KYOTO
Caitlin lived here as a child, and now revisits the old capital during Obon
"Not until Sachiko drove them under the massive red torii of Heian Shrine was Caitlin startled by a sight she recognized. As she cast her eyes on the shrine entrance, she wondered if she could possibly be the same person as the eight year old who’d toured its compound. She twisted in her seat to stare longer." (PAGE 160)
| As the capital of Japan from the 8th century through the 12th century, home of the imperial family for a century, and a cultural center of Japan, Kyoto needs little introduction. Caitlin barely scratches the surface of the city's many famous sights during her visit back to her childhood home, and her touring serves as mere backdrop to the larger tensions at hand as she copes with her reunion with the Oides and childhood recollections it triggers. Caitlin's stay in Kyoto coincides with O-Bon, a time when the city is alive with fire festivals, O-Bon dancing, and lantern ceremonies as well as private rituals to honor and fete the souls of the dead. But August is a brutal time to visit Kyoto, which is a bonchi, or basinlike valley; the surrounding hills trap the steamy summer heat and smog. Some Kyoto sights described in Ash are entirely fictional, such as the international school that Naomi and Caitlin visit. |
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Iwakura, Mt. Hiei • Traditional Kyoto architecture
