Kohaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Battle") is an annual music show aired by NHK on New Year's Eve (omisoka). The program divides the most popular pop and enka singers of the year into competing teams of red (female artists) and white (male artists).
The show was first aired on radio in 1951 and is still going strong - 50% of all Japanese sits glued to the tube. The program last for about four hours. At the end of the show, the audience and a panel of judges vote for the winning team.
The preparation for the show is usually kicked off by the announcement of the singers who will appear. Today NHK has let us now that we can enjoy performances by Imai Miki, Koda Kumi and veteran Kobayashi Sachiko (red team) and Kitajima Saburo, SMAP and old-hand Mori Shinichi (white team). The show will start at 7:20 on New Year's Eve.
November 30, 2006
Protecting Kyoto
As a "Kyotophile" I am glad to read in the Asahi that the Kyoto city government has decided to tighten building rules. For parts of central Kyoto this is already too late, but prevention of further damage is welcome. The proposed new rules:
It is no use for Kyoto to try to become a second Tokyo. Visitors come here because of the traditional buildings, the temple gardens, the green hills and the few remaining historical cityscapes. If Kyoto loses these, it will be lost itself.
- Building height for new buildings will go down from 45 to 31 meters.
- Flashing neon signs and overbearing rooftop billboards will be banned.
- Building restrictions for new construction projects near historical sites will become tougher.
- 38 popular city views will be protected, such as the view of the Mt Daimonji from the Kamo River .
It is no use for Kyoto to try to become a second Tokyo. Visitors come here because of the traditional buildings, the temple gardens, the green hills and the few remaining historical cityscapes. If Kyoto loses these, it will be lost itself.
Mino Monta - record-breaking TV host
When you switch on Japanese television, there is a fat chance you will be staring at the face of Mino Monta.
As reported by BBC News, he appears weekly in 11 live shows, spending 22 hours on TV. This has now earned him an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
But that is not all. Mino Monta (real name Minorikawa Norio) also hosts 5 prerecorded programs, among which the popular quiz Who wants to be a Millionaire (he can really drive up tension with the way he pronounces – in English – final answer?) and Omoikkiri TV, a daily afternoon show with advice on health and lifestyle which is popular among women.
If this killing regimen of TV appearances becomes too much for him, he will probably die on TV, too.
As reported by BBC News, he appears weekly in 11 live shows, spending 22 hours on TV. This has now earned him an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
But that is not all. Mino Monta (real name Minorikawa Norio) also hosts 5 prerecorded programs, among which the popular quiz Who wants to be a Millionaire (he can really drive up tension with the way he pronounces – in English – final answer?) and Omoikkiri TV, a daily afternoon show with advice on health and lifestyle which is popular among women.
If this killing regimen of TV appearances becomes too much for him, he will probably die on TV, too.
Great Internet sites (4): Tour of Haiku Monuments in Matsuyama
When you say "haiku," you say "Matsuyama." Matsuyama on Shikoku is the hometown of Matsuoka Shiki (1867-1902), who in his short life transformed the Edo-period hokku into the modern haiku. He is greatly honored in his hometown, with a Shiki Museum and numerous haiku stones. What is more, Shiki was not Matsuyama's only famous haiku poet - his disciples Kawahigashi Hekigoto (1873-1936) and Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959) were also from Matsuyama and the famous haiku magazine Hotogogisu was born in this city. On top of that, the itinerant haiku poet Santoka (1882-1940) spent his last years in a hermitage in Matsuyama and Meiji-literature giant Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) taught for a year English at Matsuyama Junior Highschool. In Matsuyama, Soseki is not only remembered for the novel Botchan which is set in the city, but Soseki was also a not inconsiderable haiku poet - for a while, he shared a house in Matsuyama, Gudabutsuan, with Shiki.
So there is every reason for Matsuyama to consider itself as the world capital of haiku. There are more than 480 haiku stones in the city and in many places you will find a kind of postboxes where you can contribute your own products. The city has published a book (in Japanese) that describes all haiku monuments, but there is also a website, bilingual this time, called Tour of Haiku Monuments in Matsuyama, run by the Ehime University Library.
This is a great resource, especially for a haiku stone wanderer like myself. The Ehime University Library site contains 213 haiku stones, about half the total number. Short articles give a picture, a translation and discussion. You can turn to the Japanese version to see the original haiku. The site has been made accessible by an index of haiku, and author index and a clickable map. There are also articles on major poets and a few other subjects. In other words, a great place to visit before starting your own haiku tour in Matsuyama, and a great home resource for haiku readers in general.
So there is every reason for Matsuyama to consider itself as the world capital of haiku. There are more than 480 haiku stones in the city and in many places you will find a kind of postboxes where you can contribute your own products. The city has published a book (in Japanese) that describes all haiku monuments, but there is also a website, bilingual this time, called Tour of Haiku Monuments in Matsuyama, run by the Ehime University Library.
This is a great resource, especially for a haiku stone wanderer like myself. The Ehime University Library site contains 213 haiku stones, about half the total number. Short articles give a picture, a translation and discussion. You can turn to the Japanese version to see the original haiku. The site has been made accessible by an index of haiku, and author index and a clickable map. There are also articles on major poets and a few other subjects. In other words, a great place to visit before starting your own haiku tour in Matsuyama, and a great home resource for haiku readers in general.
November 28, 2006
Heirinji Temple: The last wood at the end of Tokyo
What makes Heirinji famous nowadays is the patch of green in which it stands, a rarity in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. It is the only spot where the memory of Musashino, as the area was called in the past, still survives in the form of a small forest of pine, spruce and mixed trees in the quiet temple grounds.
The fame of Heirinji's wood does not mean that the temple itself is without interest. The small but well-proportioned Sanmon gate, where the two guardian king statues almost seem to burst out of their confinement, and the square main hall, where in the dusk a Shaka triad can be vaguely discerned, are characteristic examples of seventeenth century local temple architecture. The rustic aspect is all the more brought home by the beautiful thatch that crowns both gateway and main hall.
Thatched roofs are rare nowadays: they are expensive, it is difficult to find the thatch, and artisans are becoming scarce. In Heirinji, the roof covering the hall looks so heavy, that one wonders how the low walls have been able to withstand its load for all those centuries.
