Picnic by the Kamogawa and A Temple Walk

Chrysanthemums

31 October 2014

     An overcast day, but warm and only the least bit of rain.  We met up Nami san at Dimachi yanagi and walked down to the Kamogawa for a lovely picnic lunch she provided.  We were joined by her friend, Mariko san, a graduate student and Buddhist nun, and by Masao Imamura and his wife, Jackie.  Masao is an anthropologist, historian of East Asian studies and had investigated the role of missionaries in Burma, among other topics.
     We also met up with a psychiatrist at the Kyoto University health services whom Win had met while here in 2011.  He had grown up in the area around the University and was our guide for a lovely walk up in the hills to see Yoshida  Jinja (shrine), Shinnyo do (a favorite temple of Win's), and  finally Konkai Komyo ji.  Leaves beginning to change and no crowds, so it was very peaceful and leisurely.  Also in that area are the old graves of a number emperors.  We stopped for coffee and the little shop also served individual hot sweet souffles!  Very delicate and delicious.
     After a short rest we again met Nami san for a nice Indian vegetarian meal.  Much discussion of the life of a graduate student at Kyoto University and the state of Japanese education etc. which Nami san would like to influence in some way...We hope we will see her again before too long.

We send love and hugs to all.

..., Win and Nami san

B and W at Yoshida Shrine

Maple leaves at Sinnyo do

    

Kuri and Kappa

30 October 2014

     Our first free day!  Warm and sunny.  We had our last breakfast of milk bread toast (a Japanese favorite, sort of like Wonder Bread only much thicker)  and fried egg at Clark's Coffee and moved out of the Shiran Kaikan, back to the Kyoto Royal Hotel and Spa.
     Since the hotel is centrally located, we were only a short walk from Nishiki Market, a favorite place to learn about Japanese food, much of which I can only guess at.  Many foods are prepared right there, such as tea roasting, matcha grinding, mochi making, soy skin preparation, etc.  And of course always free samples of pickles!  We had our favorite Nishin Soba for lunch (dried herring in soup),  did some shopping and ended up at Ipodo do for a cup of fragrant sencha tea, lovingly prepared at the table with water of exactly 80 degrees C.  and of course a fall sweet.
    In the evening we met the Oyama family for dinner in the Fushimi area.  Delicious meal, even though we were very exhausted.  The restaurant is called Kizura Kappa Country in an old sake brewery.  (A Kappa is a horrible mythological creature, sort of a scaley, beaked, humanoid about which there are many legends, notably that it pulls humans under water, does nasty things, and people drown.)  We talked about ghosts in Noh plays and Shakespeare - but no Kappas to be seen.  We also received a kind invitation to return to Kyoto in early March!  Win and Satoki chan bonded, and English was not in the least necessary.  By the end they were holding hands on the way back to the train.
   We quickly collapsed thereafter.

We send love.
 

Win and friend

  

Kappa

The GSS Meeting (Global Survivability Studies Program at Kyoto University)

29 October 2014

A combination of internet problems, fatigue and a busy schedule has kept us from writing.  But today is the third and last day of the GSS Conference, so we will be more relaxed for the next few days.  To catch up briefly, we had dinner Sunday night with Emanuelle, Nicholas, and Peter as well as Nicholas' new Japanese girlfriend, Akiko.  Went to an Izakaya restaurant, Waraya, and had many varieties of grilled chicken, mushrooms etc.  It was a nice reunion.  We missed Giovanni and Emilie!

Monday was the start of the Conference.  The GSS program is a large and complex interdisciplinary program that includes 9 graduate schools and 3 research institutes from the university, and offers extra opportunities to graduate students with a goal of developing international leaders and researchers (eg in public health, environment, climate, economy etc).  The full name for the program is "Inter-Graduate School Program for Sustainable Development and Survivable Societies." It is funded for 7 or 8 years by the Japanese government to improve Japan's presence in the world scene.   We gave one talk on "Global Mental Health" among many presentations by "experts" and by students.  I think it went quite well.  I was the only invited woman speaker. 

The students are quite delightful and a highlight of the experience.  Topics ranged from public health related subjects to technology, climate change, leadership, etc, etc.  There was more information about "Sustainable Development Goals" than anyone could possibly assimilate.

Last evening there was a reception by the students in which they provided food and entertainment, including  dancing, and all wore traditional clothing from their native counties.  I include photos a few favorites.  It has been delightful to talk with the students about their work and experiences. 

Will write more but shouldn't be late for the morning meeting.

Sending much love.

GSS students at the party

Christina fromYemen

Hiba from Sudan

Our Presentation

First day in Kyoto 2014

25 October 2014

We finally arrived in Kyoto last evening, 24 hours behind schedule due to mechanical problems on our first flight causing us to miss the plane to Osaka.  So we spent an only moderately comfortable night at the Comfort Inn in south San Francisco and (after a decent if long flight) arrived finally at the Kyoto Royal Hotel and Spa which we have already left (due to complicated university arrangements).

