13) Conclusion of a Short Guide to the History of Kyoto: The Living Museum
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| Nijo Jinya is an inn, built in the early days of the Edo period for the feudal lords (daimyo) who would stay there. It is full of cleverly hidden trap doors, secret pathways and hidden storage places, designed to protect those staying there. | On the twenty-first of every month, Toji temple hosts one of the best-known flea markets in Kyoto. This flea market is so famous it even has a nickname, 'Kobo-san' (named after the Buddhist monk, Kobo Taishi). | Gion originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan. |
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| Buddhism was imported to Japan via China and Korea, from the friendly Korean kingdom of Kudara (Paikche) in the 6th century. | Kyoto Tower is a 131 meter observation tower. At the base, there is a hotel and several stores. The tower stands opposite JR Kyoto station. | Wild monkeys, which live in the wooded mountains of Arashiyama, can be observed at the Monkey Park on Mt. Iwata. |
| Kyoto is almost a stereotype of itself. It is the picture you see on a holiday brochure, the photo you see on the tourist guide, the image that springs to mind more often than not when we think of Japan. Since its birth it has been destroyed only to re-emerge anew each time, grander and more ambitious than the time before. The emperor went from ruler to figurehead, shoguns wrestled for power and war ebbed and flowed. Because the temples, shrines, palaces and villas were made of wood, they were more often than not devastated by fires and plagued by misfortune. The historical Kyoto we see today is relatively new: Kinkaku-ji is barely 50 years old, rebuilt after it was burnt to the ground by a mad monk. But Japan recognises this, the Japanese accept that nature is not a permanent thing and as a species we come and go, build and rebuild. A mentality that is perfectly summarised in the popularity of cherry tree blossom viewing parties. The blossoms are symbols of the beauty and shortness of life. | ||
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| The 16km 'Hozugawa Kudari' boat trip along the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama via Hozukyo Valley. You rush down the rapids surrounded on all sides by outstanding views. | Located in the Okazaki area, which spreads out at the foot of the Higashiyama mountains, Kyoto Municipal Zoo, the second oldest in Japan, opened in April of 1903. It certainly shows. | Kodomo no hi (Children's Day) is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5, the fifth day of the fifth month, during the Golden Week period. Japan has almost one holiday per month. |
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| To make the Daimonji character , 600 piles of firewood, 100 piles of pine tree leaves, and 100 piles of straw are used. Many fire pits, forming the outline of the character, are filled with firewood. | Obon is Kyoto's most popular Summer event. Obon is an ancient rite to honor the souls of one's ancestors. The origin of the event is not clearly known. | Taiko means simply 'drum' in Japanese ("great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming. |
| Modernisation continues apace, sweeping across the plains that run from the Northern mountains of Kyoto all the way to Osaka Bay. It sweeps around the temples and shrines, cutting them off and creating small islands of history, of calm. While tourism has saved many famous buildings that otherwise would have been pulled to pieces by corporations, traditions continue only as pale imitations of the original. The city survives because of tourism and it fully accepts this. Huge monstrous mistakes dot the city, Kyoto Tower and the bland Kyoto Station epitomise this, put to shame by the magnificent temples they dwarf. Kyoto suffers the same fate as any Japanese city, it is a grey and concrete mess of apartment blocks and cables. But unlike Osaka, the accessibility of nature and history save it. Still, it can be a shock to read about the geisha, but end up on the streets of an unremarkable and rather ugly Gion. This is where stereotypes die hard. | ||
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| Emperor Kanmu's mausoleum. During his reign, from 781 to 806, the Capital of Japan was moved from Heijo-kyo in Nara, first to Nagaoka, and then to Heian-kyo, Kyoto. | The Minamiza theatre is the birthplace of 'kabuki,' and a landmark of the city. | In January 2006, a new museum was opened to showcase the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu in Arashiyama, Kyoto. |
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| The Heian Jingu was built in 1895 for the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of Heian-kyo (the old name of Kyoto). | The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei. The former moved the capital to Heian-kyo, and the latter was the last before Emperor Meiji, who moved the capital to Tokyo. | The torii before the main gate is one of the largest in Japan, and the main building, or shaden, is designed to imitate the original Kyoto Imperial Palace. |
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America realised that Kyoto was Japan's historical and cultural heart. Although shortlisted for atomic bombing, the name was later crossed off as the US feared the consternation and anger provoked might prolong the war. The Secretary of State had also visited the city in the years before the war and had fallen in love with the place. He worked hard to have the city protected from the devastating new weapon. And as a result, Kyoto is the flip-side of the stereotype coin. If Tokyo is Bladerunner, then Kyoto is a Kurosawa movie. | ||