Originally Heirinji stood much further east, in the castle town of Iwatsuki, but after its destruction during one of the local wars that plagued Japan in the sixteenth century, it was rebuilt on the present site as the family temple of Matsudaira Nobutsuna, the feudal lord of nearby Kawagoe and member of the Tokugawa family. Nobutsuna had already made his mark in the area because he had an irrigation ditch constructed to bring water to the farms in the district. Called the Nobidome Josui, a branch (ironically dry at the time of my visit) runs through the temple precincts.
A Country Temple
In the days of Nobutsuna the wide plain of Musashino where Heirinji was established, was a remote, rural area. The farmland was interspersed with stretches of mixed wood. Nothing is left now of this pastoral setting. Musashino has been thoroughly urbanized, in the usual haphazard and ruthless fashion, that leaves everything to private initiative and results in a chaotic jumble of apartment buildings, family houses, farms with leftovers of vegetable plots, and perpetually choked narrow roads. With a little bit of sensible planning, it could have been an ideal park-like suburb, I think regretfully.
Heirinji (in the town of Niiza) lies wedged between two busy commuter lines running through Saitama Prefecture. When coming by bus from either of these lines, you can't miss the temple, because it is the only place where the road runs alongside a forest. In the grounds the Sanmon gate and main hall are popular objects for nostalgic photos, especially in the season of red and yellow foliage.
The gate houses the usual, large statues of the Deva kings, fierce protectors of Buddhism. The left one opens his mouth to pronounce the first syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet, and the one to the right closes it on the last syllable. In this way they symbolically encompass all of creation.
[Graveyard of Heirinji - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
On a straight line behind these buildings stands the real temple, that is closed to the public, because Heirinji is still a living Zen temple of the Rinzai school. Young monks are subjected to a strict regime of instruction and meditation. As a board next to the entrance announces, they must rise at three in the morning, and spend the day practicing mediation and doing menial tasks till bedtime at ten in the evening. The three meals they receive are three times the same menu of rice, one vegetable dish and miso soup. While reading the board, I hear the sound of a wooden clapper and bell from the closed hall, which makes me feel the severe discipline that reigns inside.
A path leads around the building complex to the graveyard at the back where several generations of Matsudaira lords and their families have been laid to rest. In all, there are about 170 gravestones. Rows of impressive stone lanterns, decked out with the Tokugawa symbol, proclaim the exalted position they occupied during life. Now, they are only dust under stone. To the side is also the grave of Kinyu'eimon, the engineer who built the irrigation system for Nobutsuna. Two elderly women in old-fashioned country clothes are burning dead leaves, and the billowing smoke of the fire they make seems to speak of the evanescence of life.
A Walk in the Woods
The path continues in a wide circle through the wooded grounds. It is shorter than I expected, as it takes only half an hour to return to my point of departure. The wood is never very thick and sometimes I see housing developments shine through the trees. In the center of the park, some land has been eaten away by a modern cemetery. Selling grave sites is lucrative temple business in modern Japan, and I hope the monks will be morally strong enough to withstand the lure of commerce. Otherwise the last vestige of Musashino woodland will soon be depleted.
When I return to the main hall, the group of photographers with tripods and heavy cameras, that had first haunted it, has vanished, and I have the place to myself. It is quiet now and the majestic thatched roof of the temple glows in the late afternoon sun. My feet rustle through the fallen leaves, that fortunately have not been swept away yet by the industrious monks.
The rays of the low sun strike the side of the gate, lighting up the strong arm, neck and ferocious face of one of the guardian king statues. It seems as if any moment he can break out of his mesh-wire cage and give forth the shout that has been forming for centuries in his open mouth.
The fame of Heirinji's wood does not mean that the temple itself is without interest. The small but well-proportioned Sanmon gate, where the two guardian king statues almost seem to burst out of their confinement, and the square main hall, where in the dusk a Shaka triad can be vaguely discerned, are characteristic examples of seventeenth century local temple architecture. The rustic aspect is all the more brought home by the beautiful thatch that crowns both gateway and main hall.
[Gate of Heirinji - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
Thatched roofs are rare nowadays: they are expensive, it is difficult to find the thatch, and artisans are becoming scarce. In Heirinji, the roof covering the hall looks so heavy, that one wonders how the low walls have been able to withstand its load for all those centuries.
Originally Heirinji stood much further east, in the castle town of Iwatsuki, but after its destruction during one of the local wars that plagued Japan in the sixteenth century, it was rebuilt on the present site as the family temple of Matsudaira Nobutsuna, the feudal lord of nearby Kawagoe and member of the Tokugawa family. Nobutsuna had already made his mark in the area because he had an irrigation ditch constructed to bring water to the farms in the district. Called the Nobidome Josui, a branch (ironically dry at the time of my visit) runs through the temple precincts.
A Country Temple
In the days of Nobutsuna the wide plain of Musashino where Heirinji was established, was a remote, rural area. The farmland was interspersed with stretches of mixed wood. Nothing is left now of this pastoral setting. Musashino has been thoroughly urbanized, in the usual haphazard and ruthless fashion, that leaves everything to private initiative and results in a chaotic jumble of apartment buildings, family houses, farms with leftovers of vegetable plots, and perpetually choked narrow roads. With a little bit of sensible planning, it could have been an ideal park-like suburb, I think regretfully.
Heirinji (in the town of Niiza) lies wedged between two busy commuter lines running through Saitama Prefecture. When coming by bus from either of these lines, you can't miss the temple, because it is the only place where the road runs alongside a forest. In the grounds the Sanmon gate and main hall are popular objects for nostalgic photos, especially in the season of red and yellow foliage.
The gate houses the usual, large statues of the Deva kings, fierce protectors of Buddhism. The left one opens his mouth to pronounce the first syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet, and the one to the right closes it on the last syllable. In this way they symbolically encompass all of creation.
[Graveyard of Heirinji - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
On a straight line behind these buildings stands the real temple, that is closed to the public, because Heirinji is still a living Zen temple of the Rinzai school. Young monks are subjected to a strict regime of instruction and meditation. As a board next to the entrance announces, they must rise at three in the morning, and spend the day practicing mediation and doing menial tasks till bedtime at ten in the evening. The three meals they receive are three times the same menu of rice, one vegetable dish and miso soup. While reading the board, I hear the sound of a wooden clapper and bell from the closed hall, which makes me feel the severe discipline that reigns inside.
