by Kirsty Kawano It was one of those sparkling summer days when the pale blue sky seems to stretch higher than usual. I was running errands near home and took the path along the river to avoid traffic and enjoy the view. I looked back and forth to the river as I cycled along, spotting …Read More
Author: WiK (Page 7 of 13)
Sea of Clouds (the art of change) The November sun Dazzles our faces with eyes closed The bright glow of coloured leaves Is not of this world Here, today It is another universe That looks like the world As it is Of islands, rivers, mountains, oceans A monochrome universe Emerges from the stone Expanding my …Read More
by Yuki Yamauchi The relationship between David Bowie and Kyoto is a source of endless fascination. Less well known is the connection between the city and the mega rock band Queen. Like Bowie, who I wrote about in April, Freddie Mercury was particularly attracted to Kyoto. Queen has several links with Japan. For example, more …Read More
by Preston Keido Houser The dharma of natural laws Initiate a sublime conclusion: “No cause, no cause.”* Zen sermons for all their flaws Frame an eloquent elocution The dharma of natural laws To escape ideological claws One source of absolution: “No cause, no cause.” Dreams must give us pause† The crystal clarity of illusion The …Read More
by Steve Alpert The secret back way to Kiyomizu-dera begins on Shichi-jo Dori. It’s a secret now because the city of Kyoto over the last thousand or so years has grown up around it. Back in the Heian Period (794-1185), and maybe a little after that, it would have been how you got to Kiyomizu …Read More
by Rebecca Otowa On November 19, 2022, Shizuoka University professor Steve Redford celebrated his retirement with a very ambitious event. He invited two resident-in-Japan writers to join him in an event in which the three talked about their early lives, why they came to Japan, and their experiences of writing in English in Japan. They …Read More
By Elaine Lies He comes to me after nightfall. I’ve lit the candles and incense, rung the bells at the small shrine in my studio, bowed my head, all as if I’m about to start work. The sticks and the needles stand ready, lined up in their boxes; the ink in its jars, rows of …Read More
By Nicholas Teele Two of my favorite places in Kyoto are Yoshimine-dera and Sanko-ji. The temples are located partway up Shakadake, one of the mountains on the western side of Kyoto referred to as nishiyama (western mountains, 西山). Yoshimine-dera is famous for its beautiful ancient pine, its many blossoming trees, beautiful flowers, and autumn leaves. …Read More
WIK member Stephen Mansfield recently wrote an article for Asia Nikkei which serves as a comprehensive overview of the works and lives of foreign women writers in Japan, both past and present. The article can be found here and includes mention of a couple of WiK writers as well.
This Very Moment—A new book of Miksang contemplative photographs by John Einarsen Photographs and text by John Einarsen; translation by Mitsue Nagase John Einarsen’s images describe a journey of learning to pay attention to what is before us, to see beyond the obvious to a transcendent essence, and finally to return to the here and …Read More
Kyoto Writing Competition
WiK Anthologies
The Nature of Kyoto (2023)
Eds. Lisa Twaronite Sone & Robert Weis
Foreword by Pico Iyer
Structures of Kyoto (2021)
Eds: Rebecca Otowa & Karen Lee Tawarayama
Foreword by Judith Clancy
Encounters with Kyoto (2019)
Eds: Jann Williams & Ian Josh Yates
Foreword by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Echoes (2017)
Eds: John Dougill, Amy Chavez, & Mark Richardson
Preface by Alex Kerr
Recent Comments