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| Karaoke today was popularized by the Japanese singer Daisuke Inoue in Kobe in the early 1970s. | The Japanese have a famous attachment to their cell phones, most of which are equipped with enhancements such as video and camera capabilities. | Kyoto is the place to go shopping for traditional Japanese arts and souvenirs. You would not go to Kyoto shopping for the latest Japanese fashions. |
| In 1868 the emperor was moved to Edo and Kyoto ceased to be the Imperial capital. Tokyo was born. Kyoto feared for its future now all relevance seemed lost. The Meiji Restoration was fought on many fronts, as forces of reform struggled to topple the shogun and return the country to imperial rule. Ironically, Kyoto remained a hotbed of revolution, effectively knelling its own death bell. Yet again industry and the merchant classes saved the city. It would be an historical honey pot, exporting traditional Japan to the world, selling traditional ware, promoting itself as 'the real Japan'. Tokyo would have the emperor, but Kyoto would have the history, temples, shrines and spectacular arts and crafts of a millenium past. | ||
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| Contemporary Japanese weddings are celebrated in a great variety of ways. Many contain traditional Japanese and Western elements side by side. | Shinto is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami, spirits. | The Katsura River is a continuation of two other rivers, the Hozu River, a small, speedy river which begins in the mountains near Kameoka, and the Oi River, which emerges from those mountains. |
| Kyoto is the Japan of pagodas, temples, shrines, pine-forested mountains, lazy rivers, vibrant festivals, begging monks, geisha, golden pavilions, stone gardens, of Zen, tea ceremony, noh and kabuki, palaces and grand avenues. It is the Japan of old squeezed into one place. With just a little walking you easily stumble across small gems, out of the way shrines and gardens, remnants of history still proudly surviving one thousand years on. There is barely a street that is not filled with stories of daring do and not-quite-myths. From the founder Kammu to the last emperor of Kyoto, Komei, it remains an intriguing city. | ||
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| The new Kyoto Station building was built on the occasion of the 1,200th anniversary of the Heian Capital foundation. | Kyoto Station is Japan's second-largest train station building after Nagoya Station and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater and Isetan department store. | Hanami (flower viewing) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. |
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| The faux-gothic facade of Kyoto City Hall. | The Sanjo Bridge, busy, benign, was once well-known for the grisly executions (and public displays of severed heads) of prisoners and enemies of the state. | The area from the river west to Karasuma-dori, roughly bordered by Shijo-dori (4th Street) and Oike-dori is where Kyoto's main shopping streets are located. |
| I am lucky to have lived in this city, and although it has never truly felt like my home (Kobe gets that distinction, even 3 years on), it nevertheless has been an enjoyable experience. Hunting history and relaxing in the quiet calm of Buddhism or Shintoism, walking mountain paths or wading in the rivers during the humidity of the summer, these are things Kyoto gives you effortlessly. | ||
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Nicely done, Ki. I can relate to this city not quite feeling like home, even after a couple years here. Sometimes I’m made to feel like a pebble in Kyoto’s zori…
Ted (Email) (URL) - 23 08 07 - 15:27
Thanks for you comment Ted. I suppose one of the reasons I wrote about the history of Kyoto was to try and understand it better. Which I don’t. Not really. It remains one of the most alienating cities in Japan, not just for the foreigner but also for the Japanese not born in the city. Nonetheless it has been pretty fruitful to visit the temples, shrines, and walk the rivers and mountains. A frustrating mix of closed doors and concealed feelings. I still feel lucky to have spent time here.
Ki (Email) - 24 08 07 - 06:35
I agree all the way round. Ironically, my girlfriend and I biked an hour north last night to a small village that had their rendition of okuribi. There were only a couple dozen people there, all local. As we entered the temple yard where it was held, my girlfriend and I both felt nostalgic, her for her small Hiroshima birthplace and me for the town up in Tottori where I spent 12 years before moving here. The locals were unbelievably friendly and warm. Later, arriving home, we greeted one of our neighbors and were ignored. Fuck you too lady. Gotta love kyoto pride—saves on air conditioning these hot summer days.
Anyway, thankjs again for the guide, Ki. Loads of places to explore!
Ted (Email) (URL) - 25 08 07 - 01:07
Hahahhaa. No problem. I like that. Yeah, I would hate to live in the countryside, but it sure feels a damn sight friendlier than these chilly climes.
Ki (Email) - 25 08 07 - 02:15
