"I'm Here All Alone"(Dire Straights- "Calling Elvis")

Barbara went back home four days ago, leaving me on my own here in Kyoto until I follow next Thursday.  I'm proud of myself so far.  I've done my own laundry, and shopped for dinner every day.  The dinner hasn't been as good, but it is increasingly edible day by day.  I've been going around, and pleased to be doing it by myself.  When B. left, I realized how dependent on her for transportation guidance I have become.  Socially,  I have my students, who seem to like me mostly, though we are totally uncertain of who we are, and the small group of ex-pats who are the Friday "gang".

I went to an "onsen" (public bath).  It was very nice, once I relaxed.  In Japan I always feel an inch away from a social faux pas, which is bad enough, but the fear of committing one while nude kept me on my toes for a while.

In Kyoto, they are "mad" about Christmas!!  Lights and trees are everywhere.  The most gawdawful music, Japanese versions of the Happy Chipmunks, which is "meta Chipmunks", and as such is magic, is everywhere.  What Christmas means to them is wholly, and with no guilt or ambivalence, about SPENDING!  Once again, Japan imports the "essence", leaving the falseness and irrelevancy behind.

Today, on the advice of one of my students, I found a place to rave about; Shinyodo-ji, which is within cycling distance of work.  I attach a few photos, which don't do it justice.  If you come, I will "drag" you here, and you won't be the same after. I plan to go there every day, which you won't be able to understand from these pictures.

Love to all,

Tokyo

Fuji-san from the train

Kabuki Dancer

Mei, Natsumi and B; Mei, Win and Natsumi

B and Junko

Looking down from the tower

Tsukiji

28 November 2011


      Being in Japan and not seeing Tokyo would be like being in the US and not visiting NYC.  So off we streaked on the gleaming white Shinkansen to Tokyo last Friday.  Being a clear day, we had excellent views of Mt. Fuji (climbable only in the summer).  From Tokyo Station we made our way to Ryokan Sawanoya in the Ueno Park district, a small Ryokan friendly to foreigners.  We went right back to Ginza to walk around a little and then meet our old friend Junko at the Shinbashi Enbujo Kabuki Theatre for a performance.  She had bought wonderful seats in a box.  Kabuki is an energetic, lively, stylized, imaginative form of traditional theatre done with fabulous costumes, wonderful dance, musicians and singers on stage, male actors playing all female roles (onnegata), and superb acting.  We saw three plays, the performance lasting for about 5hrs.  But everyone brings a box dinner to their seats during the intermissions.  It all went by much too fast.

     Saturday we met the two students we had hosted last year at Showa, Mei and Natsumi.  We went to the colorful neighborhood of Asakusa, famous for the old shopping streets crammed with people.  We stopped for snacks and lunch of Okonomiyaki (batter pancakes with veggies, shrimp and whatever cooked at the table and shared).  Then on to the huge Senso-ji Temple, said to have been first built in 628.  Later we met Junko again and went to the National Museum to see the Highlights of Japanese Art - a small but exquisite selection of Japanese arts starting with paleolithic finds.  Later we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant for which I have only a card in kanji, but where we had our own room facing a small garden and could leisurely enjoy the best sukiyaki we had ever tasted.  After the delicious meat and vegetables are cooked in the broth, you dip pieces in raw egg just before eating, which tasted fabulous to my surprise.


     Sunday unfortunately Win was feeling pretty terrible, so Junko and I had to leave him behind at Sawanoya  for our whirlwind Tokyo tour which included the Imperial Palace Park, a quick trip up the Tokyo Tower (say tawah) which looks like a red Eiffel Tower and I think is taller, and a boat ride up the Sumidagawa River.  Later she and I had a nice dinner at restaurant serving various breaded veggies, meat and fish on skewers.  We enjoyed chatting and catching up the last 20yrs or so.

      Today I went on my own after breakfast to the Tsujiki fish market, which is acres upon acres of wholesale fish markets, selling just about anything that lives or swims in fresh or salt water.  Perhaps it is best known for the tuna auctions every morning at 5am, but I missed that.  Nonetheless it was an incredible scene, and I was mildly surprised by the number of creatures for sale that were unfamiliar to me!  When I got back to Sawanoya, Win was a bit better and we walked over to the neighboring shrine, Nezu, which was quiet and peaceful, the red buildings very much complimenting the fall foliage.  Then off to the station and back to Kyoto.

   Posts will be infrequent in December, as I will be returning to Boston the day after tomorrow!


Love and see you soon!








