Workshops and Cross-Cultural Dialog in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, with a Special Emphasis on Building Bridges with our Friends in the Survivor Community in Nagasaki

東京、京都、広島、長崎にて被爆者たちとの架け橋となるワークショップと文化交流



Click through older posts to see pictures
of our work in various cities, including
Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

UPDATE










So I'm gonna give an update on all the touristy stuff we've been doing. On the 30th, Mr. Arihara took us to the park in Ueno and the temple in Asakusa. We had the workshop the next day. We stayed in the house of Mutsuko's friend Mrs. Asako that night. The house was an interesting blend of modern and traditional. We left for Kyoto the next morning. That day we went to Kodai-ji temple and Kyomizu temple. We stayed in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) and slept on tatami mats (not the most comfortable). The food there is really good though. The next day we went to Koke-dera (the moss temple), which was really pretty, Arashiyama, where the bamboo forest is, and Ryoan-ji, where there is a famous rock garden. At many of the temples we go to we participate in Buddhist rituals and buy charms. Today, Pauline and I went to San juu san gendo (a really cool temple with tons of statues), the silver pavilion and gold pavilions. I liked both pavilions immensely. Then we did our Kyoto workshop. It was a lot of fun and we met a lot of interesting people. Tomorrow we go to Hiroshima.

I haven't seen a geisha, so I'm a little disappointed. Fortunately I did see two maiko (apprentice geisha) do a dance performance for 15 minutes at a Japanese craft museum the first day. I'm coming to accept the fact that seeing a geisha is rare, even in Kyoto, but still....

Pictures below

Nick

3 comments:

  1. Nick --I hope you have been making sketches. I bet you have seen many inspirational vistas. :)

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  2. Hey Kid - You made an impressive speech to a thousand people? Were you a picture of calm and humility? What's the light like in your areas of travel? I agree with the above comment: sketch! How about sketching those geishas-in-training! Can't wait to hear all about this incredible trip.

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  3. I don't have any time to sketch because we're so busy speech making and what not. But those geishas-in-training would make a good painting. I'm making a blog post in response to your comment. This is Kate, right? I recognize your prose style.

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