Koto

by Yasunari Kawabata, Mario Teti (Translator), Carlo Cassola (Foreword)

ovvero i giovani amanti dell'antica città imperiale

Yasunari Kawabata nelle sue opere ha profondamente indagato il tema della solitudine. Anche in questo romanzo, il destino delle due sorelle Chieko e Naeko è diviso senza rimedio. Chieko, abbandonata dai genitori, viene adottata da un ricco mercante di Kyoto, mentre Naeko, dopo la morte del padre, lavora nei boschi come operaia. Le due ragazze s’incontrano, si sentono attratte l’una verso l’altra, sognano di vivere insieme, ma la diversità d’educazione e di stato sociale, il probabile matrimonio che attende Chieko rendono impossibile questo sogno di riunione fraterna, di solidarietà e di affetto. L’analisi sottile e delicatissima dei sentimenti, suggeriti più che espressi, il gusto raffinato della natura e del paesaggio intesi come opera d’arte, lo sfondo suggestivo di Kyoto, la città dei santuari, danno a questo libro - pur cosi moderno - il fascino prezioso della tradizione artistica e letteraria giapponese.

Genres: Japan, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Classics, Historical Fiction, Literature, Asia

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 1962

About the author

Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成) was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read today.
Nobel Lecture: 1968
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prize...

Reviews

[William2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent. It's funny how Kawabata can drone on about cherry blossoms and camphor trees and local Kyoto festivals and yet keep one reading. A large part of the fascination is looking into this foreign world that one's never known before. The customs, traditional mores seemingly under siege by callous modernity. His touch is so light. The emotional depths Kawabata plumbs with just the tiniest bits of dialogue -- this concision most of all -- holds us in thrall.

This is the story of an abandoned child, Chieko, who is found and raised by kind Kyoto shopkeepers, and her eventual reconnection by chance with her twin sister, Naeko, in post-occupation Japan. Apparently twins were once considered inauspicious in Japan. Her foster parents suffer terrible guilt because Chieko is such a fine, solicitous child. They imagine they've inflicted horrible suffering on the unknown parents when, in fact, either because of poverty or superstition, it was Chieko's parents who abandoned her. Twenty years later she's a beautiful woman who must make sense of her history.

This is my seventh or eighth Kawabata, and though not a favorite his mastery even here is astonishingly consistent. Do read him. Start perhaps with Thousand Cranes, Beauty and Sadness, Snow Country or The Sound of the Mountain.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Old Capital' is a poetic and subtle meditation on the Japanese aesthetics of awareness of impermanence. The story of twin sisters is set in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. The story unfolds slowly like a walk through Kyoto seasonal beauty, its festivals and traditions.
The key word that best describes the atmosphere, the philosophy of life and the events in the story is in the title, it is 'old'. The old capital, the traditional way of life, traditional clothes, traditional men and women's roles, traditional festivals, the life deeply attuned to the natural world - to the very last page I kept wondering what year approximately the story is set in. I was really surprised that it is set somewhere between late 1950s and early 1960s (although the characters mention American occupation). Indeed, this was a time when Japan was undergoing rapid modernization and economic growth, and the novel subtly explores the tension between the traditional and the modern.
In general, the novel is beautiful and comforting, it invites reflection and quiet introspection. A proper read these days when every piece of news is bad news.

'But the beauty of the withered flower, of the fallen leaf—what is it but the beauty of sorrow?'
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'It is sad to be separated from nature by the city, but in Kyoto nature is always near.'
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'There are times when silence has the loudest voice.'
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'Even a single moment has the depth of a thousand years.'
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'The old capital, like an aged woman, hides her pain behind grace.'
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'Spring came quietly, scattering cherry blossoms like forgotten memories.'
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'Festivals seemed to turn back time, making the city young again, even as its people aged.'
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'She did not know if she had lost something or found something.

[Peiman E iran · Rating 2 out of 5]

‎دوستانِ گرانقدر، رمانِ "کیوتو" از آن دسته از کتابهایی نیست که موردِ پسندِ همگان باشد، مگر آنکه به شناختِ فرهنگ و آدابِ مردمانِ ژاپن علاقه داشته باشید
‎شهرِ کیوتو، پیش از توکیو، پایتختِ ژاپن بوده است که در سدهٔ هشتم میلادی، این شهر را بر اساسِ نقشه و طرحِ شهرِ "شنگن د تانگ" که پایتختِ چین بوده، ساخته اند... نویسندهٔ کتاب <کاواباتا>، با نوشتنِ این داستان، به نوعی حال و روزِ شهرِ کیوتو را پس از جنگِ جهانیِ دوم و ورودِ تمدنِ غربی به ژاپن، بررسی نموده است.. این موضوع که تمدنِ غرب و وجودِ ساختمانهایِ بلند و از بین رفتنِ بافتِ کهنِ شهرِ کیوتو، زیباییِ سنتِ کهنِ ژاپن را از بین برده است، برایِ نویسنده بسیار غم انگیز میباشد و تأثیر و پیامدهایِ آمریکایی شدنِ اجتماعِ ژاپنی و شهرهایِ ژاپن همچون کیوتو، در جای جایِ کتاب، نمایان است
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‎داستانِ این کتاب، در اصل مربوط به زندگیِ دو خواهرِ دوقلو به نامِ <شیکو> (چی کو) و <ناکو> میباشد... شیکو را میتوان شخصیتِ اصلیِ این داستان به شمار آورد و داستان نیز با او آغاز میشود.. او با پدر و مادرِ خویش، پارچه هایی ویژهٔ لباسهایِ سنتیِ ژاپن را میفروشند.. خودش نیز شیفتهٔ فرهنگ و سنتهایِ ژاپن میباشد.. ولی با ورودِ تمدنِ اروپایی و آمریکایی به ژاپن، اوضاعِ کار و درآمدِ آنها بسیار بد شده است و این خانواده به سویِ ورشکستگی میروند
‎شیکو زندگیِ آرامی دارد، تا آنکه با زنی از روستایِ گیتایاما، آشنا شده و اینگونه است که متوجه میشود خواهری داشته که در دورانِ نوزادی از یکدیگر جدا شده اند
‎شیکو و ناکو، دوقلوهایِ داستانِ ما، هریک با پدر و مادری متفاوت، بزرگ شده اند و حال در دورانِ جوانی یکدیگر را پیدا کرده اند... ولی مشکل آنجاست که این خواهران، در خانواده هایی رشد کرده اند که فرهنگشان با یکدیگر بسیار تفاوت داشته و سلیقه و کردار و گفتارشان نیز شباهتی به دیگری ندارد... از این رو، هیچکدام نمیتواند دیگری را به خوبی درک کند
‎پس شیکو و ناکو، تصمیم میگیرند تا از هم جدا شوند و شاید با گذشتِ زمان و بالا رفتنِ سنشان، بارِ دیگر بتوانند در کنارِ یکدیگر باشند
‎عزیزانم، بهتر است خودتان این داستان را خوانده و از سرانجامِ این داستان، آگاه شوید
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‎امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ آشنایی با این کتاب، کافی و مفید بوده باشه
‎<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>

[Praj · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sting of the needle was lost in the delicate crimson stream. Not a wince or a slight whimper. The strange words bounced in my ears resembling songs of exasperated crickets. The harshness of the sun did not bother my skin anymore, neither the rain puddles that ruined my shoes. Not a drop of tear, not a speck of anger. Could this happening so soon? The one thing I feared the most. Did Kawabata finally overwhelm me? Did the silence consume me like a ravenous shokujinki? As I walked home, the frogs happily croaked on the walls of a nearby pond even as heated clouds swarmed the sky. I ran; my tears competing with the fluttering of sparrows. Windows were being angrily locked, doors shut with a thunderous bang. Those bell crickets!! These lucky insects. How will I ever isolate myself from this vulgar world? Why couldn't I be those violets who grew in the hollow spaces of the maple trees, priding in their blooming beauty amid the vulgarity of the overgrown moss. Would my carefree life just be a beautiful illusion existing in my heart? Has the opening of the lid brought an end to my enchanted world? When will silence finally annihilate my aching memories? Will it be possible to stand tall and straight like those majestic cedars even when its branches are cut to build tea rooms? Will a man ever cease from being an “emotional creature”?

Bell crickets with violet garbs,
Grasshoppers in empty hearts,
Sullen memory patiently birth,
Pristine illusions of a universe,
Above the friendless pagodas,
Lonely red pines call the sun,
On sode of gracious kimono,
Bright tulips delicately spun.

Serenely, Kawabata weaves the threads of beautiful illusions that refuse to depart from our existence. With torrential flow of sordid emotions comes the want for a sheltering mirage that overthrows the repulsiveness of realism. The vanishing exuberance of Kyoto saddens its citizens as they try and hold on to the memory of Kyoto’s last streetcar; embellishing it with flowers and holding onto the photographic illusion of the newly christened “flower train” ; the lonely roads cry in nostalgia. The clean streets that once festooned to the picturesque festive parades and rice cake showers from the festival floats were now endangered to being darkened by ubiquitous friendless inns. Would the crickets ecstatically chirp if their glass palace ceases to exist?

“The time never comes when a beautiful illusion turns ugly”.

