●The Katsura Imperial Villa Sunday, Feb. 15, Japan Time
The Katsura Imperial Villa is admired as the apotheosis of the Japanese sense of beauty. The Imperial court in Kyoto resisted by cultural means as the warlords wielded political power in the turbulent years from Hideyoshi to Ieyasu. The Princes Hachijo Toshihito and Toshitada, father and son, built this villa as the most exquisite embodiment of aesthetic qualities since Heian times. The teahouse in the formal garden was a place for refined leisure pursuits such as the composition of waka poetry. The ubiquitous taste of the Hachijo princes also conveys an impression of their own personality. Gazing at the buildings and garden, we discover the courtly graces represented in the Katsura Imperial Villa.
●Masako Shirasus Beloved Kyoto Sunday, Feb. 22 , Japan Time
The essayist, Masako Shirasu, passed away ten years ago but the works of this timeless aesthete enjoy unwaning popularity and Kyoto was the town that she loved. She described the city as her virtual birthplace. We share a gorgeous selection of the ancient temples she visited, scenes she came across, handicrafts she loved and delicate flavors she savored in this rediscovery of Kyoto and, through Masako Shirasus own acute sensibility, draw closer to the spirit of Japan.
●Kyoto: Little Streets, Big Stories Sunday, Mar. 1, Japan Time Behind Kyotos grid-iron pattern of streets running north and south, east and west, the citys many alleyways have a distinctive air all of their own. More than a dozen nameplates can mark the entrance to a narrow cobbled passage. This capillary-like maze of some 120 narrow side-streets is Kyotos mystery zone. The camera enters the deepest recesses of central Kyoto to depict the lives of the common folk and ties that bind the old urban culture together.
●SOUNDSCAPE KYOTO Wednesday, Feb. 11, Japan Time
Part 1: The Temple Bells
The tones of Kyotos bells and gongs serve various functions. We join bell player Yukiko Hasegawa for an aural tour of how Heiankyo, the ancient capital, was designed.
Part2: The Allure of Festival Bells
The bells of the Gion Festival and temple chants ring out ethereally. We investigate the meaning and background of the sounds.
Part3: Sounds of Life
The sounds of the artisans ring through the alleyways of Kyoto. We cup our ears to listen to the Nishijin looms.
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TOKYO EYE #94by NHKWorld6,347 views
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