     

Momiji no happa (Maple leaves)

Nijo Castle Garden

Nijo Caste Moat

Map of Kurama dera

Hokusai - Man using abacus

 
23 November 2011 (National Holiday: Kinnokansha no hi or Labor Thanksgiving Day)


      No question about it, the love of tree gazing is rampant.  We seem to have fallen right into the frenzy.  On Sunday we took the nearby train up the mountains just north of us, to the village of Kurama, passing through the "tunnel of maples" at which point the trains slows down.  We stopped to buy some rice to bring along (changed counted by abacus).  It was a refreshingly cool day for a change, and we explored the lovely and peaceful (in spite of the Sunday crowd) mountain side temple, Kurama-dera.  We hiked up the side of the mountain to the main temple, past ancient cypress trees (cryptomeria?), continuing on by a remarkable area of twisted roots, had some sticky rice we had bought and then hiked down to Kibune, a small village by the Kibune-gawa where Kyoto people come to eat at the Ryokan restaurants in summer to cool off (the restaurants erect dining platforms that hang over the water.  Needless to say it was beautiful to see the sun reflecting in the delicate red maples.  Kurama is also the site of the Fire Festival in October where gigantic torches are carried up the mountain path to the temple (this photo and the others of Kurama are not mine).

     Last night we went out to one of the temple "light ups."  We chose Kodai-ji, a zen temple with wonderful sand gardens, groves of trees, bamboo, etc winding up the hillside.  Of course there were hordes of people doing exactly the same thing, but still it was lovely to see the lighted up trees reflected in the pond,  and especially the ethereal look of the lighted pale green bamboo grove.  We both thought the light show on the beautiful sand and rock garden was a bit un-zen like, but still entertaining.  (Photos of night foliage not mine.)

     Today we visited Nijo Castle which is in central Kyoto.  It was a great spot.  The castle is not surprisingly very grand - rooms with wonderful, imposing paintings of pine trees, various animals and birds and especially wonderful wooden lattices and carvings every where.  The castle has magnificent and well kept gardens and ponds.  Another more recent castle is surrounded by a large stone wall and moat.  There are also "nightingale" floors which we didn't get to walk on, but which are floors that squeak when an intruder enters (there is apparently a nail under the floor board that moves up and down inside a clamp).  The morning was completed by a cup of matcha and a sweet in the tea house sitting on tatami mats looking at the gardens.  It doesn't get much better (even though sitting on the floor is not Win's forte).  I can sit Japanese style for about 5 minutes until my feet fall asleep, but then I can sit with my legs to the side about long enough to have tea.

     Last Friday night we had an excellent dinner with Giovanni and Ferr, who seem to have considerable knowledge of the local restaurant scene.  A hole-in-the-wall sort of place on Sanjo dori, east of the river, on the south side of the street, marked by a large red lantern and no discernible  name.  At the counter we were served excellent fish, tempura, raw lobster (!!), fish entrails (?liver) and you name it.  All with good cheer.  I will pass on raw lobster, but the cooked parts of the lobster and the lobster miso were excellent.


Happy Thanksgiving to all.  We miss the gathering.  Love to all.

   

     



    

Jizo and Kannon

 

 


Saturday, 19 November 2011

falling freely
tears and rain
on the garden Jizo


   -Senryu

     I posted a photograph of a sculpture (15 November entry) and want to say a little more about it.  It is of Jizo (also called Ojizo Sama, the most respectful name), who guards the souls children who are ill or die before their parents, and shortens the time they must suffer in the underworld.  This is a very common theme in Buddhist iconography, and here he is shown with a jingle staff (shakujo) which alerts insects and animals of his approach so they won't be harmed.  His face is often depicted to be childlike. Small stones, toys etc are placed at his feet, also red bibs and hats are common. 

     On November 17 I visited Sanjusangen-do (or the temple of 33 intervals between pillars).  Inside the long, narrow building is a sight to behold:  an ancient wooden statue of the 1000 armed Senju-Kannon (goddess of mercy), flanked by 1000 smaller statues (all different) with 42 arms apiece.  There are also 28 dramatic and various guardian statues.  The photographs above are not mine, as inside photography is strictly prohibited.  In case you are wondering, 1000 arms are present because each of the 40 arms saves 25 worlds. 