Why would someone want an illusion to turn ugly? Isn't its loving glory that becomes an escape from everyday life? Would Hideo ever want to recognize that Naeko is simply is an illusion of his long harbored love? Would it bring grief to the cherry blossom to see their ephemeral fantasy being trampled by those who had earlier been mesmerized by its very magnificence? It saddens Takichiro to see his world metamorphosing into an unknown entity. Was it his efforts of holding onto past memories, an effort to eradicate his loneliness? Was Takichiro’s attempt of drawing cacophonous kimono patterns, a cry of his illusion for a fading art? Was the Kodaiji Temple embracing the illusion of its festively lit streets?

“You can't kick or tread on an illusion that you harbor. All you can do is overturn yourself.”

The demise of illusion births realms of loneliness. The chimera of cherry blossoms vanishes with the falling of its petals. The beautiful spring brings harsh summer and even a harsher winter. Kawabata eulogizes the waning of obi-makers in poetic precision as their journey is scripted from once being the honorific institute of an emerging empire to now kneeling at the mercy of governmental sponsored ‘Intangible Cultural Treasure’. The spirituality of Kyoto is misplaced amid the rise of capitalism. Chieko gets swept by waves of loneliness when her romanticized illusion of being a foundling is broken by winds of pragmatism. When Hideo critiques the inharmonious design that Takichiro drew for Chieko’s obi, the illusion that Takichiro could draw a fashionable obi design is shattered even with the inspiring abstracts of Paul Klee and Chagall. Weeks of seclusion in a convent could not redeem the sanctity of Takichiro’s imagination for its beauty was stained with conflicts between a warm heart and morbidity of reality. To erase the stubborn chimera one has to be toppled. But, when does that become necessary? All those motifs that we bring all along our way to find an escape from our mundane lives, occasionally some of the motifs overrule our very existence and then there is a dire need to overturn ourselves. To think of those bell crickets that chirp every summer, what would they do if someone opened the lid and made them aware of their crystalline illusion? Would that destroy their universe in that jar?

“Universe in a jar” in which there was a palace in a vessel filled with fine wine and delicacies from both land and sea. Isolated from the vulgar world, it was a separate realm, an enchanted land."

Kawabata validates the application of an ancient Chinese proverb, “universe in a jar”. Chieko had been raising bell crickets in a jar for past five or six years. The lifecycle of these insects flourished and perished in the jar itself. Every July, eggs would be laid amid the glass interior and luminous August would welcome the raring young. Through these crickets, Kawabata delineates the reality of a sheltered life that we humans live until we face the malice of the outside world. As kids we are protected by the warmth and love of our parents and as parents we bestow the same to our kids. Chieko led a similar sheltered life and so did Takichiro when his father’s business was flourishing and above all the city of Kyoto, when its people safeguarded its splendor and spirituality from any kind of vulgarity. The crammed lives of the bell crickets made Chieko question her survival. Her loneliness was compared to the violets that grew in a cramped manner within the hollow space of an old maple tree.

“Chieko herself had placed the bell crickets in a jar, but why had the violets come to live in such a cramped spot?”..... “To be born in such a place and go one living there”…..A natural life.....”

Kawabata metaphorically elucidates the normality of a life that thrives in its accustomed habitat. The crickets in the jar never knew a life beyond the glass walls, the violets never knew the joy of blooming in a field, the obi-makers could not imagine a world without silken weaves and kimonos, Chieko could not have conjecture the veracity of her abandonment, the cedars never knew a life beyond that of being a mere crop and the city of Kyoto never knew the existence beyond festive seasons. Would a mountain accustomed to the warmth of a rising sun know the tranquility of a breezy ocean bed embracing a sleepy sun?

“Good fortune is short, while loneliness is long....”

Unlike, the flowers that have transitory lives, we humans do not bloom yearly with fresh and untainted lives. Thus, in the course our lengthy lives, monotony takes over our dynamism and at times the thought of feeling alive fails to enlighten, even when the blood flows into little test tubes. Kawabata presses the need to look beyond our natural existence and face reality. At a certain point, it becomes necessary for the crickets to realize a life beyond their jarful existence. The cedars can never have the charmed life of the camphor trees. Chieko’s confusion about finding Naeko delineates her desire to break free from her sheltered life. Takichiro’s desire to buy a smaller house and Naeko’s trepidation over Hideo’s love illuminates the realization of a harsh reality. Moreover Chieko’s comparison with the two solitary violets that would never ever meet elucidates her remoteness that comes along with the pondering about being a foundling. Picturing Chieko as an abandoned child, Kawabata puts forth his own vulnerabilities.

“Maybe all people are abandoned children. Perhaps being born is like being abandoned on this earth by God”.... "They do say we are God’s children. He abandoned us here, and then tried to save us...."

Being an orphan himself, Kawabata was always a wanderer; spiritually. His nomadic existence shines through his prose where he pursues his quest to harmonize the simplicity of nature with the complexity of human life. Through Chieko, Kawabata seems to spiritualize the universality of life in its entirety. Nature once again plays a significant character in this eloquent text; the isolated existence of violets not only depicts Chieko’s sentimentalities, but the impossibility of the two violets ever meeting equating Naeko’s failed love. The congratulatory chirping of the crickets when the two violets unpredictably meet. The purposeful cultivation of the Kitayama cedars symbolizing the misery that comes through the unawareness of an uncharted life; the green pines that comfort Hideo’s monotonous survival and the tulips that help Takichiro to find solace. The reader can identify proverbial traces from Thousand Cranes, alas, I desist from making such comparison and placing the two books to be entirely singular literary units.

The silence discovered in Snow Country‘, steadily seeps through the lattice doors of Kyoto .The mind has always been a slave to delusion. Our falsified visions bring corruptness of religion, stubborn superstitions and egotistical sentiments that glow brighter than the lanterns at the Gion festival. Right from ridiculing the superstitious omen brought by twins in rural Japan to Takichiro being somewhat a misanthrope; Kawabata wants the reader to comprehend that mankind at times can be very frightening. A man no matter how gentle can never let go of emotional complexities. Through Naeko, Kawabata questions the possibility of a land free of humans that would thrive in all its naturality.

“Why did the man come into this world?”.... “It’s frightening....mankind.”

A world without a man would be filled with virginal forests and carefree fauna. No crickets would have to live in a jar, none of the elegant cedars would bear the pain of their severed branches and mountain would no longer live in fear of eradication. Nevertheless, it is the man who built tea rooms, the Heian shrine, the temples, the Kamo river where lively tulips bloom; the streets that dance in celebratory lanterns and celebrate the virtue of life. It is humans that appreciate the beauty of cherry blossoms, question the loneliness of violets, capture the serenity of nature in the magnanimous silken folds of a kimono, decorate the last streetcar, embellish the boulevard with festive colours and give meaning to the existence of nature. Without a man, there would not be beautiful memories that keep the past alive, no illusion of happiness and hope. Without a man, there would be no Kyoto. The beauty of human existence marred with the ugliness of emotion.

“Man is certainly an emotional creature”.

[Kiran Dellimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I preface my review of The Old Capital , by Yasunari Kawabata, with a brief disclaimer. I read this novel in English (since I unfortunately am unable to read Japanese) and I'm unsure to what extent this may have influenced my appreciation of this book. In addition, it is perhaps useful to highlight that I have visited Kyoto and the Kansai region of Japan several years ago, so I could connect with several aspects of the narrative pertaining to the nature and ambience of this historically important area of Japan.

The Old Capital is a moving story about the vicissitudes of the life of a young woman, named Chieko, from a merchant family in post-war Japan. She was 'adopted' by her parents, under mysterious circumstances, and later learns that she has a long lost identical twin sister. Through a series of heart-wrenching plot twists and turns Kawabata tells the story of Chieko's reunion with her sister, while skillfully weaving a hauntingly melancholic portrait of traditional Kyoto, with its geishas and myriad festivals. The prose in The Old Capital is lyrical and delicate, while the narrative is exquisitely captivating. My only minor quibble with this novel is that Kawabata cut the story too short. I was left craving more. Kawabata is to say the least a masterful storyteller!

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited@13/01/2018: rating has been upgraded from 3.5 to 5 stars.

You have to understand this: I am a person who has little to none tolerance for love triangles. So if a novel about the love triangles among two men and one woman can hold my interest from start to end, it has to have something good in it.

It is the second time I read The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, it is one of the novels which gained the novelist his Noble Prize. This re-reading helps me to appreciate the moving grace in Mr. Kawabata's writing, plus this time the main characters (especially Chieko's three suitors) really do grow on me more than before.

To sum it up, this is a novella worthy of a revisit.

The story itself: Chieko's family runs a wholesale store in Kyoto. She is the only child in the household and her parents had long confessed to her that she was their adopted child.

Being concerned over her mysterious parentage and the unknown identity of her birth parents (bloodline and breeding has always been a great concern when marriage is concerned in Japan), Chieko has kept her distance with her suitors: her childhood best friend and a young man from a family of traditional weavers.

Meanwhile, Chieko's foster father Takichiro is struggling to come up with new design for new kimono's patterns. Outside of new kimono's patterns, he is also concerned with his business (which isn't performing well) and the future for the now 20 years old Chieko, and the potential wedding matches she may have.

And when Takichiro shows his new design for Chieko's kimono to the young weaver (one of Chieko's suitors), the talented young man (named Hideo) points out he feels something unhealthy in the design even though he agrees it does look beautiful and sharp. Hearing the young man's comment, Takichiro slaps him and throws his sketch away.

During a traditional festival which takes place in summer, Chieko encounters her long-lost twin sister Naeko by chance. Unlike Chieko who grew up in a well respected household, Naeko leads a life in a village outside of Kyoto only as a humble workwoman.

