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wanderinglynn
The Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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I had an amazing weekend in Kyoto. So many things to see. I saw 7 out of the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. I‘ll definitely visit again.

I‘m glad that by whatever miracle Kyoto was not bombed during WWII. All this history and beauty is so incredible.

For those interest in the old capital of Japan, I‘ve tagged one & will tag some others in the comments.

See All 12 Comments
booksandsympathy I love Kyoto! 2y
LaurenAsh Kyoto is beautiful! 2y
TheSpineView Beautiful! 2y
ju.ca.no Kyoto was my favourite place to visit in Japan💙 it‘s so beautiful! 2y
alysonimagines I love Kyoto! So many beautiful shrines and temples. I feel like the few times I have been there, I‘ve only seen a tiny fraction of all there is to see. It‘s such a special experience, isn‘t it? 2y
tracey38 How beautiful and amazing! 2y
117 likes12 comments
review
GatheringBooks
The Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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Pickpick

#BeautifulWords Day 31: Iphigene‘s review: “If you‘re looking for the usual elements of rising action, climax and #denouement, you‘ll most likely not find it in Kawabata‘s work. His story unfolds like one‘s life does, it doesn‘t speed up into a fabricated trajectory.” Full review here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-KF

OriginalCyn620 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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Pickpick

Is it possible to be bowled over by a restrained, poetic novel that employs a trope older than Shakespeare? Yes! To say this short novel set in mid-20th c Kyoto is understated would be an understatement. Much is unsaid. And yet the plot, together with the tension between tradition & the force of progress, give propulsion to the exquisite characterization, descriptions of nature, & ethereal ideas about art. #translation by J Martin Holman.

saresmoore Sounds good to me! 5y
Lindy @saresmoore Yes, I think you would like this. The resonances with The Tale of Genji are of the best aspects of that novel. (edited) 5y
LeahBergen It sounds lovely! 5y
Lindy @LeahBergen Yes, and now I am even more excited about visiting Kyoto. 😊 5y
47 likes3 stack adds4 comments
quote
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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“But I‘ve grown tired of them… such an awful lot of flowers. My eye just isn‘t accustomed to them. I wouldn‘t like an obi or kimono cloth in a tulip pattern, but if a great painter were to attempt it, perhaps even tulips could become a work of art with an eternal life,” Takichiro said, looking aside.

(Internet photo)

Soubhiville I‘m pretty sure this is Castle Groot Bijgaarden in Brussels. I was there two springs ago, and it was phenomenally beautiful! 5y
Lindy @Soubhiville It‘s actually Keukenhof in the Netherlands (I was too lazy to dig out one of my own photos, so I found a similar shot online). Masses of spring bulbs are so gorgeous, aren‘t they? 5y
Soubhiville Yes! I love the spring flowers. Taking the train in the Netherlands through tulip farms that ran for miles is something I‘ll never forget! Next time I‘m there I‘ll check Keukenhof out! 5y
Lindy @Soubhiville Timing is everything. 🌷Keukenhof is only open for 2 months out of a year. https://keukenhof.nl/en/ 5y
39 likes4 comments
quote
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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Chieko sat at the mirror, undoing her long hair, which was always neatly arranged.
“Mother,” Chieko called to the next room. Restless thoughts clouded her voice.

(Image: woodblock print, Hirano Hakuho, 1932)

quote
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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[bedtime preparations, sleeping alone]:
“Chieko stood in front of the mirror stand, looking at her own face. She considered putting on some makeup, but decided against it. She simply took a bottle of perfume and sprinkled the tiniest bit on the bedding. Then she adjusted her under sash. Of course, sleep did not come easily.”
[💄😴🤔😜also, 👘for😴]

LeahBergen Clearly I don‘t put enough effort into how I look while sleeping. 😆 5y
Lindy @LeahBergen I don‘t even put that much effort into how I look when I‘m awake. Too many times to count, back when I was working, I was already at the library before I realized that I hadn‘t brushed my hair or even looked in a mirror that morning. 😜 5y
batsy Yes, her intended bedtime makeup ritual is putting my nonexistent daytime ritual to shame! 😂 5y
39 likes3 comments
quote
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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“Stuffed tofu, just like stuffed eel, contained burdock. Peony tofu resembled a fried mixture of tofu and vegetables, but there were also gingko nuts wrapped inside.
This shop was over 200 years old, having survived the Dondon Fire.”

(Chieko, the main character in this novel that‘s set in Japan shortly after WWII, visits a tofu shop that‘s still in business today. I found an image of Yubahan on the Internet.)

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled That‘s interesting! I often go on Internet searches for things Im reading about. 👍 5y
Lindy @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled The lovely rabbit hole … 🤓 5y
37 likes2 comments
quote
Lindy
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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The small shrine had not changed. It was described even in The Tale of Genji. The imperial princesses who were to serve at Ise Shrine would spend three years there in purification from the unclean world before going on to Ise.

[ #Genji Is haunting my reading.]
(Internet photo of Nonomiya shrine)

Tanisha_A This place looks so calm and soothing! 5y
wordzie 😎 5y
batsy Very cool #genjihauntings 5y
See All 7 Comments
Severnmeadows How moving. 5y
Lindy @Tanisha_A @wordzie @batsy @Severnmeadows The writing style is reminding me of #Genji too: languorous with lots of attention to the beauty of nature. 5y
batsy That sounds wonderful. Stacked! 5y
Lindy @batsy I finished it yesterday. 5 stars. A quiet novel with staying power. 5y
46 likes3 stack adds7 comments
blurb
sofiaga
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New definition of content: reading together in boyfriend's book room and listening to Haruki Murakami's vinyl collection.

review
BiblioNyan
Old Capital | Yasunari Kawabata
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Pickpick

I love this book so much!! There are examinations of a myriad number of things in Kyoto during post-WWII era, but most of them have to do with societal relationship. It's beautiful and eloquent in execution and positively charming with its tale!! This book is the perfect example of why I LOVE Japanese literature!! Also, did I mention how beautiful the cover is??
🌸 🌸 🌸

#theoldcapital #japan #kyoto #historicalfiction #classic

Desha Awesome! Immediate add to stack! 😜 I was an East Asian Studies major and lived in Japan years ago...currently I am in a Japanese Lit Book Club we started in San Diego ☺️. We've read some great books and are always looking for more!! ❤️📚❤️ 7y
BiblioNyan Oh nice!! I'm currently majoring in Japanese & Indian studies. 😊 My cousins and I also have a small book club where we read Asian literature, mostly Japanese. I read a lot of Japanese lit as I'm super passionate about it, so I'll usually share those titles here. 💜 I'm always looking for Japanese titles to check out as well. 😃 7y
Chelsibno I've only ever read Kawabata's short stories. I'll have to add this to my to-read list. 7y
BiblioNyan @Chelsibno This is a relatively short book as well, ~165 pages. It does read slow as there are ton of details about the environments, but I found it quite enjoyable. 7y
10 likes3 stack adds4 comments