Japan at last!

Trip Start Jul 28, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Japan Kyoto, Japan
Friday, August 4, 2006

Today I finally saw the Japan I had hoped to see. If you go to Japan, skip Tokyo and go straight to Kyoto, the one area not destroyed during WWII. We began by going to the Nojo Castle, built during the second Shogun regime over 400 years ago. The main palace was destroyed by fire and all that remains is the office of the Shogun and his ministers. But what remains is a beautiful example of Momoyama architecture built entirely of Japanese cypress. The delicate murals on the walls range from depictions of fierce animals in the outer area where the Shogun needed to impress his enemies to the delicate cherry blossoms that adorn his living area. It must have been very tiring to be a Shogun. He was constantly aware that everyone wanted his power so he built a number of security devices; one of his main defenses was the "nightingale floors" built in such a way that every movement on the wooden floor made a bird-like sound. Hidden alcoves supplemented these floors for bodyguards, strict rules regarding distances between him and others

matt at nijo castle

. Outer lords or Daimyo (so called because they were less trusted by the regime) had to wear kimonos with their family crest prominently displayed on their back to assure quick identification of the guilty. During his everyday life only females attended the Shogun as they were considered less of a threat to him
Ironically, the Nijo Castle was used by the final Shogun to ponder his decision to restore rule of Japan to the Emperor in 1867, ending the rule by Shoguns of over 250 years. James Clavell's novel, The Shogun, is great reaing about this fascinating period.
Next we continued to the Golden Pavilion, a building covered in gold leaf and commissioned by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as his retirement villa. Apparently this guy figured out being a Shogun wasn't all it was supposed to be, so, at 36 he turned the title over to his 9 year old son and lived in luxury contemplating the arts while his country declined over its lack of leadership. In 1950 a disturbed student monk burned the place down and it was rebuilt and then recovered in 22 kt gold with 60 coats of lacquer at a cost of over $5 million. The building and the pond reflecting it are one of the most exquisite sights I have ever seen.
From there we traveled to the Imperial Palace, which is almost garish in contrast with its bright orange pillars. The roofs are made of 40 layers of bamboo bark help in place by bamboo nails. The place is used mostly for the coronation ceremony which Japan is all atwitter about because there have been no male children born in over 40 years. The current prince married a brilliant Rhodes scholar who wanted to be a diplomat. They have a 4 year old daughter and the Princess has made it known she does not desire another child. Meanwhile the Prince's brother's wife is expecting in September or October and the entire country is waiting to know the sex of the child. Could it be that the male monarchy will come to an end after thousands and thousands of years? Tune in later.
I spent two hours at the Kyoto Handicraft Center where artists display and demonstrate their works. I have always loved the simplicity of Japanese artwork so I bought several things including a woodblock print and a small Japanese screen. But my key find was an antique kimono regularly priced at $800 that I got for $350. I have wanted a kimono all of my life and now I own one-I shipped it back and it will be there when I arrive.