Shortly afterward, the young weaver Hideo mistakes Naeko for Chieko due to their nearly identical appearance, causing Chieko to confess to the young man her real parentage.

Under Chieko's request, Hideo weaved a beautiful obi (kimono's belt) and gifts it to Naeko; later Hideo and Naeko go to a festival together, with Naeko dressed with a kimono gifted to her by Chieko, along with the obi weaved by Hideo himself.

Soon, Hideo proposals to Naeko but she is reluctant to accept it because she senses that Chieko is the one Hideo truly loves. At the same time, Chieko tries to decide whether she should marry her childhood best friend's older brother, for the sake of helping her foster parents' business to restore to its former glory.

You see, I'm so intrigued---enchanted by this novel that I have to describe the plot to you in this review.

My thoughts

Usually I don't like Mr. Kawabata's male characters but in this second read, Chieko's suitors surprisingly grow on me despite the fact that these three suitors seemingly have their own share of flaws in characters.

Among the three, Chieko's childhood friend seem to be a sweet guy, whilst Hideo the weaver seems to be lacking in social skills (but the guy always says what he means, and expresses his feeling in a clumsy way), and the older brother of Chieko's childhood friend seems too bold and straight-forward to a point of threatening.

You see, I was really surprised when I saw this older brother pretty much confesses he loves Chieko and wants her for his wife in front of her and his younger brother, without saying the exact words. That is pretty straight forward for a Japanese character! LOL

On the other hand, it brought a smile to my face when I read about the young weaver Hideo weaves a beautiful obi and gifts it to Naeko as an quiet expression of his affection, with patterns that suits Naeko and her person. Plus the short scene with Hideo and Naeko going to a festival is delicately written and it does express the joy of blooming young love.

On the surface, The Old Capital does read like an innocent love story, but what intrigued me the most about this story is how right under this vivid and graceful layer of purity and beauty, something far more subtle and disturbing is lurking right beneath the surface. Like for example, is the feeling Chieko's foster father has for his beautiful foster daughter entirely parental!? I have my doubt about it (the incident about the foster father's kimono's design seems to be the strongest hint) although I'm not saying the father is going to act on his incestuous feeling (in case he has any), still....as a reader I find Mr. Kawabata's subtle hints on the complication o human's emotion and desire to be intriguing.

Plus...can we readers really believe since Hideo seemingly shifts his affection to Naeko (whose social status is closer to his own than Chieko's), and Chieko is considering to marry her best friend's brother by the end of the story, then these two couples would just go on and live happily ever after? I guess not, because in the world of Mr. Kawabata's novels, humans are much more complicated than this and love relationships usually wouldn't find their happy endings so simply.

Fun fact: Mr. Kawabata admitted he had been heavily addicted to sleeping pills when he wrote this novel so everything about it kind of being foggy for him. LOL

original review here:

3.5 stars. Kyoto is the real main character of The Old Capital. I should have read this book before visiting this ancient city last year.

Reading this book is a relaxing, smoothing experience, we travel with the characters through the four seasons of Kyoto: sakura for spring, woodland for summer, red leaves for autumn, snow for winter. Alongside those characters (especially the heroine Chieko), we taste the delicate, fainting flavor of young love, beauty, guilt and confusion.

Ginkaku-ji@Kyoto

(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)

I'm also glad that the story is focused on female characters instead of the men, because Mr. Kawabata *always* tended to leave his male characters to remain vague (I only know all the females in the books seem to like these guys, for hardly any reason) whilst he spent a lot of effort to describe his female characters, which makes those female characters sympathetic and understandable to me.


(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)

I know, many deep and meaningful things had been said by many people about this book, but at the end of the day, I'm the most curious about which guy is Chieko really into? Her childhood friend or said friend's older brother? And does Chieko's twin sister accept the marriage proposal in the end?

I confess, among the many things about this book, these are the two things which I concern the most. LOL

Here is the photo of the green tea noddle we had in Kyoto.

(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)

PS: there will be a movie adaptation for this book coming up later this year, but this movie serves mostly as a sequel to the book.

Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e44wr...

Review for Thousand Cranes by the same author: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Erasmia Kritikou · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ακομα και οι κόκκινες κερασιές με τα γερμένα κλαδιά μπορούν, αν η ψυχική μας διάθεσή είναι τέτοια, να μας φανούν θλιμμένες"

Νομίζω πώς γενικά τα γιαπωνέζικα, ως άλλος πλανήτης πολιτισμού, ηθών εθιμων κ κουλτ��υρας που είναι, χάνουν ή καλυτερα χάνεσαι στη μετάφραση,
Ωστόσο ενα διαμάντι λαμποκοπάει έστω κι έτσι.
Μεγάλος, αναμφισβήτητα, Καβαμπάτα

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''Για οσους γρυλους ζουν σε βάζο, το βάζο αυτό είναι το σύμπαν."

[Repellent Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kioto" se centra en Chieko, una joven de 20 años que fue abandonada de bebé y la fortuna quiso que fuera recogida por una pareja adinerada, que vive gracias a un reconocido negocio de diseño de kimonos. Sus padres adoptivos la han tratado con cariño y le han brindado todo lo que ha necesitado. Un día por casualidad conocerá a su hermana gemela Naeko, que se crió junto con sus padres biológicos y trabaja duramente en las montañas de Kioto. El encuentro va a llenar de emociones a ambas hermanas.

Lo primero que destaca con Kawabata es la forma tan exquisita en la que nos habla de la naturaleza que le rodea. Me flipa estar leyendo un libro donde el simple hecho de narrar los colores de las flores o el tamaño de los árboles que muestra la escena, me emocione. Esto es lo que pasa con "Kioto". Es un canto a la belleza de la ciudad, de sus flores, de sus árboles, de sus estaciones. Y es que el gran protagonista para mí ha sido el mismo Kioto. En cada página me transportaba a la belleza del lugar, a las tradiciones de la época, a esa cantidad intermible de festivales y celebraciones con motivos muy diferentes, pero casi siempre centrados en valorar y celebrar esa naturaleza.

La lectura de "Kioto" es como un paseo agradable por un lugar bonito que te calma y te relaja. La historia se va tejiendo poquito a poco, sin prisa, dejando aflorar los sentimientos de los personajes, mientras los meses van pasando y las estaciones se van sucediendo. La delicadeza y sensibilidad con la que se presenta la personalidad de Chieko y como se siente ante el encuentro con Naeko me ha encantado. También me ha resultado muy tierna la relación entre Chieko y sus padres. El detalle de las dos violetas es precioso, ejemplo perfecto de lo rica en simbolismos que es la literatura asiática. Cada detalle por sencillo que sea, está contando algo.


La manera tan bonita y sencilla que tiene Kawabata de describir sus historias me encanta. Es de mis autores clásicos modernos favoritos, porque a diferencia de otros como Mishima o Soseki, me resulta mucho más sencilla su forma de contar las cosas. No es que los otros sean densos, porque tampoco es el caso, pero en comparación con estos dos sus libros se leen de una manera mucho más relajada. O esa sensación me dan los que por ahora he leído de él. En definitiva, una historia sencilla y dulce, que te va cautivando poco a poco a través de esas imágenes tan bellas que sus páginas evocan. Por ahora, junto a "Lo bello y lo triste", mi favorito del autor.

[Andrei Bădică · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman excepţional!

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yasunari Kawabata este primul scriitor japonez care a primit premiul Nobel pentru Literatura in 1968. Criticii au remarcat ca pe langa simtul sau estetic rafinat firul narativ al cartilor sale aminteste de o pictura Zen, unde ceea ce nu ni se spune este poate mai important decat ceea ce ni se releva, esential fiind sa citim printre randuri.
Prezentul roman este considerat capodopera sa si este despre orasul Kyoto si metamorfoza sa dupa cel de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial, transformandu-se din vechiul oras imperial (Heian) in Kyoto-ul modern.
Pe langa prezentarea unor traditii, obiceiuri si locuri specifice Kawabata incearca sa surprinda insasi esenta spiritului japonez.
Naratiunea este caracterizata de acea retinere si demnitate specifica japonezilor, Kawabata fiind bun prieten cu scriitorul Yukio Mishima, insa nu atat de pregnanta ca la cel de-al doilea. Totusi, la doi ani dupa moartea prin seppuku a lui Mishima, se va sinucide si el.
Am apreciat nota traducatorului care ne dezvaluie faptul ca desi nu ne putem da seama din traducere romanul este scris in dialectul elegant din Kyoto si am remarcat ca exista note de subsol din belsug din care putem sa aflam foarte multe lucruri despre oras.
Romanul face referiri la legende japoneze celebre cum ar fi: "Universul din vas", "Povestea taietorului de bambus", "Povestea celor 47 de samurai". De asemenea putem citi despre multe traditii, sarbatori, ritualuri, temple budiste si sintoiste cum ar fi: templul zeului Tenjin, statuia lui Gizo, sanctuarul Heian-Jingu, templul Daigo, templul Nanzenji, sarbatoarea Epocilor, sarbatoarea Gion, etc. Putem sa aflam si ca zeul norocului se numeste Hotei iar cel al focului este Okuto-San.
O traditie si arta mestesugareasca ce mi-a placut in mod deosebit este tesutul kimonourilor: "Cand copilul implineste 4,5 ani, e initiat in depanatul lanii. Cand implineste 10, 12 ani invata sa teasa. In curand deprinde el insusi mestesugul. De aceea, a avea multi copii inseamna uneori sprijin in casa si prosperitatea familiei. In plus, chiar si femeile batrane, de 60, 70 de ani, pot depana lana in propria gospodarie. Exista familii in care bunica si nepotica ei participa deopotriva la aceasta munca."
In ceea ce priveste actiunea o avem in prim plan pe Chieko, o tanara orfana care a fost infiata de o familie cumsecade si care din intamplare isi cunoaste sora geamana. Aceasta intalnire va schimba universul si credintele celor doua fete si le va conduce spre maturizare. Mi s-a parut ca actiunea romanului ramane undeva in spatele cortinei pe cand in fata straluceste orasul Kyoto, fiind un cadru minunat pentru viata celor doua surori.
In final atasez cateva citate care mi s-au parut frumoase:
"Fericirea ta se simte in adierea vantului, ca un parfum, ca ardoarea tineretii."
"Dintre tanarul care spune ce-i trece prin minte si batranul care primeste dojenie, gandeste-te, cine se simte mai singur?"
"Omul se lasa oare intotdeauna in voia inimii sale?"
"Daca n-ar fi exista omul in lumea asta, n-ar fi existat nici orasul Kyoto si peste tot s-ar afla paduri naturale si campuri cu buruieni. Iar locul asta ar fi probabil domeniul caprioarelor si al mistretilor, nu crezi? Oare de ce a aparut omul pe pamant? E o fiinta inspaimantatoare."

