I was delighted (and somewhat stunned) lately to learn that our book, Deep Kyoto: Walks, is being used as the basis of a university course here in Kyoto. The course at Kyoto Prefectural University is taught by Dr. Eleanor Yamaguchi and is called "欧米から見た京都", or "Kyoto viewed from the West". Eleanor, who has used supplemental materials on the course, such as our Deep Kyoto: Walks … [Read more...] about Deep Kyoto Walks Used for University English Reading Course
Books
Maiko Masquerade: Crafting Geisha Girlhood in Japan by Jan Bardsley
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. "Contemporary maiko are young women, typically between fifteen and twenty years of age, who have chosen to train in an arts profession with roots in the merchant culture and pleasure quarters of the Edo period (1603–1867). … [Read more...] about Maiko Masquerade: Crafting Geisha Girlhood in Japan by Jan Bardsley
Alex Kerr Book Launch Party – Another Kyoto
Last night I attended a book launch party for Alex Kerr's latest book, Another Kyoto. The setting was a lovely old machiya townhouse in the Kamishichiken area of Kyoto where his friend and co-author, Kathy Arlyn Sokol has been living. Apparently about 70 people attended the event, and it certainly did feel like a crowd in the unseasonably hot weather. It was a nice occasion … [Read more...] about Alex Kerr Book Launch Party – Another Kyoto
Kyoto Botanical Gardens by Izumi Texidor Hirai
In this post we have a special excerpt from Deep Kyoto: Walks written by Izumi Texidor Hirai. In her walk through the Botanical Gardens, Izumi weaves personal recollection with finely observed details of life in the gardens as they pass through the four seasons. Let today's excerpt from Izumi's walk serve as a happy reminder of all the special seasonal joys that the year ahead … [Read more...] about Kyoto Botanical Gardens by Izumi Texidor Hirai
Time Travelling on Gojō – An Extract from Deep Kyoto Walks by Jennifer Louise Teeter
Gojō Pottery Fair, in which pottery stalls line Gojō street all the way between Kawabata and Higashioji, begins August 7th and continues to August 10th. Simultaneously, in nearby Rokudo-san temple, is Kyoto's very own festival of the dead, the Rokudo Mairi spirit welcoming festival. Jen Teeter explores both of these events and more in her DKW essay "Time Travelling on Gojō", so … [Read more...] about Time Travelling on Gojō – An Extract from Deep Kyoto Walks by Jennifer Louise Teeter