I am a student from the United States, and I've been studying
at KICL since April 2015. Like
many of the students who have written on this blog, I came to KICL looking to
significantly improve my Japanese language skills. And in that area, the school
has not disappointed. My teachers have been very dedicated to leading us in
challenging classes, and adept at answering any questions I have had. But more
than that, I have found that my elective, a class on the history of Kyoto,
along with KICL’s own location have combined to give me a deeper appreciation
of what I can learn every day.
Our
history of Kyoto class is taught entirely in Japanese, and that it itself makes
it a great experience. It’s also taught by a teacher whose enthusiasm makes me
excited, too. She seems to manage to cover what’s key to the flow of history,
and also have time for the little bits of information that make it really come
alive.
There is, of course, a
whole lot to cover in a history of Kyoto! Since it has functioned as a cultural
or political hub of the nation for hundreds of years, it has racked up a
serious number of important events and personages attached to its name.
Religious leaders, cultural forerunners, politicos, outlaws and freedom
fighters have all called Kyoto their home. Much of what was build here by one
proud leader was then built over by rivals, or burned in some of the fires the
city has endured. Yet some of it has been carefully preserved or rebuilt.
You
could choose any of the major periods in Japanese history and probably visit
dozens of spots related to it. My favorite era, however, is the Bakumatsu, or
the end of the Edo period and its nearly cataclysmic change into that of Meiji. So I’ve been to places like Nishi (Western)
Honganji, a temple that was used as a housing complex for the Shinsengumi,
samurai who were charged with protecting the city. The buildings are such that
you can almost imagine their former occupants have simply gone out on a patrol
of the city.
It’s possible to walk past history
every day in Kyoto and not even realize it. That was the case with this mark on
Sanjo-Oobashi, an important bridge that crosses the Kamogawa river at Sanjo
street. In 1864, the Shinsengumi staged an attack on an inn called Ikedaya.
Apparently, someone fleeing from Ikedaya ran onto the Sanjo-Oobashi and was
pursued. A sword hitting the post allegedly left the slash mark you see in the
picture. The fact that it could last this long is astonishing to me, but it’s
actually the second of these kind of sword marks I’ve seen here.
And there are apparently more of them around the city that I haven’t seen yet!
I think that’s what I
love so much about Kyoto. There are so many spots where the thoroughly modern sits
right next to the very old. And if it’s not in complete harmony, then it’s at
least in a slightly jarring truce. Bright, modern lights shine on an old river,
and never quite reach older mountains that shelter temples and traditional
gardens. On certain nights, the bank of the Kamogawa is still filled with those
looking to have a good time, much the way it must have been a hundred and fifty
years ago. If you stop on Sanjo-Oobashi, let the chattering tourists pass you
by, and look out over the river at night, you can easily let your imagination
run away with you and find yourself in a completely different era.
It’s been my history
class at KICL that has encouraged me to stop and really look at the city I’m
living in. It’s the language I’ve learned at this school that has let me
further understand what it is I’m seeing. This city has so much beauty and
knowledge to offer to those who are willing to seek it out. I hope that if you
get the chance to come here, even for a few months, that you take the time to discover
an aspect of Kyoto that means something unique to you. That way you’re sure to remember
it for the rest of your life.
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