[Deniz Balcı · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kawabata'nın çok özel bir anlatımı var. Sükunete çağırıyor okuyucuyu. Belli belirsiz söylemler, üstü kapalı konuşmalar, silik tasvirler ve en çok da insanın içine işleyen bir incelik var romanlarında. Hem kahramanlar, hem olaylar hem de sonuçlar sanki incecik cam bir fanusmuş ve ilk incinmede paramparça olacakmış hissi veriyor. Kitabı okurken kendi halime bile dikkat ediyorum. Oturduğum yerde derinden bir arınma yaşıyor, sakinleşiyorum.

Bir romancı için fazla büyük laflar gibi gelebilir bunlar. Garantisini de veremem zira. Proust'tan bahsediyor olsam; bütün iddiamla onun zarafetine kefil olur, ısrarcı olurdum. Fakat Kawabata'nın ki daha özel ve saklı bir şey. Onunla yakınlaşmak için belki de hayatınızdaki, o dönem ki halinizde çok etkili. Birikiminiz, zevkleriniz, zaaflarınız, psikolojiniz, hayatı algılama şekliniz... Çok küçük geleneksel ayrıntıların, estetik açısından Japon kültüründe ne kadar önemli olduğunu kavrıyorsunuz Kawabata okurken. Ve bir anda yanınızda kimonolu genç bir kadın, elinizde bir sake; kiraz çiçeklerini izlemeye gitmiş; herhangi bir tapınakta tanrılara dua etmişsiniz gibi hissettiriyor insana.

Ne yazık ki, Japon Edebiyatı'nın en önemli yazarlarından biri olan Kawabata'nın Türkçe'ye kazandırılması yılan hikayesine dönmüş durumda. 1968 yılında Nobel Ödülü alan yazar; sonrasında tüm dünyada ilgi uyandırmış; hali ile ülkemizde de ilk bu yıllarda çevrilmiştir. Fakat bu çeviriler çok özensiz ve önemli hatalarla doludur. Sonrasında ise 2007'li yıllarda Doğan Yayıncılık yazarın dört eserini bastı. Bunların bazıları yeniden çevrilmiş bazıları ise gözden geçirilmişti. "Kiraz Çiçekleri" Hüseyin Can Erkin tarafından yeniden çevirilmiştir. Hüseyin Can Erkin, Japoncadan direkt çeviri yapan, alanında uzman ve iyi bir çevirmendir. Bu kitabında hakkını vermiştir. Ancak bu kez sorun, kitabın Doğan Kitap tarafından tekrar baskılarının yapılmamış ve muhtemelende yapılayacak olmasıdır. Yalnız Kawabata için değil, Ryu Murakami, Tsuci Hitonari, Miyuki Miyame, Koci Suzuki, İkezawa Natsuki gibi yazarlarında haklarını elinde bulundurmasına rağmen basmıyor. Tek dileğim öncelikle Kawabata'nın sonrasında da diğer yazarların kıymetlerinin bilinmesi ve Türk okuyucu tarafından daha çok tanınması.

İyi okumalar.

5/5

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobel Prize winner Kawabata draws a beautiful period piece about Kyoto and the geisha period. I have been lucky enough to have been to Kyoto once and seen geishas (rare these days) taking a promenade, not unlike in this wonderful book. SOOO much better than the Golding Geisha book!

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will tell you why I really liked this book, nothing more. It captures traditional Japanese culture wonderfully. Central to Japanese life and culture is the importance of beauty. I am referring to the value of weaving a beautiful cloth, the value of looking carefully at a tree or a leaf or a stone and capturing the essence of the beauty that object emanates. For me Japanese art removes all the unnecessary; it rips away what is superficial and leaves you with the bare essential. What is beauty? You understand that when you look at Japanese art in all its different forms - cloth, gardens, ceremonies, pottery and good writing such as this.

I don't understand everything in this book. That is because I do not understand all aspects of Japanese culture. The more you understand their culture and all that makes their culture what it is - traditions, feasts, national shrines, customs and beliefs - the more you will appreciate the book. You do have to be curious about the Japanese way of thinking. You have to see the beauty of ripping away the excess to look underneath.

This is a lousy review. I don't know how to describe the beauty of this book, except that it is so Japanese, and that I love.

Try this book. It is for me the best I have read by the author. You will have to see if it talks to you. Yeah, even the dialogs, the blunt talk is so perfectly Japanese. Do you know a Japanese? Again, the more you can recognize, the more you can love in the lines. This author has captured it all. Maybe you will see nothing, and hate it, but you will not know unless you try.

At the same time, I do not understand how this culture so well finds what is beautiful in life and then behaves as they do in war! It boggles my mind.

[Mariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit- I suck. I didn't say why I loved this book. I loved the sweetness before the sadness. It was like when you're in love before the shit flies. Sitting in groves and watching growth (any other nature nerds?), the trying to get to know someone whom you suspect is quite beautiful. The love ends and I was all alone. It's a heartbreaker it is. My broken heart tends to wallow and go into deny deny deny. And then it's the go back and over all the details to prove it ever really happened. I love you, Kawabata!

Again, what is it with the "traditional" talk? I've repeatedly seen this label applied to Yasanuri Kawabata's works. (Another goodreader uses their shelf "mainstream".) I don't think I like this easiness at all. Maybe because I don't really understand what it means. Traditional Japanese way of life? Not like Haruki Murakami? Anyway, I think it is fucked up all the same.

I've also read in various places (including goodreads) that this is not a good translation. It's pretty obvious by the touchy translator's note in the beginning (there's a new one done in 2005 updating the 1987 English translation). I wanted to tell him to chill. Yeah... I would liken it to watching a subtitled movie. You KNOW the English words on your screen couldn't possibly be all there is to communicate what you are hearing and watching. The expressions... The whole damned life of it. It's like that.

(I'm going to babble here. Look away!) Once I read that in China their laughter doesn't mean what it means in the western world. My mind is blanking on Japan at the moment. My mind blanked for my whole read of The Old Capital. What about Japan, Mariel? Think! Laughter means a lot of things, anyway. I got that feeling from the laughter here. The smiles are twisted in behind the face there is another face just beneath it that feels something altogether else. There are a lot of different smiles. Subtitles, right? (I've always been deeply fascinated by foriegn language actresses. Repeating the new cadences felt like trying on different walks.)

So that's what the translation is like for me. Subtitled prose behind the lines. What did Yasanuri Kawabata really write? What are those actors saying behind those yellow subtitle lines? I'll never be able to learn Japanese. (I'm not going to give up on Spanish after twenty years. My life can't be long enough for Japanese.) Don't get touchy, translator of this book! That doesn't mean that I didn't live here. I did. I'm doing all this babbling because I don't want to be one of those reviewers that pretty much say, "Don't bother reading this because it's translated."

I didn't know this was a twins seperated at birth story...

Chieko is the pampered "stolen" daughter of a couple who own their own kimono/wholesale goods business. It's a dying business. Japanese people are wearing western style clothes more and more. The father's designs are increasingly muted with his age. Chieko is attached to their failing hips in every way. (When younger and reading about families and cultures big into being appendages, I was relieved that I'm an American in this day and age. Being an albatross to them would KILL me.)

Chieko feels like the twisted undergrowth of violets and not the upright and true heart of a cedar tree. This type of stuff (shit, I don't know how to sound smart here. Symbolism? It's more than that. I don't wanna say ideals. Freaking religion) is important to Chieko, and to the heart of The Old Capital. Her long lost twin sister, Naeko, is discovered by accident when Chieko has been feeling like the foundling. She's convinced that she had been found by her parents, not the stolen guilt they torment themselves over in their passive aggressive "But we'd diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee if you didn't do whatever we want for the rest of our lives and probably after we are dead too. Did you hear us? Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!" There's a line walked here. The appendage culture, and the natural growing. The last is where guilt lives and breeds. So Chieko is feeling at sorts within herself. Found and stolen sorts.