A path leads around the building complex to the graveyard at the back where several generations of Matsudaira lords and their families have been laid to rest. In all, there are about 170 gravestones. Rows of impressive stone lanterns, decked out with the Tokugawa symbol, proclaim the exalted position they occupied during life. Now, they are only dust under stone. To the side is also the grave of Kinyu'eimon, the engineer who built the irrigation system for Nobutsuna. Two elderly women in old-fashioned country clothes are burning dead leaves, and the billowing smoke of the fire they make seems to speak of the evanescence of life.
A Walk in the Woods
The path continues in a wide circle through the wooded grounds. It is shorter than I expected, as it takes only half an hour to return to my point of departure. The wood is never very thick and sometimes I see housing developments shine through the trees. In the center of the park, some land has been eaten away by a modern cemetery. Selling grave sites is lucrative temple business in modern Japan, and I hope the monks will be morally strong enough to withstand the lure of commerce. Otherwise the last vestige of Musashino woodland will soon be depleted.
When I return to the main hall, the group of photographers with tripods and heavy cameras, that had first haunted it, has vanished, and I have the place to myself. It is quiet now and the majestic thatched roof of the temple glows in the late afternoon sun. My feet rustle through the fallen leaves, that fortunately have not been swept away yet by the industrious monks.
The rays of the low sun strike the side of the gate, lighting up the strong arm, neck and ferocious face of one of the guardian king statues. It seems as if any moment he can break out of his mesh-wire cage and give forth the shout that has been forming for centuries in his open mouth.
Address: 3-1-1 Nobidome, Niiza-shi, Saitama-ken
Tel. 048-477-1242
Access: Bus no. 73 connects Shiki Station on the Tobu Tojo line with Hibarigaoka Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro line, and bus 22 does the same between Akasumidai on the Tobu, and Higashi-kurume on the Seibu line. Heirinji lies more or less between both those lines and buses are frequent.
November 26, 2006
Great internet sites on Japan (3): A Guide to Kamakura
A Guide to Kamakura is a huge labor of love and the best site to read through before planning a visit to the old capital.
The website was written by Mr Tadahiro Kondo, who as he tells in his profile, worked his whole life as salaryman in the paper industry before retiring in 2001. He has also been an expat in New York for 5 years. As two visiting American businessmen once complained about the paucity of materials on Kamakura, a favorite weekend destination also for foreigners, Mr Kondo decided to fill the gap by setting up this website. The site has been written for international visitors, but from a Japanese point of view.
The guide starts off with useful historical and religious background, a list of annual observances, and other preliminaries. The temples and shrines that form the main part of the site have been divided according to location: Ofuna, Kita-Kamakura, and the many temples in the town itself, again divided into four sections. There is also a chapter on temples and shrines in Kanagawa and Shizuoka. The site is exhaustive in the number of (also smaller) temples and shrines that have been included and even more so in the descriptions which list every historical and cultural fact that can possibly be mentioned about a given destination. These detailed descriptions make this a great resource indeed, and not only for tourists.
This website can bring you to places you might never have visited otherwise. What about Jokomyoji and its gorgeous crowned Amida statue - note the floral decorations on the robe made with clay? Or the old Yakushi Hall in the quiet grounds of Kakuonji, where you have to observe the statues by the dim light of candles? And what about Gokurakuji and its wonderful thatched gate, as well as the statues of Shaka and the Ten Disciples hidden in its Treasure House?
There are only few photos, the focus is on the quality of the articles rather than on flashy presentation - and there is nothing wrong with that. The only minor point I have is that just temples and shrines have been included, and not also museums or other historical places.
I recommend this great guide most highly to all travelers to Kamakura who want to know more about the historical places they will be looking at - and indeed to anyone interested in the culture and history of Kamakura. It is a site to which I find myself coming back again and again.
The website was written by Mr Tadahiro Kondo, who as he tells in his profile, worked his whole life as salaryman in the paper industry before retiring in 2001. He has also been an expat in New York for 5 years. As two visiting American businessmen once complained about the paucity of materials on Kamakura, a favorite weekend destination also for foreigners, Mr Kondo decided to fill the gap by setting up this website. The site has been written for international visitors, but from a Japanese point of view.
The guide starts off with useful historical and religious background, a list of annual observances, and other preliminaries. The temples and shrines that form the main part of the site have been divided according to location: Ofuna, Kita-Kamakura, and the many temples in the town itself, again divided into four sections. There is also a chapter on temples and shrines in Kanagawa and Shizuoka. The site is exhaustive in the number of (also smaller) temples and shrines that have been included and even more so in the descriptions which list every historical and cultural fact that can possibly be mentioned about a given destination. These detailed descriptions make this a great resource indeed, and not only for tourists.
This website can bring you to places you might never have visited otherwise. What about Jokomyoji and its gorgeous crowned Amida statue - note the floral decorations on the robe made with clay? Or the old Yakushi Hall in the quiet grounds of Kakuonji, where you have to observe the statues by the dim light of candles? And what about Gokurakuji and its wonderful thatched gate, as well as the statues of Shaka and the Ten Disciples hidden in its Treasure House?
There are only few photos, the focus is on the quality of the articles rather than on flashy presentation - and there is nothing wrong with that. The only minor point I have is that just temples and shrines have been included, and not also museums or other historical places.
I recommend this great guide most highly to all travelers to Kamakura who want to know more about the historical places they will be looking at - and indeed to anyone interested in the culture and history of Kamakura. It is a site to which I find myself coming back again and again.
November 25, 2006
Is Japan expensive? Not for a hair cut!
Is Japan expensive? Not if you know where to go.
Of course, rents and the price of houses are outrageous (considering the often low quality of what you get), but for the rest it is not so bad at all.
On the contrary, I find Japan often much cheaper than my home country, the Netherlands. That is true for eating out because you have a wide choice of inexpensive but excellent restaurants in Japan; for clothing; for taxis; for food, as long as you cook a Japanse menu; and for household items (and the quality is often better then in the EU).
Even cars are much cheaper than in Europe, where prices are inflated by high VAT plus the special car taxes that most countries levy.
In fact, in Japan these last ten years or so prices of many products and services have started to show a great variation. You can buy on the high end but also stay on the economical side. You have 100 yen shops and Don Quichote, but also exclusive department stores. You can go to an izakaya or dine at Maxims. A good example is the young lady who buys a handbag at Louis Vuitton and then has lunch at McDonalds.
