The 6th edition of the annual Writers in Kyoto anthology invites us to consider the future of this storied city through evocative haiku, thoughtful short stories, and analytic theses; from the literal to the speculative and aspirational.

From the Foreword by Rebecca Copeland:

“Complex and layered, Kyoto stretches across a temporal spectrum: past, present and future… The creative works gathered here imagine that future. Some contributors venture into speculative realms, envisioning a vertical city suspended in space. Others root their predictions in historical sediment. Still others reflect the city through the lens of contemporary life, tracing emerging families, re-imagined identities, and inventing Kyoto futures grounded in the here and now.

“What is the future, after all, but a projection? A time not yet experienced but always imagined—a realm of dreams, uncertainties, prophecies, and hopes.

“To speak of Kyoto’s future is, paradoxically, to invoke its past. This collection invites us to do just that: to imagine what lies ahead while honoring what was always there.”

Paperback (174 pages, 6 x 9 in.) at Amazon stores worldwide, including:
Amazon US | Amazon Japan | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada

Digital (PDF) version at Gumroad

Edited by
Suzanne Kamata & Felicity Tillack

Contributors:
Sara Aoyama • Licia Braga • Adam Clague • Tina deBellegarde • Abigail Deveney • Lane Diko • Hamish Downie • Mike Freiling • Carter Hale • Amanda Huggins • Mai Ishikawa • Suzanne Kamata • Mayumi Kawaharada • Kirsty Kawano • Marianne Kimura • Elaine Lies • Nathan Mader • Stephen Mansfield • Lea Millay • Dave Tampus Pregoner • Anne Roskowski • John Savoie • Lisa Twaronite Sone • Edward J. Taylor • Hayley Noel Wallace • Isabelle Wei • Yuki Yamauchi

Designed by
Rick Elizaga

Contents

Foreword — Rebecca Copeland

Introduction — Felicity Tillack and Suzanne Kamata

Elements — Lea Millay

Fruitful — Lisa Twaronite Sone

The Knife Salesman — Amanda Huggins

Neo Kyoto — Hamish Downie

The Future of Filmmaking in Kyoto — Yuki Yamauchi

京のうつろひ | Drift of Kyoto — Mayumi Kawaharada

Limbo — Licia Braga

The Persimmon Tree — Sara Aoyama

Orpheus and Eurydice in Shiga-ken — Marianne Kimura

Trying to Understand — Kirsty Kawano

Togetsukyo Bridge in the Rain — Isabelle Wei

Angels Watching Over Us — Mike Freiling

On Repeat — Abigail Deveney

A Foreign Visitor — Mai Ishikawa

Zen and the Art of Italian Cooking — Tina deBellegarde

Basho in Love — John Savoie

The Great Buddha of Kyoto — Kirsty Kawano

The Deposit — Elaine Lies

What Remains To Be Seen — Dave Tampus Pregoner

Confluence — Nathan Mader

map — Hayley Noel Wallace 

Umbrella Store — Carter Hale

Memory Card — Stephen Mansfield

While the Lacquer Dries — Adam Clague

Butterfly — Anne Roskowski

One for the Ages — Edward J. Taylor

Kyoto: Where the Cuckoo Calls — Suzanne Kamata

Afterword — Szabó Renáta

Notes on Contributors

Above: Photographs tell the story of a stimulating and uplifting meeting of writers, in Kyoto, that continued until after dark. Contributing photographers are Karen Lee Tawarayama, Kirsty Kawano, Alessandro de Bellegarde and myself.

Lisa Twaronite Sone was the mastermind behind the outdoor, picnic-style occasion — the ‘WiKNiK’ as she named it. Her superb organisation ensured a wonderful time was enjoyed by all. Several members were meeting each other for the first time after the lifting of the extended COVID-induced isolation. The creative energy among the group, enhanced by the natural surroundings, was electrifying. The feeling of camaraderie generated by the launch and of a job well done bodes well for Writers in Kyoto. 

The Anthology is available through Amazon in a number of countries. The Foreword by Pico Iyer sets the scene for varied interpretations of the nature of Kyoto, several with a contemplative theme. Responses to change, both local (loss of old houses) and global (the changing climate), permeates a number of contributions. The less benign aspects of nature also receive attention. Initial feedback has been highly positive. So if you haven’t done so, place an order now. 

It has been a pleasure to be involved in the production of this important literary work.

— Jann Williams, Anthology Supervisor

Edited by Lisa Twaronite Sone & Robert Weis
Foreword by Pico Iyer

The city of Kyoto has inspired awe in generations of travelers, writers and poets alike. In this anthology, 30 contributors explore the nature of the old capital: its gardens, mountains, old shrines and temples, but also the inner nature or the soul of the city.

“The minute you step into Japan’s thousand-year capital, it’s hard not to start putting things into words. Yes, the train station where you arrived is a wild 22nd century labyrinth and the streets are dizzy with streaking lights and high-rise ‘pencil buildings.’ Nowhere is more madly in love with the latest and the fashionable. Yet everywhere, it’s not difficult to see, are spirits alive in the hills, and around the sixteen hundred temples, as close to you as the winter chill on your neck.”

