AUTUMN IN KYOTO

Tourists flock to Kyoto in Spring and Autumn. Streets around the most famous places are so crowded with sightseers even a bicycle can hardly get through. The subway is crowded too. From my point of view that makes staying home a good idea. Last month I climbed Daimonji with some friends, but even at the top of this small mountain there were hundreds of people. I also went to a canal-side walk near my home, and because I was able to go on a weekday it wasn't at all crowded. Of course I took lots of photos, and once again I was grateful I live near such a beautiful place for walking and cycling.

Kyoto gradually sheds its visitors through December, as the trees shed their leaves. In my opinion this is the best time to enjoy Autumn and there are still lots of pretty Autumn scenes around town. The red maple leaves seem to last for a long time.

My hometown Christchurch, in New Zealand, Seems to have much more yellow and brown in Autumn, with a little orange colour, and not much red. The overall effect is of a golden Autumn. But in Kyoto the Japanese maple leaves turn brilliant reds, and contrast with yellow ginko and orange cherry trees.

So do I prefer Autumn in Christchurch or Kyoto? Hmmm...

MONUMENT TO ANCIENT ATROCITIES

Near Kyoto Museum stands Toyokuni Shrine, the official tomb of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is the guy who first unified Japan back in the 1500s. He's the guy who built Osaka Castle. He's the guy who banned Christianity in Japan and had twenty-six christians crucified in Nagasaki. He's also the guy who ordered Tea Master Sen-no-Rikyu to commit suicide.

He also instigated two ill-fated invasions of Korea (his ultimate plan included domination of Asia.) And just down the road from Toyokuni Shrine is a small monument called Mimizuka. The story, as told to me by my friend and guide, is that while fighting in Korea Samurai hero General Kiyomasa Kato had his soldiers collect ears and noses of the Koreans they killed, which were then pickled in brine and carried back to Hideyoshi in Japan. Mimizuka monument marks the place these grisly artifacts of war were buried.

My friend also told me that Korean tour groups often stop at Mimizuka monument to pay their respects, then they go down the road to Toyokuni Shrine to spit on Hideyoshi's tomb. While we were there we saw a group of young Korean tourists paying their respects, but sadly we missed the spitting.

I'm not shocked, just macarbrely fascinated. History is liberally strewn with incidents of this nature. But what I wonder at the motives of Hideyoshi who had the monument built.  Was it out of respect for fallen foes? A warning to his enemies? It seems like a very strange thing to do. But then, by all accounts, he was a very strange man.

The Wikipedia article states that Mimizuka is "almost unknown to the Japanese public". For a long time the incident was absent from High School texts, and is still not featured in most guide books. Kyoto City approved the construction of an aquarium (!!) in Umekoji Park. City officials think it will attract more foreign visitors and give a boost to the local economy. Yet they are overlooking the kind of 'local colour' that draws thousands of tourists in Europe and Britain.... DUH! Would you travel to Kyoto to see an aquarium?! Kyoto is a treasure trove of history. But I think most Japanese see history as a boring collection of dates and names they were forced to memorize at high school. If only they realized that people (like Hideyoshi the Horrible) are interesting. That's why historical dramas are popular. And while Kyoto has a number of World Heritage Sites, it's stories that make them come alive.

 Related articles by Zemanta

Related articles by Zemanta

• Why Isn't There A Big Nintendo Sign In Kyoto? [Nintendo] (kotaku.com)
• Kyoto Prefecture Office Introduces 5 Customer Dummies To Foster "A Tense Feeling" (asiajin.com)