I was reminded of this topic by reading this post about the cost of living in Japan. Hair dressers are said to cost between 4,000 to 10,000 yen, and that is of course possible - I used to go to a fashionable hairdresser in Tokyo who asked 5,000. Happily, recently, there are much cheaper options, such as the famous 1,000 yen 10-minute haircut of QB House, which has shops all over Japan (there are also many other chains imitating them). It is much cheaper than Holland where you usually pay between 17 and 20 euros for a simple cut (almost the equivalent of 3,000 yen). The only thing I miss is the traditional shoulder massage!
In fact, QB House has a "cutting" business model. The chain, which now has more than 300 outlets in Japan and 30 abroad, was started by Konishi Kuniyoshi in 1996. Mr. Konishi was tired of the above-mentioned prices and the fact that it took one hour to get a simple hair cut. Wouldn't it be possible to create a "no-frills" barbershop where the customer could get a hair cut in ten minutes at a cost of only 1,000 yen? Yes, he thought, by eliminating all the tasks that kept a barber from cutting hair and making things as simple as possible by eliminating "waste":
Contrary to what you would expect, the quality of the hair cut is good. My hair has been mangled by traditional Japanese barbers who asked 3,000 and took an hour, but so far never at QB or other 1,000 yen shops.
Other sites have also written positively about the business model of QB House, such as Gaijindo, J@pan Inc or web-japan.org.
Of course, rents and the price of houses are outrageous (considering the often low quality of what you get), but for the rest it is not so bad at all.
On the contrary, I find Japan often much cheaper than my home country, the Netherlands. That is true for eating out because you have a wide choice of inexpensive but excellent restaurants in Japan; for clothing; for taxis; for food, as long as you cook a Japanse menu; and for household items (and the quality is often better then in the EU).
Even cars are much cheaper than in Europe, where prices are inflated by high VAT plus the special car taxes that most countries levy.
In fact, in Japan these last ten years or so prices of many products and services have started to show a great variation. You can buy on the high end but also stay on the economical side. You have 100 yen shops and Don Quichote, but also exclusive department stores. You can go to an izakaya or dine at Maxims. A good example is the young lady who buys a handbag at Louis Vuitton and then has lunch at McDonalds.
I was reminded of this topic by reading this post about the cost of living in Japan. Hair dressers are said to cost between 4,000 to 10,000 yen, and that is of course possible - I used to go to a fashionable hairdresser in Tokyo who asked 5,000. Happily, recently, there are much cheaper options, such as the famous 1,000 yen 10-minute haircut of QB House, which has shops all over Japan (there are also many other chains imitating them). It is much cheaper than Holland where you usually pay between 17 and 20 euros for a simple cut (almost the equivalent of 3,000 yen). The only thing I miss is the traditional shoulder massage!
In fact, QB House has a "cutting" business model. The chain, which now has more than 300 outlets in Japan and 30 abroad, was started by Konishi Kuniyoshi in 1996. Mr. Konishi was tired of the above-mentioned prices and the fact that it took one hour to get a simple hair cut. Wouldn't it be possible to create a "no-frills" barbershop where the customer could get a hair cut in ten minutes at a cost of only 1,000 yen? Yes, he thought, by eliminating all the tasks that kept a barber from cutting hair and making things as simple as possible by eliminating "waste":
- No cash register but instead a ticket vending machine that only accepts bills of 1,000 yen (= 6.6 EUR or 8.5 USD). The barber looses no time when the customer pays (in advance). He can serve 6 customers per hour, earning 6,000 yen, which is higher than a traditional barber who makes between 3,000 and 5,000 yen (beauty salons of course charge way above this, but that is a special category).
- No reservations, and so no interruptions by the phone.
- No conversations about the weather, many barbers wear a face mask.
- No shampooing. QB House barbers use the "Air Wash," a vacuum hose, to remove loose hairs from their customers heads and shoulders.
- No shoulder massage, no shave, no frills. All you get is a hair cut.
- Using sensors in the barber chairs and lights outside the shop to signal how long customers will have to wait (green = immediate availability, orange = 5 minutes wait so come in, red = 15 minutes wait so perhaps do something else first).
Contrary to what you would expect, the quality of the hair cut is good. My hair has been mangled by traditional Japanese barbers who asked 3,000 and took an hour, but so far never at QB or other 1,000 yen shops.
Other sites have also written positively about the business model of QB House, such as Gaijindo, J@pan Inc or web-japan.org.
November 23, 2006
Asakudera, Nara: A battered Buddha
Asuka, in the southern part of the Nara basin, is the cradle of Japanese civilization. In Asuka the first Japanese capital was founded and here Japan was transformed from a loose alliance of clan lords to a state with a clear national consciousness.
Asuka contained magnificent palaces and courtly residences, as well as Japan's first-ever Buddhist temples and cloisters. Its green pastures were the playground of brocaded courtiers and gaudily decked-out palace ladies.
[Asukadera - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
There are no remnants left of that glory today. There are not even any ruins: all palaces and terraces, temples and shrines have been devoured by time, lock, stock and barrel.
The past is buried deep under the green grass, the undulating hills, and the tiny rice fields; not to mention the ugly commuter's houses, proof that Asuka is just a bit too close to Osaka. The play of courtiers is only a wispy dream, haunting the verdant fields.
But the Asuka area, crisscrossed by paths for walking or cycling, is beautiful. It is dotted with imperial tombs, often surrounded by impressive moats and with a Shinto gate in front. There is also the Takamatsu-zuka Tumulus with its ancient wall frescos, or the Ishibutai ('Stone Terrace'), a heap of huge stone menhirs, presumably the remainder of another grave.
All over Asuka I also find quaint stone figures: a strange little dwarf, a frog, and other stone shapes of which the meaning has been forgotten. Perhaps they were ornaments of the long-gone gardens of the nobility. Then there is azalea-clad Amakashi Hill, that affords a splendid view over the area and therefore was popular for poetry gatherings in the time when the people who now inhabit the graves roamed the earth. And to the north of this hill stands the Asuka Temple, the destiny of today's pilgrimage.
A Rural Temple
The Asuka Temple (Angoin), reminds me of a half-forgotten, rural temple. The small sanctuary is only an elementary structure to provide a roof for a large Buddha statue sitting inside. All former glory lies buried under the fields. There are no external signs to remind one that the Asuka Temple originally was one of the most splendid temples ever built.
