More Pumpkins and a Typhoon

UPS early Kyoto version

Forever Museum

Pumpkin Alert!

Yayoi Kasumi    

Garden behind the Forever Museum

What is the collective noun for many monks?

Hot Soba and Shrimp Tempura

Dinner at Giro Giro

French Chef

We woke up today with a potential new problem. As we prepared to visit Japan, we kept wondering “What if Little Rocketman were to start a nuclear war while we were there”. A different problem has now arisen. A large Typhoon is heading to Tokyo at the same time we are supposed to be heading to Tokyo. We talked to the Manager of the Ritz and they have tentatively reserved our room for additional days, if we can’t return to Tokyo on schedule. We will just have to wait and decide what to do as the Typhoon approaches. Oh well, there are worse things than to be stuck at the Ritz in Kyoto!

We walked around the neighborhood where the Ritz is situated. There are all kinds of small boutique stores and restaurants. It is very quaint. Arts and Sciences is an excellent uni-sex clothing store across the street, with lots of beautiful coats and sweaters.

More pumpkins for us. The Forever Museum of Contemporary Art in Kyoto is devoted to a retrospective of the art of Yayoi Kasumi, entitled: My Soul Forever. We first saw a single large pumpkin of Yayoi on Nakoshima Island years ago. We had no idea how important she was until we saw her new museum in Tokyo last week. This exhibit of her work is even more impressive. She works in many mediums including, collage, painting, video, sculpture and even writing books. This trip has been one of discovery in depth of her work for us. The show is in a converted old theater in the Gion District of Kyoto. Behind the theater is a beautiful large Japanese Garden. We enjoyed the art and the garden. After a short walk through the Gion it was time for lunch (Hot Soba and Shrimp Tempura) at Tagoco across from Takishimaya, a restaurant we have been to many times. Nothing had changed there, probably nothing had changed there for the last 150 years or so.

On to Sou-Sou, a clothing store I like. The sales person immediately recognized me. He said it was my hair that allowed him to remember me. The store is great, it has highly hip, Japanese-style clothing. I couldn’t resist, now I just need to wear them in LA.

We returned to the Ritz, rested then had both of us went to the Spa for an excellent massage. We prepared for dinner by having cocktails in the hotel bar.

On every trip to Kyoto we always eat at Giro Giro. It is a wacky place that serves a simpler, lighter version of Kaiseki. The staff at the counter interacts with you as they prepare and serve the food. There was a 24 year old French chef who reminded us of Matt Molina. He speaks perfect Japanese talking up all of the food while he worked. By happen chance, there were couples sitting on either side of us that were both from Malaysia. The conversation turned of course to discussing President Trump. All agree he has already destroyed the American ideal and is a danger to world peace. Other than the realization of how the world views us (or at least the people in Giro Giro) the meal was a great success and we will hopefully return.