Naeko was not abandoned by their birth parents. But they died and Chieko went on to a "higher" plane in life as Naeko "descended" to the high cedar mountains and hard work.
Naeko loves her sister (she says she would die for her if she had to. I know that I would LIVE through anything for my own twin sister). She's happy to have met her. Anything more than that would "ruin" Chieko's chance at happiness, should the connection to the "lower" girl be made. That was bullshit. Part of this is the whole beauty kick Kawabata seems to have always been about. Beauty is the spiritual religious conduit crutch. He's about more than that but sometimes I come up against this and I want to tell him to cut the shit and go back to being the LIVING person I know he was. So both girls are incredibly beautiful (duh, they are twins). Why does Chieko "know" in her heart that Naeko could only be an illusion of her to anyone else? That was fucked up.

This makes me live in the world. Maybe that's what "traditional" is bugging me. I've never felt a belonging to anything. I think it's the "fitting in" when you're friends with that person who is always testing you. Some day you aren't going to have the right words anymore and they will stop testing you. They'll stop being in your life. I wish I could stop feeling like I'm on that edge of no more right words/being tested... What the hell is traditional about feeling like that? Yeah, old way of Japanese life blah blah. I still don't agree with "traditional" being applied to Kawabata. No matter what people think everybody else wants. It's that thing how no one is in everyone else's heads but there are SOME things that always matter, personal head space or not. Broken hearts, love... Anyway. Miscommunication is the great tragedy of my life. "Traditional" says "That's YOUR head space. This is mine." Nuh uh.

"Father, if you look closely at the trunks of those trees and the strange way the limbs spread, don't they seem frightening, as though they possess some great power?" Chieko says.

When I was a girl I'd spend ages and ages staring at the shadows of tree limbs reflected on my walls and window shades. I'd imagine all sorts of terrible things. The great power is dark like that too.

But damnit. Naeko is not an illusion. I've come up against this thing my whole life, right? I'm an identical twin. My sister, Lauren, and I have many things in common. We're kindred spirits common to one another. But... I don't measure myself by how I am alike or not alike with her because of THAT. Sure, your looks are what the world sees and some people don't care enough to do anything more with than what is on the surface. (If anything, it is that our variables were the same for a long time. Same family.) I've met so many people who think there is nothing that would interest me more than their insta observations on our differences. "SHE wears nail polish and you don't." So? I'm not me because I don't wear nail polish. We are we because we keep trying despite our squabbles and disappointments when one doesn't automatically understand the other.

So I'm fucking depressed as much as I loved this book. There was growing in it. Chieko watches the surfaces of things look for those images that become too big when you stare too long (sorry, Mariel speak shorthand probably). They think about the changes in Japanese culture, encroaching world on natural areas still left (not when I read this in 2011). She could have seen those differences within herself in her sister. What life she could have had if she had not been abandoned as a baby and adopted into a pedestal life position (that perch is precarious, if you ask me). Perhaps her inner reflection was too egotistical to grow far enough... They allowed their obis and kimonos with symbols of harmony speak for their harmony too much. (Nail polish?)

What is going to happen to Naeko?!!!!!!!????

Chieko was born. Naeko was born. They lived, they walked, they grew up... Their reactions are not opposite reactions as if science. Symbolism is shit. And what the fuck is religion when Naeko is all alone?

It's what I said about the right words not being said anymore...

P.s. Last night I searched Kawabata on the imdb. Two film versions of The Old Capital appeared in my search. Twin sisters of Kyoto? Something like that. I can't find these film versions now. What the? Am I going crazy? (Don't answer that.) I'm only a little certain that I had seen the Sleeping Beauties film version from 2006. I think I rented it and then didn't finish watching it? Or I just passed by the dvd art a bunch of times. I do that and pick up dvd boxes and contemplate renting them a bunch of times. It looks really familiar... So, are any of these films good? (Once upon a time I was the girl who had seen everything. What happened to her? Oh yeah, all I do is read...)

P.s.s. There's a train car done up like in the Meiji period. People dress it up and themselves up. Living in the past... Past ain't traditional. Unless your answer for history to kids who ask you what history means is "It is the past just because it happened" and there was never any growing or meaning to it ever. And it has to go on forever to mean anything and be common place and everyone it happens to is exactly the same. You can measure them entirely by what their clothes say.

I don't know what I mean. It's that saying the right thing thing again. I just don't like the idea that there is anything every day about Kawabata.

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyoto, post-war Japan. Chieko, the adopted daughter of a kimono designer and his wife, learns new facts about her past that throw her life upside down, in more ways than one.

The story flows through a year of festival events and different weathers, and the drama keeps steady. This 1962 work was serialised in magazines first, so you do get a feel that you are reading little snippets, pulling you towards the end of the story. This is a 2005 revised translation, and flows well, though all the conversation felt strange, but not in a bad way, a bit like a film or something like that.

There's various themes in the book, including changing seasons that sometimes fit the moods of the people. Nature symbolism like those tree violets at the start (recognised them as such immediately), of which one can think they are related to love or family relationships. Festivals through the year, some always kept, some picked up again from the past, some quite new, and there's some changes to the old ones, or certain festivals are skipped that year.

Also the meeting of the old and the new, innovation and tradition. Chieko's father is having a 'stuck' moment that year, but does find a way forward in a way I think he didn't expect. I counted also some ways things are new: the stalls and people at shrines, tourism, the Westerners, gas range at home, Western clothes, tulips, dating ways, float routes at Gion festival, more need for inns to house tourists, the Sony radios...

I also see some marriage possibilities at the end, both for Chieko and her twin sisters, not what either would've expected at the end. Naeko's humility and wealth-level awareness was both moving and annoying, but I like how polite she (and Chieko, I'd say) were. I think the politeness-level change between generations was surprising, but not totally unexpected, because times were changing things on material so why not also on relationships between people. Also, I would've liked to see some of those kimono patterns, and I feel I would've liked something like what Chieko wore, plain but classic.

At first the book seemed quite plain and lacking activity, but once I got into the flow of it, it was beautiful and I loved the lack of drama and tragedy in it. I can see why it was mentioned among the author's books when he got the Nobel prize. It is a classic.

[AiK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Эстетика японских садов – фиалки, клены - покоряет с первых страниц. Не может не восхищать выражение Тиэко благодарности природе за красоту. Синиити лежал на траве. Он студент и ждет Тиэко на свидание. Он вспоминает китайский рассказ о сверчках, выращиваемых в горшке – весь мир заключается в горшке. Мир, отрешенный от жизни. Сверчки просто существовали, не зная другой жизни.
Тиэко признается ему, что она подкидыш. Она исповедует полное подчинение родителям при наличии собственных чувств и мнений. Тэкэтиро Садо, отец Тиэко, оптовый торговец готовым платьем, поселился в женском монастыре для поиска вдохновения. Садо с юных лет хотел быть художником. Рисунки для тканей были нетрадиционные, Он стал искать вдохновения в опиуме. Его отец отправил в психиатрическую лечебницу. Странные эскизы под опиумным опьянением были абстрактны, но за годы работы стали приемлемы для вкуса покупателей.
В Японии издревле существует утонченное понимание цвета. Хидео сказал Тэкэтиро, что от его рисунка, созданного в монастыре, веет беспокойством и болезненностью. Тэкэтиро уничтожил рисунок, но Хидео по памяти создал пояс с таким рисунком, лишь слегка изменив цвета. Эстетика цвета отличается: Например, тюльпановые поля слишком ярки. Вызывает восхищение традиции любования – например, молодой листвой деревьев – как это чудесно! Герои восхищаются красотой криптомерий. Хидео влюблен в Тиэко, но предложил выйти замуж Наэко, потому что он не пара Тиэко, а Наэко как две капли воды похожа на сестру-близнеца. Роман заканчивается расставанием сестер после ночлега в доме отца Тиэко. Недосказанное чувство – в этом романе. Все чувства скрыты, мы должны их понять без слов.

[Cherisa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome blend of a story, old and modern, youth and age, tradition and change, with an overall elegiac soulfulness. 4 1/2 stars and I knock off the half star only because I felt it was too short. There seemed to be so much more to say. I wanted to know more about the arc of the characters lives who I came to care about very quickly, but Kawabata is the master who I guess thought he’d said enough. Left me wanting more more more more.

Nobel Laureate.

[Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Review:

I simply reread this fine novel by Yasunari Kawabata for two reasons, that is, 1) to find if I could enjoy reading it for the second time and to what extent; 2) to see if there is some fidelity as compared with its YouTube counterpart entitled "Twin Sisters of Kyoto (Koto) 1963"; its website has been attached in No. 1 End Notes (First Review). As for 1), I still found it irresistibly readable and went further in more detail, for instance, from Takichiro's explanation to Chieko:

"Chieko, we've raised you since you were a nursing baby. You were the sweetest child anyone could hope for. We would treat that girl as fairly as possible. If she looks like you, she's surely a good girl. Bring her here. Twenty years ago twins weren't accepted, but now it's nothing," her father said. . . . (p. 148)

I mean the last sentence in which it might have been overlooked if it's read hurriedly; therefore, we should keep its background's context in mind, that is, it was a sort of taboo in not accepting twins twenty years ago but now meaning the time her father's telling Chieko it's acceptable.
Note: I would write on 2) soon.

To continue . . .

First Review:

One of the best by Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1968. Cited as one of his three works by the Oslo committee, it has been accompanied by "Snow Country," and "Thousand Cranes" as mentioned in the synopsis by its title and front page cover above.

