Posted in temples, kyoto on Aug 15th, 2006 No Comments »
There is not an inch of silver to be found on the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto’s Eastern Hills, and that is a good thing. Thanks to the fact that the Onin War had depleted the coffers of the eight Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshimasa (1436-1490), he was not able to imitate the extravagance of his grandfather, who […]
Posted in Japan, architecture, museums on Aug 13th, 2006 No Comments »
The Himeji Museum of Literature is a case of a Japanese museum where the building is much more impressive than what it contains. But as that building is one of the masterpieces of modern architect Ando Tadao, it certainly is worth a visit, if only for the architecture. There are many literature museums in Japan […]
Posted in temples, kyoto on Aug 12th, 2006 No Comments »
I am in Kyoto at the beginning of the second week of August, the hottest time of the year, the time also when the souls of the dead are being welcomed back to the earth.
For more then a week, from the 7th to the 15th, they may freely roam on our planet and will be […]
Posted in nature, travel and places, gardens on Aug 11th, 2006 1 Comment »
Kokoen, ‘The Garden of Love for Antiquity’ is not very antique itself as it was only built in 1992. It is, however, a pleasant group of gardens (in fact there are nine), laid out on the spot where once the Nishi-Oyashiki (the West Mansion) of Himeji Castle stood. The gardens are enclosed in white washed […]
Posted in nature, history, travel and places, museums on Aug 10th, 2006 No Comments »
If you are wondering what to do in Nagoya, a visit to Nagoya Castle might be a good idea. No, it is not an original castle anymore, like that other giant castle of yore, Osaka, the donjon has been lost and rebuilt in concrete, but is still an imposing presence and there is a great […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 9th, 2006 No Comments »
good-bye now,
I go snow viewing
till tumbling over
iza saraba | yukimi ni korobu | tokoro made
Basho
This charming haiku was composed at a snow viewing party at the house of one Yudo, a bookseller in Nagoya, on December 3, 1687 (January 5, 1688 in our calendar). Basho may have written the poem after the meeting when he […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 8th, 2006 No Comments »
by wintry blasts
the rocks are sharpened
through the cedars
kogarashi ni | iwa fukitogaru | sugima kana
Basho
Basho visited Horaizan in 1691, after his long trek to northern Japan and his subsequent stay in Shiga Prefecture to recuperate. As usual, he was accompanied by a group of local haiku enthusiasts, led by one Hakusetsu. At noon they reached […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 7th, 2006 No Comments »
yellow roses
fragrance of Uji tea
coming from the drier
yamabuki ya | Uji no hoiro no | niou toki
Basho
Tea leaves give off a nice fragrance when they are being dried or roasted. Basho is in the tea producing area of Uji and while he looks at some yamabuki roses, the fresh smell of tea on the drier […]
Posted in Japan, crafts, museums, kyoto on Aug 6th, 2006 No Comments »
The Yasui Konpira Shrine stands in an area full of bars and love hotels just south of Gion. In Japan that is not an unlikely spot for a shrine or temple as the sacred and profane were always mixed and devout pilgrims would after saying their prayers spend the night in the nearby red light […]
Posted in crafts, art and photography, intercultural, kyoto on Aug 5th, 2006 No Comments »
Ema are votive plates dedicated to shrines and temples. Usually, they consist of a flat piece of wood decorated with a picture. People buy them during shrine and temple visits, especially at the New Year, inscribe them with wishes for a prosperous year and hang them on special racks as petitions to the gods. Common […]