Modern Kyoto
Modern Kyoto

Author: Alice Y. Tseng

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2018-10-31

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 082487644X

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Can an imperial city survive, let alone thrive, without an emperor? Alice Y. Tseng answers this intriguing question in Modern Kyoto, a comprehensive study of the architectural and urban projects carried out in the old capital following Emperor Meiji’s move to Tokyo in 1868. Tseng contends that Kyoto—from the time of the relocation to the height of the Asia-Pacific War—remained critical to Japan’s emperor-centered national agenda as politicians, planners, historians, and architects mobilized the city’s historical connection to the imperial house to develop new public architecture, infrastructure, and urban spaces. Royal births, weddings, enthronements, and funerals throughout the period served as catalysts for fashioning a monumental modern city fit for hosting commemorative events for an eager domestic and international audience. Using a wide range of visual material (including architectural plans, postcards, commercial maps, and guidebooks), Tseng traces the development of four core areas of Kyoto: the palaces in the center, the Okazaki Park area in the east, the Kyoto Station area in the south, and the Kitayama district in the north. She offers an unprecedented framework that correlates nation building, civic boosterism, and emperor reverence to explore a diverse body of built works. Interlinking microhistories of the Imperial Garden, Heian Shrine, Lake Biwa Canal, the prefectural library, zoological and botanical gardens, main railway station, and municipal art museum, among others, her work asserts Kyoto’s vital position as a multifaceted center of culture and patriotism in the expanding Japanese empire. Richly illustrated with many never-before-published photographs and archival sources, Modern Kyoto challenges readers to look beyond Tokyo for signposts of Japan’s urban modernity and opens up the study of modern emperors to incorporate fully built environments and spatial practices dedicated in their name.

Modern Kyoto
Modern Kyoto

Author: Alice Y. Tseng

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2018-10-31

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780824873752

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Can an imperial city survive, let alone thrive, without an emperor? Alice Y. Tseng answers this intriguing question in Modern Kyoto, a comprehensive study of the architectural and urban projects carried out in the old capital following Emperor Meiji’s move to Tokyo in 1868. Tseng contends that Kyoto—from the time of the relocation to the height of the Asia-Pacific War—remained critical to Japan’s emperor-centered national agenda as politicians, planners, historians, and architects mobilized the city’s historical connection to the imperial house to develop new public architecture, infrastructure, and urban spaces. Royal births, weddings, enthronements, and funerals throughout the period served as catalysts for fashioning a monumental modern city fit for hosting commemorative events for an eager domestic and international audience. Using a wide range of visual material (including architectural plans, postcards, commercial maps, and guidebooks), Tseng traces the development of four core areas of Kyoto: the palaces in the center, the Okazaki Park area in the east, the Kyoto Station area in the south, and the Kitayama district in the north. She offers an unprecedented framework that correlates nation building, civic boosterism, and emperor reverence to explore a diverse body of built works. Interlinking microhistories of the Imperial Garden, Heian Shrine, Lake Biwa Canal, the prefectural library, zoological and botanical gardens, main railway station, and municipal art museum, among others, her work asserts Kyoto’s vital position as a multifaceted center of culture and patriotism in the expanding Japanese empire. Richly illustrated with many never-before-published photographs and archival sources, Modern Kyoto challenges readers to look beyond Tokyo for signposts of Japan’s urban modernity and opens up the study of modern emperors to incorporate fully built environments and spatial practices dedicated in their name.

