Earthquakes and Kimonos

Said goodbye to Momma Lee as we headed from Hiroshima to Kyoto, I am so glad that she was able to join us on part of our journey! Kyoto seems like a delightful little city to venture through, and when we first got here I really enjoyed just walking and seeing all this city had to offer, especially the little canals and hidden bridges.

First full day in Kyoto, we stepped of the elevator and not four seconds later, I was experiencing my first earthquake! Our whole hostel started shaking and the powerlines outside were swinging around like no tomorrow. Han Sensei had all of us meet outside, and thank goodness, we weren’t five seconds later, otherwise we would have been stuck in that elevator for quite some time! It was interesting, as we were on our way to the train station, people were going about their daily routines and lives like a 5.9 earthquake didn’t just occur thirty minutes away via train in Osaka. As the day went on, we realized how big of a ripple it caused. As a result, we had to cancel our tour to Nara, and the subway and JR lines were not running. Nevertheless, we had quite a day!

We headed to the Nijo-Jo Castle, the Golden Pavilion and the Ming Ten Shrine. Although very different and unique places, there were subtle similarities that were interesting to see, like the evidence of hierarchical history with the Tokugawa shogun, as well as a focus on balance and nature. Even though I was bummed Nara got canceled, a group of us were able to use that time to go visit Fushimi Inari, the shrine with over ten thousand tori gates! Our legs got quite the workout, but the views and memories were totally worth it!

While in Kyoto we also got the opportunity to attend a traditional tea ceremony, or chanoyu. When we arrived, the hosts dressed us in kimonos of our choosing and even gave the ladies a hair makeover, flowers and everything! Han Sensei said that it is typical for a woman to wear her hair up, to show her kimono and its intricate designs in its entirety (perhaps some gender roles in play??) It was also interesting to see that the kimonos for the ladies were much more vibrant and colorful than those of our fellow male classmates. The whole process was so detailed and each action was with a purpose. After being shown how to respectfully enter a tea ceremony, we were served matcha tea and a dessert ball with bean paste. Our hosts then gave us our own tea bowls and then we proceeded to make our own serving of matcha. I had picked on nonverbal communication in precious situations throughout the trip, but during this ceremony, the nonverbals were very prominent, especially since we were silent for most of the ceremony. I loved that each bow had a different meaning, and that even with small action there was a sense of significance. If you bowed to the individual to your right, it means “I will join you in drinking tea” and if you bow to the person to your left, it meant “Excuse me for going (drinking tea) before you”. Every action was precise and meaningful, and it was actually pretty nice just sitting in silence during the ceremony. In my opinion, the quiet really helped me focus on what was happening and observe this incredible experience. The past couple days, well the whole trip really, has been fairly intense (in a good way!) and it felt good to relax…well, relax as much as you can in a kimono praying you don’t drop or spill your tea. Trying to savor every last moment in this exquisite country!