Reading Hojôki in Kyoto

[starlady]

# The Hojôki (usually translated "Record of a 10-Foot Square Hut" but literally something like "Hermitage Diary") was written in the early 1200s by one Kano no Chômei, talented poet, frustrated shrine priest and courtier, and observant Buddhist monk. We read the first half of it for my bungo class this week, and let me tell you, there's nothing like reading a record of myriad disasters in Heian-kyô at the end of the 12thC to make you see the city around you with new eyes. Among other things including a tornado (!), complete with classic freight train roar, Chômei describes a two-year famine and its consequences--now every time I cross the Kamo River, I can't help but imagine it dry, its bed so choked with the corpses of those dead from famine and plague that horses and cattle couldn't find paths across. I cross the Kamo River a lot.

# I got an annual membership to the Kyoto International Manga Museum again today and spent the afternoon reading Pluto. Walking through the door again made me really happy, I have to say. In general, I'm beginning to realize that I suppressed a lot of the sadness I felt at leaving Kyoto, or maybe I didn't realize it was there because I was dealing with my mother's illness. Anyway, the museum! They've raised the admission fee to ¥800, so only another seven visits and I'll have gotten a deal. I don't think I'll get in seven visits before the end of the month, but if it keeps raining, I just might.

# I really, really want a pair of these shoes, and I have since the last time I was here. Given that I was planning on buying a new pair of low-top Chuck Taylors anyway, I can just not buy those and get something from Sou Sou instead. I like this plan.

# We've started reading Taketori Monogatari, and let me tell you, it would make a great SF novel. Kaguyahime is a bad-ass.

# I mostly unintentionally climbed Higashiyama and stumbled on to Takaraga-ike yesterday. It was as pretty as I've heard; maybe I'll start taking a run up there every so often, instead of just down the Kamogawa and up and back.

# I stumbled onto the Kyoto Greece and Rome Museum on my way back from the FamilyMart last night. It's slightly pricey for what will be a teeny museum, but I can't not go since it's literally about four blocks from my apartment and I'd meant to hit it up last time. I should probably also read at least one volume of Thermae Romae, huh.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Have you tried out the shoes? I ordered some last year and returned them after they didn't feel quite right. Maybe it was poor sizing or something...

- Alex L.

[starlady]

I spent an hour in the store yesterday and eventually bought these. The traditional tabi styles just didn't fit right, the 24s were too small and even with insoles the 25s were too loose in the heel. (Normally I wear a 24.5.)

[outou.livejournal.com]

I'd wear those Sou Sou lace-up shoes if I could get away with it! They look very comfortable.

Reading your stories from Kyoto, and thinking back to the CLS students who are now already there, I can't help but wish that I had applied for Japanese instead. Someday, right?

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

You totally should! I think the CLS program also takes place at Doshisha.

[larryhammer]

Taketori Monogatari is indeed awesome. I would not mind getting fluent enough to read/translate it direct (I'm still too slow to make it worth using as a bootstrap text).

I'm pretty sure it has been rewritten into an SF novel, at least once, and I know there's a couple SF manga that have done the same, including a gorgeous and disturbing one by Shimizu Reiko.

---L.

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

See, I have to suspect that you are at least as competent as me at bungo, given that I have had all of two weeks' intensive instruction in it. I think the main thing about Taketori is the honorifics, which my teacher tirelessly tells us are the key to understanding classical prose and which are kind of whacked out in the story. At least, that's why we shifted to reading it after Hojôki.

[larryhammer]

I'm still at a total loss with classical honorific language -- completely different from modern constructions, and even more complicated. That they're (almost) entirely absent from waka is the only reason I can get anywhere with them. Waka is all about the verbs, and verb conjugations are twisty fun.

---L.

[spaiku.livejournal.com]

before you get those shoes, consider getting these AWESOME converse instead: http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2011/06/16/converse-x-super-mario-bros-chuck-taylor-hi-part-2/#more-188492

http://www.hayabusa.bz/news/2011/06/converse-2.php

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

Maybe I will get both! Probably not.

But for serious, I am getting a pair of Sou Sou shoes. I will email you today! <3