The Old Capital

by Yasunari Kawabata

The Old Capital

book data

72 ratings, 3.79 average rating, 14 reviews (more data...)

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published

1988 (first published 1962) by Tuttle

binding

Paperback, 164 pages

characters

Chieko, Takichiro, Shige

isbn

0804815577 (isbn13: 9780804815574)

description

Whether this subtle and brooding novel deserves to rank alongside Snow Country and Thousand Cranes as one of Kawabata's major works is debatable, but ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 102)

All ratings | 5 stars (19) | 4 stars (23) | 3 stars (24) | 2 stars (5) | avg 3.79

all | this edition

Scott

Scott rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

06/08/08

bookshelves: 1960s, 日本文

Read in June, 2008

recommended to Scott by: Patricia

At the end of The Old Capital, Kawabata leaves his readers savoring that uniquely Japanese sentiment of wabisabi, a feeling of pleasant melancholy brought on by an unobtainable desire for the past, completion, and resolution. Set in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, Kawabata's novella introduces Chieko, a young woman who must come to terms with her mysterious birth. But Chieko's story is only part of a narrative that takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of a city steeped in arti...more

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Brian

Brian rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

11/11/08

bookshelves: read-2008

“Were there no such thing as man, there would be nothing like Kyoto either. It would all be natural woods and fields of grasses. This land would belong to the deer and wild boar, wouldn’t it? Why did man come into this world? It’s frightening… mankind.”

Another Kawabata this year and another wonderful, calming read. I timed this one perfectly for my trip to Kyoto and was able to plan a few days in the 'Old Capital' based on the settings described in the book. It is a simple s...more

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Antonius

Antonius added it (review of isbn 1593760329)

09/14/07

bookshelves: japanese-literature

Read in June, 2007

The Old Capital – the true title should simply be “Kyoto,” but to a non-Japanese, that city might not register as Japan’s previous capital, hence the English title which spells it out – was one of three novels cited when Kawabata received the Nobel Prize for Literature. At the time, he stated that he sought harmony in his work between man, nature, and emptiness, and that theme really comes through in this book.

Kyoto is not merely the old capital of Japan but the center of i...more The Old Capital – the true title should simply be “Kyoto,” but to a non-Japanese, that city might not register as Japan’s previous capital, hence the English title which spells it out – was one of three novels cited when Kawabata received the Nobel Prize for Literature. At the time, he stated that he sought harmony in his work between man, nature, and emptiness, and that theme really comes through in this book.

Kyoto is not merely the old capital of Japan but the center of its old traditions and culture, which in this postwar world is threatened to be transformed if not lost altogether. Family run stores are becoming incorporated, festivals are being altered, traditional inns have been converted into inns for western tourists, and an entire way of life seems to be falling between the cracks of modernity.

It’s in this world that Kawabata sets his story about a 20-year old girl, Chieko, reconciling the abundant love her parents have shown her and which she has always reciprocated, with the newfound knowledge that she was an abandoned child, found and raised by her foster parents who, in order to ease the burdensome knowledge of having been abandoned by one’s real parents, insist that they kidnapped her as a baby. Her father is an obi designer who has long lost his touch, and much of the drama revolves around whether he should close up his shop, which is struggling financially, or continue to operate.

One day, in what is something of a dreamlike moment, Chieko meets a girl at a festival who turns out to be her twin sister, Naeko, who was not abandoned, and who lives a comparatively harsh life up in the mountains doing manual labor among large cedar trees. Both Chieko and Naeko are of a gentle, delicate sensibility, and they become mirror images of one another, confusing a number of secondary characters who mistake the one for the other. But to dwell too much on “plot” would be a mistake, since Kawabata is much more attuned to imagery and metaphor and most of all an elegiac tone that is as quietly passionate as in any of his novels.