Pico iyer

Contents

・Foreword: The Rain upon the Rooftops Pico Iyer

・Kyoto: Different Forms of Hypnosis Stephen Mansfield

・The Pocket Garden Rebecca Otowa

・Lotus 蓮 John Einarsen

・Love on a Low Flame Amanda Huggins

・The Graveyard of Homyo-in Everett Kennedy Brown

・Sudden Tsukimi C. Greenstreet

・For Love of the Octopus God Elaine Lies

・Peeks on Danger Edward J. Taylor

・For the Visitors Felicity Tillack

・Nature is Trying to Kill You Fernando Torres

・Restaurant Boer Hans Brinckmann

・The Nature of Kyoto: 1006 vs 2006 Hamish Downie

・The Revived Waterway Iris Reinbacher

・Kyoto: City of Fire and Water Jann Williams

・Vignettes, Interrupted John Dougill

・Food for Thought and for the Thoughtful Julian Holmes

・Recollections of Nature, Neighbors, and Nibbles Karen Lee Tawarayama

・Local News Ken Rodgers

・Nashinoki Shrine Makes Lifestyle Changes Kirsty Kawano

・Summer Rain Lisa Twaronite Sone

・Sudou Shrine Malcolm Ledger

・The Watcher Maria Danuco

・”Keywords” of Kyoto Mayumi Kawaharada

・The Hills of Kyoto Patrick Colgan

・Kyotoyana Preston Keido Houser

・Thinking Kyoto like a Mountain Robert Weis

・Kyoto Time Stephen Benfey

・The Promise Tetiana Korchuk

・Sound Travels Tina deBellegarde

・Kyoto’s Nature versus My Apiphobia Yuki Yamauchi

Please visit this page in the future for related reviews and other coverage. For press-related inquiries concerning The Nature of Kyoto, please contact Writers in Kyoto through our online form.

My first thought on reading Structures of Kyoto (Writers in Kyoto Anthology 4) was that I must go back to Kyoto. I have visited the city many times, lived there for months on end, and this book reminded me of what a special place it is and how much I miss it. It also alerted me to how much I missed while I was there. In this anthology, writers share their insights, knowledge and experiences of life in Kyoto, from the sublime tea ceremony to the other extreme: a school trophy made out of a rubber duck taped to a plastic plinth. There is something here for everyone.

The wonderful title of Mark Hovane’s essay, Rocks, Gravel and a bit of Moss, gives a sense of playfulness that belies the erudite content of this excellent essay and indeed of the entire anthology. Did you know that Ryoanji is the second most photographed garden in the world? No? Neither did I. I expect there is much I don’t know about Zen gardens. Hovane writes, “Knowing historically that these spaces are, on one level, 3D representations of 2D Chinese ink paintings is a good place to start” your study of these enigmatic spaces.

Reggie Pawle recalls a monk telling him that “Zen practice is like tying yourself up with a rope and then, in that condition, finding your freedom.” It seems that the harder you try to understand Zen the more elusive it becomes. Pawle says you learn “by doing rather than by analytically figuring things out.” His essay offers an amusing glimpse into the bewildering concept of Zen.

It is interesting how you can live somewhere and remain oblivious to the significance of what you are seeing all around you. How many times have I walked past five-tiered tower-like structureswithout realising the profound importance of them? These are gorinto and they are “primarily associated with memorialising the dead.” In Jann Williams’ intriguing and informative essay, Beyond Zen – Kyoto’s Gorinto Connections, I learned that the five geometric shapes stacked on top of one another that form the structure of gorinto are the cube, sphere, triangle, semi-circle and jewel. The five shapes represent the elements of the universe: earth, water, fire, wind and space and they embody the interconnectedness of all creation. The next time I see gorinto, I will pay more attention.

Catherine Pawasarat writes about how she spent untold hours at the annual Gion Festival before she started delving into the understated rituals taking place. She asks the question: “How can we humans long so deeply for significance in our lives and be blind to it at the same time?” Pawasarat explains the gruesome origins of this spectacular thousand-year-old festival during which the main deities, the god of storms and the goddess of rice, are welcomed every year to purify the city and its inhabitants.

This book contains many little gems and nuggets of wisdom. Did you know that monks used to use green tea to help them stay awake during long periods of meditation, or that the sound of an iron kettle boiling on the charcoal brazier in the teahouse creates a whispering sound known as matsukaze, wind in the pines? Apparently, “a ladleful of cold water poured into the kettle causes this sound to cease and creates a moment of utter silence and peace.” This, Rebecca Otowa tells us in Structures of Tea, is “one of the many wordless moments in tea ceremony that have the power to lift one out of ordinary sensation.”

There is another side to life in Kyoto. In Ina Sanjana’s heartfelt piece, Sunrise over the Kamogawa, we feel the loneliness of a homeless man, who “would like to hear someone say his name. Even in contempt.” And in Karen Lee Tawarayama’s science fiction set in 2050, The Life Dispensary, the summer heat has become unbearable not just for humans but for other bewildered creatures who are forced to take refuge in ponds, springs and rivers. This sad story highlights the climate crisis and a possible future intensifying of the sweltering heat that Kyoto already suffers during the summer months.

The unique landscape in and around Kyoto is depicted beautifully. Travel with Edward J. Taylor on a winter’s day to the village of Ohara where he hopes to walk “through fields of snow, the white purifying valley, called the Pure Land.” Stay with him through an area of “small forest between two massive beds of moss from which small jizo statues sprout like mushrooms.” Or enjoy John Einarsen’s elegant piece about the Dragon Gate of the World. “It stands alone atop wide stone steps, its three doorways always open to a forest, and beyond, mountains, keeping nothing in nor anything out.” The forest is “wild and free and vast beyond imagining.”

