Ancient Kyoto

Today we landed in Osaka and received our most concentrated exposure to the historic traditions of Japan yet. An excursion bus took us to wonderful Kyoto, the capital of Japan from the seventh century until 1867. The city still considers itself is some ways superior to Tokyo, the new upstart capital on the east coast. Kyoto prides itself on being the most truly Japanese of all of Japan’s cities.

Kinkaju-ji, or the Golden Pavilion was built by a 14th-century samurai. Its two upper floors are covered with five layers of gold leaf, which must be replaced every century or so. It is famous for the gold phoenix on the top. Following the death of the builder, the pavilion was adopted by a community of Buddhist monks, who still maintain the structure today. As beautiful as the building may be, I found its serene gardens to be even more appealing.

A traditional Japanese lunch followed. Fortunately Glenda, who has not developed a taste for sushi, bought a bag of peanuts to carry with her. As we ate we were entertained by a maiko, that is, a geisha in training. The young performer is about twenty years old, and has been studying for about five years. She will be licensed as a professional geisha one year from now. Her training will continue, however, for as long as she performs.

Our bus took us next to a Buddhist temple where a monk led us in a form of meditation known as Zanzen. The monk spent a few minutes explaining to us how he had become a monk after going to university earning a degree in engineering. After a short career as an investment advisor he became a monk. He explained meditation and emphasized that a person of any religion can include it in their lives to enhance well-being. “Do not regret that you did not do this when you were young. You are younger now than you will ever be. Start now,” he said. In a simple minimalist room we all were encouraged to assume the lotus position and concentrated on our breathing for about 20 minutes. Fortunately little stools were provided for those of us with ageing knees. I found the exercise peaceful and restorative.

In a nearby room equally simple and just as beautiful, we were treated to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Mieko, our guide, translated the explanation provided by our host. The matcha green tea is whisked into a kind of frothy liquid, quite unlike the traditional Chinese green tea to which I am accustomed. It’s not bad, but you don’t go to a Japanese tea ceremony for the beverage. You go because it marks an occasion. As our host put it, “In this hour we celebrate because never before and never again will this specific group of people be gathered together in exactly this situation.” The tea ceremony is a celebration of the present.

Forty-five minutes on our own in Japan’s ancient capital led us down a historic street still holding several buildings from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Even newer buildings must conform to the style and appearance of the traditions of Kyoto. I saw the office of a modern investment firm in a new structure made of glass and steel, yet all of its exterior metal parts were fashioned to be almost indistinguishable from aged, weather-battered wood of the houses around it. It was beautiful.

We had a relaxing drive back to Osaka on the bus during which I pondered the wisdom of the Japanese.Read more