A bit busy, therefore, I would find time to say more why this novel is far more distinct and superb than his others I have read and enjoyed to a certain degree, but this one is simply greater. I would definitely reread it soon.

First, I like its structure, that is, each chapter a title given instead of Chapters 1-9 reveals something challenging for the readers to explore inside and interpret as much as can be as we can see hereafter: The Flowers of Spring, The Convent Temple and the Lattice Door, The Kimono Town, Kitayama Cedars, The Gion Festival, The Color of Autumn, The Green of Pines, Deep Autumn Sisters, and Winter Flowers.

Second, I notice Kawabata has deliberately executed his own way of writing rarely found in other contemporary Japanese authors, his means has wonderfully proved effective, more effective than dialogs in all occasions. I mean he uses stillness to conquer movement as appropriate in all or nearly all chapters (to verify). We would find that out in “Winter Flowers,” for example, by citing a few related extracts as follows:

“Why would she think she’d be an obstacle?”
Chieko did not respond. (p. 148)
…
“Naeko,” Chieko spoke as they walked down the road. “What you called about was urgent, wasn’t it? I want you to tell me about it first. Can you talk about it calmly?”
Naeko did not speak. … (p. 150)
…
“Miss, our lives and our upbringing have been different. I couldn’t live in a place like Muromachi. Once, just this once, I’ve come to your home. … And you were kind enough to come to visit me twice in the cedar mountains.”
Chieko was silent, … (p. 162)

Third, reading this amazing fiction subtly guides its readers into Japaneseness, more or less, in terms of her culture, especially nature, religion, tradition, and so on as evidenced from its aforementioned nine chapter titles. Eventually, We can grasp a few emerging glimpses nicely narrated till we seem to read his mantra-like narration from this unique Japanese author. For instance:

Walking around the bank, Chieko and Shin’ichi entered a small path in the shadow of some trees. It smelled of young leaves and damp earth. The narrow shaded path was short; where it ended, a bright garden opened up beside a pond that was larger than the previous one. The flowers of the red weeping cherry trees were reflected in the water and flashed in the eyes of the visitors. Some foreign tourists were photographing the blossoms. (p. 11)

The Heine Shrine was well known for the Festival of Ages. The shrine was built in 1895, the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Emperor Meiji, in honor of Emperor Kanmu, who had established the Heian capital in Kyoto a thousand years earlier, so the shrine hall was not very old. The gate and outer worship hall were said to be modeled after the Otemmon and Great Hall of State of the original Heian capital. A traditional Orange Tree of the Right and a Chery Tree of the Left were also planted there. Komei, who had been emperor before the the capital was moved to Tokyo, was also enshrined there in 1938. Many weddings were heal at the altar of the shrine. (pp. 7-8)

Floats with festival children led the procession each year. On July second or third the mayor drew lots to determine the order of the floats. The festival cars were assembled the previous day, but the ceremony of the washing of the shrine palanquins was the true preparatory rite of the festival. The palanquins were washed at the Great Bridge at Shijo over the Kamo River. Although it was called a washing, the Shinto priest simply dipped a sakaki branch into the water and sprinkled it on the palanquins. (pp. 75-76)

Endnotes:

1) Incidentally, I have just enjoyed watching this movie written by Kawabata entitled "Twin Sisters of Kyoto (Koto) 1963" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqMmD...) especially @ 16:55-18:00 that has narrated a nearly similar scene as depicted on page 34; the difference is that in the novel the mother tells Chieko, the lady protagonist, whereas in the movie the father does.

2) I'm rereading this novel (2018.6.8) and find more fidelity as compared with the film; then, I hope to write another review based on my second reading reflecting on what I've watched via the film presentation.

[Alina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Filled with emotions between the lines, but it's also a calendaristic guide to all 300 or so festivals during the year and a descriptive map of Kyoto districts and shrines, an array of names that at some point made me just skip over entire paragraphs.
This style is clearly not for me..

[Oguzcan Yesilyaprak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konusuna hiç bakmadan okumuştum ve gerçekten çok şaşırdım bitirince. Kitabın başlarındaki gidişatta daha başka olaylar tahmin ettim ama sonu çok güzeldi açıkçası kitapta tek anlamadığım ismi onun dışında gerçekten yine muhteşem bir japon klasiği daha okumuş oldum. Spoiler vermemek için çok detay vermedim incelemede ama güzel bir kitap üşenmeden okuyabilirsiniz.

[طَيْف · Rating 4 out of 5]

أسرتني الرواية

بأجوائها العذبة في رسم الشخصيات واندماجهم في تلك الطبيعة الساحرة الخلابة...بلغة رائقة شفافة...ونكهة مميزة...وحوارات هادئة تتماشى مع الشخصية اليابانية التقليدية

إنها رواية يابانية بامتياز


تحكي قصة "تشيكو"...الباحثة عن جذورها...بعد أن أخبرها والديها أنها لقيطة تركت أمام باب محلهم والدها تاجر الجملة ومصمم الزنانير"تاكيتشيرو"..وفي مرة أخرى تخبرها والدتها أنها سرقتها كي لا تفطر فؤادها بأنها منبوذة من قبل والديها الأصليين

على مهل يروي الكاتب الأحداث بأناقة...و يستدرجنا في جولات ممتعة ونزهات لرؤية أزهار الكرز الحمراء، وأشجار الإسفندان المستقيمة، وخضرة أشجار الصنوبر التي تأسر العين...وأوراق الأشجار في ربيع "كيوتو"...والمعابد والمهرجانات والأعياد التي تقام واحدا تلو الآخر، فنبتهج معه بجمال الطبيعة الثرية وجمال النفوس بشفافيتها ورهافة حسها والتي تجلت واضحة في "تشيكو" العذبة...وعواطفها المتقدة المحبوسة بين جنبات نفسها...فنرقب الحب بداخلها يتدفق رويدا وها هي تحلم بالشاب "ريوسوكه" يقول لها: "أي نوع من العطر... أية روح طيبة تنبعث من يدك".

يظل السرد على رتابته حتى تلتقي تشيكو بأختها مصادفة وتتعرف عليها من ذلك التشابه الكبير بينهما...لتبدأ الحكاية بأخذ منحى آخر...نقارن فيه بين توأمين عاشت كل منهما ظروفا مختلفة...في ظل أسرتين متفاوتتين في المكانة الاجتماعية


نتعرف من خلال الرواية على القيم اليابانية الأخلاقية، ونمط حياتهم، وعلاقاتهم الاجتماعية...على جوهر ثقافتهم وفكرهم...والصراع الذي بدأ بقوة بين التقاليد اليابانية العريقة واتجاه بعض اليابانيين نحو الغرب بلغته وعاداته وأزيائه وفنونه...ومواءمة البعض بين روح الأصالة و روح العصر والتقدم التكنولوجي


لمن يحب الروايات الشفافة اللغة والهادئة الأحداث..ويحب التعرف على الحياة اليابانية بتقاليدها...أنصحه بقراءة الرواية...

[Andrea Ladino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chieko sintió que se le desgarraba el corazón.
Su deseo de ir a la aldea y contemplar la bella Kitayama... ¿era el llamado del espíritu de su padre?

Lo primero que leí de Kawabata fue País de nieve y no conectamos. No sé si fue tanta la nieve que quedé aplastada bajo la historia o no me gustó la edición, la traducción, vaya a saber uno.

Sin embargo, puedo decir que amé Kioto. Su belleza, sus paisajes, la prosa, todo en él es maravilloso. Y la historia puede incluso pasar a segundo plano, o también tener tantas implicaciones como copos de nieve caen en este momento en la tierra. Primero está Chieko, abandonada en la puerta de la familia Sano, comerciantes de tela y diseñadores de kimonos. Chieko se cría en un ambiente rodeado de amor y belleza. Sabe que fue abandonada pero no le genera mayor ruido en su vida. Todo transcurre como una apacible taza de té verde hasta Chieko descubre que tiene una hermana melliza.

Kawabata nos presenta esta historia como un drama familiar, pero también, bajo hermosos y brillantes kimonos, hay una crítica hacia el Japón de la posguerra. La mayoría de los occidentales creen que hay un solo Japón. Se enceguecen con la parte más popular y reconocible, pero olvidan que está la parte rural e igualmente tradicional. Pero no se preocupen, los japoneses también lo olvidan. Tal como dejaron olvidada a Chieko cuando era una recién nacida.

Una belleza de libro, solo eso les digo.


---




Prólogo:

Aunque las procesiones parezcan repetirse y los cerezos parezcan florecer con idéntica intensidad, siempre se renueva la mirada.

Porque de lo que se trata, más que de saber, es de aprender a soportar el hecho del abandono, la exposición. ¿Acaso ese velo de preocupación no es lo que pone una distancia entre la belleza de Chieko y quienes la contemplan, aumentando así su efecto perturbador? Sin falta, los jóvenes se enamoran de ella, los adultos la admiran como un milagro de la naturaleza, más inexplicable en la medida en que nadie conoce su origen biológico. Parecen decir: "Qué importa de dónde vino, si ahora resplandece aquí y ha recibido el amor de sus padres y a su vez los ama".

El origen oculto de su infancia es la mitad perdida de sí misma que a lo largo de la novela intentará recuperar, hasta que finalmente la encuentre, no en un mito, en un opaco relato, sino en el brillo de un ser que, igual que ella, buscaba el origen perdido.