Kawabata’s characters are always reflected in their environment, with trees and flowers paralleling the experiences or sensibilities that define them. The Old Capital begins with a description of a tree harboring twin sets of violets in bloom, one higher in the tree and one lower, which cause Chieko to wonder: Will these two sets of violets ever grow together? They reflect not only Chieko and Naeko, destined to meet but melancholically unable to ‘grow together,’ but also the many potential suitors for Chieko, one of whom develops a fondness for Naeko upon realizing his love for Chieko is impossible, which reflects how Naeko perceives herself to be a mere illusion of her sister. Chieko, meanwhile, perhaps loves a boy whom she remembers fondly for his important role in a festival many years ago. She is, in a sense, as much in love with the illusion of that festival boy she holds in her memory as the other loves Naeko as an illusion of Chieko. Going further, one can read these illusory loves as reflecting Kawabata’s own love with an old capital, an idea of a city that only remains in his memory. I can think of few better examples than this of the concept of ‘mono no aware,’ that particularly Japanese sadness toward the ephemerality of life.

Unlike Snow Country or The Sound of the Mountain, The Old Capital doesn’t limit itself to a single viewpoint character, but switches between several as the book progresses, perhaps broadening the scope but limiting the depth of character. Nevertheless, the essentialist style, the attention to aesthetic beauty and nature as reflecting the internal transformations or experiences of its characters, the subtlety with which interactions are hinged – a glance, an intimation, a word – imbues the book with Kawabata’s distinctive signature.
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C. rated it:

11/25/08

bookshelves: lit--fiction

Lyrical though I think the translation could have been better.

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Gretchen

Gretchen rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

03/03/08

bookshelves: book-club

Read in August, 2007

This was another book I read for my book club. The story might have been more interesting in the hands of a more capable translator. At least that's what I've been told. The story WAS interesting, actually, but the translation was done in such a way that the writing was very stilted and unmoving to me. Hopefully this project will be taken on by a more skilled translator some day.

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Rhe

Rhe is currently reading it (review of isbn 1593760329)

03/26/08

bookshelves: currently-reading, jepun

pemenang nobel sastra ni, orang asia pula. walo bukan senegara, tapi ingin rasa na ngebaca. biar tau gimana tipe" tulisan yg bisa menang nobel. bahkan pramoedya yg dah msk nominasi aja cuma berhasil msk di nominasi doang, g lulus".
trus gmn sampe org jepang bisa menang nobel????? dr 4 orang pemenang nobel sastra di asia, 2 di antara na org jepang.
lagi" jepang....

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cecelia

cecelia rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

04/18/07

bookshelves: recommend

Read in January, 2003

Kawabata is one of two Nobel literature prize winners from Japan. His works are often referred as having the essense of Japanese watercolor paintings. One can find roots of Japanese culture and asthetics in his writings.

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Patricia

Patricia rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

06/05/08

bookshelves: japan

Read in June, 2008

Not so much a story or an exploration of character as an elegy to imperiled crafts and customs. Chieko's story seemed more like a thread to link lovingly, memorably evoked gardens, forests, festivals, and weaving.

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Gratcia

Gratcia rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

03/21/08

bookshelves: harus-beli, to-read

Woah....ini buku kesayangannya seseorang yg deket bngt sama diriku dan dulu sering sekali dia bicarakan.. so I MUST READ this one! jadi bisa tau kenapa dan mengapa, dan apakah mmg sedahsyat itu?

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Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

10/03/08

Anything Kawabata writes is worth reading, but this is my favourite. His gentle depiction of Kyota is both lovely and hard-edged.

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Esarah

Esarah rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

06/24/08

bookshelves: japanese-lit-in-english-translation

When you find yourself hating the Memoirs of a Geisha franchise monstrosity, read something genuine about old Kyoto, like Kawabata.

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David

David rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

02/02/08

bookshelves: japanese-literature-1900s

Read in October, 2006

one of my favorite books. Just classic kawabata, beautiful minimalist writing...

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holly aiyisha

holly aiyisha rated it:

(review of isbn 1593760329)

07/31/08

Read in July, 2008

Very melancholy, but moving story.

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Ryan Nugraha

Ryan marked it as to-read (review of isbn 1593760329)

04/02/08

bookshelves: to-read

Still searching for.

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Reba

Reba marked it as to-read (review of isbn 1593760329)

11/27/08

bookshelves: to-read

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Counterpoint

Counterpoint added it (review of isbn 1593760329)

11/19/08

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Cyn0514

Cyn0514 rated it:

(review of isbn )

11/17/08

bookshelves: indonesian, sketsa

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Nora

Nora added it (review of isbn 1593760329)

11/16/08

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Josh

Josh rated it:

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11/11/08

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Joel

Joel rated it:

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11/05/08

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