It was was dark outside. All I could see were small clusters of lights as our plane came in to land, but I knew the unseen rural New England landscape well. In years past this landing meant I was coming home from college or in later years for a visit with my ageing parents, my young children by my side. Feelings now, as then, were a mixture of anticipation and melancholy. The melancholy was from the recognition that time was closing in on the remaining time left between me and my parents. Those disturbing feelings are a visitor that accompanies advancing age, deepening recognition that the clock is ticking and adding a bittersweet quality to events that were once never given much thought.
The empty airport concourse signalled immediately that no one would be there any longer for my homecoming. It had been decades ago, but happy images of my mother and father waiting for me remained alive, however impossible. The Christmas decorations on display looked a little cheesier to me than they had in my youth. Mounds of dirty snow were the only remainders of last week’s early snowstorm. The cold air seemed colder than I’d remembered. The winter coat I’d brought with me in defense of the cold warmed me, but felt heavy and oppressive.
I’d come to visit a dear relative who is being treated for a grave illness. I was relieved to finally visit, but apprehensive too. Continue reading “Going Home!?”→
After recovering from three somewhat harrowing days driving a rental car on the road in Japan, we learned , despite the high points of the trip, not to do it again. I also relearned that there is a very small margin of error between life and death on a snake like one lane curving road where a head -on collision could catapult you from one world to the next and was possible at any time.
At Koyasan, while walking through the cryptomeria pathway lined with tombs of the dead, I learned again to value the time I have left, before I rest for eternity with the millions who have passed before us.
On the far too narrow one lane road leading us out of Koyasan, I learned that beauty can exist in unlikely circumstances. The road really should have been just a pathway along the small river, but it actually was chosen by Google maps as our way to get down the steep mountain. It even had a route #!
Despite the knowledge that each curve or one wrong turn of the wheel could presage our final moments, I could not get over the thrill of being in this beautiful area. The intense beauty overcame my fear. The foliage lining the river’s path was at its peak of fall color. The river itself, about 25 feet beneath the road, was populated by beautiful boulders and rocks, the river, crystal clear, running a path between them. It invited me to linger, but my husband had a sense of urgency to get us to a wider and undoubtedly safer road. Some bikers rushed past us, but other than that, we’d meet one or two other motorists about every 20minutes, which is to say, we were mostly alone in this splendid landscape on this treacherous road.
the river below.
Then, suddenly this journey into an alternate universe was over. We welcomed the first houses that appeared and celebrated escaping alive. Maybe I’m being overly melodramatic, but I don’t think so! Soon, the junk big box architecture that is too prevalent outside of most cities took over our visual field. We’ve lost so much of the natural world.
The sacred place of Koyasan was meant to celebrate nature, as is Shintoism. I am grateful we got to participate in the celebration, somber as it could be at times.
Long-range plans are not my forté. Sometimes,they are neccesary, but in general, I prefer to make it up as I go along, follow my instincts, and see what might appear. Sometimes this results in a clash with my scientific husband who is a more linear thinker. He has called my seemingly random excursions, “aimless wandering.” That’s the whole point, but I think you have to be wired a certain way to enjoy it. It has been known to drive him crazy, but today, happily, we were on the same wave length.
This kind of travel is serendipitty doo dah for me. This is a look I seem to get when visiting a temple. I am calling it my quasi-spiritual look.
What can be more fun than coming upon some wonderful place that is unexpected? Seeing a flower for the first time or the final time in the season? Taking in the complexity of the stone work pathways. Looking at the details and beauty of a bamboo fence. Listening to the sweet sounds of birds, so high in the ancient trees, I can never spot them. It’s eye and ear candy, pure and simple.
As far as temples go, I hear tourists saying they’re “templed out.” As far as I’m concerned, temples can be like people, they have a lot of similar characteristics that are arranged differently. No two are ever just alike. But you can’t be rushed in meeting them. Each entrance, gateway, walkway, garden, bell tower, hondo, etc. are different. Do I have a fave? Not really.
Today, we traveled a few miles north of central Kyoto to visit a trio of small temples in the foothills. The Japanese maples are just beginning their autumn displays at this slightly higher altitude. Bus loads of tourists will descend in a week or two, I imagine, when the colors are more vivid and cause the viewer to gasp in disbelief. Today, all was calm and peaceful. Probably the calm before the storm. It allowed me take in details that in more crowded circumstances could be overlooked.
Today the quiet on the temple grounds felt heavy and dense. Today, I noticed for the first time that there can be different qualities to quiet.
By the time we toured all three temples we were ready to eat lunchee. (adopted Japanese word.) There were no immediate restaurants, so we began to walk along the narrow country road towards what we thought might be the nearest town. We didn’t have to go far before coming to a small restaurant with no English spoken and no English menu. If you show a willingness to “work” with the staff, it’s been our experience that you will always get something to eat. Today, it was okonomyaki Just the best, simple and delicious.
Oh, Japan! Never could I have imagined the impact that a short trip to accompany my husband on a business trip to Japan in the 1980’s would have on my life. The impact was profound and has continued to influence my life in ways small and large.