This morning was magnificently clear and summer like.  We were picked up by our friend Yasu (Oyama) who brought us to Satoki's nursery school which was having a fund raising fair.  The highlight was the opening ceremony in which the the 5y/o class performed on the drums with magnificent timing and style.  See photos.  There were the usual garage sale type activities, and lots of games and food.  Everyone seemed in great spirits.  We were so happy to meet their new baby, Kaya, 21/2months old, and see Mayo san again.  After a short walk to a near by shrine (Fushiminomori) where many babies seemed to be having their one month blessings, accompanied by their parents, some traditionally decked out and some "modern," we went to a local sushi restaurant and had delicious soup and nigiri sushi, then left to change hotels and rest.  We are hoping to go out to dinner tonight with Nicholas, Emanuelle and Pete...more updates tomorrow.

With much love to all.

Yasu sensei and Kaya chan (21/2 months)

Satoki chan (age 5) drumming

Preschool drumming ceremony

Sayonara

Yasaka Pagoda

Sakura

Jizo (protector of children)

Thursday and Friday, March 28 & 29

     Thursday was overcast and cool.  We had a leisurely coffee at the Museum coffee shop, and then headed up to the Yasaka Shrine to see the cherry blossom viewing.  Preparations for festivities were in active progress.  Then a leisurely stroll through southern Higashiyama with a stop for tea and red bean and rice sweets at our favorite, four table tea shop .   We will miss this tradition, which started quite by chance when we were here with  Cecilia and John four years ago.
    Early dinner at the Granvia Hotel with Yuko-sensei and Tatara-sensei, with much talk of Riggs etc.  Yuko-sensei is applying to return and as always expressed great enthusiasm.
    Friday: a last garden buffet breakfast at the Hyatt.  My last green tea muffin with azuki beans.  Really a nice hotel hidden unobtrusively behind an old temple wall and a small bamboo grove.  So much to miss in Kyoto, and today is truly warm and spring like.

                 how brilliant-
      leaves both green and young
                 in the sun's light

                            -ancient haiku about seasons

See everyone soon



     

Vegetarian Meal for Zen Monks

Wednesday, March 27

"Chestnuts" made of sweet potato and tea noodles

Kangaan

Nami-san

     Nami-san, our Japanese tutor last year, took us for a lunch meal at a small Zen temple, Kangaan.  It is a special kind of vegetarian meal served for monks, Fucharyori, comprised of many small preparations of vegetables, all beautifully presented and some made to resemble raw or grilled fish.  The sweet at the end of the meal is a soup of sweet azuki beans.  Here is the meaning of the meal as presented to us in English:

          Five Preaching Messages
1. Think of the good deeds you have done and think how you could achieve it
2. Think of good deeds you have done and have meal as you deserve them
3. Don't be greedy but be satisfied with simple food
4. If you believe it is good for your health, it should work as you believe
5. You should have this meal to achieve the Buddhism virtue

     Afterwards, we went back to the University to hear a lecture on "super ego" by a visiting German psychoanalyst, Dr Tomas Plaenkers.   It is always interesting to consider these sorts of ideas from a cross cultural perspective, and of course there are big differences but incomplete understanding...We went with a few students for a drink afterwards but peeled off in order to meet some old friends for dinner: Emmanuel Delille, Filippo Nuccio, Peter Kassian and Nicholas Dasonville.  Only Giovanni was missing as he is back in Italy.  We went to a Kakatori place (Saeyura) near Hyakumanben and had a lively and very late evening.  This leaves us one more day...

Love to all

A Last Dinner with Students

Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26

     Monday brought us some time for ourselves, and after a quick trip to the University to be reimbursed for the trip, we set out independently.  I did a little shopping (always fun if expensive in Japan) and then we met up at Nishiki Market, which we had to marvel over once again.  If only I knew half of the foods that are being sold!  Once again Win enjoyed sampling pickles, and I admired but did not buy the beautiful Japanese knives.  After a little rest we met the students for a last dinner party (Ushini-hone at Sanjo up from Teramachi dori).  Oyama sensei was unable to attend because of his tooth infection, but we met a pediatric cardiologist from the University hospital who was very charming and interested in the emotional aspects of caring for his patients.   The students had many questions for us and it was a lively if exhausting evening ending at 11, late for us.
   Tuesday morning we went back to Eikando Temple, one of our favorites.  It is wonderful to revisit familiar places.  In the morning the monks are chanting and praying which adds to the alive sense of the place.  You can read more about it from last year's blob about the" backward looking buddha."
    We then met Araki-sensei and her husband (and Berg and Somdev) for lunch at a famous, 400year old restaurant Hyotei (referring to a gourd).  We had a fine, traditional lunch looking out over a miniature but exquisite garden and water fall.  We had a wonderful time reminiscing and felt very well taken care of as is so often the case here.

We send much love

Eikando Temple