Vast beyond imagining, as is Kyoto, a city where the secular world and the spiritual world stand side by side. During Obon, the annual Festival of the Dead, the souls of the ancestors return to visit their families. At the end of the three-day festival huge bonfires are lit on the surrounding mountains to guide the spirits back to the heavens. The fires can be seen all over the city.  In Lisa Wilcut’s beautiful poem, Okuribi, two recently bereaved people stand on their hotel roof and toast a departing spirit while gazing at the fires burning in the distance; “the spirits almost palpable in the haze that hovers over the city.”

Structures of Kyoto Anthology 4 is an eclectic mix of things personal, poetic, aesthetic, magical, modern and ancient, gathered together in an informative, thought-provoking collection. Enhanced with photographs and illustrations, this is a delightful book to dip in and out of. It will amuse, inform and move you, whether you live in Kyoto, are simply passing through, or are dreaming about this ancient city from the other side of the world.

Award-winning writer/director Jean Pasley lived in Japan for many years. Her debut novel Black Dragonfly was published in 2021.  Set in late nineteenth century Japan, it is a historical novel based on the remarkable experiences of the Irish writer, Lafcadio Hearn.

The original post on the Ireland Japan Association website can be found here. A review of Pasley’s novel Black Dragonfly by WiK member Jann Williams can be found here. For more information about Structures of Kyoto, please see this link.

On August 22, 2021 Writers in Kyoto launched its fourth anthology, Structures of Kyoto. One blessing in this difficult year has been how technology has bridged the distance gap. We had attendees from across the globe tuning in from different time zones, some just waking, some staying up late, all happy to be sharing this moment honoring a special book.

Lisa Wilcut, our Zoom host, opened our event with the agenda for the evening and passed the microphone to the editors. Rebecca Otowa thanked the contributors and all those involved in bringing the anthology to print, especially John Dougill and her co-editor Karen Lee Tawarayama. She extended her thanks to the editors of prior anthologies with special recognition to Jann Williams, the chief editor of Encounters with Kyoto (WiK Anthology 3), for all of her guidance and encouragement. She also expressed her gratitude to Rick Elizaga for formatting the publication and acting as Amazon liaison, and to the illustrators, Stuart Ayre (who created the cover picture and other illustrations), Karina Takata (who illustrated the 100 Poems translations on the section head pages) and Sharon Sandberg (who provided illustrations in Karen Lee Tawarayama’s story  “The Life Dispensary”).

Kyoto has many physical, as well as cultural, social and psychological structures. Rebecca explained that she chose the theme of structures because of its broad scope and potential for variety. Indeed, the variety can be witnessed in the anthology, especially in the organization of the book itself. The order of contributions is aligned with the map of Kyoto from West to East so that the interconnections between the pieces become even more apparent.

Karen Lee Tawarayama offered special thanks to Rebecca for guiding her in the co-editing process. She led a toast to all the contributors and the previous editors and passed the microphone to John Dougill, the founder of WiK. John joined us from Hokkaido and commented on the evolution of the organization. He reminisced about starting as a small group around a table in Kyoto and marveled at how we have grown into a large international membership. We are now “writers whose hearts are in Kyoto.” John shared how he prefers to write in coffee houses, away from the distractions calling for his attention at home. In his anthology essay “Three Literary Cafes”, he describes his experience based on places associated with the Beats, Cid Corman and Pico Iyer.

In her foreword to the anthology, Judith Clancy reflects on her fifty years in Kyoto and the evolution of the writing community. Judith was unable to join us but sent a message of gratitude to all involved with the publication.

The contributors then talked about their pieces in the order of the Table of Contents. The first contributors were Rona Conti and Brenda Yates, who unfortunately could not join us. Rona’s essay “What Does This Say, Sensei?” addresses her experiences learning Japanese culture through calligraphy. Brenda Yates was the third prize winner of the 2020 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition with “Interlude: Kyoto,” a beautiful poem on the four seasons in Kyoto.

With a diorama of Ryōan-ji garden in one hand, Mark Hovane explained that his essay “Rocks, Gravel, and a Bit of Moss” is about Kyoto’s invitation to forge new ways of seeing, how Kyoto challenges our structures of perception.

Amanda Huggins could not join us, but her contribution “Sparrow Steps” won Second Prize in the 2020 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition. She conjures up the city in this delicate piece about a precarious relationship.

Rebecca Otowa spoke about “Structures of Tea” and her personal, poetic, and aesthetic relationship to the tea ceremony and how it has the power to transcend ordinary sensations.

The banks of the Horikawa was the first place where Felicity Tillack felt a sense of community in her new home of Kyoto. She shared an experience from her first year, when her young students held a regatta of homemade boats on the Horikawa and how it inspired her to write “The River.”

Mike Freiling thanked Karina Takata for the illustrations that accompanied his translations of the Hyaku Nin Isshu. He read from those and from his own poems, “The Streets of Miyako.”

“Sunrise Over the Kamogawa” by Ina Sanjana won Second Prize in the 2019 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition. Ina wrote this poignant poem about a homeless man as a way to highlight a part of Kyoto that is not often witnessed.

