DALE AND I WERE PRIVILEGED TO JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD BY PRIVATE JET ON SMITHSONIAN’S EXTRAORDINARY CULTURES TOUR FROM MARCH 17 – APRIL 7. WE VISITED 8 COUNTRIES, AND I WILL SEND A SLIDESHOW OF EACH COUNTRY. THIS ALBUM OF OUR VISIT TO KYOTO AND NARA JAPAN ALSO CONTAINS SLIDES ABOUT THE TRIP IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF SLIDES AND A VIDEO OF A SESSION IN OUR LAUNCH POINT, SEATTLE, WITH MICKEY HART, THE FORMER DRUMMER FOR THE GRATEFUL DEAD, DURING WHICH HE TAUGHT US ABOUT THE RHYTHMS OF LIFE AND HOW TO CREATE PERCUSSION MUSIC TO CAPTURE THOSE RHYTHMS OF NATURE.
KYOTO IS THE OLD IMPERIAL CAPITAL OF JAPAN AND IS THE CULTURAL CENTER OF THAT SOCIETY. THE JAPANESE CULTURE IS A MIXTURE OF THE ANCIENT AND THE MODERN, A UNIQUE SET OF SOCIETAL VALUES AND NORMS. WE WERE EXPOSED TO THE NATIVE SHINTO RELIGION, ALONG WITH THE BUDDHIST FAITH. THE JAPANESE HAVE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO RELIGION, USING IT AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR PETITIONING THE GODS TO GRANT SUCH REQUESTS AS SUCCESS IN BUSINESS OR SCHOOL EXAMS, OR GRANTING HEALTH AND HAPPINESS. WE WERE EXPOSED TO CULTURAL PRACTICES SUCH AS TEA CEREMONIES, GEISHA PERFORMANCES, BUNRAKU PUPPETRY, CALLIGRAPHY, FLOWER ARRANGING, SAKE TASTING, ZEN BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE, SUSHI, SHINTO AND BUDDHIST TEMPLE PRACTICES, TEA AND STROLL GARDENS.
WE WERE FASCINATED WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY OF THE KIMONOS AND OBIS WORN BY THE PERFORMING MAIKOS (GEISHAS IN TRAINING) AND OBTAINED AN ANTIQUE KIMONO FROM THE 1930’S WORN BY GEISHAS, NOW ON DISPLAY IN OUR HOME.
