Vol 2 Chapter 3 Part 3

So, the next day we were going to Nanzen-ji. The plan was to meet at 11:00 a.m. at Sanmon gate, the entrance to the temple. I figured I’d go by car, but Holmes put an end to that thought, saying, “Akihito, please take the bus or subway to Nanzen-ji.”

Huh, but why? I wondered.

Holmes continued, “Most tourists coming to Kyoto use public transportation. If you’re going to be presenting the city to them, it’s important to use public transit to better sympathize with them. You normally go everywhere by car, right?”

I couldn’t object to that. It’s true that I default to the car. I never think about taking public transit to sightseeing spots in the first place. If I’m bringing someone with me, it’s always places within walking distance, like Gion to Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

“If you’re taking the bus, then get off at Nanzen-ji Eikando Road. If you’re taking the subway, then it’s Keage Station. Personally, I recommend taking the subway to Keage Station and passing through the Nejirimanpo ‘spiral’ tunnel on the way to Nanzen-ji Temple.”

“Huh? Is that one of those waterways?” I asked. Holmes squinted at me.

Despite growing up in Kyoto—or perhaps because I grew up in Kyoto—there are a lot of things I don’t know. Even the famous Kinkaku-ji Temple is somewhere I’ve only been once, on an elementary school field trip. I feel like we went to other places on school trips too, but I don’t really remember any of them.

“No, it’s a very small tunnel, more like a pipeline. It’s made out of brick and leads to Nanzen-ji Temple. It’s worth seeing, so please do,” Holmes explained.

“Huh, okay.” I nodded.

And so, for the first time in a long time, I got on the subway at Karasuma Oike Station. Since it was a weekday morning, there weren’t many passengers. It was only four stops until Keage Station, so I’d be there in a flash. Kyoto’s roads are narrow and chaotic, so this is probably way faster than driving, I thought, looking at the route map.

I got off at Keage Station and the first thing I saw after exiting was a blindingly green hill. It was part of the Keage water purification plant. They always kept it well-maintained, and it was full of azaleas that bloomed in May. I remembered coming here as a kid with my family to see the purification plant, the nearby zoo, and the Keage Incline. My dad would point at the now-abandoned railroad and say, “These tracks were once used by a train that transported boats.” Mom would say, “The cherry blossoms would’ve been in full bloom if we’d come last month. This is a famous spot for them.” Naturally we all talked about coming during the next year’s cherry blossom season, but in the end, we never did. It’s like that with a lot of places. You figure you can go any time since it’s in the city, so you wind up never going. I’m sure that if the cherry blossoms were blooming around this unused, elegant railroad, it’d be a sight to behold. Now that Dad’s gone, it’s a shame that we couldn’t see them as a family. Hopefully I can talk about them next spring on this TV program. I felt energized by the thought.

The Nejirimanpo tunnel really was close by. It was a small arch made of brick. It looked straight out of the Meiji era, but at the same time, it also seemed like something you’d see in a small village in a foreign country. When you went inside, the brick pattern shifted as if the tunnel was being twisted.

“Oh, so that’s why he called it the ‘spiral’ tunnel,” I thought as I passed through, impressed.

After coming out the other side and walking for a bit, I saw Nanzen-ji Temple’s Sanmon gate. I looked up at the huge entranceway made of blackened wood, taken aback by how imposing it was. The round pillars supporting it were thick and strong. I felt like I was being swallowed up by the gate’s magnificence. Is this what it means to experience history firsthand? How can a gate be so powerful?

“Good morning,” came a voice from behind me as I was standing stock still. Surprised, I turned around and saw Holmes, who was wearing a jacket and jeans. Simple and casual, but fashionable. The style suited his good looks and physique. Damn, what a good-looking guy. He’s not gonna stand out more than me, right? Whenever I see him, it ends up feeling like a competition.

“Could you refrain from glaring at me the moment you see me?” Holmes said with a smile.

I panicked and shook my head. “I-I wasn’t glaring.”

“How was the walk from Keage Station?” he asked as he walked slowly towards me.

“N-Not bad.”

