Stop the Kyoto Aquarium Kiyomizu Protest

The Committee to Protect Kyoto got together with two local Kyoto groups today at Kiyomizu-dera Temple to protest the planned Kyoto Aquarium. Today, mayors from around the world were visiting Kyoto as part of the World League of Historical Cities meeting being held in Nara. Kyoto Mayor Kadokawa hosted the delegates. Just two days ago, he gave a speech in Nara boasting about how much Kyoto is doing to protect the environment. Needless to say, he didn't mention how much CO2 his planned aquarium will produce, nor how many trees have been cut down to build it (nor, for that matter, how he and his staff commute to work by car on Kyoto's famous "no car days").

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.