Karen Lee Tawarayama discussed her story “The Life Dispensary” about a mythological creature’s attempt to survive climate change in a future version of Kyoto. Her striking story is illustrated by Sharon Sandberg who joined us from Michigan.

Robert Weis, who could not join us, wrote “Converging Waters: Kamogawa Delta Blues” using the delta shape of the Kamo River as symbolic of life choices.

Kyoto is a city of training structures and Reggie Pawle, speaking about his piece “The Magic of the Training Structures of Zen and Kyoto”, explained how the adherence to the structures allows one to reach the heights of mastery, then understanding (as well as pleasure), and eventually freedom.

“December” won Lauren E. Walker the First Prize in the 2020 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition. Lauren explained how she tried to capture the magic of Kyoto through a long walk from Kawaramachi to Ohara. Lauren’s discussion led us in to Edward Taylor’s “Ohara, After Scarlet Leaves.” Edward discussed the themes of impermanence and decay.

Jann Williams could not join us to discuss her fascinating piece “Beyond Zen: Kyoto’s Gorinto Connections,” an essay on the subject of Kyoto’s Buddhist Gorinto monuments.

The 2019 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition First Prize went to Lisa Wilcut for her atmospheric poem “Okuribi” about the send-off of ancestors at the end of Obon. Simon Rowe tuned in from Himeji and followed Lisa with a tale of two reluctant outlaws executing an escape using the festivities of Obon and the Daimonji fire as cover. Both Lisa and Simon expressed admiration for each other’s ability to capture the energy of that special evening.

Catherine Pawasarat had to sign off before she was able to share thoughts on her essay “The Gion Festival: A Hero’s Journey”, in which she poses such interesting questions such as “If we are present for a purification ritual but don’t know it’s happening, does the ritual still affect us?”

The photographs of John Einarsen and his short piece “The Gate” are a perfect respite from heady philosophical questions. John could not attend, but his photos of Nanzen-ji gate speak for themselves. They are lovely in the paperback edition and even more beautifully rendered in the e-book version.

Robert Yellin shared some ceramic pieces of various styles on screen and reminded us that touching them can be a way to connect with nature. He discussed his essay “A Kyoto Ceramic Dynasty”, about the eight generations of Kiyomizu Rokubey family ceramics.

Ken Rodgers, in “Sanjusangendo, Reinterpreted”, spoke on imagined structures. He shared 17^th century illustrations of Sanjusangen-do created by Westerners guided by the written descriptions found in Dutch merchants’ accounts from their travels to Kyoto.

We learned that the 450-year-old candy shop located behind Kennin-ji and their “candy for raising children” was the inspiration for Marianne Kimura’s story “Yurei Ame/Ghost Candy”, for which she received Third Prize in the 2019 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition.

In closing, Alex Kerr spoke on “A New Philosophy of Tourism.” He believes Kyoto’s future is bound up in how over-tourism will be handled post-Covid.

We wrapped up the event with questions and further discussion as we sipped our cocktails and coffee.

In a time when Kyoto is inaccessible to many of us, this anthology has the power to transport us back to the city we love. The power of words and the power of technology worked hand in hand to bring us together and to honor the city WiK calls home. Our hearts are in Kyoto regardless of where we find ourselves on the globe.

We look forward to the next edition. There is no more appropriate way to end than with Karen Lee Tawarayama’s toast, “May Writers in Kyoto prosper, and may we all continue to inspire each other.”


Contributed by WiK member Tina deBellegarde, a novelist and short fiction writer. Tina lives in New York and joined Writers in Kyoto in 2020. Her poem “Sound Travels” won the USA Prize in the 2021 WiK Kyoto Writing Competition.

On sale now from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.jp and other Amazon marketplaces in print and Kindle formats.

Edited by Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama 
Foreword by Judith Clancy
ISBN 979-8266582965

Structures of Kyoto explores the physical, spiritual, and artistic elements of Japan’s ancient capital and beckons one to “step through the gate” to interact with them.

Bookended by the insights of authors Judith Clancy (Exploring Kyoto) and Alex Kerr (Finding the Heart Sutra), readers will find themselves amidst temple gardens and gates, within a tea ceremony and a calligraphy class, observing a children’s boat regatta, and amongst writers channeling their muse in literary cafes. The spirits of the city — ancestors, ghosts, supernatural creatures, and benevolent deities — also have their place.

From Ryoanji Temple in the west to Mount Daimonji in the east, and from Sanzenin Temple in the north to Fushimi Inari Shrine in the south, established authors, upcoming writers, and featured artists will transport you to the cultural heart of Japan with their non-fiction, fiction, prose, poetry, and images, which together paint a stunning and informative portrait of the world’s favorite city.

