report by Mayumi Kawaharada

”Reminiscence Poets“

In early 70’s to 90’s, there were several poetry readings, by both Japanese and foreign poets, (including Gary Snyder, Kenneth Rexroth, and Allen Ginsberg) held at the legendary café Honyarado where writers, activists, students, artists and musicians used to go. 

Since Kai himself is a part of Dankai-no-Sedai(Sort of beat generations in Japan), a lot of friends related to Labor Gakuen (Artist, writers, activists, and former colleagues) of that generation know the café, the bar, and Kai.

The café got fire in 2015, and ended. 

Currently the owner and the finest photographer, Kai Fusayoshi is managing reputedly “the dirtiest bar in Japan”, Hachimonji-ya on Kiyamachi St.

He is going to have a photo exhibition of (mainly Japanese) poets, artists, and writers at the Gallery Hill Gate. According to the flyer, the galley owner, Junko Hitomi was a school mate of Kai  at Doshisha Univ. and they are good friends. (Katagiri Yuzuru, poet, translator, and former head of Seika Univ. is also a good friend of Kai.) 

Entrance : Free

March 9 (Tue) to 14 (Sun)

12:00-19:00 (Last day:17:00)  

  • March 9th  From 18:30  :Opening event:  Butoh performance by Decalco Marie

At : 2nd floor of Gallery Hill gate   535 Tenshojimae-cho, Nakagyo-ku Kyoto (Stands on Teramachi, North of Sanjo)

TEL    075-231-3702(1F)  075-252-1161(2F) FAX    075-231-3750　
E-mail hillgatekyoto@gmail.com

Kai’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaifusayoshi

(Kyoto’s Beat connection can be seen in a 1988 video of Allen Ginsberg at Seika University. Talk plus Q&A about 90 mins long. Ginsberg starts after about six minutes into the video… See here.)

Kai Fusayoshi’s photos can currently be seen in an outdoor exhibition by the river at Demachiyanagi. See here.

For another Beat connection with Japan, see the poster below for Gary Snyder reading with Shuntaro Tanikawa at the Shinjuku Meiji-Yasuda Seimei Hall in Tokyo, organised by Shinchosha in 2011. See here. And for the original poster, click here (see below).

[Incidentally, Mayumi has known Honyarado since her high school days. And she started going to Hachimonjiya a few years after it opened. In that way she got to know a lot of local writers, artists, academics and activists.]