type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
When considering where to live in Kyoto, the first thing that comes to mind is the Kyomachiya (きょうまちや), a traditional house that is very characteristic of the area. Kyomachiya refers to the wooden townhouse houses that were built in Kyoto City before 1950 (Showa 25). It is also called “eel's bed” because of its long and deep structure, and is a very important heritage of Kyoto. Due to war damage and the high cost of repairs, not many of these houses remain in Kyoto.
I found this “Guesthouse Carp House” on the internet, which is spacious and has a beautiful view of the courtyard, so I booked 5 nights directly through Audemars Piguet. It was a stay worth remembering for many years to come.
It was dark when I checked in, so I could only recognize the door plate by the warm, dim light at the entrance. The next day, I took a closer look at the front of this old two-story building and realized how simple and elegant it was, standing quietly on an empty street in the early morning. For a moment, I felt that this was the best postcard of Kyoto in my mind.
The word “佇む” (佇む, tatazumu) comes to mind again. “When I first saw it, I wondered what kind of word it was, and I didn't recognize it at all, but when I looked it up, it turned out to be “佇” (佇む), which is the traditional form of the word “佇”, and I was amazed. I was surprised to find out that it was a traditional Chinese character for “stand”. Carp House is located in Nishijin, Kyoto, a place far from the hustle and bustle of the tourist area, where there are many Kyoto towns like Carp House, and a misty atmosphere filled with interesting flavors, so I think the word “佇む” is the perfect word for this place.
In the living room, where light and wind are intertwined, a huge maple tree in the courtyard is quietly admired. Sitting at the edge of the house, you can get even closer to the courtyard, which is a little tended but not too delicate, with old trees, rocks, stone lamps, moss, and fences and walls, preserving the natural interest of the wild. In the fall, it should be hot and sincere, and you can live with the nature of the four seasons. During the day, mosquito coils are burning in the corners, giving off the lingering scent of summer.
The living room, kitchen and bathroom are all on the first floor, and I was lucky enough to be placed in the triple room on the second floor with the best view.
Pushing open the layers of barricaded doors, outside the window are the roofs of scattered residential houses, and in the distance you can see the tip of a mountain, I don't know what kind of mountain it is.
On sunny days, I see a steady stream of clouds rising from the mountains and drifting into the sky, wet with a lot of moisture, yet soft and fluffy, something that cloud collectors can hardly see even in the north. As they changed their forms, they were menacingly preparing to cross the city. I wanted to go home on the wind, but I was afraid of the jeweled buildings. I want to go home on the clouds ☁️☁️☁️
Two cloudy days in the middle of the day. The mornings were often cloudy, with some signs of rain on the other side of the mountain, and then after lunch, the light rain came as promised, sometimes turning into quick showers, or sudden showers.
When I came back one night, I saw the roof of my house, the path in front of my house, and my bicycle in front of my house, all wet and covered with warm yellow lights, and I felt very “落着” or “落（ち）がく” in my heart. A favorite word, “うるおい” (うるおい), not only refers to the wetness of water, the surplus of money, and kindness, but also means “落ち着きのある味わい” (落ち着きのある味わい). Yutori ga Mirauru koto (ゆとりがみられること). Affective flavor. For example, “心の潤い” “潤いのある文章”. This kind of fun, this kind of spiritually rich and stable fulfillment, is “潤い”. At that moment, I realized that if I were to say what I like about Kyoto, what I am looking for in Kyoto, it would undoubtedly be summed up in a single word: “润い”.
One afternoon, I bought a small bottle of coffee drink from a kiosk, thinking that the caffeine in the drink might not be too strong, but I couldn't get enough of it, and I couldn't sleep until late at night. Lying under the blanket, with the quilt covering my lips, I heard it raining again outside, and it continued to rain until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. On the low table next to the floor, the scent of osmanthus appears to be absent in the darkness, and the vague aroma seems to be mixed with the dampness of the rainy night. A poem popped into my head: “A small building listens to the spring rain one night, a deep alley sells apricot blossoms in the morning”. Pfft, I'm afraid it's, “Listen to the autumn rain in a small building one night, sell osmanthus flowers in a deep alley tomorrow morning”. But can osmanthus flowers be sold? The spring rain has given birth to apricot blossoms, but the fall rain will bring down the osmanthus blossoms, so I'd better look at the osmanthus blossoms. I am now at the threshold of my middle age. I am not on a song floor, but I am not in a passenger boat either, so I am still in a good place, and I am still in a young man's townhouse! Perhaps a patch of moss will grow in the dream.