De ahí que Chieko, la joven inquieta que intenta conocer de dónde viene, sea una imagen de la ciudad, pero sólo de una parte. La otra mitad es el tiempo de la naturaleza que despunta en los suburbios, en los jardines de casas, templos y palacios, y que es celebrado por las fiestas tradicionales.

Las chicas de esta novela pueden compararse con flores; Kawabata sabe que no lo son del todo, que pueden ser ellas mismas un origen, que tienen raíces más profundas que las violetas de estación y que se tocan entre sí hasta llegar al registro de tiempos remotos.

---

¿La violeta superior y la inferior se reúnen alguna vez? ¿Se conocen entre sí?, preguntaba Chieko. ¿Qué podría querer decir "las violetas se reúnen" o "se conocen"?

A veces la conmovía la "vida" de las violetas que crecían en el árbol. Otras veces, su "soledad" le tocaba el corazón. -Haber nacido en un lugar así y seguir viviendo allí...

Chieko se sentó en el corredor a mirar las violetas hasta que pasaron las mariposas. "Otra vez han florecido para mí", deseaba susurrar Chieko.

Las buenas espadas no matan a la gente. Además, aquí estamos bajo las flores.

"Abandonada" ¿A veces te sientes como si fueras una niña abandonada? Si has sido abandonada, yo también... de modo espitirual. Tal vez todas las personas somos niños abandonados. Tal vez nacer es como ser abandonado por Dios en la Tierra.

Dicen que somos hijos de Dios. Él nos abandona aquí y luego nos salva...

Percibiendo en ella una incomprensible tristeza, Shin'ichi hizo el gesto de ponerle la mano sobre los hombros. Ello lo rechazó.
-No deberías tocar a una niña abandonada.
-Pero dije que los hijos de Dios, todas las personas, están abandonadas aquí.
-No se trata de algo tan complicado. No fui abandonada por Dios. Mis padres humanos me abandonaron.

Eres la mimada hija única de un comerciente mayorista. Una hija única es esclava de sus fantasías.

Mi madre y mi padre tienen historias diferentes acerca de dónde me encontraron.

-¿Sabes quiénes son tus verdaderos padres?
-Los padres que tengo me aman mucho. No tengo ningún deseo de buscar a mi verdadera madre ni a mi verdadero padre. Tal vez incluso estén entre los Budas del cementerio de pobres de Adashino. Por supuesto, las lápidas que hay allí son bastantes antiguas.

La voz de Chieko se había vuelto pura, y en sus profundidades vibraba una bella nota de fortaleza. No parecía que hubiera querido seducirlo.

Tener demasiados pensamientos propios parece causar muchos problemas.

Las telas se compran con los ojos. Si él tiene que usar la lengua, es porque no tiene sensibilidad para el asunto. Un verdadero comerciante sabe qué debe comprar con una sola mirada.

Espero que aprender caligrafía calme su corazón.

Hasta los rojos cerezos llorones del santuario de Heian a veces se sienten solos, deprimidos por esta clase de sentimientos.

Madre, ¿qué acontecimientos de tu vida conmovieron por completo tu corazón?

Una o dos veces en la vida la gente hace algo terriblemente malo.

Pero si ella no era hija de ellos, sus padres verdaderos deberían estar en alguna parte. Y posiblemente también tuviera hermanos y hermanas. "En realidad no deseo verlos, pero...", pensó Chieko. "Seguramente tienen una vida más penosa que la que yo conozco aquí":

Detesto que se usen esas palabras occidentales. ¿Acaso desde la antiguedad no han existido colores espléndidos y elegantes en Japón?

Las flores occidentales son brillantes, pero me canso de ellas. Por supuesto, me gusta más un bosquecillo de bambú.

-Los cedros son tan erguidos, rectos y bellos. Querría que los corazones humanos crecieran de esa manera.
-¿Entonces tú no eres como ellos? -preguntó su madre.
-No, soy encorvada y retorcida.

Por más bondadosa que sea una persona. simepre tiene mucho que corregir en su interior.

No tengo la clase de fuerza que tiene el arce -declaró y su voz revelaba un matiz de tristeza-, Estoy más cerca de las violetas que crecen en los huecos del árbol...

Si era cierto que ella había nacido bajo los cerezos, tal vez alguien había venido de la Luna a buscasrla, como en el relato de Kaguyahime.

Chieko sintió que se le desgarraba el corazón. Su deseo de ir a la aldea y contemplar la bella Kitayama... ¿era el llamado del espíritu de su padre?

El amor de Takichiro y Shige había dido tan cálido que no le había dado lugar para preocuparse por sus orígenes.

Tal vez llorar sea el destino de una muchacha.

Naeko, nadie sabe adónde lo conducirá la vida.

No llega nunca la hora de que una bella ilusión se vuelva fea.

He pasado el momento más feliz de mi vida. Ahora me marcharé para que nadie pueda verme.

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translator's Note, 2005
Translator's Note, 1987

--The Old Capital

[AC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kawabata refers to the type of shop that Takichiro and Shige own (they are Kimono wholesalers) -- the old style shop of Kyoto with lattice work and a curtain door. Kyoto, of course, was the city that received the least bomb damage during WWII, and many 19th cen. houses, even Pre-Meiji, survived.

Below is a picture of a fabric shop in Nara that perfectly illustrates Takichiro's Kimono shop:





(It is hard to make sense out of these later novels of Kawabata when reading them in translation.They must be very different in the original.)

[Ebru Çökmez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bu romanda Kawabata'nın Kiyoto şehrine dair hayalleri var. Şehrin mevsimlerle değişen ağaçları, çiçekleri.. değişimin her anını bayramlarla selamlayan güzel insanlar var fonda. Kiyoto onların romanı değil ama. Onların gözünden sadece, güzel ve eski Japonya hayali var romanda.
Kawabata'nın satırlarından huzur ışıldıyor.

[Isabella Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muero de amor con las descripciones de Kawabata y con la sublime belleza del cambio de las estaciones en Kioto.

Esta historia no es grandilocuente per sé, no es fantasiosa ni mucho menos pretende serlo. Es una historia corta y sencilla sobre una joven sencilla y algunos apartes de su vida en una de las ciudades más antiguas y con más significado en Japón. Chieko podría ser una muchacha muy normal, pero a través de sus ojos logramos ver cómo la cultura y la maravilla de lo antiguo, sus tradiciones y costumbres impactan en la cotidianidad y definen su personalidad, delimitando sus deseos y anhelos.

Es lo primero que leo de Kawabata y me maravillé con la nostalgia, el asombro y la belleza con que describe sus escenas. Te lleva de la mano a través del inicio de la primavera, los festivales, las costumbres familiares, las diferencias sociales y los anhelos de aquellos que a través de su trabajo buscan alcanzar la perfección. Con cada cambio de estación logras sentir el cambio en las emociones de sus personajes, su devoción por sus costumbres y su admiración permanente por la naturaleza que los rodea; por esto, al final, tambien sientes la nostalgia de tenerlos que dejar ir.

Me encantó este libro, aunque le dejo 4,6 estrellas porque muchas veces logró confundirme un poco, creo que es porque todavía me falta leer más autores asiáticos, ya que su visión del mundo es diametralmente diferente a la nuestra.

"Chieko posó la mirada en el farol cristiano que estaba a los pies del arce. No alcanzaba a ver bien la desgastada talla iluminada por la escasa luz que le llegaba de la casa, pero de alguna manera deseó rezar.
-Madre, ¿dónde nací en realidad?
Shige miró a Takichiro.
-Bajo los capullos de cerezos nocturos de Gion -le dijo su padre"

[Joanito_a · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5
Το Κιότο ξεκινάει ρομαντικά για να καταλήξει σε μία υπόγεια μελαγχολία.
Ένα βιβλίο για την πόλη της Ιαπωνίας με πολλές ( κι άλλες πολλές) περιγραφές για τη φύση και τις γιορτές της.
Η ιστορία που μας περιγράφει (δύο δίδυμες αδελφές που ξαναβρίσκονται μετά από 20 χρόνια) παρουσίαζει ενδιαφέρον αν και στο τέλος μας αφήνει μια πικρή, λυπητερή γεύση, ένα απότομο τέλος , όπως τα λουλούδια.
"Τα λουλούδια έχουν ζωή. Ζωή σύντομη, που όμως δεν περνάει απαρατήρητη".

[Athena ღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πανέμορφες περιγραφές αν και σου αφήνει μια γλυκιά μελαγχολία στο τέλος.