Contents

• Structures of Kyoto    From the Editors
• Foreword    Judith Clancy
• Map of Kyoto

Introductory

• What Does This Say, Sensei?    Rona Conti
• Interlude: Kyoto    Brenda Yates 
  (3rd Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2020)

Part I

• Rocks, Gravel, and a Bit of Moss    Mark Hovane
• Sparrow Steps    Amanda Huggins
  (2nd Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2020)
• Structures of Tea    Rebecca Otowa
• The River    Felicity Tillack
• The Streets of Miyako    Mike Freiling
• Three Literary Cafes    John Dougill
• Sunrise Over the Kamogawa    Ina Sanjana
  (2nd Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2019)
• The Life Dispensary    Karen Lee Tawarayama
• Converging Waters (Kamogawa Delta Blues)    Robert Weis

Kyukei 休憩

• The Magic of the Training Structures of Zen and Kyoto    Reggie Pawle

Part II

• December    Lauren E. Walker
  (1st Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2020)
• Ohara, After Scarlet Leaves    Edward J. Taylor
• Beyond Zen — Kyoto’s Gorinto Connections    Jann Williams
• Okuribi    Lisa Wilcut
  (1st Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2019)
• One Dog Day in Summer    Simon Rowe
• The Gion Festival — A Hero’s Journey    Catherine Pawasarat
• The Gate    John Einarsen
• A Kyoto Ceramic Dynasty: Kiyomizu Rokubey Eight Generations    Robert Yellin
• Sanjusangen-do, Reinterpreted    Ken Rodgers
• Yurei Ame / Ghost Candy    Marianne Kimura
  (3rd Prize, WiK Writing Competition 2019)

Afterword

• A New Philosophy of Tourism    Alex Kerr
• Illustrators and Image Makers: Acknowledgements
• Image Captions

Reviews

Structures of Kyoto, Interrogated — by Patrick McCoy , for Kyoto Journal’s 100 Views of Kyoto

Structures of Kyoto: Rediscover the Old Capital Through Vibrant Stories, Essays, and Poems — by Lisandra Moor, for Tokyo Weekender

Structures of Kyoto (WiK Anthology 4) Review by Irish Author Jean Pasley

Related Videos/Links

To hear the contributing authors speaking about their pieces in the anthology, please see the videos here and here.

For an interview of co-editors Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama, please click here.

“STRUCTURES OF KYOTO”
Edited by Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama
The title refers to the many structures of Kyoto, including mental and cultural structures as well as physical ones.

Call for Submissions: from June 1, 2020

RSVP:  July 1, 2020

Deadline:      October 1, 2020.

Language:     English. Original and unpublished material only.

Eligibility: WiK members only

Word limit:   2000 words.

File type: Microsoft Word. (PDF files will not be accepted.)
Please use a standard format to facilitate editing and processing.

Illustrations:  Each author may submit 2 black and white photos or black and white illustrations per submission. Information on size and method of submission will be provided later.

Revision: We will edit and return manuscripts within one month of submission. Authors will then have two weeks to consider, make changes if required, and return the edited submission.

Please RSVP to the following email address by July 1, and submit your Microsoft Word file to Rebecca Otowa as an attachment to rebecca.on.her.way@gmail.com by October 1.

Place your full name and word count at the top of the submission.

Early submissions appreciated. Thank you.
– Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama

**********************

Previous anthologies are available through amazon.jp and amazon.com.
For Anthology 2 (Echoes) please see here or here.
For Anthology 3 (Encounters with Kyoto) please click here or here.

Every good book deserves further acknowledgement and the third Writers in Kyoto Anthology qualifies. Following the Japanese launch held in Kyoto in June, an Australian launch took place in Tasmania in late September. This was fitting as both Jann Williams (the chief editor and designer) and Corinne Costello (the cover artist and daimonji illustrator) live on this beautiful island.

Friends, family and colleagues of both Jann and Corinne were thrilled when the Hobart launch was announced and delighted with the presentations, the venue, and the thoughtful provision of delicious hors d’oeuvres and a selection of wine and other beverages to enjoy.

After being welcomed by Michael Cromer, an accomplished practitioner in the local Urasenke tea group, the anthology was officially launched by Dr Heidi Auman (author, biologist and taiko player), who began by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we met that day.

Not surprisingly, and indeed satisfyingly for the audience, Heidi’s focus was largely on the contributions to the anthology made by Jann and Corinne, drawing on an interview with the chief editor. This gave the audience insights into the many steps along the way involved in producing the publication. Heidi declared the anthology to be full of ‘elegance, balance, beauty and honesty’, adding ‘to sum it up would be to express a sense of ‘Ahhh!’ that resonates with an energetic sense of knowing.’

This was the perfect lead into Jann William’s talk. The audience was interested to learn of the role Jann played as chief editor: to create a publication of which the authors would be proud, and that readers would find stimulating and new. Based on the early response to the anthology, this aim was indeed achieved.

Jann informed us that the Kyoto launch was three months ago ‘to this day’, occurring on the Summer Solstice in Japan. (Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.) There was a pleasing sense of serendipity that the Hobart launch should occur on the Spring Equinox in Australia, especially with Jann’s interest and knowledge of the seasons through her work on the elements.

Jann read from Ken Rodger’s compelling and reflective essay in the anthology, as well as her contribution, Shinsen’en, a Heian-kyo Power Spot. The audience learnt that it is only a five-minute walk from where she stays when in Kyoto. You could almost see people wondering if they could drop by Jann’s lodgings for a visit and tour of the area!

Corinne Costello brought a strong sense of wonder and artistry to the event. She began by reading from Alan S. Weiss’ anthology story, An Intercalary Moment. Alan’s reference to ‘the hour entre chien et loup… a transformative moment’, correlated closely with Corinne’s interest in the Japanese concept of ‘ma’ (the space between two structural parts) in art. The audience were clearly fascinated with Corinne’s insights and many attendees spoke with her after the official launch.

