The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata
- JetBlackDragonfly
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
Yasunari Kawabata is a major figure in modern Japanese fiction. His writing sought a harmony of man and nature, and this title was specifically cited when Kawabata was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1968.
The cultural soul of Japan, Kyoto is filled with artisans, the recipients of traditions passed down through the ages.
Young Chieko has always known she was an abandoned child. Her parents joked she was found under the cherry blossoms at Gion Shrine. Actually left at the lattice door of their kimono fabrics shop, she was raised and registered as their legitimate daughter. The store sells kimono based on colours of the seasons, Edo patterns considered Intangible Cultural Treasures; her father resisting his desire to break free with his own patterns inspired by the abstracts of Paul Klee.
Chieko visits areas of Kyoto including Arashiyama and Nara, and attends the flower blossom festival at Heien Shrine with friend Shinichi, the colour of the weeping cherries blossoming in her heart. Looking over Nishiyama from the Kiyomizu Temple balcony is something all visitors should do.
Shinichi's older brother Ryusuke, and expert hand-weaver Hideo both seem suitors for Chieko, but her mother is asserts she will have a love match. While cedar viewing in Kitayama, Chieko meets a girl who looks so like her they could be sisters, a girl whose parents have died. Naeko already knew she had a twin and has been looking for her. There is a strong bond between the girls, and Chieko has Hideo weave a special obi for Naeko.
An overlapping calendar of festivals each month takes us to all the events - the Gion Festival, the Daimonji Fire Festival, and the Festival of the Ages procession.
Centered on Chieko's attempts to know Naeko better, this was first serialized in 100 instalments in the Tokyo and Asahi newspapers. Each temple outing is filled with charm, yet there remains a brooding undercurrent, characteristic of Kawabata's style. I found this love letter to the city endearing, reminding me why I loved visiting Kyoto myself.
Recommended for fans of Japanese literature - those who have visited Kyoto, and whet the appetite of those who wish to.
The Old Capital (Koto) is a 2017 Japanese film which follows Chieko 20 years later.
My other classic Japanese novel reviews:
1962 / Tradeback/ 200 pages
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