Kyoto Revisited
Kyoto Revisited

Author: Jennifer S. Prough

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2022-02-28

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0824891686

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There is a charm to Kyoto. Surrounded by lush green hills, the city feels alive with nature, history, culture—and tourists. At once ancient capital, modern city, and home to numerous cultural heritage sites, Kyoto looms large in the promotion of Japanese culture at home and abroad. In the wake of years of economic recession followed by the national promotion of “cool Japan” in popular culture and tourism of the twenty-first century, anthropologist Jennifer Prough sets out to examine how the city’s history and culture have been mobilized to create heritage experiences for today’s tourists. The heart of her book, Kyoto Revisited, centers on what it means to produce these for visitors, why seeing and feeling culture and tradition appeal to both domestic and international travelers, and the challenges faced by a heritage tourism city. As Prough’s study suggests, heritage has multiple meanings. It is created as interested parties—state and local, public and private—tell different stories about the past, which are marketed in response to tourists’ desire for face-to-face engagement in an experience economy. Her work examines several prominent features of Kyoto tourism, including promotion plans, heritage neighborhood renovation, the role of the seasons and traditional aesthetics in citywide events, the appeal of sites commemorating the Meiji restoration, and the trend of walking in the heritage district in a rented kimono. Throughout Prough brings together scholarship from Japanese studies, heritage studies, and the anthropology of tourism to highlight the interplay between the romantic desire for heritage tourism and the emphasis on “personal experience” (taiken) in the visitor industry today. Experience has long been an integral part of tourism—even as what counts as experience has shifted across time and place (from taking a photo to staying with locals to trying one’s hand at a traditional craft)—yet these touristic desires take on a new tinge in the experience economy. Kyoto Revisited demonstrates not only how the past has been used to construct the city’s identity and shape understandings of Japan for travelers, but also how these speak to broader trends in our contemporary moment.

Kyoto's Renaissance
Kyoto's Renaissance

Author: John Breen

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9781898823926

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"Drawing on a significant archive of primary sources and critical writings, 'Kyoto’s Renaissance' is the first volume in English to take an in-depth look at Kyoto’s modern transformation – how it came to reinvent itself after its ‘collapse’ at the time of the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and relocation of the imperial court to Tokyo. Following a contextualised introduction, which also includes a scholarly appraisal of recent and contemporary studies on the city - in both English and Japanese – nine chapters focus on the most notable historical elements that sustain Kyoto as a quintessentially modern ‘ancient capital’ today. The topics examined are the Emperor System, Festivals and Pageants, Buddhism, the Reorganization of Urban Space, Celebrating Heian, Kyoto’s Forest Policy, Industrialization, Nihonga and trends in Modern Pottery. 'Kyoto’s Renaissance' represents current Japanese scholarship at its best and will be welcomed both as an informed reference book on today’s city and as a benchmark reference for further wide-ranging research."--taken from publisher web site.

Lonely Planet Kyoto
Lonely Planet Kyoto

Author: Lonely Planet

Publisher: Lonely Planet

Published: 2018-08-01

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1787019306

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Lonely Planet: The world’s number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet’s Kyoto is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Walk through thousands of vermillion entrance gates towards the summit of Fushimi Inari-Taisha; glimpse ‘old Japan’ in the lanes of Gion; and time your trip for the best cherry blossom and crimson maple leaves. All with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of destination and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Kyoto: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, cuisine, politics, etiquette Covers Downtown Kyoto, Kyoto Station Area, Southern Higashiyama, Northern Higashiyama, Central Kyoto, Northwest Kyoto, Arashiyama & Sagano, Kitayama Area & North Kyoto eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Kyoto is our most comprehensive guide to the city, and is perfect for discovering both popular and offbeat experiences. Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Kyoto & Osaka, our handy-sized guide featuring the best sights and experiences for a shorter visit. After wider coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s Japan for a comprehensive look at all the country has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. ‘Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ – New York Times ‘Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ – Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017 Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Enduring Identities
Enduring Identities

Author: John K. Nelson

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2000-03-01

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0824862384

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Enduring Identities is an attempt to understand the continuing relevance of Shinto to the cultural identity of contemporary Japanese. The enduring significance of this ancient yet innovative religion is evidenced each year by the millions of Japanese who visit its shrines. They might come merely seeking a park-like setting or to make a request of the shrine's deities, asking for a marriage partner, a baby, or success at school or work; or they might come to give thanks for benefits received through the intercession of deities or to legitimate and sacralize civic and political activities. Through an investigation of one of Japan's most important and venerated Shinto shrines, Kamo Wake Ikazuchi Jinja (more commonly Kamigamo Jinja), the book addresses what appears through Western and some Asian eyes to be an exotic and incongruous blend of superstition and reason as well as a photogenic juxtaposition of present and past. Combining theoretical sophistication with extensive fieldwork and a deep knowledge of Japan, John Nelson documents and interprets the ancient Kyoto shrine's yearly cycle of rituals and festivals, its sanctified landscapes, and the people who make it viable. At local and regional levels, Kamigamo Shrine's ritual traditions (such as the famous Hollyhock Festival) and the strategies for their perpetuation and implementation provide points of departure for issues that anthropologists, historians, and scholars of religion will recognize as central to their disciplines. These include the formation of social memory, the role of individual agency within institutional politics, religious practice and performance, the shaping of sacred space and place, ethnic versus cultural identity, and the politics of historical representation and cultural nationalism. Nelson links these themes through a detailed ethnography about a significant place and institution, which until now has been largely closed to both Japanese and foreign scholars. In contrast to conventional notions of ideology and institutions, he shows how a religious tradition's lack of centralized dogma, charismatic leaders, and sacred texts promotes rather than hinders a broad-based public participation with a variety of institutional agendas, most of which have very little to do with belief. He concludes that it is this structural flexibility, coupled with ample economic, human, and cultural resources, that nurtures a reworking of multiple identities--all of which resonate with the past, fully engage the present, and, with care, will endure well into the future.

