Culture Essay > Culter Essay

A tall pine tree at Rakusho Nov. 16 2016

Tree House Rakusho

It’s been 10 years since I discovered this charming tea house, Rakusho.

Near the famous ‘Gion,’ there is a charming street named ‘Nene-no-michi.’ After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in the 17th century, his widow built Kodaiji in memory of him. And she built Entokuin on the opposite side to live in herself. The street between the two temples was named ‘Nene-no-michi' meaning Nene’s street. The whole street is covered with rocks which adds to its historic appeal.

Attractive rickshaws are lining up in the street. The rickshaws are carrying tourists from all over the world around the neighborhood. And Young people are giving a tour around the neighborhood, the scene of which looks decent.

I usually walk around but I rode in a rickshaw once. The young man that drove my rickshaw told me about a cafe that used to make shaved ice, a restaurant that used to make noodles, and a fine restaurant where Maeko appears. And then he told me to get off the rickshaw and look inside some place at Nenenomichi; from between the gap between wooden bars, I could see a small pond. The small garden and those fat goldfish inside the pond were so beautiful. Red and yellow goldfish (Koi fish) in Japanese gardens are common, yet these goldfish are very big and special.

I rode for 30 minutes and got off. I went back to the place with the pond from earlier. It was a tea house. I went outside through a glass door from the area you sit and drink tea. There was a garden which looks a bit small from a Korean’s eye. In the garden was a narrow, long pond with a unique, mossy rock bridge. Under the bridge were about 40 fish with varying colors like red, white and golden. The size of the fish looked about the four times wider than my forearm.

It was a rich and beautiful scene. Had the young man who drove the rickshaw not stopped to show me the charming scene from between the wooden bars, I wouldn’t have been able to find this kind of charm for a long time.

After that, I always visited the tea house whenever I was in Kyoto. When I studied in Kyoto, I always introduced visitors to Rakusho which a daughter in law of an old man who devoted himself to decorating the Nene-no-michi was running. Everyone was infatuated with the teahouse and said in admiration that Rakusho was “the best tea-house in the world.”

The owner of the tea house had read my collection of poetry and told everyone that a writer visited from Korea. He always gave me some warabimochi, a specialty of Rakusho. Warabimochi is a jellylike confection made from bracken starch covered in yellow, soft and featherlike kinako.

They only last for a day, so people buy warabimochi on the day they return to Korea. It’s right next to Kodaiji, the temple built in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that many people visit, so Rakusho is always crowded and mountains of warabimochi on the counter are sold out quickly.

The old owner of Rakusho with its charming pond that I always visit whenever I am in Kyoto, has always lived in and looked after Rakusho. He also looks after Nene-no-michi, planting cherry blossom trees along the street. Come March, the street is always dyed in pink. Nenenomichi is the most Kyotolike and classy street in Kyoto.

Those goldfish dancing leisurely always make me smile, yet I couldn’t visit the street that much even when I was studying at Doshisha.

The old owner of Rakusho died three years ago at the age of 98. He had given lots of things for the neighborhood and planted cherry blossom trees on the street, making the street stand out. He was dedicated to looking after the neighborhood. A stone monument in memory of him was erected on Nenenomichi where a lot of people from all around the world frequent.

Looking at the beautiful spirit shown across generations, I feel Rakusho is truly one of the most beautiful Tea House in the world.