n one of our best weather days in Japan, we were in Kyoto. The sun was shining and it was a picturesque morning. We decided to walk along the "philosopher's path" where a local woman had told us the cherry blossoms were particularly beautiful. As we neared the path, it looked as though the philosophers might be holding an unannounced convention. Hundreds of people, Japanese and foreigners alike, had created quite a traffic jam. With fancy cameras and tripods vying for the "perfect" photo, it was an amusing snapshot of Japan: Elbow to elbow in a sea of humanity, we were all hoping to record a perfect, permanent remembrance of nature's serenity and fleeting beauty on our film, our memory, or both.
alking with all these philosophers could have been an exercise in patience, but it wasn't. Japanese culture frowns on the stone that causes the ripple, so as everyone inched along, only the utmost of courtesies were applied to those posing for shots or others trying to squeeze by. We had already learned much about Japanese culture during our visit to the ancient capital of Kamakura.
amakura was once a stronghold for a Samurai Shogun. A port city surrounded by lush, forested hills, it made a perfect hideout for the Shogun and his warriors. Modern Kamakura, is a quaint historical town inhabited by an aritsan community of writers. An old family friend, Yoji, and his wife, Tsuneyo, were our hosts. Yoji is an excellent historian in much the same way that his wife has a masterful touch with Japanese and Italian cuisines. We took full advantage of all their talents filling our minds and tantalizing our tastebuds!
oji showed us the sights of Kamakura. We saw the mountain tunnel where samurais from the city ventured to meet their foe, battling it out until only one man was standing. We sipped traditional Japanese tea (bitter, green and frothy) next to a bamboo grove, and we visited the temples and shrines of their gods. Yoji told us tales of years gone by as well as shared present day reflections on Japanese culture. "Japanese people love placidity and refinement," he told us. It seemed they always had as we perused ancient temple gardens still painstakingly maintained to show what they have always shown, the simplicity and perfection of nature. It was remarkable that some places and traditions had carried forward so unchanged over time. Perhaps it's because this island nation was never conquered and with the lack of outside influence, its own culture was only strengthened.
n one of our best weather days in Japan, we were in Kyoto. The sun was shining and it was a picturesque morning. We decided to walk along the "philosopher's path" where a local woman had told us the cherry blossoms were particularly beautiful. As we neared the path, it looked as though the philosophers might be holding an unannounced convention. Hundreds of people, Japanese and foreigners alike, had created quite a traffic jam. With fancy cameras and tripods vying for the "perfect" photo, it was an amusing snapshot of Japan: Elbow to elbow in a sea of humanity, we were all hoping to record a perfect, permanent remembrance of nature's serenity and fleeting beauty on our film, our memory, or both.
alking with all these philosophers could have been an exercise in patience, but it wasn't. Japanese culture frowns on the stone that causes the ripple, so as everyone inched along, only the utmost of courtesies were applied to those posing for shots or others trying to squeeze by. We had already learned much about Japanese culture during our visit to the ancient capital of Kamakura.
amakura was once a stronghold for a Samurai Shogun. A port city surrounded by lush, forested hills, it made a perfect hideout for the Shogun and his warriors. Modern Kamakura, is a quaint historical town inhabited by an aritsan community of writers. An old family friend, Yoji, and his wife, Tsuneyo, were our hosts. Yoji is an excellent historian in much the same way that his wife has a masterful touch with Japanese and Italian cuisines. We took full advantage of all their talents filling our minds and tantalizing our tastebuds!
oji showed us the sights of Kamakura. We saw the mountain tunnel where samurais from the city ventured to meet their foe, battling it out until only one man was standing. We sipped traditional Japanese tea (bitter, green and frothy) next to a bamboo grove, and we visited the temples and shrines of their gods. Yoji told us tales of years gone by as well as shared present day reflections on Japanese culture. "Japanese people love placidity and refinement," he told us. It seemed they always had as we perused ancient temple gardens still painstakingly maintained to show what they have always shown, the simplicity and perfection of nature. It was remarkable that some places and traditions had carried forward so unchanged over time. Perhaps it's because this island nation was never conquered and with the lack of outside influence, its own culture was only strengthened.
