What is 131 meters tall, changes color, and has steam coming out from under it? If you answered Kyoto Tower, then you can stop reading because you probably know more about it than I do. If not, keep reading because Kyoto Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in Japan, and you should know more about it.

By most accounts, the story of Kyoto Tower begins with the relocation of Kyoto’s Central Post Office in 1961. With this move, a large tract of land facing Kyoto Station’s Northern Central Exit became available for redevelopment. Such large parcels are rare in old cities like Kyoto, something that was not lost on businesspeople, politicians, and civic leaders of the day, so everyone agreed that the space should be used for the public good. A company was formed, a prominent architect hired, and the work of creating a suitable structure was begun.

Originally, the structure was not intended to be a tower, but rather a modern nine-story building with a modest observation facility on its roof. After all, Kyoto city had laws that limited the height of all buildings to 31 meters—the height of a nine-story structure. It seemed impossible that something taller than that could be built.

However, the 1960s had just begun; Japan’s growth rate was above 10 percent, Tokyo would be hosting the Olympics, and a new bullet train would be connecting Japan’s previous capital with its current one. The times were ripe for people to think big, and at that point in history, thinking big often meant building a tower. Osaka had Tsutenkaku (1943), Tokyo had Tokyo Tower (1957), and even Yokohama had Marine Tower (1961).

In English there is an expression, “where there is a will, there is a way”, which means that if someone wants something badly enough, he or she will find a way to get it. This certainly seems true for the people who wanted to build a tower. To overcome the obstacle of a 31-meter height limit, a loophole was found. Since even the tallest buildings were allowed to have structures like elevator shafts and water tanks on their roofs, why couldn’t a 100-meter tower be considered “a rooftop structure”? Experts were consulted, the possibility of building a rooftop tower was confirmed, and the rest is history. The 131-meter structure—which contains a hotel, restaurants, steamy public bath, and 100-meter tower—was opened to the public on December 28, 1964. Today, Kyoto Tower continues to be used for the common good. In addition to housing the facilities mentioned above, its colorfully illuminated silhouette acts as a guide to those seeking Kyoto Station after a hard day's work or a night on the town.

Photo Credit: Eva Elijas@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

 1. Before Kyoto Tower was built, what was on that land?

   a. The Central Post Office

   b. The Century Hotel

   c. Yodobashi Camera

2. Before Kyoto Tower was built, the tallest buildings in Kyoto city were around __ .

   a. 31 meters

   b. 100 meters

   c. 131 meters

3. What is the source of the steam coming out from under Kyoto Tower?

   a. A police station (Koban)

   b. A public bath

   c. The subway

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. A

A2. A

A3. B

If you can’t go on a trip, there are ways to experience the excitement of travel from the comfort of home. To enjoy your staycation, you should plan what you would like to do in advance. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

When you read a book or watch a movie set in another country, you can get absorbed in the story and feel like you’re in another place. Watching movies with subtitles can give you the experience of hearing different languages spoken. It might be fun to try a different genre of book or movie; for example, if you usually choose dramas, you could try crime or science fiction. Another idea is to visit a museum online. In fact, many galleries around the world have started offering virtual tours.

If you’re craving something different, then try pairing your movie or book with a new dish. Cooking is a sensory experience, so it can make you feel like you have traveled to another place. For example, you can smell the aroma of fresh ingredients, hear the sounds of the food cooking, and taste new flavors. If you aren’t interested in cooking, you can order something different at a local restaurant or buy imported foods at the supermarket instead.

If you prefer to spend time outdoors, then think about ways to do familiar activities in new ways. You can take a different path on your walk or run, or you can or spend time at nearby places that you don’t often visit. In fact, it is likely that there are interesting spots in your area, so try to be a tourist in your own city and then tune in to the sounds around you and challenge yourself to notice something new. Taking photos is an effective way to see your neighborhood in a different way. And after all, taking pictures is an important part of any vacation.

By planning activities that you would like to do, you’ll be able to get the most out of your staycation!

Photo Credit: jess-loiterton@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

 1. In the author’s opinion, what is the key to enjoying a staycation?

A. Doing outdoor activities

B. Planning your staycation

C. Taking a virtual tour

2. According to the article, why can cooking help you feel like you’re on vacation?

A. Because cooking is an activity that uses the senses

B. Because everyone is interested in cooking

C. Because you can take an online cooking class

3. According to the article, what can you do to see your local environment in a new way?

A. Go for a run instead of a walk

B. Cook a dish with local ingredients

C. Take pictures

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. B

A2. A

A3. C

This is Part Two of Women’s Empowerment in India. 

You can read Part one here. 

In Visakhapatnam, we were introduced to very positive and active women. When we interviewed them, we tried meta-facilitation skills to find out the truth. They were eager to talk about how much effort they made to become independent. Many of them were from the poorest families and were not educated at school. Some of them could not even read or write when they first came to Mura no Mirai. They did not know how to calculate either. They never had a bank account. They never made any decisions by themselves. They did not have confidence. However, after being involved in the activity of the NPO, they learned not only how to read, write, and calculate, but also got a job at their own community bank called VVK.

