-
The Palace Waiting for Its Master to Return for over 150 Years
Will it ever happen? The Imperial Palace in Kyoto is now open to the public. After we enjoyed the cherry blossoms in the outer garden, three of us in kimono went into the entrance gate to take a tour of the inner side of the palace. The main building is called Shishinden 紫宸殿, where formal…
-
Our Kimono Supported the Beauty of Cherry Blossoms
And we all felt honored In the last several years, I have visited the two sisters whenever I go back to Kyoto. Rakufulin sisters, as I call them, produce beautiful obis. Each of their works of art has a story behind its design. As I got to know them better, I became more and more…
-
Four Emotions Evoked While Walking Along Japan’s Oldest Road
Tranquility, Nostalgia, Dispair, and Hope After visiting Omiwa Shrine with my mother, Yuri-san and I parted from her and headed north along Yamanobe no Michi 山辺の道. Stretching north and south on the foothills of Mt. Miwa, Yamanobe no Michi is known as one of the oldest roads in Japan. Both Kojiki 古事記 and Nihonshoki 日本書紀,…
-
The Oldest Shrine in Japan Worships The Holy Mountain
No, it’s not Mt. Fuji People usually call Omiwa Shrine （大神神社）Miwa-san, as if it were their close friend. It is said to be the oldest shrine in Japan. My mother is proud to have been visiting Miwa-san every first day of the month in the last 20 years or so. Rain or shine, she never…
-
Why Hana Has Chosen to Work for This Small Studio in the Mountains
The magic of Oigawa Mempa Hana picked me up at the Shizuoka Station and we headed north. After about an hour’s drive, we reached Oiya 大井屋, the shop and the studio where Hana chose to work after graduating from the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto (TASK). The shop looked far from fashionable boutiques in…
