| A Tourist in Japan Part 4
Nara
As was mentioned in a previous installment of this series, the capital of Japan was moved from uncertain beginnings in the Asuka area to Nara where it stayed for about a century until 794. The period was one of growth and cultural development. The present city of Nara is small by Japanese standards. The business district has only a few office buildings exceeding four storeys, but the place is rich in other respects. We arrived by train and took taxis to our Ryokan in one of the residential districts. From there we were able to see the sights on foot. A very worthwhile museum of photography, with emphasis on contemporary work, was only a ten minutes' walk from where we were staying. The museum is modern and attractive in scale and style.
One of the most salient features of Nara is Deer Park that is large by any standard, measuring 4 km (2.5 miles) to the east and 2 km (1.25) to the north. A substantial portion of the park is left as natural forest. The large herd of tame deer, which at one time were considered to have religious significance, is allowed to roam freely. The deer are mostly to be found on the large meadows near one of the park entrances, and, while well looked after, tend to look for handouts from visitors. Above the park rises a five-storey pagoda of the Kofuku Temple which, according to the guidebook, was "last rebuilt in 1426 after being damaged in a succession of civil wars." This quote reminds one that the transition from one location to the other of the capital and the Imperial seat should not be assumed to have been smooth and peaceful. The establishment of a permanent central government (as elsewhere in Britain, the European continent and China) came only after a great deal of conflict and local wars. 
But the most striking and memorable feature of Deer Park is the Todai-ji Temple with its main hall, the world's largest wooden structure that dwarfs the numerous visitors and is located at the end of a long reflecting pool. The original temple burned down and what one sees today is a scaled down version erected 800 (!) years ago and two-thirds the size of the original. Major beams and posts are made of the trunks of large trees. The hall contains the famous statue of a Buddha approximately three storeys high with a golden disk in the background with life-sized Buddhas in bas relief. As impressive as it was, I wondered whether it represented Buddha's life or teaching in any way, the same as one wonders whether the immense amounts of bricks, glass and stone which are still frequently thrown up in the West for churches have any serious connections with the Gospels of Jesus.
Before leaving for Kyoto, we spent a day taking a bus to Yagyu, a village which has a well-preserved Samurai residence of one of the chiefs of this warrior class. We also enjoyed a picnic and a walk in the countryside. Arable land was, as often in Honshu, bounded in two directions by wooded hills. It was a brilliant fall day and we saw in addition to rice culture, tea being grown as well as large fields of several vegetables. Kyoto
Among travelers and writers, Kyoto has a reputation of being one of the culturally richest cities in the world. Having spent several days sightseeing and walking around there, I can say that this reputation is entirely deserved. A thriving place of about a million inhabitants, its importance as a university town is perhaps neglected. Certainly its very attractive and interesting geography receives too little notice. The city is surrounded on three sides by forested hills which rise to small mountains in different places. But these hills do not have the effect of crowding in. There is a sizable plain on which the city is spread. The Kamo River enters this plain from the north-north west and the Takamo River from the north-north east, forming a “Y” north of the city centre and continuing as the Kamo River in a southerly direction. The combined river has pleasant walks along its banks and pedestrian walks at street level. Running easterly from the Kamo into one of the oldest parts of the city is a canal upon whose banks are small residences, shops, cafes and restaurants. There one finds “The Philosopher’s Walk" so named at the insistence of a professor at Kyoto University who spent some productive and agreeable years in German universities and apparently had some influence with the city authorities.  The Gion district is the entertainment and restaurant section of Kyoto. It is also one of the oldest. Many of the buildings are two-storey dark wood structures. Those streets which are not subject to substantial traffic are very picturesque. Although they do not entertain most of their clients in the Gion, some of the Kyoto Geishas have their establishments there. Geishas are to tourists as rare swans are to bird watchers. We were informed that the number of Geishas is continually declining. It is a profession of entertainers and confidantes which traditionally requires long training. True Geishas are not prostitutes and their activities have no equivalent in the West. But women in traditional dress and hairdo can be seen elsewhere as well, while attending traditional plays and at weddings. If one could talk to a Geisha in her own language, it would be most interesting, but I found "sightings" not that fascinating. On the other hand, the district had both print and watercolour dealers and antique stores. Prints and water colour originals are available in large quantity and very often of high quality. We bought some of these from a dealer who explained to us that during the 19 th century hundreds of gifted amateurs were painting as well as artists who depended on their sales for a living.
Kyoto has several museums principally of Japanese art and one of traditional handicrafts. When we were there, the Kyoto Municipal Museum had a large exhibition of 18th century art, much of it on screens and a good deal of it exquisite. I noticed one striking similarity with Chinese art. Japanese art does not follow a more or less straight line. In European art, Byzantine mosaics are not followed by Impressionist paintings which in turn are not followed by Abstract Expressionists and so forth. But examples of Japanese art which are very old may look to the visitor as if they had been done last year and are completely "modern."
According to one guidebook, Kyoto has 19 major Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines, many of which have gardens tended literally for centuries. There are extensive and fascinating tours for gardeners from all over the world. Some of the gardens are primarily for observation from one or more points, others are "strolling" gardens where the visitor can walk around and admire the several mini-environments that have been created. I noticed certain features common to some of these gardens: carefully shaped bushes and trees and a delight in water whether in ponds or in mini-waterfalls. There is another type of garden altogether, the dry or Zen gardens which use sand, pebbles and rocks as primary materials to create an environment for contemplation. Altogether Kyoto reflects its status as the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868 as well as being the centre of artistic and cultural life of an ancient, talented and important nation. To "do" Kyoto in two days is probably as hopeless as to try it in Paris or London.
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