Mitokusan Mountain Temple in Tottori Prefecture

This past weekend, I headed up to Tottori Prefecture with my friends Paul, Anthony and Mike. We stayed at Mike's vacation house in the onsen town of Misasa. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the mountainside temple complex of Mitoku-san, which is said to date back to the pre-Nara era. It's HIGHLY recommended for anyone heading to Western Honshu.

Here is a picture of the famous "Nage-ire-do" hall at the top of the complex. The name means something like: "They just threw that temple up onto the cliff." No one seems to be able to figure out how they built it up there.


Here's the strong hiking team that made the ascent:


Here I am at one of the temples midway up the mountain:


Here's Paul at a garden lower down on the mountain:

Eat Well Shanghai

The other day I had the good fortune to meet Julie Meyer here in Kyoto. She's a licensed nutritionist who lives in Shanghai. She's written a brilliant new book about how to eat healthy food in Shanghai. The book tells you where to shop for good ingredients, how to prepare healthy food based on these ingredients, and it lists lots of great restaurants that serve healthy food in Shanghai. You can find out more about the book here.

Yatsubuchi-no-Taki Hike

A few days ago, I hiked the Yatsubuchi-no-Taki hike in the Hira-san mountains north of Kyoto with my friends Paul and Anthony. It's without a doubt the best dayhike near Kyoto. You climb around, through and over a succession of incredible waterfalls.



Here I am climbing above a waterfall. Note Paul way down below:


Here I am relaxing above another waterfall:

Stop the Aquarium Petition

Kyoto citizens are organizing to stop the aquarium that Orix Corporation is building in Kyoto's Umekoji-koen Park. Our reasons for wanting this stopped are as follows:

1) The loss of public green space.
2) It is not suitable for Kyoto's local economy: Kyoto is an inland city with no maritime associations.
3) The plan is environmentally unsound and sends children the wrong message.
4) The decision was made behind closed doors between the city administration and private business. This is public land but public opinion has been ignored.
5) The aquarium will use dolphins from Taiji, where an annual mass-killing of dolphins takes place.

If you believe this aquarium should be stopped, please sign our petition, which can be accessed below:

Hatanaka Geisha Event

Last night, I attended a geisha event at Hatanaka Ryokan in Gion. It was a very nice event. I'd recommend this for anyone who wants to experience geisha entertainment at a reasonable price. The atmosphere is fun and casual.



My friend Paul and I enjoyed chatting with this maiko.


Here is a maiko defeating Paul at a geisha drinking game. I don't think he minded losing, because he got to drink some beer.

A Different Kind of Luxury

I've just finished reading Andy Couturier's A Different Kind of Luxury. Andy lived in Japan for several years, during which time he got to know several Japanese people who had chosen to live alternative lives far outside the Japanese mainstream. He profiles each of them in his new book. These people chose to live low-consumption lives of great self-sufficiency. Most live on rented farmland out in the countryside. While they may be poor in terms of income and ownership of things, they are rich in time and inner wealth (hence the title). Interestingly, most of the people Andy profiles spent some time traveling in India.

For those who imagine that Japan is composed entirely of suit-clad salarymen, this book will be an eye-opener. And anyone who feels that the life of ceaseless work and consumption, against a backdrop of information overload, is not a life fit for human beings, this book is highly recommended. If you like the Nearing's "Living the Good Life," then you'll enjoy this book.

Alex Kerr - Bangkok Found: Reflections on the City

The other day I met with Alex Kerr to discuss his new book, Bangkok Found: Reflections on the City. Readers familiar with Alex will recognize the title as sort of reverse echo of his earlier Lost Japan.

Like many people, I've always consider Japan and Thailand to be radically different, almost direct opposites. However, Alex explained that there are some intriguing similarities between the two countries: "Thailand has an intricately evolved tradition of reigi and saho, just like Japan." So, amid all of the playful sanuk of Thailand, apparently, there is a carefully refined system of manners and behavior that rivals that of Japan in terms of grace and complexity.

Bangkok found is written in thematic essays, much like Lost Japan. This makes it very easy to read and enjoyable. As one reads, one cannot help but marvel at the degree to which Alex has explored his new hometown. For most of us, learning one culture to this degree would be a huge task: Alex has now done this with two. I highly recommend his book - it would make a great book to bring with you to the Land of Smiles.