Sometimes it is good to be reminded of the space between things. To acknowledge ‘the silence between the notes that make the music’. The combination of ‘notes’ that have been brought together to create Encounters in Kyoto has resulted in a precious anthology, where the sum is more than its parts.

May the Australia-Japan connection continue for many years to come.

On Saturday, June 22^nd, WiK held the official launch party for the 3^rd Writers in Kyoto Anthology, called Encounters With Kyoto. About half of WiK’s members came all the way to Umekoji Park’s Midori Building, where Jann Williams had set up a room full of food, drinks, and books, of course.

After everybody got a cup of sake, the first half of the launch party began with John Dougill’s reminiscences of starting the Writers in Kyoto group in 2015. He also presented all three Anthologies, from the first one that was collated copied pages to the current one which is available on amazon (click here).

We continued with readings of contributors, headed by Jann Williams, chief editor of the current Anthology. Readings by Ken Rodgers, Mayumi Kawaharada and Marianne Kimura followed. Afterwards, there was a break for our members to mingle and enjoy more sake, international snacks and conversations ranging from the serious to the light-hearted.

The second half of the party began with a speech in honor of Juliet Winters Carpenter, who, after 44 years in Japan, will move back to the US in the near future. As a parting gift, John Dougill presented her with a copy of the third Anthology, signed by all members who were present. Then there was an introduction by Mark Richardson of his latest book “The Wings of Atalanta, followed by a reading about a dramatic moment in US race relations.

There were more readings from our book, this time by Fernando, Iris, Mike and Karen, and in the end, Juliet talked about how she came to Japan in the first place, why Kyoto is really the best city in the world, and what her latest endeavours were.

After some more sake, sweets and general mingling, the official book launch party was closed. However, in true Japanese style, some members made their way to a private “nijikai” (second party).

If you could not join the party, you can experience the works of our members  collected in our third Anthology called “Encounters With Kyoto”, which is available in print on amazon in Japan, the US and the UK (ebook may be coming soon).

On sale now from amazon.com, amazon.co.jp and other Amazon marketplaces. (Revised 2021)

Edited by Jann Williams and Ian Josh Yates
Foreword by Juliet Winters Carpenter

Inside these covers lies the third collection of enticing works by Writers in Kyoto. From gardens to gangsters, temples to tourism, ceramics to Casablanca, the diverse writings of 22 authors will capture your imagination. Fresh new authors place their work alongside established and respected writers already known for their insights into Japan. All find inspiration from the muse of Kyoto city. The works include dreamy fiction, memorable non-fiction as well as remarkable poetry on the city that’s inspired a million poems. New works by Alex Kerr and Simon Rowe bookend the newest winners of the annual Writers in Kyoto Competition and much more. A captivating thread running through the anthology is the invitation to encounter and reflect on the splendour of the ancient city yourself. For those who are still to visit Kyoto, and those who have already been, what will your story be?

Contents

Encountering Kyoto’s Writers

Foreword. Juliet Winters Carpenter.

Primal Memories. Alex Kerr

Two Poems. A.J. Dickinson

An Intercalary Moment.  Allen S. Weiss

A Different Kind of Tourist Amy Chavez

The Wild Spaces Within Edward J. Taylor

Benevolent Fire. Fernando A. Torres

My Complicated Encounters with Kyoto.  Ian Josh Yates

The Forbidden Garden. Iris Reinbacher

Toji Moments. James Woodham

Shinsen’en, a Heian-kyo Power Spot.  Jann Williams

WRITERS IN KYOTO COMPETITION: 2018 WINNERS
Tengu: A Firsthand Account Terin Jackson
How Many Chances? S. Juul
Harukaze. Anna Quinn

Milestones. John Dougill

The Will of the People: Higashi Hongwanji’s Hair Ropes. Karen Lee Tawarayama

Encountering Kyoto.  Ken Rodgers

Childhood Memories. Mayumi Kawaharada

Essays by One who was Not Quite Idle Enough Marianne Kimura

Scribbled in Miyako.  Mike Freiling

Everybody Comes to Kyoto. Preston Houser

A Wizard, Kawai Kanjiro: Kyoto Ceramic Artist. Robert Yellin

Spirited Away.  Simon Rowe

Contributors

Photographs and Illustrations

This campaign, which closes Sunday, is to advertise the Writers in Kyoto Competition of 300 words about Kyoto, the deadline for which is March 31. ¥30,000 first prize, and Kyoto crafts for runners-up. Details of how to enter and examples of previous winners can be found on the writersinkyoto.com website.

After clicking on the link below, choose the right hand purchase button for ¥0 rather than the Kindle Unlimited version which amazon seems keen to push…

amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Writers-Kyoto-Anthology-2017-ebook/dp/B07JJ4WRVV/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=writers+in+kyoto&qid=1551904476&s=gateway&sr=8-1

amazon.jp
https://www.amazon.co.jp/Echoes-Writers-Kyoto-Anthology-English-ebook/dp/B07JJ4WRVV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551904817&sr=8-1&keywords=writers+in+kyoto

CONTENTS

About Writers in Kyoto

Preface (Alex Kerr)

 Three Poems (A.J. Dickinson)

 On Childraising in Japan: Expanding into Interdependence (Karen Lee Tawarayama)

 Dateline: Kyoto – Western Journalism from Japan’s Ancient Capital (Eric Johnston)