     Today was a down pour, so we went to a special exhibit at the Kyoto National Gallery from the Hosokawa Family Eisei Bunko Collection.  This family, originally powerful samurai, goes back about 16 generations, and they amassed over time a huge collection of poetry, scrolls, ancient ceramics, Noh play kimonos and masks, tea ceremony utensils, samurai clothing and weapons, and so on.  I found the cat and the cormorant paintings on the internet.  The entire collection is in a museum in Tokyo.  It was stunning and a bit overwhelming in size.  We especially loved the paintings and scrolls.  I think the family believed "the sword and the brush" went hand in hand.


We send love

O tanjoubi omedeto Val and Steve

Maneki Neko (Inviting Cat) - Means good fortune

17 (&21) November 2011



HAPPY BIRTHDAYS VAL AND STEVE!!!

Long distance love and extra hugs

Return to Kyoto

16 November 2011

For a lovely bowl
     let us arrange these 
     flowers...
Since there is no rice


            -Basho

        
   

We arrived back on Monday night (Kyoto time) having left Pensacola on Saturday afternoon.  It was wonderful to be with all the family and remember Joan together, sharing some good times and some sad thoughts.  Tim and Marg outdid themselves in taking good care of all of us, and we hope so much they will visit.

I am posting a few random photos.  One is of the magnificent garden at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which we visited in the rain on Nov 5 during a time it was open to the public without needing to obtain tickets through the Imperial Household Agency.  It was a great jam of people, but quite a sight, especially the gardens.  Another is of the Kamo-Gawa River, a central feature of Kyoto, and a place where herons and egrets always congregate.  Also a couple of sculptures that caught my eye (note the pinwheel), and a truck that caught Win's eye.  Slowly we are feeling at home here, though still missing friends and family greatly.   We are debating what to do for Thanksgiving, since neither ovens nor turkeys are anywhere to be found!  Also a lack of American acquaintances.


With love to all

Joan Burr/Grandma/Mum

7 November 2011

Joan (Win's mother) died peacefully today.  We were thinking of her when we visited Kyoto Botanaical Garden on Sunday, seeing the orchards and other beautiful flowers and remembering her  keen sense of beauty and eye for the natural world, reflected in her wonderful paintings and her entire life.  These photographs are in her memory.  We have gone to Pensacola for a week or so.

Love and peace, Win and Barbara

Daily Life; Social Aspects

November 6, 2011

Win and Giovanni

Chef of Giro Giro

Our social world is different than at home, but has become quite charming in its way.  At work, unless I go downstairs to the department office to get a new battery for the clock, or am in class with my students, I'm by myself in my spacious office.  I like it.  I often go to the student cafeteria for lunch.  In Japan I haven't any of the feeling I have sometimes in the US of being "alone in a crowd".  There is a way in which the presence of others on the street and in the cafeteria makes one feel accompanied, though also left alone.  Japanese students often eat lunch by themselves, much more so than one would see in an American college cafeteria.  They don't seem to need "conversation" to feel connected, the way we often do.

Through my Friday class in beginners' Japanese, we've become part of a little "gang" of foreigners.  There is Emilie, a 30-something, quite brilliant biology post-doc from France, Giovanni, an Italian, also in his 30's and a post-doc in math, and Emmanuel, a french historian of psychiatry, also in his late 30's, who is hoping to get a tenure track job in Germany and may be leaving in January.  Emilie is married to another biologist, and Giovanni has a girlfriend, a pediatric neurologist, who will join him for a few weeks in January.  Emmanuel seems unattached. There is also an Italian visiting professor whose field is agricultural machinery, and another Frenchman,  Nicolas (not in our beginner's class), who works as a French teacher and has a Japanese wife who works in the field of "luxury tourism".   We haven't met her yet.

Together we go to lunch on Fridays, and have attended an opening of a photography show at the French Cultural Institute.  We have been to two "hole in the wall" music clubs on Saturday nights. We had a splendid dinner together at a very famous, but hard-to-get-into local kaiseki restaurant (Giro Giro).  The food would be a good subject for a later blog post, except that food is better fun to eat than to read about.  And usually we eat at home.

I could go on, but won't for now.


Love to everyone.......

Cobbled Streets and A Delicate Topic

2 November 2011

     Mild weather continues.  So I decided to walk through Eastern Gion and Higashiyama,  a district of shrines (notably Yasaka where the photo above shows what most Japanese like to do at the shrines, which is offer a prayer and ring the bell or gong - actually the reverse order).  There are many lovely narrow streets, some paved with flagstones.  Ninenzaka (two year slope) and Sannenzaka (three year slope) are in a preservation district (see above photo to appreciate the beauty of the neighborhood).  Local legend says that a slip on either of these streets will bring 2 or 3years bad luck (I escaped such a fate this time).

