**Héctor García** usually refers to one of two highly prominent figures: the bestselling author who writes about Japanese culture.
Héctor García (The Author)
Most people looking up this name today are searching for the Euro-Japanese author who co-wrote the massive international bestseller ***Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life*** alongside Francesc Miralles.
* **Background:** Born in Spain (1981), he originally trained as a software engineer and even worked at CERN in Switzerland before relocating to Tokyo, Japan, in 2004.
* **Work:** He began documenting his experiences on his popular blog (*kirainet.com*), which evolved into his first major book, *A Geek in Japan*.
* **The Ikigai Phenomenon:** His 2016 book *Ikigai* explored the lifestyle, diet, and mindset of the residents of Okinawa—home to some of the longest-living people on Earth. The book has been translated into over 60 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. He has followed it up with other cultural philosophy books like *The Book of Ichigo Ichie* (focusing on the art of making the most of every moment) and *The Magic of Japan*.
The city of Heian, Japan’s former capital city, was first founded over 1,200 years ago. The literal meaning of “Heian” in Japanese is “peace and tranquility.” Emperor Kanmu constructed Heian following the Chinese architectural model, where straight streets align with the four cardinal points, each associated with a creature from Chinese mythology. The city was protected by walls, with a main entrance gate to the south called Rashomon.
Heian developed quickly, and by the late twelfth century, with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, was one of the most prosperous places on the planet. Today, we know this imperial city by its modern name: Kyoto.
The Rashomon gate was erected as a symbol of power and protection for the city, but it brought nothing but trouble and misfortune. The gate had to be rebuilt several times after falling victim to fires and enemy attacks. Corpses and unwanted babies were abandoned there. Over time, it gained a reputation for being cursed to the point that it was not reconstructed.
Tourists visiting the Rashomon gate today will be disappointed. There is only a small stone monument marking where it once stood. The best way to imagine the gate, and the Kyoto of the past, is to visit Heian Shrine in the east of the city.
The shrine (平安神宮, Heian-Jingu) is one of the most important Shinto complexes in Kyoto. It was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the foundation of Heian, in the architectural style of the Heian era.
It is an ideal place to feel transported to the past. It can be visited every day of the year; its gates open at six in the morning and close at five in the afternoon.
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