Lovesic in Kyoto
Lovesic in Kyoto

Author: Jay Crystall

Publisher:

Published: 2019-03-10

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 9780998480817

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Seen through the lens of Buddhist wisdom, Lovesic in Kyoto is a journey through spirit, language, musicianship, and the beauty and contradictions of modern-day Japan. From racing through New York City subways to riding his bicycle past white-faced, kimono-clad maiko in Kyoto, author/expatriate Jay Crystall shares the colorful, twisting life path that led him to Japan. Told with wit and candor and backlit by myriad lessons, hilarious faux pas, and the slippery slope of self-discovery, he begins to unfold a lifelong dream of impacting culture. "Lovesic in Kyoto is an adventure. A finding of reason. It is just great! " - Joanie Jamieson, writer/actress "I love Jay's use of local color and detail. I feel I've met these people." - Wendy Gittleson - writer, The Word Strategist "Jay's music is immediately "smack in your face cool," solidly rooted in Kyoto and psychedelic rock. I'm happy he is sharing his observations in this book. He hasn't been in Japan that long, so he sees and tells about it with fresh eyes." - Robert Yellin, Japanese ceramic journalist/author "Living and traveling in other countries has enriched my life in ways I could not have possibly imagined. In Lovesic in Kyoto, author Jay Crystall and co-author Catherine Lenox give the reader a personalized look inside modern-day Kyoto. It's an honest, often hilarious, sometimes poignant recounting of Crystall's struggle to live as an expatriate in Japan. Throughout his story, Jay shares the many reasons he has chosen to make it his permanent home. Travelers, expatriates, and anyone interested in learning more about today's Kyoto will enjoy reading this book."- Larry J Snyder, Author Ten Years in Tuscany "Co-authoring Lovesic in Kyoto over two different time zones and nearly 5,000 miles has been challenging but also rewarding. Jay's story is compelling. We're thrilled to share it with readers." - Catherine Lenox, Write Contact, co-author Lovesic in Kyoto

Kyoto
Kyoto

Author: John H. Martin

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2014-06-17

Total Pages: 876

ISBN-13: 1462906354

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Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and modern-day center of tourism and traditional culture, is one of the world's most beautiful and historic cities. Founded nearly 1,300 years ago and undamaged by the war, Kyoto today is the home of over 1,600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, countless national treasures and 17 World Heritage sites, including the famed Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and Kiyomizu Temple. This book presents 29 easy-to-follow walking tours through Kyoto's history, its many unique districts and scenic areas full of charm and character. You'll discover not only the most renowned sites, such as the Silver Pavilion, the rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple and the garden of the Heian Shrine, but also little-known areas off the beaten track. Much more than a guidebook, this volume tells the historical and cultural story of Kyoto's great monuments. The colorful tales, fascinating facts, larger-than-life characters and grand events that shaped the city and Japan at large will enthrall every reader. This updated and greatly expanded guide features over 100 color photos, full-color maps that trace each route and detailed diagrams of many individual sites.

Modern Japan
Modern Japan

Author: Elise K. Tipton

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9780415185387

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Ranging from the Tokugwa period to the present day, this text provides a concise and fascinating introduction to the social, cultural and political history of modern Japan. Tipton covers political and economic developments and shows how they relate to social themes and developments. Her survey covers traditional political history as well as areas growing in interest: gender issues, labor conditions and ethnic minorities.