I brought this osmanthus flower from Nara Park. I had planned to take a walk along the osmanthus wall at the Touji Temple if I could, and I thought I would be very happy, but this year, the temperature was higher than usual, and there were no osmanthus flowers blooming in the four parts of Kyoto.
In Nara Park, I bought a deer corkscrew and walked inside, surrounded by a breeze suddenly sent the fragrance, looking around, there is a tall osmanthus tree, full of small buds densely packed, barely enough to get one, carefully placed in the plastic bag that I carry. I carefully put one in the plastic bag I had brought with me. When I came back, I picked one out of the teacups available to the tenants, and it matched the osmanthus flower and the style of the room. I think townhouses are good for flower arrangement.
Living in a townhouse is like living in a Japanese drama.
The age-old wooden staircase reminds me of the Sea Street Diary where Sister Kou calls everyone downstairs for dinner, the sink seems to be from the story of the heroine who has no feelings for love and the hero who keeps the old house in a “contracted love” story, can't remember the name of it, and the whole house seems to be splitting into different parts and shadows in the countless daytime dramas, and sometimes barefoot or wearing socks to step on the old house. Sometimes when I step on the old wooden floor with bare feet or socks on, I have to think about what I'm going to do next.
Most of the stores in Kyoto are open until 20:00 p.m., so sometimes when I'm late and hungry, I'll go to the nearby Family Mart to get something to eat. One day I was walking home with a bag in my hand, and the evening wind was blowing behind me, and I felt very much like a scene from a Japanese anime. I was walking in a relaxed manner, passing by bright and dark buildings, drink vending machines, and cigarette vending machines, and when I passed by someone's house, the light on the door snapped on. Back to the residence, in the living room to eat, the fan is on, in front of a common curry rice, the famous convenience store milk pudding, a small orange glowing orange, as if also where I have seen, and then feel extremely Japanese drama, somewhere in the film cuts.
The Carp House is an old building and does not have a washing machine. Also the price is a bit more expensive than hotel style, which is probably why most people only stay for 2 or 3 nights. The Japanese lady at the front desk told me about a nearby coin laundry on the first floor of an apartment building on the way to the Family Mart. I was able to do my laundry according to the instructions, which said it would take 35 minutes. I took this time to stroll around the neighborhood.
It was not yet 18:00, a bluish color after sunset and before dark. Some locals were passing by one by one, probably in a hurry to go home. Narrow road, messy wires, light blue twilight sky, standing at the intersection and feeling the passing wind, I suddenly had a feeling that this is also my “homeward path”, the way I go home, and also my way back.
After washing clothes and drying them in the store, I went back to my place and it was already dark. The residential area was quiet and quiet, and only Kawaramachi was still busy. 6:30pm here is like 10:30pm in China, a difference of 4 hours. At 21:00, the lady at the front desk of Carp House went to take a break. People say that time passes very slowly in Kyoto, and I think it's not just the fusion of tradition and modernity that makes Kyoto so unique, but also the time of day, as 20:00 was probably the time we had just finished dinner. I thought if I stayed in Kyoto, I would sleep a lot every day! I was envious of the fact that the minimum sleep was 8 hours.
The osmanthus branches in the Japanese-style room had been in bloom for two days, but the buds hadn't opened yet, and the weather needed to get colder. Before I left, I thought I had bothered the Japanese lady at the front desk a lot in the past few days, so I went downstairs with a cup of tea and told her in loose Japanese and English, “I brought this from Nara Park, it's for you. She was so happy that she helped me carry my suitcase when I checked out and asked me if I wanted to continue traveling or go home. I said I would go back to China. She reminded me not to forget anything, and finally stood at the door to see me off.
Later on, I saw a review on Audemars Piguet: Thank you for your stay! We have your plant at front desk. it was very nice of you! Have a safe trip to your home!
While being moved, I was reminded of a slogan: “ Future no koshitai, everyday beauty and culture, things that we hope to pass on in the future, the beauty and culture that is embedded in everyday life”. This is a reflection of Kyoto's cultural heritage, and a true reflection of the Kyomachi family.
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/lodging-14
- Copyright:All articles in this website, except for special statements, adopt BY-NC-SA agreement. Please indicate the source!