IN SEARCH OF THE LAST SAMURAI IN KYOTO
Text and Photography by Sandy Katz

It was at KYOTO STUDIO PARK TOEI MOVIE LAND where I met my samurai Lee Murayama who has his own website: www.lee-murayama.com . He was an actor in the movie “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise, which was filmed in Kyoto. Lee was dressed in his samurai costume since he plays the part in Japanese movies and television shows and on the lot of this studio when he does some shows with a lady Ninja. You can visit this studio, home of Japanese movies. This is the only theme park in Japan where visitors can observe the filming of period dramas. Here is where history is kept alive. www.toei-group.com.jp/eigamura

 

There are lots of free things to do in Kyoto among which is entering the grounds of many of the 1600 temples and 400 shrines. One of the most interesting temple was CHION-IN TEMPLE especially because it was used in the shooting of “The Last Samurai”. However, it is also my favorite because we got a personal guided tour led by Rev.Yuki Yamamoto, who looked very much like the founder Honen. A special treat was having tea with him and hearing about his Western-educated children living in California.
 

This temple was constructed on the orders of the Priest Honen in 1175. The temple’s huge Hoji hall can seat 3,000. Among the temple’s interesting sights are the Sanmon Gate, the biggest in Japan and a huge bronze bell that requires muscle power of 17 monks to ring this bell. What a fabulous National Treasure!

However difficult it is to envision today, legendary samurai warriors once waged bloody battles on Kyoto streets. In the museum of Kyoto, you can see painted scrolls depicting courageous sword fights and bands of costumed crusaders proudly parading along Sanjodori displaying the freshly severed heads of traitors for all to heed.

The prime duty of a samurai was to give faithful service to his feudal lord. In fact, the origin of the term samurai is closely linked to a word meaning “to serve”. Over the centuries, the samurai established a code of conduct that came to be known as the way of the warrior. This code was drawn from Confucianism, Shinto and Buddhism.

Confucianism requires the samurai to show absolute loyalty to the lord, toward oppressed to show benevolence and exercise justice. A real samurai had endless endurance, exhibited total self-control, spoke only the truth and displayed no emotion. Since his honor was his life, disgrace and shame were to be avoided above all else and all insults to be avenged.

From Buddhism, the samurai learned the lesson that life is impermanent, enabling him to face death with serenity.

Shinto provided the samurai with patriotic beliefs in the divine status both of the emperor and of Japan, the abode of the gods.

Ritual suicide was an accepted means of avoiding dishonor. One reason for this ritual was the requirement that a samurai should never surrender but always go down fighting. The samurai wore leather or lacquered steel armor in battle covering his whole body, used bow and arrow along with his swords and dagger and rode a trusty steed.

Whether at war or at peace, a samurai tried to find peace within himself through meditation, seeking out tranquility in his private garden or his teahouse. A great samurai warrior was expected to have a highly developed sense of beauty. Many samurai pastimes helped him to find serenity away from the battlefield.

THE TEA CEREMONY with its strict rules for preparing and serving tea to a guest was one such pastime. It required great calm and concentration. My wearing a beautiful traditional Japanese embroidered kimono enhanced my experience at the tea ceremony. The Women’s Association of Kyoto provides these opportunities to visitors. Their aim is to help more people understand Japanese culture. www.wakjapan.com

Atsuka led the tea ceremony. She explained all the details of behavior and introduced the family in whose specially designed private home we were being entertained. The elements of respect, purity and tranquility were apparent as the Tea master prepared the hot water and then ceremonially made the tea from green finely powdered tea served in ceramic bowls. One sweet treat accompanied the tea. We were all sitting majestically on the floor sipping our tea correctly circulating the cup just right with a few little bows of thanks.

At KITANO-TENMANGU Shrine the SETSUBUN, coming of spring ceremony) was being celebrated in dramatic –style. The colorful ritual is most important festival of spring. Men in demon masks ran around the stage while soy beans were thrown at them…symbolizing Japanese people chasing out demons out of their homes by throwing soy beans and shouting “Demons out, good luck in”. Then after the show, the cast threw peanuts into audience for the people to have good luck throwing them out when they get to their homes. The children had so much fun running around to catch and gather the peanuts.

NIJO CASTLE was very interesting to visit because its beautiful garden that blooms all year. It is also a National Treasure and World Cultural Heritage Site built in 1603.

THE KYOTO NATIONAL MUSEUM was founded in 1895 as an imperial repository for art and treasures from local temples and shrines. There are 17 rooms with displays of over 1000 artworks, historical artifacts and handicrafts such as: ceramics, textiles, sculpture, lacquer ware, metalwork, paintings and calligraphy.

KODAOJI SHO MUSEUM is a small museum of cultural treasures associated with Kitanomandokoro Kodai-In (1549-1624) founders of the temple Kodai ji notably lacquer ware.


The OISHI SAKE BREWERY in the outskirts of Kyoto was very educational as we watched the professionals make sake in big vats. The employees dressed in green jackets and the writing in Japanese said “happy.” The president Hiroshi Oishi invited us to have some tea and then taste sake. He was so hospitable introducing us to the many other items made from sake. He most generously gave me a happy jacket.

MISOGI-GAWA, French Kaiseki was the restaurant that served nouvelle French cuisine for the past 23 years utilizing the best of Japanese style and ingredients. In all my dining adventures, it was presentation, presentation, presentation! This restaurant was located in a century-old renovated wooden building that once belonged to a geisha, Misogi Gana. All staff wore kimonos and spoke English. It’s a great place to splurge. My special fillet steak of “Ohmi beef” with fondant potatoes was memorable.

TENKI RESTAURANT had the best tempura..All dishes were cooked in front of our eyes. Then there was JUNSEI, the tofu restaurant www.to-fu.co.jpWe had tofu simmered in an earthen pot and we skimmed it right off the top.

THE GARDEN ORIENTAL restaurant served the most delicious authentic Italian cuisine in a garden setting within the view of Higashiyamo mountains. We went for the spaghetti with meat sauce, a nice treat from raw fish.

NISHIKI MARKET has a restaurant that catered to locals. and we ate lunch there. It was fun food and not expensive. This market is the place to visit if you are interested in seeing all the unusual and wonderful foods required for cooking in Kyoto.

The daring men in our group enjoyed an open-air-bath in hidden spa in the mountains at Hotel Sumiya kiho-an info@sumiya.ne.jp

THE WESTIN MIYAKO/KYOTO lived up to its acclaim as one of the city’s finest hotels. Here tradition & modernity met harmoniously. It was perched on the mist-shrouded foothills of Mount Kocho and overlooked the grand capital of Kyoto. This is a fascinating and well=preserved ancient city, whose history spans more than 1,000 years. Kyoto has been a political capital, and a renaissance city, a spiritual center and a battlefield. Yet through the ages, miraculously, most of the temples and landmarks have remained unscathed. Today they offer the visitor a rare insight into Japanese culture. www.westin.com

THE TAWARAYA OF KYOTO is a 19-room Japanese style Ryokan steps away from the bustling streets of Kyoto into a Japanese wonderland of winding passageways, magical sliding doors and private gardens.

For nearly 300 years The Tawaraya had guests sleeping on Fulton bedding spread on floor mat and served by smiling maidservants in neat kimonos. It is a place of serenity within urban chaos. Most recent guests were Walter Cronkite, Barbra Streisand and Marlon Brando, Tel:: (075) 211.5566.