> Hi all,
Just back from a long trip away, including a quick visit to Japan on the
way home. Found over 600 messages in the inbox, mostly from this
group.
Tom (Helm), I got quite intrigued by Keiki and went to Shizuoka on his
trail. I don't know how much time he could spare communing with the
spirit of his ancestor, considering how occupied he was with his
hobbies of photography, cycling and so on, and his three wives and
dozens of children. It is fascinating to reflect on what a modern
personality Keiki seems; less than ten years after the assassination of Ii
Naosuke by the Mito ronin (surely an archetypal feudal event!) Keiki has
abdicated and retired to live an apparently serene and blameless life.
Tom (Davidson) Don't know if you have done your research trip yet, but
if you are in or near Nagoya there are some good atmospheric places
within easy reach by train.
The Kiso valley: you can walk on the old Nakasendo from Magome to
Tsumago. Gives a very good feel of travel in the Edo period ( I know it's
later than your era but the mountains etc are unchanged!) Narai is a
very unspoiled small town.
Kanazawa: apart from the gardens (very beautiful) lots of atmosphere.
Inuyama: everyone's favourite castle
In Nagoya the Tokugawa Art Museum has a good collection of
artefacts, clothes, weapons etc, mainly from the highest ranks of
society. Not much here on how the poor folk lived.
If you are in Kansai the Osaka Museum of History is excellent for an
overview of lifestyles throughout Japanese history. And I found Hikone
castle and museum particularly inspiring (maybe because I was there in
a Kurosawa-esque downpour)
Kyoto is unparalleled - but overwhelming on a short trip. Some of the
older towns particularly on the Japan sea (Hagi, Matsue) are easier to
take in. But I found the Kyoto Musuem of Traditional Crafts again very
good for lifestyles.
There are many places in rural Japan (in my case Yamaguchi-ken)
where an insignificant sign saying something like "remains of castle"
will take you to some stones on a hill top or the head of a valley where
a 15th c castle once stood. It gives you a good sense of the defensive
use of the terrain. Unforgettable. So it's a good idea to base yourself
for a few days in the country and hike or bike around.
Gillian