Kyoto Past & Present: The Way of the Tram

Did you know that up until about twenty years ago a tramway existed in Kyoto?
In its prime, the total extended track line amounted to over 76 kilometers.
It was the main form of transport for Kyoto citizens. Especially in Europe and
in many cities around the world the tramway is still an important means of transport.
Why did Kyoto City abolish its tramway? What sort of transportation is the most suitable for us today?
What is the solution to the current traffic congestion?

History of Kyoto Tramway

In 1868 the capital of Japan was transferred from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Until that time Kyoto had been the capital for over 1000 years and
occupied an important position as the center of culture and politics.
The people of Kyoto were very proud of this past and were discouraged
by the decision to relocate the capital. They decided to plan several projects
in order to prevent Kyoto from declining. One of them was the generation
of hydro-electricity by utilizing a canal that channeled water to the city from Lake Biwa-ko.
This particular canal happens to run right in front of the Kyoto International Community House.
In 1895 the electricity generated from this scheme provided Kyoto with the opportunity
to build and power the first tramway in Japan. This led to the birth of the Kyoto Electric Railroad Company.
The company immediately began work on extending railroad tracks around Kyoto City.
Around this time a movement to build a municipal tramway also took hold. Its promoter was SAIGO Kikujiro,
the second Mayor of Kyoto and son of SAIGO Takamori, one of the most leading figures
of the Meiji Restoration. In 1912 the Municipal Tramway ran in Kyoto City for the first time.
The two tramways expanded respectively, but finally in 1918, the Municipal Tramway merged
with the Kyoto Electric Railroad Company. At that time the Municipal Tramway had
over 47 kilometers of railroad and 267 cars. The network of tramway tracks
was progressively built up and reached its peak in 1957. However, when the age of motorization arrived,
the management of Kyoto tramway were in danger of becoming bankrupt.
The authority decided to reduce its scale, that is to say, it began dismantling lines.
First to be abolished was the Horikawa line in 1961. Fushimi line and Inari line followed suit in 1970.
Later Senbon line, Omiya line and Shijo line (1972), Karasuma line (1974), Marutamachi line,
Imadegawa line and Shirakawa line (1976) were abolished one after the other.
In 1977 the last two remaining lines, Kawaramachi line (see photo on front page) and
shichijo line were both dismantled, and the entire tramway network was replaced by a bus system.
This was followed by the construction of two subway lines.

Era of Bus and Subway

Kyoto City public transport system today consists of these two subway lines and a bus service.
Are we satisfied with this present transport system? Can we honestly say yes? I don't believe so.
One reason for our dissatisfaction may be linked to the high fare charged for travelling on both systems.
In the case of the subway, the fare has been rather expensive from the onset. Why?
As a means of covering the cost of construction, a hidden tax was incorporated
in the cost of a ticket.
A little research revels that the bus fare has grown three-fold over the past 25 years,
or more specifically, has jumped from 70 yen in 1975 to it's current fare of 220 yen.
This is quite expensive compared with other advanced countries. Why has the fare continued to rise then?
It appears a gradual decline in passengers using the bus service has inevitably forced up costs.
Passengers have simply declined as buses are no longer reliable. Since arrival time depends on
traffic conditions, which have become increasingly congested, a minimum of half an hour needs
to be allowed to avoid being late. This means wasting an awful lot of time.
For this reason many people have turned their backs on the bus system, and sought
more convenient means of transport. Consequently, this decrease in passengers causes the cost to rise...vicious circle!

The Future of Public Transport

It is now necessary to consider a more convenient transport system. With only two lines,
the subway is yet inconvenient for many people. To increase the number of subway lines is one option.
But huge construction costs make this a contentious issue. The regulation of traffic may be a possibility.
If the number of cars that run throughout the city is restricted, buses run on time and passengers increase.
There is one more choice, the revival of the tramway!
The tramway was originally adopted for its environmentally friendly design,
and today there is even more call for pollutant-free forms of transport. Furthermore,
the latest trams offer excellent comfort and convenience for senior citizens and handicapped persons,
while construction is only about a third of the cost of a subway system.
Of course it is first necessary to solve various difficulties, but it is possible, right?! Last but not least,
a tramway is much more suited to the scenery of Kyoto. What do you think???

