In the late afternoon light, the Professor leisurely led us strolling along the Takase riverside street shaded by cool green trees. While walking, he told us about Suminokura Ryōi (1554 - 1614), a predecessor who came from a family with a tradition of medical ethics and business, who later became a talented merchant, paving the way for vibrant commercial activities connecting ancient Kyoto with Southern Vietnam from the early Edo period.
For the people of the ancient capital, Suminokura Ryōi is not only a statured investor but also a person who reshaped the face of waterway transport here. What has made him respected for hundreds of years is his heart and vision when he stood up to mobilize resources and put in so much effort to dig canals and renovate rivers to serve the people. The most symbolic and elaborate work for the development of the ancient capital is Takase-gawa (Takase canal), the silk water strip running along the center of Kyoto today. This vital traffic artery has unleashed and transported a lot of goods between the heart of Kyoto and Fushimi port for centuries.
Along with Takase-gawa, the Suminokura father and son's major projects to clear the Tenryū, Fujigawa and Hozu rivers turned Kyoto into one of the most prosperous commercial centers in the early 17th century.
Professor Shimizu added that during the Hozu River reclamation, many workers fell because danger was always lurking. Feeling that pain, Mr. Suminokura Ryōi built Dai Bi Pagoda by the riverbank, as an incense stick to warm and comfort the souls of those who lay there.
Then he led my two sisters and me to the Suminokura Ryōi portrait relief. On the stone surface, he stood there, his hand tightly holding the canal digging tool, an immortal symbol of courage in pioneering the Takase-gawa waterway. That is how the people of Kyoto preserve memories, honoring those who paved the way for the prosperity of the city.
As night fell, Professor Shimizu took us to Ganko restaurant located right at the headwaters of the Takase River, which is Suminokura Ryōi's villa. Stepping through the door, an old sky opened with a 300-year-old garden (from the Edo period) full of flowers and leaves, where patches of color of moss and Japanese grass blended into the gentle murmur of water flowing.
In a cozy dinner with the main theme being the characteristic fresh fish flavor of the Land of the Rising Sun, Professor Shimizu took us into a world of elegant culture. The story at the dining table rhythmically shifts from Japanese culinary philosophy, the lingering loneliness in Haruki Murakami's novel, to the humane hidden corners of the Palme d'Or-winning film "The Shoplifters".
As a linguist, Professor Shimizu always selects words naturally and thoroughly. That depth has shown the beauty of words when shared among harmonious souls, truly a miraculous gift of life.
