Scenes From The Old Capital

Kawabata Yasunari’s novel, The Old Capital, offers many subtle pleasures, one of which is a loving portrait of the city of Kyoto. If you have ever spent time in the city, no book makes a better souvenir of the experience. If you have not, I offer these photos as an aid in visualizing scenes from the story, divided by chapter.

The Flowers of Spring

The first place Shinichi and Chieko visit is Heian Shrine, built in 1895 to commemorate the ancient palace of the Emperor from over a thousand years before.

Unsurprisingly, Shinichi doesn’t think much of Chieko’s suggestion to visit Kiyomizudera. A must see for tourists, he probably sought to avoid it in the same way any resident shuns the tourist traps in their home towns. However, Chieko isn’t interested in the temple, but the view of the sunset over Kyoto.

The Convent Temple and the Lattice Door

In this chapter we learn that Chieko's father is staying at a convent in Saga, seeking artistic inspiration for his obi designs. The convent is never named, but I am not the first to suspect that it is Gioji Temple, famous for its stillness, circular window, and luxuriant moss covered grounds. Gioji is known for the sad story of Lady Gio, who was spurned by the head of the Taira house (soon to lead them to oblivion in the Genpei war). She retired to the nunnery, along with her sister and mother, only to be joined a short time later by the woman for whom Taira had abandoned Gio.

Returning from the visit to her father, Chieko stops at another place tinged with melancholy, Adashino Nenbutsudera. This is the site of an anonymous mass grave where people from the lower classes were buried over a thousand years ago. During the 1800s a number of stone grave markers were gathered here, making the place the symbolic resting place of the unknown dead. Photographs of the place usually give an impression of a far bigger scale than the one I experienced when visiting there, so the poignancy of the place is probably best experienced during sento kuyo when candles are lit throughout the temple. The only photos I took were of a stand of bamboo on the grounds because I had never seen new shoots before.

The Green of Pines

This chapter opens with Chieko persuading her parents to walk a little further to see the camphor trees at Shorenin. In 2002, we made a side trip to sit under them ourselves.

Deep Autumn Sisters

Geisha and maiko feature prominently in this chapter, so I couldn't resist adding another photo from Gion Odori.

Related: Violets and Crickets Speak in The Old Capital