“Passing through the foreign flair of the Nejirimanpo tunnel and then looking at the Sanmon gate gives you a mysterious feeling, and at the same time, there’s a powerful sensation, as if your chest is being held in an eagle’s grip. Right?” Holmes said quietly, looking up at the gate.

I think I know what he means. I felt the same thing.

“I wanted you to experience that sensation, Akihito,” he continued.

I smiled bitterly at how it’d gone exactly the way he wanted.

“This is the head temple of the Nanzen-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. It’s the highest ranked out of all of Japan’s Zen temples.”

The highest ranked?! I didn’t know that.

“The Sanmon gate stands twenty-two meters tall. It conveys the temple’s significance well, right?”

“Y-Yeah.” It really had an impressive aura. It felt like I was being overwhelmed by an invisible force.

“Now then, shall we climb up to the gate’s balcony?” Holmes pointed at the second tier of the gate.

“Yeah!” I nodded enthusiastically. As it turned out, you needed to pay an entrance fee to go up there. “Oh, I’ll pay! I’m the one who asked you for help, after all.” I stepped forward, but Holmes quickly held out a ticket. “Huh?”

“I arrived early, so I bought tickets already. Let’s go.” He smiled.

I accepted the ticket, totally defeated by his gentlemanliness. He’s too good! I could’ve fallen over right on the spot.

“I really am learning a lot from you, Holmes,” I mumbled. Holmes smiled cheerfully in response.

The temple grounds were pretty empty because of the time of day and week. No one was climbing the gate at this hour.

“Akihito, the stairs are very steep. Watch your step.” Holmes gestured for me to go first. As he said, the wooden stairs leading to the top of the gate were surprisingly steep. Not-so-brave people might have to crawl up on all fours.

I nodded and started climbing. I could see Holmes’s hand firmly gripping the handrail behind mine, indicating that he was right behind me. Oh, it’s so that he can catch me if I slip. He’s a gentleman even when he’s accompanying a guy, huh? Maybe it’s because he accompanies the owner so much. As an apprentice, he’d constantly be thinking ahead. Since he’s used to it, he naturally does it with other people too.

When I reached the second floor corridor, I felt the autumn breeze blow through. From this height, I could look out over the temple grounds. I saw trees in the midst of changing color as well as the people visiting the temple.

“Wh-Whoa,” I exclaimed in admiration, holding the railing with both hands.

Holmes smiled and nodded. “A ‘magnificent, magnificent view,’ right?”

“Huh?”

“It’s from a kabuki play. The legendary thief Goemon Ishikawa, who existed in real life, sits atop this gate, smoking a pipe. He looks out and says, ‘A magnificent, magnificent view.’ Do you think you understand what he meant?” Holmes had a pleasant smile on his face as he looked at the scenery. There were the beautiful trees in the temple grounds, and if you looked farther out, you could see all of the flavors of Kyoto in one sweeping view. The famous “Dai” and boat symbols from Gozan no Okuribi were visible, too.

“Yeah, it sure is magnificent. Dang, so Goemon Ishikawa climbed up here too.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a kabuki play. This gate was built after Goemon Ishikawa’s execution, so he didn’t actually climb it.”

“What the heck?”

“It just goes to show how fascinated the people of Kyoto were by this view,” he said. He looked out at the scenery again and I followed his lead.

Oh, so they were moved by the view and wanted to write about it. I can understand that feeling. I nodded in acknowledgment.

Holmes looked at me, seeming pleased. “Akihito, your strength lies in how upfront you are with your feelings. Please remember this feeling and show the viewers how moved you were.”

His words made my chest feel hot. Being upfront with my feelings… That might’ve been the first time anyone said that about me. It made me sincerely want to communicate my honest impressions rather than trying to gloss over them.

“But, please refrain from saying things like ‘Whoa’ and ‘What the heck?’ on television. You’re supposed to be representing Kyoto men on that program,” Holmes said bluntly.

“I-I know, okay?!” I crossed my arms, sulking.

“Now then, we’ll be going inside the temple later, so first, let’s look at the aqueduct and have lunch,” Holmes said, checking the time.

“Oh, I’ll pay for lunch! As in, please let me! I want to treat you!” I grabbed his hand eagerly.

