanese Inn Ian Ropke writes… At the beginning of the 20th century in Japan and Europe and elsewhere, there was a class of people, often men, who spent great portions of their life living in inns and hotels. Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, was one of the last people to live in ryokan in what could only be … [Read more...] about Ryokan Pleasures & Possibilities
The Photographs of John Einarsen
This is the first in a new, occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer will choose five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tell us a little about what those pictures mean to them. To start us off, Kyoto Journal's John Einarsen was kind enough to send me some wonderful black and white images of Shinnyodo; a temple complex … [Read more...] about The Photographs of John Einarsen
C. W. Nicol at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
A personal response to the lecture "Planting Trees in Your Heart" This is how trees got planted in my heart. My father's hobby was gardening. We had a very nice garden, with a big central lawn you could lie on in the summer, a vegetable patch at the back, fruit trees and flowers aplenty. As a child, I used to spend a lot of time with my dad when he was working in the … [Read more...] about C. W. Nicol at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
Saiundo Traditional Art Supply Shop
Today's post from Ian Ropke is a continuation of yesterday's post on Nihonga... The classic Japanese artist’s best friend For well over one hundred years, Saiun-do has been supplying artists with quality Nihonga pigments and brushes. The business has an illustrious history. The famous painter Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924), just one of Saiundo’s illustrious clients, recommended … [Read more...] about Saiundo Traditional Art Supply Shop
Nihonga – The History of Traditional Japanese Painting
Ian Ropke writes... The history of traditional Japanese painting The history of Nihonga, the traditional Japanese manner of painting, can be traced back to the beginning of the Heian period. A manuscript from 999 mentions a style of painting called Yamato-e (Yamato was the old name of Japan). When exactly this new school of painting originated is not known, but it is … [Read more...] about Nihonga – The History of Traditional Japanese Painting