Asukadera was in fact Japan's first real temple. On this very spot, in the fields of Asuka, about 25 kilometers south of present-day Nara, in the year 588 CE a type of tower that had never before been seen in Japan was rising up to the sky. It was the first Buddhist pagoda and it was being built by Korean artisans at the behest of the chief minister to the throne, Soga no Umako. Under the pagoda's main pillar bone fragments of the Buddha and other holy relics were buried, donated by Chinese immigrants.
Buddhism was new and utterly exotic to the Japanese: the priests in their colorful robes, mumbling incantations in a foreign language; the golden images of strange gods and the many other mystic ritual implements; the architecture, with tiles instead of thatch on the roofs, the strange shape of a building like a pagoda.
More than a religion, it must at first have impressed the Japanese as a powerful magic that would protect the believers and enhance their fortune. It was new and modern too, as the techniques used to produce these artworks and architectures had been unknown to the Japanese.
The high-rising pagoda first and for all had a political meaning. The Soga clan (themselves perhaps immigrants from the continent) was in fierce competition with the Mononobe and other families who had traditionally been influential at court. The family had the luminous idea to use patronage of Buddhism to enhance their prestige, an idea that was suggested to them at the moment Buddhism first entered Japan.
A Buddhist Victory
That was in the middle of the sixth century, when the king of the Korean kingdom of Paekche sent a mission to the emperor of Japan bearing presents including an image of the Buddha and a number of sutras. The emperor, however, who was after all the high priest of the native religion, felt it would go too far to start worshiping the new creed.
But as he also did not dare neglect the wondrous new image (warmly recommended by the Korean king) he asked who among his courtiers would be willing to take it in their care. The Soga jumped at the occasion. In the next years, an intense strife with the Mononobe, the main conservative clan that opposed the new faith followed. There were ups and downs on both sides, but in 587, at the death of the emperor, the Mononobe were defeated in an open military clash. From then on the Soga had the field to themselves in Japanese politics, until hubris led to their own fall in 645.
The building of the pagoda - taking place just before the Soga's victory - was a public challenge from Soga no Umako to his enemies. After his victory, in 588 Asukadera (or Hokoji, as it was then called) was established around the wondrous and exotic pagoda. The whole temple complex took twenty more years to build, and was huge in dimension.
This became clear when the site was excavated in 1957. The researchers were surprised at the size of the temple layout, consisting of the pagoda with a width of 12 meters at the base of the sides; the Middle Main Hall of the temple, housing its statues; and two more halls standing to the left and right; the whole was enclosed by a roofed corridor. The total site measured 20,000 m2 - thrice the size of Horyuji's main compound.
Unfortunately, after the excavations, the site was closed again, so that now nothing is left to remind visitors of the original grandeur of this temple. The present building is small and of late date.
It is in fact not more than a simple hall to house the temple's main image, the 2.75 meter high Asuka Buddha. This is Shaka, the historical Buddha, and like the (later) Shaka in Horyuji it was made by Tori, the first Buddhist sculptor in Japan, who was active in the late fifth and early sixth century. It has been cast in bronze and this statue, too, is in the style that was popular in China at the time, that of the Northern Wei.
First and Last of the Soga
Asuka Temple became a symbol of the power of Soga no Umako, a position of influence that he later transferred to his son Emishi and grandson Iruka. When Umako died in 626 a huge menhir type grave, the Ishibutai or Stone Terrace, was built to house his remains. This mounded tomb is built in the same grand style as the temple. Made of large granite boulders (the two on top weighing 77 metric tons), it is now exposed through erosion, so that visitors can enter it. Of course, there is no vestige anymore of its original occupant.
In the days of Iruka, the grandson, the Soga had caused so much opposition with their high-handed tactics that a coup followed. The strong man of the reaction was Fujiwara no Kamatari, the first leader of a clan that would consecutively (but more subtly than the Soga) dominate Japanese politics. He acted in consort with Prince Naka no Oe, the later emperor Tenji.
Piquantly, they had their first secret meeting under a zelkova tree in the Asuka temple. Consequently, Iruka was murdered in the Itabuki palace just south of temple, an act carried out right before the eyes of the emperor. The coup members immediately occupied the Asuka temple, from where they were in a good position to fight the Soga forces that were assembled on the Amakashi hill behind it.
Thus the symbol of Soga power became the place of their defeat. Emishi killed himself by setting fire to his house. His whole clan was exterminated. A hundred meters west of the Asuka Temple is a small grave that is said to contain the severed head of Iruka.
[Iruka's head grave - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
A Battered Buddha
A great good may make use of historical forces that in themselves are not so ethical. Thanks to the Soga's patronage, which undoubtedly was more for reasons of power politics and self-aggrandizement than religion, Buddhism could gain a foothold in Japan. There had been private believers before, among the numerous Korean and Chinese immigrants in the country, but thanks to the Soga clan, Buddhism - originally a very exotic creed to the Japanese - gained public acceptance. Over the course of the centuries it would deeply influence Japanese thought, culture and art.
I arrive at Asukadera after a day's walk along historical remnants and I have come here to see another remnant: what is left of Japan's oldest great Buddha statue. After I step up into the temple hall, a priest shows me the statue. Sitting on the wooden floor in front of the Shaka Buddha, I listen to his narration about the temple's history. The statue is lighted by small spotlights that bring out its qualities to advantage.
The Shaka is indeed a sadly battered statue. It has been so often restored that it seems no more than a coagulation of cracked bronze, sometimes inexpertly welded together. Only part of the face and three of its fingers are still original. It seems as if the Buddha has been in a traffic accident and operated on by an inexpert plastic surgeon. The face is not in balance and depending on the position of the viewer, makes a very different impression.
From where I sit on the floor, it looks strangely compassionate and a bit sad, worlds removed from the power magnates who patronized its building, eons away from the history of its own decline.
It seems as if, over all those centuries, the compassion that is the core of Buddhism has been mixed with sadness at the world's state and found expression in the mutilated face of this Shaka, the oldest Buddha of Japan.
Asuka contained magnificent palaces and courtly residences, as well as Japan's first-ever Buddhist temples and cloisters. Its green pastures were the playground of brocaded courtiers and gaudily decked-out palace ladies.
[Asukadera - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
There are no remnants left of that glory today. There are not even any ruins: all palaces and terraces, temples and shrines have been devoured by time, lock, stock and barrel.
