日本的冬天

美的极致是安详。冬天,走在日本的街道上,所感到的是它骨子里的静。透过车窗打量这座城市。满眼都是矮矮的房子,狭窄悠长的小巷,小巷的路标一律是木制的,各家小屋屋顶上支着简易的电视天线,屋前都有木牌。

京都,是日本静谧、古老的缩影,是日本人心灵的故乡。去的时候正赶上它的初雪,城市骤然安静。天是清亮亮的,空气里有丝丝缕缕的雪香,干净而又远离喧嚣。矮矮的屋顶,残红未褪的柿子树和枫树上都铺了厚厚一层雪,像一幅东山魁夷的山水画,简洁而静穆。沿途有神社、佛阁、宫殿等建筑不停地一闪而过,或绚烂,或素朴,或静默,如同一曲缓缓流淌的日本音乐。这是一种既古老又新鲜的感觉,既陈旧又缓慢,却带着坚定的不容置疑的热情。

冬天的日本,随处都可以看到古老的店铺门口悬挂着一个长而厚实的布帘。“暖帘”一词,大约是室町初期从中国传来,据说源于佛教。在日本,暖帘对消费者来说,是一个商店的标记;对经营者来说,是一个商店的信誉,比生命和财产还宝贵,而且,继承暖帘比血缘更为重要。一般为长子继承,代代世袭。如果长男不能胜任,就会改由其他亲属接替,或者由上门女婿以及选拔公司里的优秀人才继承,让事业持续发展下去。

暖帘的颜色很有意思。藏青色具有杀菌和防虫的作用,是吴服商和造酒厂商们的爱用色;白色为糖的象征,颇受点心店和药店的老板青睐,其它还有甜品店以豆沙色居多、茶叶商以绿色居多、酒吧和剧院多用红色或紫色。

日本另一古老而迷人的是歌舞伎。雪白面孔、卧蚕眉、樱桃小口、古典盘头、精致发簪、昂贵和服是她们传统的扮相。,也称舞妓。是以轻歌曼舞娱乐观客的传统演艺群体。身着传统日本和服,脚穿高跟木屐,脸和脖颈都以白粉厚抹。与之相映的是京都艺妓,她们都是日本文化中亮丽明艳的人文奇景异观。只不过,和艺伎有很大区别。二战前,很多家境贫困的女孩,从5岁或10岁开始从师学艺,12岁或15岁左右出师为,然后再边演边学艺,学日本传统舞蹈、三弦琴、方言,到20岁时转为艺伎。战后,因为儿童保护法的实施,规定中学毕业后才可行舞为艺。

晚上,走在花街的青石板路上,或许会与有擦肩而过的缘遇。的厚厚粉白妆,是与深夜的漆黑色相对应的绝美,是黑白分明的古来东洋美感。旧时的舞妓是夜间出没的妖艳。白天学艺修行,晚上行艺卖笑。茶屋外,是深寂黑色的夜;屋内是厚白的粉妆、华丽的和服、娇艳的头饰、舒缓的舞姿;灯火下,是梦幻般的凄美。

的礼节似乎更为严苛。与她们擦肩而过,她们对你深深一躬和轻轻一语相问礼,修长细腻的脖颈完美地微垂。

日本的女子“抗冻”。擦肩而过的女学生,都是穿着制服短裙,仅仅过膝,脚下穿着单层的皮鞋,袜子只到小腿肚。问日本的朋友,日本女孩不怕冷吗?朋友笑了,怎么会不怕冷,日本的女孩子们其实会拼命努力御寒,肚子缠上腹带,袖子里藏着几个袖珍的暖宝宝,包里背着一条小毛毯,到了教室就盖在腿上。公立学校比较自由,所以很多学生都穿运动裤。冷得实在受不了了,就在裙子下再套一条运动裤,不过出了校门依旧是一条裙子。

在寒冷冬日,一杯暖茶无疑是最大的诱惑。我进的茶庵房间面积约莫八铺席,有两个着整洁素雅和服的女人接待我们。年轻的那个貌似是徒弟,跪在陷进铺席的茶炉边熬茶。年长的像是师父,正在给我们讲解。说的全是日语。我听不懂,便不着痕迹地打量着这个广间。中间设有陶制炭炉和茶釜,炉前摆放着茶碗和各种用具,周围是主、宾席位。我右手边的最头上是由一个小栅栏围起的贵宾席,四壁都挂着典雅的浮世绘。在点茶的茶师,严格地按照程序操作。她那纯朴的点茶做派,看不出丝毫毛病。从胸部到膝部的姿势都非常正确,可以领略到她的高雅气度。正值黄昏,树叶的影子投在小姐身后的糊纸拉门上,使人感到她那艳丽的长袖和服的肩部和袖兜隐约反射出柔光。在这寒冷的冬天,化作热茶边一缕氤氲的热气。老茶师打开膝边精致的盒子,是一盒茶点。茶点的样子灵巧可爱,颜色也极为丰富。老茶师把茶点盛在碟里分给我们,到我的时候她特地用中文说:吃点茶点,不会醉茶。

茶点好了,茶师将青黄相揉的抹茶盛在一个淡粉色茶碗里,最边上客人须恭敬地双手接茶,先致谢,尔后三转茶碗,轻品,慢饮,再传给下一个客人。朋友告诉我这叫轮饮。

出了茶庵,不禁感叹,日本就像一杯抹茶,初尝时清香静谧,而后渐渐香醇,不留意间,已让人深深陷了进去。

The superlative beauty is composure. When walking on the streets of Japan in winter, you can feel its intrinsic quietness. Watching the city through car window, the low houses as well as narrrow and long alleys will jump into our sight. The alleys’ guideposts are wooden. On the roof of each house is equipped with the simple television aerial. And the wooden board is placed before every house.

I happened to go through its first snow the moment I arrived in Kyoto. Everything becomes suddenly quiet. The sky is clear and bright, floating with snow flavor, clean and far away from noise. A thick layer of snow is carpeted on the roof of each house, on the persimmon and maple trees with remnant red leaves, just like a landscape painting of Kaii Higashiyama: concise and serene. There are splendid, or simple or silent shrine, Buddhist temple and palace flashing by incessantly, which is like a piece of slowly flowing Japanese music. This is an old and fresh feeling. Kyoto is incredibly old. Though old-fashioned and slow, it has firm and undoubtable enthusiasm. Kyoto is an epitome of Japanese quietness and antiquity as well as the soul for the Japanese with sedimentary accretion of 1200 years.

In winter, you can see long and thick door curtain made of cloth hanging in front of old stores all over Japan. “Quilted door curtain” was introduced from China in early period of Muromachi. It is said to come from Buddhism. In Japan, quilted door curtain is the store mark for consumer and store credit for operator, more valuable than life and property. Besides, it is more important to inherit quilted door curtain than blood relationship. Quilted door curtain is generally inherited by the eldest son and passed on from one generation to another. If the eldest son is not competent, other relatives will replace him, or the visit son-in-law and elected elitist from the company will inherit quilted door curtain to continue the development of enterprise.