What Does Kyoto Tell Us About JAPAN? 2/2 "The Beauty and the Sword" | (Chrysanthemum&Wheels Ep.8)

Thanks for watching Chrysanthemum&Wheels Ep.8 In this episode, I continue my journey through Kyoto, using the famous book "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" as a starting point to explore some of the contradictions Benedict observed in Japanese culture — militaristic yet aesthetic, submissive yet resentful, conservative yet surprisingly open to change. Through the story of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and the Golden Pavilion, we look at the tension between political ambition, beauty, luxury, and the awareness of impermanence. We then explore the relationship between on and giri: the debt of gratitude one receives from others, and the duty to repay it. From loyalty between samurai and their lords to the political use of obligation in modern Japan, this idea could inspire responsibility and devotion, but could also be pushed toward obedience and extremism. Along the way, quiet temples, castles, religious rituals, and a gathering of teas from around the world reveal the many different sides of Kyoto — a city where beauty, power, discipline, and contradiction have existed together for centuries. 📍 Locations: 🌿 Sanzen-in Temple / 三千院 🌙 Ginkaku-ji Temple — The Silver Pavilion / 銀閣寺 ✨ Kinkaku-ji Temple — The Golden Pavilion / 金閣寺 🏯 Nijō Castle / 二条城 🌾 Fushimi Inari Taisha Rice-Planting Festival / 伏見稲荷大社 田植祭 🍵 Kyoto Yoshidayama Grand Tea Gathering at Yoshida Shrine / 京都吉田山大茶会・吉田神社 🏙️ Kyoto / 京都 Huge Appreciation to my Gears: 📷 Sony A7S3 📹 Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 📹 Tamron 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 🎤 Maono PD200X 🖥️ Davinci Resolve 🎬Chapters: 0:00-1:02 Intro 1:03-3:04 Kinkaku-ji and "Contradictions" 3:05-6:15 On and Giri 6:16-8:16 Fushimi Inari Taisha - Rice-Planting Festival #kyoto #japaneseculture #japanesehistory #documentaryhistory #ww2