The past is buried deep under the green grass, the undulating hills, and the tiny rice fields; not to mention the ugly commuter's houses, proof that Asuka is just a bit too close to Osaka. The play of courtiers is only a wispy dream, haunting the verdant fields.
But the Asuka area, crisscrossed by paths for walking or cycling, is beautiful. It is dotted with imperial tombs, often surrounded by impressive moats and with a Shinto gate in front. There is also the Takamatsu-zuka Tumulus with its ancient wall frescos, or the Ishibutai ('Stone Terrace'), a heap of huge stone menhirs, presumably the remainder of another grave.
All over Asuka I also find quaint stone figures: a strange little dwarf, a frog, and other stone shapes of which the meaning has been forgotten. Perhaps they were ornaments of the long-gone gardens of the nobility. Then there is azalea-clad Amakashi Hill, that affords a splendid view over the area and therefore was popular for poetry gatherings in the time when the people who now inhabit the graves roamed the earth. And to the north of this hill stands the Asuka Temple, the destiny of today's pilgrimage.
A Rural Temple
The Asuka Temple (Angoin), reminds me of a half-forgotten, rural temple. The small sanctuary is only an elementary structure to provide a roof for a large Buddha statue sitting inside. All former glory lies buried under the fields. There are no external signs to remind one that the Asuka Temple originally was one of the most splendid temples ever built.
Asukadera was in fact Japan's first real temple. On this very spot, in the fields of Asuka, about 25 kilometers south of present-day Nara, in the year 588 CE a type of tower that had never before been seen in Japan was rising up to the sky. It was the first Buddhist pagoda and it was being built by Korean artisans at the behest of the chief minister to the throne, Soga no Umako. Under the pagoda's main pillar bone fragments of the Buddha and other holy relics were buried, donated by Chinese immigrants.
Buddhism was new and utterly exotic to the Japanese: the priests in their colorful robes, mumbling incantations in a foreign language; the golden images of strange gods and the many other mystic ritual implements; the architecture, with tiles instead of thatch on the roofs, the strange shape of a building like a pagoda.
More than a religion, it must at first have impressed the Japanese as a powerful magic that would protect the believers and enhance their fortune. It was new and modern too, as the techniques used to produce these artworks and architectures had been unknown to the Japanese.
The high-rising pagoda first and for all had a political meaning. The Soga clan (themselves perhaps immigrants from the continent) was in fierce competition with the Mononobe and other families who had traditionally been influential at court. The family had the luminous idea to use patronage of Buddhism to enhance their prestige, an idea that was suggested to them at the moment Buddhism first entered Japan.
A Buddhist Victory
That was in the middle of the sixth century, when the king of the Korean kingdom of Paekche sent a mission to the emperor of Japan bearing presents including an image of the Buddha and a number of sutras. The emperor, however, who was after all the high priest of the native religion, felt it would go too far to start worshiping the new creed.
But as he also did not dare neglect the wondrous new image (warmly recommended by the Korean king) he asked who among his courtiers would be willing to take it in their care. The Soga jumped at the occasion. In the next years, an intense strife with the Mononobe, the main conservative clan that opposed the new faith followed. There were ups and downs on both sides, but in 587, at the death of the emperor, the Mononobe were defeated in an open military clash. From then on the Soga had the field to themselves in Japanese politics, until hubris led to their own fall in 645.
The building of the pagoda - taking place just before the Soga's victory - was a public challenge from Soga no Umako to his enemies. After his victory, in 588 Asukadera (or Hokoji, as it was then called) was established around the wondrous and exotic pagoda. The whole temple complex took twenty more years to build, and was huge in dimension.
This became clear when the site was excavated in 1957. The researchers were surprised at the size of the temple layout, consisting of the pagoda with a width of 12 meters at the base of the sides; the Middle Main Hall of the temple, housing its statues; and two more halls standing to the left and right; the whole was enclosed by a roofed corridor. The total site measured 20,000 m2 - thrice the size of Horyuji's main compound.
Unfortunately, after the excavations, the site was closed again, so that now nothing is left to remind visitors of the original grandeur of this temple. The present building is small and of late date.
It is in fact not more than a simple hall to house the temple's main image, the 2.75 meter high Asuka Buddha. This is Shaka, the historical Buddha, and like the (later) Shaka in Horyuji it was made by Tori, the first Buddhist sculptor in Japan, who was active in the late fifth and early sixth century. It has been cast in bronze and this statue, too, is in the style that was popular in China at the time, that of the Northern Wei.
First and Last of the Soga
Asuka Temple became a symbol of the power of Soga no Umako, a position of influence that he later transferred to his son Emishi and grandson Iruka. When Umako died in 626 a huge menhir type grave, the Ishibutai or Stone Terrace, was built to house his remains. This mounded tomb is built in the same grand style as the temple. Made of large granite boulders (the two on top weighing 77 metric tons), it is now exposed through erosion, so that visitors can enter it. Of course, there is no vestige anymore of its original occupant.
In the days of Iruka, the grandson, the Soga had caused so much opposition with their high-handed tactics that a coup followed. The strong man of the reaction was Fujiwara no Kamatari, the first leader of a clan that would consecutively (but more subtly than the Soga) dominate Japanese politics. He acted in consort with Prince Naka no Oe, the later emperor Tenji.
Piquantly, they had their first secret meeting under a zelkova tree in the Asuka temple. Consequently, Iruka was murdered in the Itabuki palace just south of temple, an act carried out right before the eyes of the emperor. The coup members immediately occupied the Asuka temple, from where they were in a good position to fight the Soga forces that were assembled on the Amakashi hill behind it.
Thus the symbol of Soga power became the place of their defeat. Emishi killed himself by setting fire to his house. His whole clan was exterminated. A hundred meters west of the Asuka Temple is a small grave that is said to contain the severed head of Iruka.
[Iruka's head grave - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
A Battered Buddha
A great good may make use of historical forces that in themselves are not so ethical. Thanks to the Soga's patronage, which undoubtedly was more for reasons of power politics and self-aggrandizement than religion, Buddhism could gain a foothold in Japan. There had been private believers before, among the numerous Korean and Chinese immigrants in the country, but thanks to the Soga clan, Buddhism - originally a very exotic creed to the Japanese - gained public acceptance. Over the course of the centuries it would deeply influence Japanese thought, culture and art.
