Kansai Connections

Waking up in Kyoto is a good feeling for me. This is such a special place - Japan’s capital for over 1000 years and the axis mundi of early culture, the study of which I have devoted so much time to. I put the hot water on to make green tea and gazed out the window toward the Heian Girls’ Middle School (how fitting it was called Heian!). After my morning yoga, reading, and daydreaming, I met Cynthea and we headed out for the day. Breakfast at a cute café consisted of tea and a dainty egg and cheese toasted sandwich. We made plans there to head to Nara (the capital from 710-796) after running a quick errand to the bank. This quick errand turned into shopping, as it does so often in Japan, and we spent an hour at a very lovely incense shop. It was so modern and forward thinking I had to keep reminding myself that they were only selling incense! I smelled about 100 different kinds, and Cynthea bought a gorgeous wood holder (and bestowed upon me a beautiful walnut one!). About three hours later than we planned, we realized that we really need to head to Nara! The train took us there through glowing green rice fields that delighted the eye. すばらしい眺めだった

            Upon arriving at Nara station, we enjoyed espresso and I watched crowds of middle school students being herded into groups, their dark blue uniforms creating kaleidoscope-like movements. Feeling perked up, we headed straight toward the Nara National Museum to see a special exhibition on art from Ningbo (Jpn. Ninpo), a port town in China that received Japanese monks and formed an important part of the trade route of Buddhist culture for the past 1300 years. After braving another heavy downpour by huddling under one umbrella, we made it. 

We had heard excellent reviews of the show and were not disappointed. For several hours we walked through the surprisingly large exhibit, reading first hand permission slips for Saichō (founder of Japanese Tendai Buddhism) to travel in China to Mt. Tientai, looking at loads of Chinese paintings, and stumbling upon two gems: a Zen ritual instruction scroll with an addendum in Dōgen’s own hand (!!!!!) and a Sesshu painting of Bodhidharma and Huike cutting his arm off (!!!!!).

   

Our bellies rumbling, we set out for a banzai-ryōri (family style?) restaurant Cynthea has been frequenting for over 20 years. It was a tiny place tucked away in the most inconspicuous of locations above a parking garage. Bowls of food laid out on a bar, and ceramic cups and bowls crowded the counters behind the Master (Jpn. Taishō). He was delighted to see Cynthea, and showed it by immediately bringing us deep bowls of cold sake. The sake was delicious, and quite potent; I started feeling drunk almost immediately, having had little to eat all day. Thankfully the food was already prepared – you just point out to the Taishō what looks good and he serves it up, reheats it over a small stove in the kitchen, and presents it. Quite a handy system, as it turns out. 

I ate steamed bamboo shoots, different stew-like dishes of konnyaku (devil’s jelly), nagaimo (a long potato with a slightly slimy texture), chicken, gōbō, etc. Also tried the chef’s specialty, a gratin of potato with shrimp and cheese sauce. We made friends with the surrounding people and had a great time laughing and drinking. I pulled out my bar trick – reciting the iroha uta – and everyone embarrassed me with talk of my “delicate” facial features that they apparently quite liked; I just smiled and sipped sake till I thought I might fall over. On the train ride home (again catching the very last train) we amused ourselves by photographing the crazy man across from us who looked a bit intoxicated himself and kept saying weird things in our direction. A few of the students had arrived at the hotel when we returned, so we put our drunkenness to sleep and acted like sophisticated intellectuals for a moment…a very short moment. Then I snuck off to sleep.