Kyoto with Chris

Chris and I went to Kyoto this weekend. It was such a nice trip because we decided to visit only four sacred places--Sanjusangendo, Kyomizu-dera, Fushimi-inari, and Nanzenji.
here are a few pictures from my phone




Nanzenji.
Fushimi-inari
Kyomizu-dera
Sanjusangendo
Kyoto Station

As always, Kyoto exposed to us her naked stone canals and soft moss gardens, only this time she was covered in a layer of Chris Romain. I got to see Kyoto through his eyes, and that was absolutely breathtaking.

Sanjusangendo floored us both (as it would anyone with an Asian art history book). Just one of those sculptures would be the highlight of any museum in the West, and Sanjusangendo has over 1000!, all lined up like a choir behind music deities playing drums, biwas, and flutes. This is still by far my favorite temple in Kyoto.

We then walked to Kyomizu-dera, which, despite being the second most popular temple in Kyoto, was nearly empty! Our cab driver said there`s a 90% decrease of tourists this year due to the pig-flu scare. Lucky us.

Fushimi-inari in the evening was extraordinary. Spiders built webs around the lights, gnats ate rotting gates, cats played in the shadows, distant claps and shrine rattles shattered space, and we saw a couple with their son searching for insects in the black-green forest. Their flashlights reminded me of frogging with my dad.

After Fushimi-inari shrine we ate ramen, drank sake, and then followed some friends from the hostel to Sam and Dave, a huge, hopping dance-club with two floors each playing different kinds of music. I almost cried when the 80's DJ played classic MJ.
The next morning we went to Nanzenji (chosen because it was featured in Lost in Translation).

Holy Christ, Nanzenji was God-incarnate (but what isn`t, right?). I wasn't expecting such a tremendous Gate! Japan is full of gates, portals into buddha-fields. And the Zen gardens there pushed us into ineffable intimacy with our infinite selves.


one sunbathing snake
listens to one chanting monk
Nanzen-in

Chris Romain

Here he is walking through the Zen Monastery. 

Sitting next to that tree I like to paint. 

At the Shinkansen.

First place Chris wanted to visit was Koyasan, where Kukai is buried. 

"Please take me to that forest." 

Two of my monk friends, Yuma and Maiko, met us in the forest and taught us some secret Shingon mudras. 

The Yanagi's took us out for Korean food.  

Afterwards we relaxed at my place and listened to Masaki play the guitar. 

Here is Chris at one of my schools. I'm not supposed to post pictures of the kids, but you cant really see their faces here, so I think it will be ok. 

They LOVE him. 

Tasuku took us into the forest near his house. We played in the creek and hiked up a hill to look at Niihama. 

Tasuku. (enlarge this picture and see how absolutely beautiful this boy is.) He shares my my love for India and secret forts. 

A bunch of us went to see the holy tree by Seki-river. 

Chris pointed out an old wasp nest. 

Sara and Josh

After the tree we went swimming in the river. 

Trish and her sister playing on the rocks. They both fell in. 

Emily in her element.  

That night the Yanagi's invited us to Grandmother's house for a feast, and it was an excuse for  Trisha's 17 year-old sister to meet 18 year-old Masaki. We took prom-pictures of the couple. They were glowing, and beautifully embarrassed.

In the elivator at my place. That's Hideyuki in the bottom right. He has become a very good friend of mine. That's also him under the gate to Matsuyama Shrine. 

pics from my iphone

George caught a Tai, one of only 40 that we put into the bay. A young, drunk chef in the camp next to ours cut it up for us. It was delicious. George then ate the shirako, "the best part." 

Tateboshiami Festival in Saijo. Fish are dumped into the netted off bay and then the town runs in to catch them with nets.  Afterwards, it's grilled fish and sashimi all afternoon on the beach. 

At the wedding. 
The traditional, Shinto wedding began and ended with big, loud taiko drums. What an experience! 


My friend Go took me to meet his calligraphy teacher today. As I received instruction a constant flow of students came and left the little room. I was immediately reminded of my watercolor teacher growing up. Go's teacher told me that I had to use my right hand for calligraphy, and at first I was resistant (I'm left handed), but I tried it out and boy was it exciting!  I felt liberated from my left hand, liberated into the shape and flow of the kanji. Here I am writing the character 夢　which means "dream." both the noun and the verb.  It's kind of an awkward character, isn't it? dream. It's a little lopsided, and yet it stays balanced, just like the other kinds of dream.