This weekly report will present some insights into life for a westerner (me) who’s working for an prolonged interval at Kyoto College in Japan however who over time of working right here has more and more started to grasp the language and native cultural traditions.
Indicators I come throughout
I needed to go down into central Kyoto at lunchtime at present, which is a uncommon occasion given it’s overrun with vacationers.
I went to certainly one of my traditional bicycle parks and hadn’t seen the sort of signal earlier than.
I laughed loads.
When you look at the Kanji individually, the next translations are so as:
小便 means piss in English
禁止 means prohibited in English
Taken collectively – 小便禁止 = the signal would learn no urination allowed.
So I’m positive the Metropolis authorities don’t need folks to “Do urinating within the bike park”.
There are numerous examples the place the Metropolis has translated indicators to assist English=talking folks however haven’t sufficiently grasped the English and create fairly humorous outcomes.
Suffice to say I didn’t obey the English however did obey the Kanji.
However then I assumed – who the fu&* would have a wee right here anyway.
Peaceable locations to go and suppose close to my work and home
I prefer to journey my bike round lunchtimes to locations which might be quiet and provide insights into the traditions of Japan.
One such place is the – Shōkoku-ji Temple – you can entry of Imadegawa which runs alongside the Northern boundary of the Imperial Gardens.
It’s the dwelling of the Shokoku-ji Department of Zen Rinzai College and when I’m working via the grounds I typically right here the monks chanting in buildings to the facet of the principle temple buildings.
It was inbuilt 1382 and is a grand construction of a number of buildings and gates and so forth.
One characteristic is the lecture corridor which has been rebuilt 5 instances attributable to hearth principally.
On the roof is the Banryūzu (coiled dragon picture) of round 9 metres in diameter and is there to guard the legal guidelines of Buddha.
However the true characteristic for me is the backyard to the North of the principle corridor and one can sit on the verandah and suppose whereas staring into the greenery and rock formations.
Saruya – Kyoto
One in all my favorite issues to do within the afternoon is to take a break from work and journey my bike over to the grounds of the Shimogamo Shrine and go to – Saruya – which is somewhat tea home that serves essentially the most pleasant tea and mochi.
The tea is served in lovely flying saucer cups and I lastly relented after a number of years and acquired two of them from the store hooked up to the Shrine so I can sip inexperienced tea from Kyoto when I’m dwelling in these nice receptacles.
The mochi is nice too.
Afterwards, we journey our bikes again to work and really feel pleased.
Saruya is an excellent little place to take a seat and ponder.
The beginnings of rugby in Japan
Final yr, I used to be over on the Shimogamo Shrine grounds close to my dwelling and I noticed a big gathering of rugby groups for the annual contact soccer video games.
This yr, I made a decision to go deeper and uncover why they had been taking part in at that location.
Some analysis uncovered the explanations and an fascinating previous.
There’s a sub-shrine on the grounds – 沢田神社 (Sawata Shrine) – which commemorates the birthplace of rugby within the Kansei area of Western Japan (inside which Kyoto is situated).
The video games are performed in entrance of the shrine.
What peaked my curiosity was that earlier within the day I used to be working again via the forest within the grounds and noticed a gathering of individuals clearly participating in some type of devotional train in entrance of the sub-shrine that I’ve by no means actually stopped to look at previously.
We study that rugby began in Japan in 1910 because of college students at Keio College forming a membership.
They then imparted abilities to college students at what’s now Kyoto College (then the ‘Third Larger College’ or 旧制三高（現京都大学）.
They educated within the Tadasu no Mori forest which is throughout the Shimagamo Shrine grounds.
The monument commemorates the ‘Birthplace of the First Kick’ and the shrine is devoted to ball sports activities and represents the god of rugby.
Rugby followers make pilgrimages to the place.
Annually, groups from round Japan come to the unique website to play contact rugby and it’s a very nice occasion with music on the facet, good Japanese snacks and plenty of rah rah and cheering.
The centrepiece within the sub-shrine is this huge soccer.
The indicators are appropriately designed to make sure the rugby uniformed devotees give devotion in the suitable order.
At Shinto shrines, a customer should buy an merchandise and proper their needs and submit them on a wall within the hope that the spirits will ship the products.
On the rugby sub-shrine, the tokens are appropriately formed:
The nationwide rugby crew signed their jerseys and they’re on show on the sub-shrine.
Shūsui-tei Teahouse (拾翠亭)
The Shūsui Tei – is a tea home on the positioning of the Kujo Household residence, in direction of the South-West nook of the Kyoto Gyoen Nationwide Backyard (a.okay.a. the Imperial Gardens).
The – Kujō household – are “a Japanese aristocrat kin group” belonging to the very highly effective – Fujiwara clan.
It takes a while to work one’s method via all this peerage stuff in Japanese historical past however it’s fascinating nonetheless.
The Fujiwara clan had been a dominant regent household within the imperial courtroom for the reason that earliest documented historical past up till the – Meiji Restoration – in 1868.
The dominance was sustained as a result of the “household’s major technique for central affect was via the marrying of Fujiwara daughters to the Emperors”.
Go to the highest when unsure.
The technique began to lose effectiveness when the – Samurai – the warrior class turned extra essential politically and issues turned a bit tense between rival lords.
Nonetheless, there are nonetheless household hyperlinks within the present Imperial family to this clan.
The Kujō household was one of many – 5 regent homes – for the households that held the place of – Sesshō and Kampaku – between 1252 and 1868.
There have been advisory place and stand-in positions (if the Emperor was a toddler) for the Emperor and had been clearly very influential.
The 5 homes arose as a result of the Fijiwara clan break up into 5 separate households.
Although the regencies had been abolished with the Meiju Restoration, the aristocracy continued as hereditary friends (Dukes) till the American removed them as effectively throughout the Occupation.
The suppose I like about this little constructing is that it was a part of a grand dwelling construct on the finish of the Edo interval (200 years in the past) and the tea home survives.
The tea home additionally served the aim of entertaining visitors who got here to play – Waka – which is a really Japanese fashion of poetry involving strict metre.
The signal beneath talks in regards to the fashion of Waka involving 31 syllables (Misohitomoji – 三十一文字) in a definite sample 5-7-5-7-7.
The home overlooks the Kujō Pond and Takakura Bridge, which I usually cross when I’m out early working via the property.
Woodwork
When I’m out working within the early mornings I usually come throughout new websites and can’t consider what I’m seeing.
So I’ve to cease and look at.
This wood duplicate of a grand pagoda was simply sitting within the entrance window of a home in north Kyoto.
Right here it’s nearer up:
The craft is unimaginable and it makes me actually pleased to see this type of work being continued.
One other week down in Kyoto.
That’s sufficient for at present!
(c) Copyright 2026 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
