Notes on a Life by Eleanor Coppola

Author:Eleanor Coppola
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780385526838
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2008-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

OCTOBER 28, 2002

Phillis, Grace, Gia and I are on the bullet train traveling to Kyoto. We are seated in large plush seats on the right side of the car so we will have the best view of Mount Fuji. Small fields punctuate the densely built suburbs on the outskirts of Tokyo. Sheaves of stalks artfully tied in bundles are drying against buildings. There are row after row of unattractive Western-style houses, each the same, only their pastel colors vary. Very few of the traditional buildings with blue tile or slate roofs remain. During all the days in Tokyo I only saw five or six women wearing kimono. The bombardment of advertising signs and sounds seemed more intense than the last time I was in Japan, twelve years ago. When I was young I swore I wouldn’t be one of those people talking about the “good old days.” But now I see it is a natural progression. I notice things I appreciated that are missing, which of course no young person would be aware of. The women in patterned kimono gave the crowds of pedestrians exotic beauty.

Once on a trip to Japan years ago, I was taken to visit an artist in his home. It was so appealing to me with its traditional architecture and uncluttered spaces. Then our host opened a sliding door to retrieve something and behind the door I could see utter chaos; a jumble of boxes, assorted textiles, ceramics, papers, vases, paintbrushes, lacquer bowls, rolls of scrolls all piled on top of one another. Maybe empty spaces as I desire them are not attainable in real life.

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