Those poor women got higher self-esteem little by little though an opportunity to borrow a small amount of money from the bank. They borrowed and paid back money again and again. All the small loans were used for their living expenses and their children’s education. They sent their kids to college and finally returned their debts. Their lifestyle was very simple, and they seemed not to have many possessions. However, they looked very happy. What they were proud of was not what they had, but their children’s education and their efforts for that. They showed us their passbooks which proved completion of their repayment. They seemed to gain confidence by paying back all the money they borrowed, making decisions by themselves, and becoming independent financially and psychologically. Moreover, this confidence inspired them to learn how to read, write, and calculate, and even to manage their bank by themselves. Most of them were once just customers at the bank for their microcredit, but they became indispensable workers there. They keep challenging themselves, and their bank is growing and helping more poor women.

What is happiness for human beings? Can people feel happy when they are able to own a lot of things? When supporting people in need, giving something might be a common idea. However, through communicating with them, these Indian women made me realize what is important in life. I will never forget their happy smiles.

Photo Credit: jeswinthomas@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. Where did the writer visit in India?

Q2. How did the Indian women use the money they borrowed?

Q3. What is important for the Indian women the writer met?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. Visakhapatnam, India

A2. They used the money for living and educational expenses.

A3. Becoming independent, getting confidence, making decisions, (children’s) education

Empowered women in India taught me what happiness means. I visited some women in the southern part of India with an NPO called “Mura no Mirai (Future of Villages)” in February 2018. I was interested in world cooperation, but not sure about how to find out the real needs of people in developing countries. The NPO has been active in several countries and successful in supporting underprivileged people. They gave me a chance to learn about the precious things in life from the Indian women in the slum.

Mura no Mirai offers a special way to communicate called meta-facilitation, which means to ask only fact-questions when trying to find someone’s needs. From his experiences in world cooperation, Mr. Wada from the organization found that when answering fact-questions, people gradually recognize what they really need and start to think about what they should do for their future. This NGO never gives money or things, but through meta-facilitation, they help people in need empower themselves and become independent financially and psychologically. Their goal is not to do everything for the people, but to guide them to stand up and walk by themselves at their pace. When I attended their seminar about meta-facilitation, I became very much interested in communicating with people using the method.

One of their great projects was to support poor women in Visakhapatnam, India. They asked fact-questions to find their needs and succeeded in leading them to manage their own community bank for small loans by themselves. I read their reports and books about their activities, but I could not believe what they have done and really wanted to see and listen to the local women’s groups. I joined their study tour to visit them in India.

Photo Credit: Still@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What is Mura no Mirai?

Q2. What is the communication method used by Mura no Mirai?

Q3. What project was the writer particularly interested in?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. An NPO that helps underprivileged people

A2. meta-facilitation

A3. The writer was impressed by the women who managed a community bank for small loans. 

Whenever I have visitors from abroad and we are in Kyoto, I invariably take them to Pontocho in the evening. I love that this alley is narrow enough to easily cross from side to side. The proximity of the facades lining the street lets me inspect the displays and menus of every restaurant on my left and right. By now I have done this tens of times, and even though not much changes, I do not tire of it. I find it a great place to spend time with a friend.

Since I have been going to Pontocho for over 10 years, I have gradually learned some of its history, not all of which I believe.

The history of Pontocho that I find hardest to accept concerns the supposed origin of its name. If you google “Pontocho history”, Wikipedia and most travel websites will tell you that “Ponto” is thought to be derived from a Portuguese word, most likely “bridge” but perhaps “destination” or even “dot”. While this could be true, it seems unlikely.

To begin with, when Japanese borrows words from abroad it is usually for something that originally did not exist in Japan, like computers or pumpkins, but Japanese has long had its own words for “bridges”, “destinations”, and “dots”. Why the need for a foreign alternative, especially during that era? The timing is important.

When Pontocho was created in 1670, Japan was already 31 years into what would become its 214-year stretch of self-isolation. Would a culture that is in the midst of turning inward really choose a foreign word for a new street? Also, how many Kyoto denizens from the 17th century knew Portuguese well enough to linguistically borrow from it?

Finally, there is the kanji itself, 先斗町, which using my Heisig language book translates to something like “The town (町) before (先) the Big Dipper (斗) ”, which seems to have little to do with a bridge, although I guess “destination” would still be valid.

Even if we eliminate its supposed Portuguese origin, Pontocho is still a charming name. Using the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) as a proxy for North, a translation for Pontocho could be “The town just before the North end”. As Pontocho does lie at the Northern terminus to the 15-kilometer-long Takasegawa Canal, this is in fact true.

Photo Credit: satoshi-hirayama @pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What does the author find hard to accept?

Q2. Why does he find this hard to accept?

Q3. Why is it appropriate for Pontocho to have a character for “North” in its name?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. That the name “Pontocho” was derived from Portuguese.

Q2. Because of Japan’s isolation at that time, the likely small number of Portuguese speakers, and the lack of a need to borrow a word.

Q3. Because it is at the Northern end of a famous canal.