“Thanks, but you don’t have to shout or hold my hand. The woman over there seems to have gotten the wrong idea, and now she’s blushing. I’m very reluctant to have our relationship misunderstood.” His derisive smile sent chills down my spine.

We descended the gate, entered the temple grounds, and approached the old-fashioned arches of the aqueduct. The brick bridge had a historic aesthetic, like something you’d see in ancient Roman or European ruins. Thinking about it, this was the first time I’d come to see it.

“This aqueduct was a great accomplishment of the Meiji era. On top of the bridge flows a stream that branches from the Lake Biwa Canal. Even though it’s been over a hundred and twenty years since it was built, it’s still carrying out its purpose wonderfully.” Holmes gently touched one of the bricks and looked up at the bridge. It was a bit odd for such a foreign-looking brick bridge to be next to the top-ranked Zen temple in Japan, and yet it fit in surprisingly well. Red brick supports formed a series of arches. They had a mysterious aura, as though I’d wandered into another world.

“Wow. I never would’ve thought a bridge like this would be right next to Nanzen-ji Temple.”

“Its construction was apparently heavily criticized. So, in order to not disrupt the environment, they decided on a Western-style aqueduct that was unprecedented at the time. Now it has perfectly blended into the natural scenery. It’s a fine example of mixing Japanese and Western styles. It’s also designated as one of Kyoto’s official historic landmarks.”

He’s just like a tour guide. I knew it was a good idea to ask him. But… “This kind of feels like somewhere you’d want to go on a date. Girls would probably love it.” Wait, maybe I shouldn’t say that when it’s just the two of us.

“I agree,” Holmes said without hesitation.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “By the way, do you have a girlfriend?” I assumed he had something going on with Aoi, but apparently not. A gentlemanly scholar like him probably has someone, though.

“I don’t.”

“For real? I would’ve thought they’d be lining up to date you.”

“I have a unique condition. When I’m with someone, I end up figuring out everything about them. I can tell if they’re lying to me or only acting in self-interest. It’s all too obvious.”

I found myself nodding. True, he’d be able to see through everything about his partner. No matter how perfect of a liar a girl is, he’ll notice.

“I’ve seen too much of that kind of thing,” Holmes continued. “Also, my first relationship ended in a painful betrayal.”

“You were betrayed by the first girl you dated?” Now that was a surprise. Who would’ve thought that he had a past like that?

“Yes, and it made me completely apathetic towards women. I wound up preferring short-term relationships with people who wouldn’t try to get deeply involved.” He sighed.

…Wait, did he just say what I think he said? With that refined face? I fell silent.

“Well, it’s far from a commendable story, so let’s keep it between us.” Holmes lifted his finger to his mouth and smiled.

“S-Sure.” Man, this guy’s kind of sneaky. “Hey, how about Aoi?”

“What about her?”

“I assumed she was special to you.”

Holmes smiled subtly at that but didn’t say anything.

“Oh, so she is special.”

“I’m not sure if I’d call it that. The first time she came to our store, she broke down in tears…and I felt like I was seeing my past self.”

“Yourself?”

“Yes. The circumstances of her heartbreak were very similar to mine. However, I didn’t end up like that. Instead, I desperately tried to protect my self-esteem and maintain appearances. So, when I saw her openly displaying her weakness and disgrace, not caring about embarrassing herself, I was envious of her. She looked radiant to me. It made me want to help her,” Holmes murmured, as if talking to himself. He had a distant look in his eyes. There was this unapproachable aura around him, and I didn’t know what to say.

“M-Man, sure is nice weather today, huh? Hard to believe it’s fall when it’s so hot.” I made a fanning motion with my hand, trying to change the topic.

“Today’s high is twenty-six degrees Celsius. Would you like to use this?” Holmes took a folding fan out of his inner pocket and offered it to me.

Dang, this guy’s prepared for everything. I was impressed at first, but now I’m kind of sick of it.

“N-No, it’s not so bad that I need to use a fan.”

“All right. Shall we get lunch, then?” He put the fan back in his pocket.

“Yeah, I was waiting for you to say that.” I nodded firmly, and we left the aqueduct.