 Poem: At Koryu-ji (Ken Rodgers)

 Lafcadio Hearn and Basil Hall Chamberlain (Joseph Cronin)

 Hearn, Myself and Japan (John Dougill)

Haiku Cycle (Mayumi Kawaharada)

 Three Old Men of Kyoto (Alex Kerr)

 Sprawling City, Sacred Mountain (David Joiner)

 Writers in Kyoto Competition: 2017 Winners
1) The Joys of Silence and Bewilderment (Jane Kramer)

            2) Palm of the Hand Story (Mark Cody)
3) Yamaguchi-san (Florentyna Leow)           

Basho’s Appreciation for Women: 15 Poems of Female Experience (Jeff Robbins)

 Tokonoma Lessons (Paul Carty)

 Pride of Place – Saké Vessels (Robert Yellin)

Equivocal Ceramics (Allen S. Weiss)

Chieko’s Story: First Love at Daimonji (Isil Bayraktar)

Under the Light (Edward J. Taylor)

Six Poems (Mark Richardson)

 Return to Goat Island (Amy Chavez)

For an account of Robert’s talk for Writers in Kyoto, see here.

(The 2018 WiK Anthology is expected out in June.)

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Drinking saké in Japan is an art when done with the right vessels. The history of saké vessels—collectively called shuki in Japanese—dates back millenniums and the variety of shuki found throughout Japan is as varied as there are clouds in the sky. For me, collecting shuki was my introduction into the Japanese pottery world as a young twenty-something in 1984 who couldn’t afford an expensive imported California Cabernet Sauvignon and so I thought better to go local, and that of course meant saké.

Almost all potters in Japan make shuki and they are avidly collected, often the first items to sell-out at exhibitions. Some of the earliest pieces I bought are shown here and have taught me quite a lot about Japanese history, regional styles, the joy of functional art, and of course the immense pleasure that comes with using fine vessels at the table, something the Japanese call Yo-no-Bi or Beauty through Use.

Iga is one of Japan’s ancient high-fired unglazed stonewares named after the town it was made in, as often is the case for Japanese styles. [Take this] Iga tokkuri, or flask, by the celebrated potter Shiro Tsujimura. At first I didn’t ‘get it.’ Look, the neck is leaning, there’s grit all over it, the base has a fused bit of clay on it, the glazing is uneven! In most western traditions—and certainly at art schools—this would have been a failure piece, yet here in Japan it’s the epitome of good taste. The reason being we find nature and man working together without one wanting to totally control each other or the process, yet letting intuition, passion, experience, and letting go take over. Meaning the beauty of this Tsujimura tokkuri is of course the clay he dug, processed and formed, yet also his willingness to let the process also have a say in the outcome, in a sense what we might call the ‘Beauty of the Imperfect.’ Kind of like you and I.

Review by Harry Martin in the Japan Society Newsletter, UK (March 2018) (See here.)

Founded in the 8th century, Kyoto is the dignified and enigmatic Grande Dame of Japan, stoically fostering and preserving Japan’s cultural heritage over the centuries while her more effusive cousins such as Tokyo and Osaka storm ahead in their enthusiastic embrace of internationalisation and modern innovation.

Echoes, the ‘Writers in Kyoto’s’ 2017 Anthology, is a compilation of short stories (fact and fiction), poems and literary extracts which draw on individual experiences and the personal influence Kyoto has exerted on a selection of writers who have lived or are living in and around Kyoto. The themes are broad and focus on an eclectic and esoteric range of topics incorporating haiku, ceramics, traditional interiors, child rearing, sake vessels and classical poetry as well as personal stories, all of which may, at first, sound too specific in focus to be enjoyed by readers without prior knowledge or interest. However, the works are well considered and delivered in styles which capture the imagination, likely to appeal to a range of different readers.

Not having previously come across the Writers in Kyoto’s writing collective, I was surprised to find that the members are almost exclusively non-Japanese nationals. My initial feelings were that a body of work covering such unique and endemically Japanese traditions – within the context of Japan’s most culturally important city – felt almost to be a form of appropriation when told through the experience of non-Japanese writers. However as I read on I found the foreign perspective on these distinctly Japanese topics provided a fresh and insightful viewpoint, unmarred by cultural boundaries that can be erected when handled by the Japanese experts.

These are all writers who clearly love Kyoto, some well-known such as the Japanologist Alex Kerr (Lost Japan, Dogs and Demons: The Fall of Modern Japan, Another Kyoto) and John Dougill (In Search of Japan’s Hidden Christians), and others who happen to live or work in the city and have been entranced by its unique characteristics and eccentricities. The contributions are a mix between expert and laity, all coming together though a shared admiration and experience of this city, offering a wonderfully varied collection to read through.

I particularly enjoyed Jeff Robbins’ insightful new translations of some of Basho’s haiku. I have always felt haiku to be a uniquely Japanese form of expression which I have just not been able to understand. However through Robbins’ careful and beautifully thought-out translations and explanations, the art has suddenly become more animated, which was a surprising and unforeseen outcome when I first picked up the book.

Aside from this, a large part of the appeal of Echoes is the diversity in content. The variation in style and theme will allow most readers the opportunity to find something of interest, whether in the factual essays on pottery styles or in the touching stories about love and loss.

