In the south-east corner of Kyoto, between the railways stations of Tambabashi and Fushimi Momoyama, is a peaceful wooded area containing the burial mounds of the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. In less than an hour, you … Read the rest
Category: Poetry (Page 2 of 5)
Saigyo (1118-90) is one of my favourite Japanese poets. Brought up in the warrior class, he had a promising career in front of him but dropped out at 22 to become a Buddhist monk and wandering poet. Basho was a … Read the rest
Poetry contests
Heian Verse and Winding-River Parties
Think of Heian-kyo (the old name for Kyoto), and what comes to mind? Aristocratic villas, perhaps, and The Tale of Genji for sure. Behind the images this evokes is an aesthetic called miyabi, or … Read the rest
Green Shinto friend, Jake Davis, has posted some wonderful pictures of sacred islands on his blog, More Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan. He points out that these are not much written about in contrast to other sacred features such as … Read the rest
Green Shinto has posted items before on the connection of poetry and Shinto sentiments. Indeed, it’s said the very origins of the poetic impulse in Japan lie with religious utterances by miko, and in Kojiki (712) kami such as … Read the rest
Here in Kyoto all the promise of early spring has been evident in the sunny warm 20 degrees we’ve enjoyed today. From my kitchen window I can see the cherry blossom trees lining the river are on the brink … Read the rest
Noh plays often draw on Shinto themes for their content, and they invariably portray ancestral and ‘hungry spirits’. At the back of the stage is always a picture of a pine tree, the model for which is said to … Read the rest