Features

A dose of Japan

16 Dec 2017 by Neha Gupta Kapoor
Three geisha girls wearing kimonos

Maikos, temples, palaces and sake are the best way to experience the country’s cultural capital, reports Neha Gupta Kapoor

Kyoto conjures up memories of geishas with faces painted white under elegant hairdos, trotting in high wooden slippers and gracefully handling heavy silk kimonos wrapped around their narrow waists. Many moons ago in Japanese history, these girls were trained to entertain men, and eventually had their virginity auctioned off to the highest bidder. Even then, this was done with subtlety.

However, during World War II, when destitute girls, not trained in the skill, used to walk the streets as geishas to attract unaware American soldiers, the profession came to be loosely associated with common prostitution. Nonetheless, the modern era has redefined all that dross; geishas are now known as anything but streetwalkers. These respected members of the society are groomed from the age of 15 to blossom into charming female entertainers for men and women alike. Geishas are trained to be Jacks, or in this case Jills, of various skills ranging from dance to music, conversation, poetry, games and others.

While the profession is losing its strength in numbers to the modern world, it is gaining the reputation of being an elite one, not to forget, an endangered one too. A traditional evening with geishas can be enjoyed at only a select few ochaya or teahouses where they play host. And so, be prepared for a big bill at the end of your night that will be carried out to perfection — the finest sake, and most exquisite meat and seafood.

Unless you have good contacts with those privy to such teahouses, it’s not easy to be a guest of a full-bloomed geisha. The closest to such an evening can be experienced by booking an exclusive dinner with a maiko (apprentice geisha). One such establishment that can organise this is Gion Hatanaka (thehatanaka.co.jp/english), in addition to most tour operators and hotels who arrange this as part of their packages too.

Geishas and performances at Gion Corner

Pleasure

As many tourists do, visit Gion Corner (kyoto-gioncorner.com), which is a cheaper option to see a maiko in action, as well a peep into Japanese culture. On entering its gates, a 1km stretch leading to the main theatre has shops, bakeries and restaurants styled after typical Japanese architecture — wooden structures with sliding doors and tiled roofs.

At the end of this walking street is Yasaka Hall Gion Corner (show timings are 6pm and 7pm daily; tickets ¥3,150/`1,843) where one gets a quick glimpse into nuances of Japanese culture. These are through six performances and demonstrations: Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement; a tea tasting ceremony that starts from making the green tea to serving it; Koto, a thirteen-stringed instrument imported form China more than 1,300 years ago; a dance performance that has pleased the imperial court, shrines and temples; Kyogen, a form of theatre that portrays life as a satire; Bunraku, a traditional Japanese puppet theatre that’s on UNESCO’s list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (2003); Kyo-mai, an elegant performance by maiko dancers.

About 450 metres form here is the Hanami-koji street that is known for the most exclusive and expensive teahouses in Kyoto. It is here that people often spot geishas/maikos hurrying into restaurants for an impressive cultural evening.

Before taking the taxi home, I strongly suggest stopping at Shijo Avenue that is parallel to Shirakawa Canal. Try to visit before sunset for a lovely stroll. A number of traditional wooden teahouses on one side of the stone pathway and the canal on the other, with willow trees forming a floral roof above, this one is a beautiful walk through the very heart of traditional Japan.

Drink

Kyoto’s Fushimi district is known for its medium-hard water from the flowing Horikawa River that passes through it. Such is its taste that it has lured sake brewers from across the country to settle down here. Thus Fushimi has come to be known as a sake town. Most of the 50 (approximate) breweries here are open to visitors for whom they hold tasting sessions, a walk-through of the production ground and they have a shop too.