I do feel that the book is perhaps best enjoyed by those with a personal experience of Kyoto or Japan as there is a lot of reference to geography and landmarks which may be lost on those who have never been or haven’t a particularly strong interest in the culture. I also felt it a great shame that the imagery in the book is in black and white, depriving the reader of what seem to be striking and beautifully photographed colour pictures to accompany some of the works.

Overall, this is a reflective collection of work celebrating the international appeal of Japan, its ancient capital and the unique and varied culture it has to offer. It is touching to read first-hand how Kyoto has influenced people in different ways, and to witness the profound effect it has had on people’s lives and the paths they have chosen to follow.

The anthology collects writings by established and new writers associated with Kyoto. The contents range widely from fiction to non-fiction: an extract from a novel, a short story, and a fantasy; articles on child-rearing, ceramics, the tokonoma, and the spirit of rocks; contemporary free verse, poetry with a Taoist flavor, and new translations of Basho. Also included are three winning entries from the Writers in Kyoto Competition, and two longer pieces about that giant of Japanology, Lafcadio Hearn, who continues to cast a shadow more than a hundred years after his death. Rounding out the anthology is an essay by Alex Kerr, leading commentator on present-day Japan, together with photographs by award-winning designer, John Einarsen.

Testimonial…

“Echoes arrived yesterday, and I read through it all in the night. Absolutely splendid! I’m really thrilled to be a part of this volume! It arrived with the first snowfall of the year (the earliest ever here), so the night was doubly magical.”
– US contributor in December, 2017

Click here to go straight to the Lulu page.

CONTENTS

About Writers in Kyoto

Preface (Alex Kerr)

Three Poems (A.J. Dickinson)

On Childraising in Japan: Expanding into Interdependence (Karen Lee Tawarayama)

Dateline: Kyoto – Western Journalism from Japan’s Ancient Capital (Eric Johnston)

Poem: At Koryu-ji (Ken Rodgers)

Lafcadio Hearn and Basil Hall Chamberlain (Joseph Cronin)

Hearn, Myself and Japan (John Dougill)

Haiku Cycle (Mayumi Kawaharada)

Three Old Men of Kyoto (Alex Kerr)

Sprawling City, Sacred Mountain (David Joiner) 

Writers in Kyoto Competition: 2017 Winners
1) The Joys of Silence and   Bewilderment (Jane Kramer)
2) Palm of the Hand Story (Mark Cody)
3) Yamaguchi-san (Florentyna Leow)          

Basho’s Appreciation for Women: 15 Poems of Female Experience (Jeff Robbins)

Tokonoma Lessons (Paul Carty)

Pride of Place – Saké Vessels (Robert Yellin)

Equivocal Ceramics (Allen S. Weiss)

Chieko’s Story: First Love at Daimonji (Isil Bayraktar)

Under the Light (Edward J. Taylor) 

Six Poems (Mark Richardson)

Return to Goat Island (Amy Chavez)

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For information about the WiK Competition (300 words about Kyoto), please check the righthand column and click on the relevant link.

Theme: Kyoto (English language only)

Deadline: March 1, 2017 (midnight JST)

Genre: Short Shorts (unpublished material only)

Form: Short poems, character studies, essays, travel tips, whimsy, haiku sequence, haibun, wordplays, dialogue, experimental verse, etc. In short, anything that helps show the spirit of place in a fresh light.

Word Limit: 300 words (to fit on a single page)

Submissions (limited to one per person) Send to kyotowritingcompetition2017@gmail.com
Please use Microsoft Word format, headed by the following information: Full Name • Email Contact • Nationality • Location of Current Residence • If student, name of institution

Winners will be published in Writers in Kyoto Anthology. Prize money for the winner. Runners-up will receive Kyoto crafts, generously sponsored by the Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau. Special Kyoto resident prize: gourmet meal for two at Tadg’s Gastro Pub.  Student prize: fish ‘n’ chips with drinks for two: Gnome Irish Bar.

The first WiK anthology has now been successfully launched.  Every WiK member will receive a free washi-covered copy, and other copies are being sent out to publishers, media outlets and people of significance in the literary world.  For those in Kyoto there are free copies in Maruzen, so if you would like to obtain one please look out for them when perusing the English book section.

The editors were most pleased with the quality of the contributions, and these were complemented by the line drawings of Oxford artist, Wendy Skinner-Smith.  The content (48 pages in all) is surprisingly varied, covering a range of fiction and non-fiction interspersed with poetry and whimsy.  We are very keen to get feedback, and hope to build on this pioneering project in the future.  We’ll be discussing in the autumn which direction to move in future, particularly in terms of ISBN, amazon, ebook, online publication and POD, etc. For the moment, should anyone have suggestions about how to further publicise or distribute the present anthology, please pass along your ideas.  And should anyone wish to be involved with the next anthology, please get in touch with John Dougill or other members of WiK.

The contents of the first WiK anthology are as follows:

Poems by Mark Richardson
The Oiwa Mystery by John Dougill
The Adventures of Inspector Ashidori by H.L. Stone
Musings by A.J. Dickinson
Juliet is the Sun by Genma Nishiyama
That Most Metaphysical of Objects by Allen Weiss
Kimono Memories by Peter Jonathan Mallett
The Island of Serow by Amy Chavez
The Perfect Sento by Chris Rowthorn
Japanese Pottery 101 by Robert Yellin
It Ain’t No Yellow Fever by David Duff