M. Amanuma

NOH COSTUMES

One of the most striking aspects of Japanese Noh theater is its sumptuous costumes with their richness
of fabric and color that can be appreciated quite apart from the play itself.
We can also learn a great deal about the Japanese aesthetic by studying these costumes.
Noh costumes attained their superb refinement and distinctive character over the six hundred years
between the fourteenth century, when Noh emerged as a stage art, and the present day.
Today each costume type has a designated shape and style,
but it is not necessarily identical with those used in the fourteenth century.
Early Noh costumes were actual street garments worn by the samurai (warrior) class.
By the middle of the Edo period (1603-1869) cloth was woven specifically
for stage costumes using increasingly complex techniques aimed at dramatic effectiveness
to give an atmosphere of elegance, known as 'Yugen'. Designs became more integrated and
created a sense of depth at that time. Once a pattern was incorporated into the repertoire of Noh costumes it remained for a long time.
No two Noh costumes are alike, because Noh is a one-time art.
"The performance is now, never to be repeated by the same people in the same place."
The types of garments worn for each play are set by tradition,
but the actor can choose color and pattern matching the season.
The color scheme defines a mood and the imagery evokes a season and literary heritage.
The factors that influence the choice of costume by the actor are the role to be played,
customs of the troup and the mood of the actor at the time of the presentation. The season,
setting and circumstances of the performance also affect the costume selection.
Costume is very important in creating a Noh role because the actors wear masks that hide
their actual expression and direct expression of real emotion is not accepted in a Noh performance.
There is no scenery in the play; therefore, the audience needs costumes to help explain the ideas.
The symbolic role of the costume forms a code particular to the drama. The cut and draping of
the robe are particular to the actor's role, while the pattern tells the season of the year and
may indicate age or power. These rich silks also recall the majesty of court life years ago.
A poor costume choice can ruin a play.
Images of clothing are often mentioned in Japanese poetry, i.e. sleeves drenched with tears as a symbol of a sad farewell.
The symbolism of robe imagery in a Noh play often enhances the dramatic moment. In the play, "Aoi No Ue",
a robe substitutes for a living person.
A study of individual robe motifs suggests other symbolism. Nature motifs-plants and blossoms,
elements of weather, birds and insects - associated with the season appear in the robe patterns.
For example in Figure A, long-tailed birds appear in various forms in a free flowing design.
In Figure B the robe shows a bamboo fence and peonies appearing very naturally in a float design.
This robe might be used in a play having a Chinese feminine lead as peonies are associated with
a Chinese sense of feminine beauty. For the Japanese it is the cherry blossom that indicates feminine beauty.
The most poignant images are associated with autumn and spring.
The cherry motif makes this robe (Figure C) suitable for a Noh play set in spring while the robe's use of red
is appropriate for the role of a young woman.
Chrysanthemum imagery is seen in many autumn robes and is associated with fall and Chinese legends of immortality.
This design (Figure D) pictures a sense of sadness and beauty in the world of Noh robes.
Chrysanthemum flowers are floating in running water. It is said that if one drinks this water which
is gathered from the dew coming off the chrysanthemums on the mountain-side one will never grow old.
The pattern is also noteworthy because of the accompanying fans. These scattered fans may serve as a metaphor for
"frail souls at the mercy of the forces of nature."
Birds and animals play a prominent symbolic role in all Japanese art.
They are used to embellish the costume with meaning and to provide an understanding
of the role that the garment plays in the personality of the actor wearing the robe.
Animal designs used by the Japanese originated in China. According to Chinese custom
there are five divisions that exist in the animal world: feathered, hairy, naked, shell-bearing and scaly.
Man heads the naked race while mythical beasts and creature endowed with magical powers reign in the others.
The phoenix and crane lead the feathered race while the unicorn heads the hairy sector and
the tortoise dominates the shell group. The dragon is preeminent among animals with scales. Dragon,
phoenix, crane, tortoise and unicorn are used frequently in Noh theater costumes. They symbolize
the wishes for a long life and prosperity and their Chinese origins suggest dignity and power.
The crane and the dragon, which are considered mythical and are symbols of the emperor,
often appear on Atsuita, the outer Noh coat worn by male characters from the samurai days.
According to a Japanese proverb, the tortoise is a symbol of longevity and lives
ten thousand (l0,000) years while a crane lives one thousand (1,000) years.
Robe type, color, pattern design and style of draping all relay to the educated audience significant information
about a character in a Noh drama. They also show us beauty and respect for the creative artisans who made these robes.

Frances M. Broderick , Professor of Speech
Associate Professor of Communication
College of Mount St. Vincent
Riverdale, NY 10471 USA

My Multi-national Children

Last November Kyoto City International Foundation (KCIF) celebrated its 10th anniversary.
It has also been 10 years since I registered to be a volunteer staff member with the Foundation.
During this time one of my main activities has involved being a "sato-oya" (foster parent)
and fostering students from abroad, a role I have thoroughly enjoyed. So far, my husband and
I have been blessed with 6 foster students from China, New Zealand and Taiwan.
In 1993 the Foundation started this foster program to support overseas students who are unfamiliar
with living in Kyoto City. This program aims to promote mutual understanding and communication
between foster parents and foster students through our daily lives. As foster parents,
we provide the students with emotional support, give them a shoulder to lean on and offer advice
when they have a problem. We sometimes introduce them to annual events and festivals in Kyoto
and enjoy such occasions with them together.
According to the KCIF Annual Report of 1998, in that year there were 53 foster parents registered with
the Foundation. 22 of these volunteer foster parents accepted a total of 22 students from 9 countries around the world,
with most of the students coming from Taiwan, China and Korea.
Data from 1999 indicates the number of foster parents has fallen to 29,
while overseas students applying for a foster family has actually increased.
This increase is due in part to heightened interest from short-term exchange students.
Matching students with foster parents now takes place twice a year, giving those foster parents
like my husband and I an opportunity to foster more than one student at a time.
From my observation over the years as a foster parent, I feel that overseas students have become
more and more open and friendly with us. Many of them are looking for older Japanese people
that they can become friends with and speak with in Japanese. But as the saying goes,
a student is always a student, regardless of time. Each of my foster children seem busy studying,
working part-time and enjoying their young days in Kyoto, just as I did 30 years ago. Looking back on my experiences,
I am pleased to have had a chance to support and help my foster children, assisted by my husband.
We have kept in touch with our first foster daughter for over 8 years. She graduated from university,
got a job in Osaka and married a Japanese man. She is expecting our first foster grandchild this coming April!
Another foster daughter, Ying, from China gave us an unforgettable experience (see group photo).
Last autumn she wanted to extend her period of stay in Japan. So, my husband became her financial guarantor.
At first her application for extension of residency was refused. My husband and I made every effort possible to assist her,
and finally she was granted an extension on her visa. Afterwards we received a thank you letter from her father in Xian.
In his letter he wrote, "Ying is not only my daughter, but yours as well!"
She told us that she would never forget our kindness and would be sure to help us out when we get old.
Nothing could have been more joyful to us than to hear her words. To be a foster parent is not too difficult.
It just requires a little sincerity - something that never goes unrewarded in my heart.

M. Matsushita