The Last Day

My last evening in town my host mother made a wonderful dinner. All matter of tasty things, from special foods like sashimi to foods that, while not technically meant for special occasions, were things that I had grown fond of, such as ochazuke (hot tea poured over a pickled plum and some rice). I broke out a bottle of wine that I had forgotten about, and overall it was just a great night, even though it was sad to think that I’d be leaving soon after lunch the following day.
I had already pretty much finished packing by Sunday morning, so when my host mother remembered that there was a special exhibit going on nearby I was able to jump on the chance. My host mother, host sister, and I hopped in the car and drove down to the temple that sits alongside Doushisha University. The exhibit was of the work of a 105-year-old master weaver, who had woven select chapters from the Tale of Genji into long scrolls with sections of text and illustrations. The scrolls were extremely beautiful. One of the most striking things about them was the fact that, while the style was still very traditional and in many ways resembled other illustrations for the Tale of Genji, if one looked closely, the use of perspective was flawless, making things seem 3d where usually such drawings would be very flat. After we had seen the scrolls, we headed back to the house, with a brief stop at the local bakery for some sandwiches and breads to have for lunch. The shuttle to the airport arrived not long after I finished eating. Before I knew it, I was on my way home.