“The mature man lives quietly, does good privately, takes responsibility for his actions, treats others with friendliness and courtesy, finds mischief boring and avoids it. Without the hidden conspiracy of goodwill, society would not endure an hour.”
– Kenneth Rexroth
 
Rexroth, dubbed ‘Father of the Beat Generation’, was one of the first American poets to immerse himself in Japanese culture and poetry. He moved to Kyoto to study Buddhism and write and his legendary work was hugely influenced by the city. After our time in Kyoto, I have not come across a quote that more closely sums up my experience of the city.




Kyoto doesn’t flaunt its treasure. When you turn up there, it’s not on show. You’ve got to wait for it, listen for it. The beauty of Kyoto is not in the flashing, beeping, flurry that many cities use to suck you in. Kyoto goes deeper than that, though it’s every bit as cosmopolitan, the real Kyoto is found in the quiet and maybe that’s the very reason it has endured.
 
The process of putting together this issue of Boat Magazine was more akin to ‘curating’ than ‘creating’. That’s the incredible thing about Kyoto. Once you get under the skin a bit and find those stories, all that’s left to do is get them down on paper. They don’t need anything but a bit of time in the spotlight. As with every city, we hope we did it justice.
 
Erin Spens, Editor