Posts from — September 2003

The far too sweet smell of kinmokusei (Orange Osmanthus olive tree, fragrant olive) is in the air in these parts since yesterday, as the weather cools off.

I believe this is a restaurant, but I’m not sure, and I have no idea why it’s called “Eleven,” maybe they are fans of Spinal Tap.

A few hours ago I was at Kyoto International Conference Hall (site of Kyoto Protocol, World Water Forum). There is a big international atherosclerosis symposium starting tomorrow, and I was asked to put together a slide show of my photos for the opening ceremony to introduce Kyoto to the delegates. The digital projector is the size of a refrigerator.
[Read more →]

Renge-ji is not on most tourist maps, but it’s one of my favorite places in Kyoto. Founded in 1662 at the base of Hiei-zan, Renge-ji is a temple of the Tendai sect, headquartered at Enryaku-ji at the top of the mountain.


Even in tourist season, this place is quiet. For an extra 300 Yen, you can have matcha service on the rear pavilion (not pictured) by a nice little brook.

This is what the tsunami warning graphic looked like on Japanese TV after this morning’s Hokkaido quake. Despite the magnitude, little damage seems to have been done.

From 13th Century, but Nishi-Hongan-ji was moved once and various parts of it were rebuilt through the 16th Century.
This is not one of the bigger buildings on site. Can you imagine having to approach this past all the guards, then once inside having to traverse the huge hall to have your audience with the Shogun?
If you were a scrawny little monkey-faced Shogun like Hideyoshi, you would certainly position yourself at the back of the room, to make your subjects humble themselves.

Our kitchen window.
You must be thrilled to get updates on my geckos, but anyway this baby appeared this week for the first time. You may have seen the picture of Carla with eggs showing that I posted a while back. The size of the large star etched in the window glass serves as a good size reference.
[Read more →]

I can’t decide whether this is an inuyarai (to stop dogs from peeing on the house) or a holder for large paper umbrellas (bangasa). Both?

Mikan (tangerines). The book on the stand in the background in frot of the butsudan (buddhist altar) is something spooky. It’s one continuous sheet of thick paper folded into a book with 31 days, a register of family deaths over the centuries. Mama turns the page every day, and ancestors receive the blessings and offerings. Who knows how old it is, I don’t know the emperors’ names listed with the entries.