     Now, about toilets.  I speak only for ladies' rooms.  First you have to find them.  They are a wide range of technology.  The simplest are squatting toilets, which I did finally realize have a right and a wrong way of use.  And in case Japanese women are confused about western toilets, I found a sign in one which gave explicit directions.  Have you ever considered squatting on a toilet seat?  I really don't find traditional toilets so easy on the knees, and if you have on a back pack it can throw your balance off.  At the other extreme are the beautiful Toto toilets with heated and sanitized seats, multiple buttons for washing in all sorts of ways and for all lengths of time, and even a button that makes fake flushing sounds lest someone else have an idea what you are doing.  Many public restrooms seem to have a few of each type.  Alas, in our apartment no heated toilet seat, but at least it's not a squatting type!

     OK, I promise to get back to more refined topics next time.

With lots of love

My "Big" Moment

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

What to do about Clinical Depression? Practicing an "Impossible Profession" in the Land of "Evanescence and Form"

The "public lecture" that I had been imagining for a year happened last Sunday afternoon.  I had had no idea who would come to a four hour lecture on a Sunday afternoon, and wondered if the "public lecture" part of my contract was a ceremonial formality.  I imagined lecturing to a few homeless people who had nowhere else to go, and I was emotionally ready for an empty room.  I found out for the first time once we got to the venue, that the Visiting Professor's Public Lecture is something the department puts on every year.  They send out fliers to the community, and charge $35 a seat.  They sold all 100 seats, and had to turn people away.  It think that's the way it is every year.  I'm very glad I didn't know that in advance, or I would have been a basket case.

I had learned to say the first sentence, and the last two sentences in Japanese, and of course to bow at the beginning and introduce myself.  I have no idea whether anyone understood a word of that, but my  sponsor said my Japanese sounded "just like the emperor".  We both laughed.  I had a truly wonderful translator who really cared to make the Japanese "just right", and who worked like a dog for the whole four hours.  The audience stayed the whole time, and only a few were asleep, so I count it a howling success.  I got some very interesting questions from teachers and psychologists in the audience.

Now it's over.  I had wonderful advice and editing help on it, hugely from B, but also from several others including both Val and Adam.  I'm so "high" I wish I could do it over and over again, but that's not going to happen.  More later....

Love to all,

The Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji) and Daimonji-yama

29 October 2011

I love
My hut
At the foot of the Moon-awaiting Mountain
And the reflection
Of the sinking sky.

        -Shogun Yoshimasa (1436-1490)

     Saturday was perfect (warm) fall weather.  So we decided to make an early start for Ginkaku-ji, known as the Silver Pavilion.  The temple originated in the 1400's as a villa for the Shogun Yoshimasa, who being weary of the political world of the time, withdrew to devote himself to the arts.  The garden is spectacularly beautiful, consisting of a pond garden with seven stone bridges.  A sea of raked sand spreads out from the main hall and reflects the moon light onto the gardens. The large sand cone (Kogetsudai or moon-viewing platform) had various meanings attributed to it: possibly meant to be a source of sand for the sand garden, or a representation of Mt. Fuji, or meant to reflect divine light into the hearts of viewers.  The Silver Pavilion (not silver but ancient weathered wood) is small and exquisitely graceful.  The main hall was open for the month for tours of its treasures, and so we were able to see some of the gardens in the back and some wonderful screens, both ancient and 19th century impressionist, and the kaisho (or gathering room) where arts such as tea, poetry, flower arranging, incense appreciation were practiced and refined.  As you climb up the hill behind through the moss gardens, you get a wonderful view of both Kyoto and the temple.  I look forward to returning in winter.  The gardeners sweep the moss with delicate straw brushes, pick up maple seeds and stray leaves etc., and generally leave the landscape impeccably tidy.  Many trees have their longest branches resting on bamboo poles, a common sight in all the gardens.

     After a cup of matcha, we set off to climb Daimonji-yama, the mountain seen easily from all over Kyoto which has a vast dai kanji slashed into the upper slope (dai means great and is one of about 4 kanji I can recognize!).  The climb was a short, somewhat steep and very well-used trail which leads to an overlook which seemed to be a popular picnic spot for young and old alike.  Every year on Aug 16 (Daimonji no Okuribi),  great fires are lit (see photo), first on Daimon-ji and then on other surrounding mountains in succession.  The fires are burned to bid farewell to the spirits of ancestors after the spirits have visited the earth for that day.

    We hope all our friends are surviving the untimely October snow we have read about!  Not a sign of cold weather around here yet.

     We miss everyone and send love