Gekkeikan that was founded in 1637 is the most recognised brand here. In 1982 it turned an old sake brewery that was built in 1909, into a museum. It has on display over 400 sake production items, vessels used decades ago for brewing the drink, the history of sake and the evolution of its production. In the olden days, workers at breweries sang several songs to keep them going. Some of them are played here, emanating vibes of an ancient sake brewery. Beside the museum is a mini-brewery — Sakekobo — visits to which must be booked in advance and for an additional fee. (Open daily 9:30am-4:30pm; entrance fee ¥300/176; gekkeikan.co.jp)

Kizakura Kappa Country is another sake brand that houses a museum in Fushimi. One part of the exhibition room plays educational films on sake and the other displays old drawings from its advertisements that go all the way back to the 1950s. The library here has additional literature collected from all over Japan, which speaks at length about the Japanese drink. Kizakura also brews its own beer that is on the menu with its sake.

(Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm; free entry; kizakura.co.jp)

Ryoanji Temple

History

The Tokugawa shogun was the head of feudal Japanese military government during the Edo period (1603-1867). When the Nijo Castle was built in 1603, it was the first Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the time. His grandson, Iemitsu expanded the castle’s palace buildings 23 years later, and also added a five-storey fortified tower in case of emergencies — castle keep.

Nijo Castle is divided into Honmaru (main circle of defence surrounded by moats), Ninomaru (secondary circle of defence) and gardens that enclose the first two complexes. In fact, the entire castle ground has a periphery of moats and high stonewalls.

The main palace is situated in Ninomaru, which was the residence and office of the shogun. Its six buildings are connected by suspended corridors with floorboards that squeak on purpose when walked on. Traditional tatami mats made from rice straw cover the floor of the rooms that also have ornate ceilings and beautifully painted sliding doors.

The end of the Edo period brought Nijo Castle under the ownership of the Imperial Court, the then nominal ruling government of Japan. Thereafter if was donated to the city and opened to the public as an attraction. Such has been the maintenance of the castle’s architecture that in 1994 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During this time, the Imperial residence was moved to Honmaru Palace. It was restored in the 18th century after it was razed in a fire with the five-storey castle keep. Today, unlike Ninomaru Palace, Honmaru Palace isn’t always open to the public. Its gardens though, just like the others in the palace grounds, are open to the public.

There are a total of about 400 cherry trees here, in addition to maple, gingko and many others, as well as a plum orchard. The traditional landscape of a Japanese garden adds to the beauty of the grounds with large koi ponds, decorative stones, short bridges and manicured greenery. For an aerial view of this loveliness, climb atop the remains of the castle keep to its fifth storey in Honmaru — it is simply breathtaking.

Open 9am-5pm, closed on Tuesday in January, July, August and December; entrance fee ¥600/352 and ¥500/292 for English audio guides; city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/ninjojo.

Nijo Castle

Divinity

Ryoanji Temple is known for one of Japan’s most famous rock gardens where hundreds visit each day in search of serenity. Until 1450 the temple used to be a villa occupied by an aristocrat. Today, it is a Zen temple with a beautiful rock garden and 15 large rocks on individual patches of moss that are strategically placed in a 248 sqm rectangular plot of white gravel.

A few more gardens are situated behind the hojo, former home of the temple’s abbot, built in 1499. It is connected to the kuri, the former temple kitchen, which is presently the temple’s main entrance. What we see today is the restored version of the temple after it was ruined in a fire in 1797 — paintings on sliding doors, rice straw mats on floors, low seating, and built-in shelves and desks.

Below the main temple building is the ancient Kyoyochi Pond that once used to be more popular than the rock garden for its beauty. Throughout the property are pathways that make for quiet walks around the temple grounds, amidst lush greenery and over the pond via small bridges. In 1994, UNESCO listed Ryoanji Temple under the Historic Monuments of ancient kyoto.

Visit in the morning to connect with your thoughts and avoid tourists. This is also when the meditating room isn’t crowded. And at the end of the tour get a plate of Yudofu (boiled tofu) at the in-house restaurant that seats you on straw mats by windows with views of the surrounding traditional Japanese gardens.

Open daily 8:30am-4pm; entrance fee ¥500/292; ryoanji.jp 

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