I was very lucky to get invited by a friend to a Kyuudou or Japanese Archery studio to watch his wife practice. The doujou (or studio) is located near Asakusa (浅草), in the midst of a very charming old Tokyo neighbourhood. Narrow alleys and quaint houses, very Japanese and reminiscent of Doraemon cartoons.
As one can see, the archers shot at the targets at the far end, which was actually a wall of sand that was meticulously maintained.
The sensei's family has been involved in 弓道 for many generations. He is very well-respected in the international community yet wonderfully hospitable and humble. Brought us out for a _real_ sushi dinner afterwards. I felt really honoured to be part of the whole evening.
Walking along the quiet streets, I thought all we needed was a full moon to illuminate the surroundings and make the whole scene look like a postcard from Kyoto.
No comments:
Post a Comment