Category: Nonfiction

Kyoto Stage and Film Director Akira Nobuchi

A piece on the life of a Kyoto film director.

Haiku Discoveries

A wonderfully informative piece on haiku and the author's adventures.

Birth of a Book Cover

The story of how a book cover came to be.

From Tokyo to Kyoto Pt 2

Part 2 of a piece on the differences between the customs and people in Tokyo and Kyoto.

From Tokyo to Kyoto Pt 1

Kawano astutely notes some of the differences between the customs and people in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Old Man, Blue Sky

Description of a walk in a park and what it wrought.

Spiritual Journey to Kyoto

Photos and description of a modern day pilgrimage.

Hōjōki – a Personal Response

On reading a new translation of Hōjōki by Matthew Stavros.

Chikubujima

A travel piece on a distant island.

Notes from Himeji, Japan: Colour of the Hood

A description of life in Himeji.

After Act

A reflection on the current pandemic and other plagues.

The beauty and the watchtower

A piece describing a friendship with a maiko.

Sōseki’s Evening Arrival in Kyoto

A translation of a piece by Sōseki.

Sōseki’s Kyoto Haibun

Commentary and translation of a work by Sōseki on Kyoto.

The World through the Magic Lantern – Nicolas Bouvier in Kyoto

On Nicolas Bouvier's sojourn in Kyoto.

The wandering Nanao Sakaki

An extract from a tribute to Nanao Sakaki ‘Transnational Poet Wanderer’ in Kyoto Journal, no. 78, p.127ff.

Finding an Island

A description of a trip to Shiraishi Island.

Sutoku In Kyoto – emperor, poet, rebel, yōkai

A biographical essay on the 75th emperor of Japan (reigned 1123-1142).

My Project – Drawing 100 things in my house

Rebecca describes and presents examples from her project.

Alan Watts (4): modern Kyoto and Gary Snyder

Extracts from pages 351 and 356 of In My Own Way, the autobiography of Alan Watts.

Alan Watts (3) Zen and saké

Extracts from pages 347-350 of In My Own Way, the autobiography of Alan Watts.

Alan Watts (2) Kannon Kyoto

Extracts from pages 345-346 of In My Own Way, the autobiography of Alan Watts.

Alan Watts on Kyoto (1)

Extracts from pages 340-342 of In My Own Way, the autobiography of Alan Watts.

Daniel Ellsberg in Kyoto

Link and excerpt from a blog post on Snyder and Ellsberg.