Ian Ropke writes: Experiencing an Autumn Tea Ceremony 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 … [Read more...] about Autumn Japanese Tea Ceremonies in Kyoto
Culture & Tradition
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...] about Saba Kaido – The Old Mackerel Highway
Walking Kyoto – Hōnen-in
Ian Ropke writes: This summer take the narrow road south from the gate of Ginkaku-ji Temple to the elevated world of Hōnen-in Temple. Here you will find the sun shining on a large bamboo grove. Here you will find birds singing sweetly high above. Here you will experience long, silent moments. If one walks this same path every day, one will discover the fresh new … [Read more...] about Walking Kyoto – Hōnen-in
Gion Festival
Tourists who came from afar were apt to think that the Gion Festival consisted of only the parade of floats on the seventeenth of July. Many also came to Hiezan on the night of the sixteenth. But the real ceremonies of Gion Festival continued all through July. In the various districts in Kyoto, each of which had its own Gion float, the festival bands began to perform and the … [Read more...] about Gion Festival
Along the Takasegawa: Pontocho and Kiyamachi
Old, quiet memories in a wild, new world The Takasegawa Canal Ian Ropke writes... This month, if you have the time, consider strolling down the Takegawa Canal along the lively, yet always interesting, world of Kiyamachi and Pontocho. Though the Takasegawa is called a river in Japanese, it is actually a canal, built with thousands of laborers. This is quite amazing, … [Read more...] about Along the Takasegawa: Pontocho and Kiyamachi