I arrive at Asukadera after a day's walk along historical remnants and I have come here to see another remnant: what is left of Japan's oldest great Buddha statue. After I step up into the temple hall, a priest shows me the statue. Sitting on the wooden floor in front of the Shaka Buddha, I listen to his narration about the temple's history. The statue is lighted by small spotlights that bring out its qualities to advantage.
The Shaka is indeed a sadly battered statue. It has been so often restored that it seems no more than a coagulation of cracked bronze, sometimes inexpertly welded together. Only part of the face and three of its fingers are still original. It seems as if the Buddha has been in a traffic accident and operated on by an inexpert plastic surgeon. The face is not in balance and depending on the position of the viewer, makes a very different impression.
From where I sit on the floor, it looks strangely compassionate and a bit sad, worlds removed from the power magnates who patronized its building, eons away from the history of its own decline.
It seems as if, over all those centuries, the compassion that is the core of Buddhism has been mixed with sadness at the world's state and found expression in the mutilated face of this Shaka, the oldest Buddha of Japan.
Address: 682 Asuka, Asuka-mura, Takaichi-gun, Nara-ken
Tel. 0744-54-2126
Access: 10 min. by bus from Kashiwara-Jingu-mae Station on the Kintetsu Kashiwara Line.
In the neighborhood: Visit other Asuka destinations as the Ishibutai, Takamatsu Kofun, Asukani-imasu Jinja, Okadera, Tachibanadera, the Amakashi-no-Oka Hill and the Asuka Historical Museum. It is a great area to walk or cycle around for a whole day.
Resources: The website of the Asuka Historical Museum has excellent English introductions about the temples in Asuka, as well as palace ruins, kofun tumuli, and stone figures.
November 22, 2006
Japan and the Gender Gap
The Swiss-based World Economic Forum has just released a global report measuring women's achievements in four key areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival. The report was authored by Saadia Zahidi, Economist and Head, Women Leaders Programme. The survey covers 115 countries and 90% of the world's population.
Where do you think Japan comes in? Indeed, at a disappointing 79th position. This is due to low scores in both "economic opportunity" and "political empowerment."
As regards the economic position of women in Japan, labor participation is low at 48%, income is less then half that of men, and there are only 10% women in managerial positions.
Political empowerment is possibly even worse, with only 9% women in parliament, 13% in ministerial positions and never a female prime minister or head of state. On both these items Japan scores only 83rd position worldwide.
Japan also does not so well in education of females (what surprised me): although there is 99% literacy and 100% of females are enrolled in both primary and secondary education (the same as for males), it is tertiary education where things get skewed with only 51% of young women entering university against 57% of males.
Happily, it is in the third item, health, that Japan shines, with an almost even sex-ratio at birth and a life expectancy of females of 77.7 years (against 72.3 for males). Japan comes in at first position here, a mitigating factor which lifts the overall ranking up to 79.
As regards Japan's neigbors, China comes in at a not-too-bad 63, but South Korea does even worse than Japan, scoring only 92. The U.S. scores a 22nd position.
Who are the winners? As was to be expected, the Scandinavian countries: Sweden is 1, Norway 2, Finland 3 and Iceland 4. Germany comes in at 5th position and the Philippines at 6 - the only Asian country in the top ten. New Zealand is 7, Denmark 8, the UK 9 and Ireland 10.
My country of origin, the Netherlands, comes in at a to me disappointing 12th position - apparently due to education (too many girls seem to drop out in primary and secundary education, although on the other hand there are more women at university than men), health (life expectance only 72.6) and to a lesser degree still a gap in economic participation.
You can download the full report from the WEF website - it is an interesting read!
Where do you think Japan comes in? Indeed, at a disappointing 79th position. This is due to low scores in both "economic opportunity" and "political empowerment."
As regards the economic position of women in Japan, labor participation is low at 48%, income is less then half that of men, and there are only 10% women in managerial positions.
Political empowerment is possibly even worse, with only 9% women in parliament, 13% in ministerial positions and never a female prime minister or head of state. On both these items Japan scores only 83rd position worldwide.
Japan also does not so well in education of females (what surprised me): although there is 99% literacy and 100% of females are enrolled in both primary and secondary education (the same as for males), it is tertiary education where things get skewed with only 51% of young women entering university against 57% of males.
Happily, it is in the third item, health, that Japan shines, with an almost even sex-ratio at birth and a life expectancy of females of 77.7 years (against 72.3 for males). Japan comes in at first position here, a mitigating factor which lifts the overall ranking up to 79.
As regards Japan's neigbors, China comes in at a not-too-bad 63, but South Korea does even worse than Japan, scoring only 92. The U.S. scores a 22nd position.
Who are the winners? As was to be expected, the Scandinavian countries: Sweden is 1, Norway 2, Finland 3 and Iceland 4. Germany comes in at 5th position and the Philippines at 6 - the only Asian country in the top ten. New Zealand is 7, Denmark 8, the UK 9 and Ireland 10.
My country of origin, the Netherlands, comes in at a to me disappointing 12th position - apparently due to education (too many girls seem to drop out in primary and secundary education, although on the other hand there are more women at university than men), health (life expectance only 72.6) and to a lesser degree still a gap in economic participation.
You can download the full report from the WEF website - it is an interesting read!
Autumn in Itabashi
When you travel to Itabashi via the Mita line and see the endless ranges of giant flats on the horizon, you might mistake them for mountains. When the truth dawns upon you, you may start to feel faint at heart and doubt whether you made a good decision to come here. Don't worry: a walk of about 15 minutes from Nishi-Takashimadaira Station will bring you to the Itabashi Art Museum, standing at a quiet pond, Tameike, safe from the onslaught of the danchi.
[Great Buddha of Jorenji - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
The Itabashi Art Museum is the oldest of the many art museums set up by Tokyo's wards and cities (vintage 1979). The museum only organizes special exhibitions and has no works on permanent display, so it is not a place to drop by unprepared. Check the schedule at the website, and only come when there is something of interest, because this museum will be the center of your visit to Itabashi. The museum focuses on Edo art and organizes several interesting exhibitions a year on this subject. A few years ago, for example, I saw a fascinating display of Akita Ranga, the paintings with Western ("Dutch") perspective and chiascuro made in Edo-period Akita. From Nov. 25, 2006 to Jan 14, 2007 an exhibition of ink paintings from the Muromachi period will be held, all from the collection of industrialist Fusaichiro Inoue kept in the (now temporarily closed) Gunma Museum of Modern Art. A good time for a visit!