[مهدیه عباس پور · Rating 5 out of 5]

داستان دل انگیز باغ‌های ژاپنی، شکوفه‌های گیلاس، درختان کافور، جشن‌ها و جشنواره‌های محلی و رسوم سنتی آن کشور است. بازتاب فلسفی افول فرهنگ سنتی ژاپن و مرثیه خواندنی کاواباتاست بر از دست رفتنِ هنرِ خلقِ لباس‌های سنتی ژاپن: هنر کیمونو.
پایتخت قدیم داستان چیه کو، تنها دختر صاحبان فروشگاهی در کیوتو است؛ پدر و مادری که به او گفته‌اند که آنها او را از پدر و مادر واقعی‌اش هنگامی که نوزادی خفته در زیر درخت گیلاس بوده؛ به سرقت برده‌اند، اما با این حال، دیدار چیکو با یک زن از روستای سروهای کیتایاما حقیقت را در مورد گذشته و تولد او آشکار می سازد.
کتاب از فصول نه گانه‌ای تشکیل شده که هر کدام دری را به دنیای پر رمز و راز کیوتو به روی خواننده می‌گشاید.
در فصل ابتدایی، گل‌های بهاری؛ خواننده به آرامی در میان شکوفه‌های درختان گیلاس قدم می‌زند و با قهرمان داستان همراه می‌شود تا به کشف فرهنگ و سنت‌ها و باورهای ژاپن بپردازد.‌ هنگامی که ما برای اولین بار چیه کو را ملاقات می‌کنیم، او در را حال مکاشفه دو گل بنفشه در حال رشد روی تنه یک درخت قدیمی افرا می‌یابیم و با این سوال او روبه‌رو می‌شویم که آیا آنها تا به حال همدیگر را دیده‌اند؟
"بنفشه بالایی و پایینی حدود یک فوت از هم فاصله داشتند. چیه کو فکر کرد یعنی تا
حالا بنفشه بالایی و پایینی همدیگه رو دیدن؟ همدیگه رو میشناسن؟ گفتن اینکه آن دو بنفشه همدیگر را دیده اند یا می شناسند چه معنایی می توانست داشته باشد؟"

این توصیف ارائه نمادینی از کل ماجرای کتاب است. آیا خواهرانی که کاواباتا آنها را به دو بنفشه تشبیه کرده همدیگر را خواهند دید؟
برای خواننده غیر ژاپنی کاواباتا، خواندن کیوتو پلکان لرزانی است به شهر کیوتو. خواننده در طول رمان با هجوم بی شمار نام های خیابان‌ها و باغ ها و کوه‌ها و معابد قدیمی کیوتو روبه‌رو می‌شود که این امر، فرد ناآشنا با فرهنگ ژاپن را دچار سردرگمی می‌کند، اما از طرفی دیگر کتاب کیوتو به همین دلیل در جایگاه یک فرهنگ‌نامه خاص ژاپنی قرار می‌گیرد که اهتمام مترجم فارسی در توضیح و تشریح نام ها و مکان ها و جشنواره‌های مورد اشاره در رمان، در پی نوشت‌های پایان کتاب، خواندن رمان کیوتو را تبدیل به یک مکاشفه لذت‌بخش می‌کند.
چیه کو قهرمان بیست ساله رمان، تجسم آرمان‌های کاواباتاست از حساسیت عمیق، زیبایی، سادگی، خلوص و باکره‌گی. از عشق به سنت و فرهنگ اصیل ژاپنی. او در یک عمده فروشی در کنار پدر و مادرش پارچه‌های سنتی ژاپنی عرضه می‌کند، فروشگاهی که مانند بسیاری از مغازه‌های سنتی کیوتو در حال ورشکستگی است، چرا که ژاپن سقوط کرده پس از جنگ دوم، تحت طلسم ارزش‌های فرهنگ غربی در حال مدرن شدن است و به همین دلیل فرهنگ‌ها و باورهای سنتی دیگر کمتر خریدار دارد. این امر به ویژه آنجا اهمیت دو چندان می‌یابد که بدانیم کیوتو مرکز فرهنگ سنتی ژاپن است – بسیار باستانی‌تر و سنتی‌تر از دیگر شهرها – فروشگاه‌های موفق در حال حاضر محل فروش رادیو سونی و دیگر اقلام غیر سنتی، جهت برآوردن سلیقه‌های جدید غربی هستند.
با وجود این و سایر تاثیرات پس از جنگ، چیه کو همچنان در اوج ظرافت با آنکه ممکن است از نگاه بیرونی، دختری با ظاهر از مد افتاده به نظر برسد، زندگی روزانه خود را حول محور بسیاری از جشنواره های فصلی در زیارتگاه‌های مختلف در داخل و اطراف کیوتو می‌گذراند. در طول خواندن رمان ما با ادراک چیه کو از خودش و تغییرات شخصیت اش همراه می‌شویم. رمان برای ما هم کشف کیوتو است و هم کشف چیه کو. نویسنده کوشیده است تا همچون دیگر آثاری که از فرهنگ و تمدنی خاص نشات می گیرند؛ در شیوه رمان نویسی معمول غربی حل نشود؛ و در عوض، احساسات خود - و کسانی که شخصیت‌های رمان او هستند -را از طریق جملات کوتاه و نشان دار مردمان محلی ژاپن و کیوتو نشان دهد.
کیوتو کتابی است که بایستی حتما چندین بار آن را خواند تا با لایه های پنهان و در هم تنیده شده داستان و فرهنگ و رسوم ژاپن آشنا شویم و لذت مکاشفه آنها را بچشیم. به این اعتبار  کیوتو بسیار پیچیده تر از دیگر کتاب‌های کاواباتاست. ماجراهای کتاب؛ مرموز، وهم آور و تا حدودی عجیب و غریب است.
در مرکز داستان دو خواهر دوقلو، با جهان درونی غیر قابل ادراک و احساسات عجیب و غریب هستند که در، مرکز باستانی ژاپن و مهد فرهنگ هِی‌آن زیبا؛ "پایتخت قدیم"، کیوتو زندگی می‌کنند. این شهر محلی است که در آن گذشته ی شخصیت های رمان با احساسات کنونی ��ن ها و روال زندگی روزمره‌شان و همچنین شغل و درآمد آن ها و وابستگی‌شان به مفهوم خانواده مجتمع شده در یک مکان کوچک، به یکباره نمایان می‌شود و همین شهر است که محور ترکیب و تغزل تصاویر ارائه شده کاواباتا در رمان کیوتو است.
کاواباتا در این رمان به جای نمایشی معمول از تمایلات جنسی، یک داستان آرام اما هنوز هم زیبا ارائه داده است، به نحوی که اشتیاق جنسی آنچنان غیر محسوس در آن تعبیه شده و آنچنان عمیق است که به نظر می‌رسد به سختی وجود داشته باشد، در مقابل، رمان سرشار از احساسات و اشتیاق‌های خاموش و زیبایی‌های نمادین است که در درختان گیلاس، چیه کو، هنر کیمونو، سروهای کیتایاما، دروازهی شینتو و در کل، خود کیوتو به نمایش در آمده‌اند. همه اینها تجسم ایده آل کاواباتا از زیبایی است. اما کاواباتا این همه زیبایی را در طول رمان، برای به چالش کشیدن ذهن خواننده با تغییر و تهدید روبرو می کند. او با خشنود کردن ما و ستاندن دوباره آن از ما؛ از طریق نمایش یک سال تغییرات طبیعی کیوتو ، همچون یک راهنمای تور و مورخی مسلط برکوه ها و معابد حیرت انگیز و جشن های آیینی بی شمار پایتخت قدیم عمل می کند: جشنواره هالی هاک، جشنواره اعصار، جشنواره کامو، جشنواره آتش کوراما، جشنواره جیون، جشنواره بن، معبدکیتانو تنجین، معبد هی آن، معبـد آنراکویوجی، معبد رنگجی، معبد کامیگامو، معبد کیومیزو، معبد کورودانی، معبد دایگوجی، معبد نانزنجی، معبد چیون ئین، معبد نیسون این، معبد نمبوتسـو، معبد ایسـه، معبد نینناجی، معبد کوریوجی، معبـد چوگوجی، معبد نیاکواوجی، معبد جینگوجی و ...
"سـه جشـنواره بـزرگ: پایتخت قدیـم، جشـنواره اعصـار در بیسـت و دوم اکتبر، جشنواره  هالی هاک کامیگامو و معابد شیموگامو و جشنواره جیون هستند. جشنواره  اعصار، جشن معبد هیآن است. اما رژه از گوشوی کیوتو شروع می‌شود." ( از متن کتاب)
ذهن خواننده در طول رمان چنان درگیر این معابد و جشنواره‌ها و ارتباط دو شخصیت اصلی(خواهران دو قلو) با اینها می‌شود که خود را در زمانی نامعین حس می‌کند. خواندن این رمان زیبا را به همه دوستداران فرهنگ ژاپنی پیشنهاد می‌کنم.

[Laura Leaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like the pearlescent veneer inside an abalone shell. If you turn it one way, the nacre looks blue. Turn it the other direction and the shell shines pink and cream. It's an empty thing, but the beauty is so moving that you feel impelled to keep it, so you put the shell in a drawer. You want it but you don't know why.

Kawabata's novel is like that. The story is about a young girl of twenty - two young girls actually - but is really about the inevitable loss that accompanies change and altering perceptions. The city of Kyoto and its merchants have made it through the war, but not without shifting sensibilities. A few of the traditional annual ceremonies get cut due to financial hardship, kimono designs modernize, and the old ways - although still alive - are ever so subtly transitioning to a new world.

The girl, Chieko, lives a life of contemplative beauty. Violets, cedars, camphor trees, willows, pine groves, and stunning mountain vistas are described by Kawabata with rich detail. The natural world is fully harmonized with her heart. Her father, a textile merchant who designs kimonos and obis, is an artist. His relationship with his daughter is one of genuine love. When he asks her how the cherry trees look, she replies: "The fallen petals are floating on the pond. And there are a couple of trees still in bloom on the mountain among the new green leaves of the other trees. They're all the more lovely from a distance as you walk by." This line is fascinating. Poignant with symbolism.

Reading this little book was like a meditation of the best kind. It left my mind feeling clean and peaceful - in love, once again, with Japanese culture.