Suddenly I was presented with a very different way to see and be in the world. It was as if I’d fallen down the rabbit hole into a fascinating new world that I had no idea existed. I found an ancient culture that revered its traditions as it continued to innovate creatively. I found people who appeared always to be generous and polite. I found an attention to detail that captivated me. I found a culture that revered nature (most of the time). I found stark contrasts between old and new, the sacred and the profane. Juxtapositions exist everywhere. It was stimulating and inspirational. It got my attention. In a week’s time, I quickly became obsessed with all things Japanese. It was clearly a case of love at first sight. In the ensuing years, I’ve come back to Japan many times. I now live part time in Kyoto. It’s become my Source.
My obsession can puzzle those who’ve never been to Japan. I do my best to explain it with the following examples. Continue reading “OH, Japan!”→
Note: If this blog looks familiar, it’s because I originally wrote it more than three years ago. It still holds true. Parentheses added for additional thoughts now. The order of these reasons has no significance!
13 reasons I’ll be going back!
1. CIVILITY. Everyone is NICE ! Customers are always cordially welcomed and greeted when they enter a store or restaurant. They are always thanked for coming as they leave. Politeness simply makes the world a nicer place. (So true. Makes me nicer too.)
Saying goodbye at Abeke House in Omori-cho.
2. TEATIME. The abundance of cool cafes and charming teashops demand attention and always call for a mid-afternoon break that makes for a better day. (I’ve had to put limits on this enjoyable habit. The cakes all come with too steep a price not mentioned. In a new list I might be forced to omit the teatimes, for obvious reasons. I did love them dearly.)
3. TEMPLES AND SHRINES. I am magnetically drawn to the architecture, the gardens, the exotism, the mystery and the imagery of these places of worship. With approximately 2000 temples and shrines in Kyoto alone, there’s a lifetime left for exploration! (Still going strong and still discovering fascinating temples I hadn’t seen before. This Spring, the Obai-in Temple got my award as most unforgettable.)
Nenbutsuuji
Obai-inObai-inMiyajima shrine
4. GARDENS. Japanese gardens reveal their wonders to me season by season, place by place, turn by turn. They are places of refuge, dreams and restoration. The sights and sounds of water, stone, gravel and sculptured plants as manipulated in a Japanese garden can be revelatory. (After pulling up my backyard lawn, I’m now in the process of trying to put a Japanese influenced garden in its place. You’re right to laugh!)
5. SERENDIPITY. You just never know what will cross your path in the course of a day in seemingly the most unexpected places and moments.
Froggy café
6. ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Few aspects of the visual world is are overlooked. Sophisticated packaging, graphic design, and presentation constantly delight and astonish. (I’m awed by the way the Japanese aesthetic raises the bar for graphic design.)
7. Beer and Sake and Udon and Soba and Tofu and Tempura and Confections and Sushi and Ramen and Tonkatsu and Milk Pudding and Toast Sets and Cake Sets. All in one day?! (Gastronomic delights truly never end.)
summer treat!
8. FRIENDS. There’s nothing better than reconnecting with friends whom I’ve met through my travels to Japan. They not only enrich and enliven my visits, their patience, generosity and kindness enrich my life as a whole.
Robert Yellin, of Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Sculptor, Matsuzaki Katsuyoshi and Personal Tour Guide Yamanaka Harumi. Missing, her husband, Yamanaka Akihiko. Also missing and missed, Steve Beimel of Esprit Travel!
9. SAFETY. Never a worry. Great drivers, immaculate taxis, theft practically unheard of! (Forget your purse in the middle of a department store? No problemo! Your camera? Your glasses? I have a 100% rate of return, and those of you who know me know that if it’s not attached, I’ll lose it.)
10. ESCAPE FROM THE NEWS. The language barrier provides a perfect opportunity to tune out. (More important than ever.)
11. SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES. Constant over-stimulation. Tiny shops! Department stores with entire floors devoted to food and art? Textiles? The world’s best Ceramics? Clothing that’s actually comfortable? Regional folk art? Entire department store basements of all kinds of high-quality food? (I’ve actually come to understand “enough. ” Also, the object of my attention that first appears as irresistible, ultimately can become trite or cheesy. Ex: the first time I visited Japan, I was fixated on their covers for kleenex boxes that were in soft velour made to look like kittens!)
12. EVERYTHING DONE WELL. Never an attitude of “I’m too sexy for this job.” ( Every kind of work is respected. So much so that everyone seems to take pride in their work and does it as well as possible, be it cleaning person, server, salesperson, ticket taker, bank teller, etc. It’s in the dna, I think.)
14. NATURE CELEBRATED. Unfortunately, lots of the untouched natural beauty of Japan has disappeared to development, particularly in the cities. However, the Japanese inherent reverence for nature permeates all aspects of the culture, from design to food to art. Great trees are enshrined. Cherry and maple trees are illuminated and celebrated at the height of their beauty, and even as their beauty fades. Seasonally fresh flowers and branches can be found sitting in traditional shop windows and on front doors at the holidays. There’s never a question about rushing a season. Each is paid its proper tribute.
(A local flower shop receives fresh flowers that change by the day. From buds to entire branches. It’s pure pleasure.)
fall flower
gallery display
Just realized that I could almost sum it up in one word: “INSPIRATION!”
(Living part-time in Kyoto is an experiment that’s worked out better than I could have imagined. I no longer feel like a stranger in a strange land, although there’s enough contrast to my everyday life in CA that I never tire of the experiences presented. I’m making another attempt to learn the language, for my fifth or sixth time, ever hopeful that a breakthrough lies just around the corner. )
One of the best parts of living part-time in Kyoto, is that when it comes time to leave, I know I will return again. The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.
