Hannari

"Hannari" is Kyoto dialect.
You can find it in almost any guide books for Kyoto, yet the meaning of it IS mystery. Occaosinally, there are words that can grab my heart and excite me by just listening to without knowing why...., like unfathomable, abyss in English. "Hannari" is really it.
When I was in Kyoto last time, I asked a several Kyoto people what it meant and how it could be used in a conversational context.
They all go,
" Well, it doesn't have a clear and solid meaning. can't really explain, yet we use it...you know."
"I don't know...." I replied and insisted like "Could you give me some examples?"
"You could say for this particular part of the neck of this particular Geisha," showing me the photo of the geisha.
"or just for somebody," the other cited.
" or, for this particular shape of one's finger." "oh, for the particular scenery." "Right, but also for the food?"
They went on and on.
After a long discussion, then the conclusion was this:
"Well, yet, actually, it all depends on each individual."
".....!?"
OK...., this word is in a way very discriminative to a sense that "Sorry, if you are not from Kyoto, you can't know."
That's very Kyoto-ish, indeed.
So, is it really bad thing?
As much as I felt disappointed and annoyed by the fact anybody couldn't give me a clarification of the meaning, after a while I started respecting this attitude. Isn't it nice to use the word that doesn't have a clear meaning, yet to be able to understand feeling of it between people's communications? That's the essential spirit of Japan. Like an ability to understand invisible or quintessential point without relying on much explanation.
Our language is very subtle and sensual to begin with. It would be originated from that spirit.
We, in fact, have so many "Gitai-go," (mimentic words) like "shito shioto," "Beto beto," "chira chira," "kira kira," "choro choro," "gotsu gotsu," "hishi hishi," to describe more feeling of situations. (Not to describe the sound of animals or actions, like WOF WOF in English. )

More importantly, in order to preserve the traditional cultures, we do need a sort of healthy pride. Pride not as arrogance or patriotism, but as " strong faith in what you believe."
I feel that this attitude or mentality is missing in Japan, especailly in Tokyo now.
Not only the cultural scenes, but also our spirits have been westernised to an extreme degree.
Just being in Kyoto, touching the traditional culture there reminded me of the importance of finding the "lost." It IS hard in tokyo to find it, yet even in its urban canyon, behind the glaring neon signs, there would be still something to be picked up. There would be something "Hannari" somewhere, I believe in.