On the opposite side of the pond where rustic anglers may be active, stands the Itabashi Historical Museum, which has some archeological artifacts and folklore items on display. Best is the minka standing at the back of the museum, making this a nice play to drop in for a few minutes as well.
But there is more in this area. A 5 min. walk from the museums lies the Akatsuka Botanical garden, occupying part of the grounds of the long defunct Akatsuka castle. There are more than 600 different plants and trees, as well as a garden with medicinal herbs mentioned in the Manyoshu. We visited in early winter when everything was bare, and only the fallen leaves rustled under our feet, but it was nice to walk through this park that still keeps an image of the wildness of ancient Musashino.
Our last destination was Jorenji temple. Jorenji's founding goes back many centuries, and originally it stood along the Nakasendo highway - until it had to move in 1973 to make way for an expressway. Now it stands in a corner of the old Akatsuka Castle as well, and contrary to what you might expect of a modern temple it has beautiful grounds and buildings and is a pleasure to visit.
Mentioning the Nakasendo, reminds me of the fact that in the Edo-period Itabashi was "Itabashi-juku," a post town on the highway that ran through the mountains of Central Japan to Kyoto. The post town consisted of four parts; one of these, Naka-juku, had an actuall plank bridge that gave the name "Itabashi" to the whole area. There is little post town atmosphere left in present-day Itabashi, which is a bedtown with noisy roads leading into Tokyo, but the area with the museums and botanical garden, called Akatsuka, still retains a whiff of the old flavor.
Jorenji boast several monuments and statues in its garden (such as a good modern Hotei), but it is now above all famous for its Daibutsu, its Big Buddha. Only cast in 1977, to pacify the spirits of the soldiers who died ages ago in the battles around Akatsuka Castle (did they scare the priest?), it is 22 metres high and weighs 22 tons. An Amida Buddha like its big brother in Kamakura, it cannot hold a candle to that older statue when it comes to artistic merit, but it nevertheless impresses by its peaceful countenance. A good conclusion of an autumn afternoon in Itabashi.
[Great Buddha of Jorenji - Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
The Itabashi Art Museum is the oldest of the many art museums set up by Tokyo's wards and cities (vintage 1979). The museum only organizes special exhibitions and has no works on permanent display, so it is not a place to drop by unprepared. Check the schedule at the website, and only come when there is something of interest, because this museum will be the center of your visit to Itabashi. The museum focuses on Edo art and organizes several interesting exhibitions a year on this subject. A few years ago, for example, I saw a fascinating display of Akita Ranga, the paintings with Western ("Dutch") perspective and chiascuro made in Edo-period Akita. From Nov. 25, 2006 to Jan 14, 2007 an exhibition of ink paintings from the Muromachi period will be held, all from the collection of industrialist Fusaichiro Inoue kept in the (now temporarily closed) Gunma Museum of Modern Art. A good time for a visit!
On the opposite side of the pond where rustic anglers may be active, stands the Itabashi Historical Museum, which has some archeological artifacts and folklore items on display. Best is the minka standing at the back of the museum, making this a nice play to drop in for a few minutes as well.
But there is more in this area. A 5 min. walk from the museums lies the Akatsuka Botanical garden, occupying part of the grounds of the long defunct Akatsuka castle. There are more than 600 different plants and trees, as well as a garden with medicinal herbs mentioned in the Manyoshu. We visited in early winter when everything was bare, and only the fallen leaves rustled under our feet, but it was nice to walk through this park that still keeps an image of the wildness of ancient Musashino.
Our last destination was Jorenji temple. Jorenji's founding goes back many centuries, and originally it stood along the Nakasendo highway - until it had to move in 1973 to make way for an expressway. Now it stands in a corner of the old Akatsuka Castle as well, and contrary to what you might expect of a modern temple it has beautiful grounds and buildings and is a pleasure to visit.
Mentioning the Nakasendo, reminds me of the fact that in the Edo-period Itabashi was "Itabashi-juku," a post town on the highway that ran through the mountains of Central Japan to Kyoto. The post town consisted of four parts; one of these, Naka-juku, had an actuall plank bridge that gave the name "Itabashi" to the whole area. There is little post town atmosphere left in present-day Itabashi, which is a bedtown with noisy roads leading into Tokyo, but the area with the museums and botanical garden, called Akatsuka, still retains a whiff of the old flavor.
Jorenji boast several monuments and statues in its garden (such as a good modern Hotei), but it is now above all famous for its Daibutsu, its Big Buddha. Only cast in 1977, to pacify the spirits of the soldiers who died ages ago in the battles around Akatsuka Castle (did they scare the priest?), it is 22 metres high and weighs 22 tons. An Amida Buddha like its big brother in Kamakura, it cannot hold a candle to that older statue when it comes to artistic merit, but it nevertheless impresses by its peaceful countenance. A good conclusion of an autumn afternoon in Itabashi.
Itabashi Art Museum
5-34-27 Akatsuka, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3979-3251
CL Mon, Dec 28-Jan 4
15 min walk from Nishi-Takashimadaira St on the Mita line
Itabashi Historical Museum
Tel: 03-5998-0081
CL Mon, Dec 28-Jan 4
In late winter/early spring, the Tameike pond and park are the site of the Ume (plum) festival.
Akatsuka Botanical Garden
(Manyo Yakuyo Garden)
Tel: 03-3975-9127
CL New year
16 min walk from Shimo-Akatsuka St on the Tobu Tojo Line
Jorenji Temple
5-28-3 Akatsuka, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
30 min walk from Shimo-Akatsuka St on the Tobu Tojo Line
The temple, botanical garden and historical museum are free. Entrance to the art museum is usually 600 yen, but may depend on the exhibition.
Note: The idea to visit Jorenji came from a nice little guidebook, Tokyo for Free, by Susan Pompian (Kodansha International, 1998).
November 21, 2006
Komatsu Hitoshi: Hermit painter from Ohara
Komatsu Hitoshi (1902-1989) is an interesting nihonga painter to whom a small gallery has been dedicated in Ohara, on the road leading to Jakkoin and Sanzenin, in the northern part of Kyoto. We visit on a cold day, when snow covers the fields.
[Entrance of Komatsu Hitoshi Gallery. Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
Komatsu Hitoshi was born in Yamagata Prefecture. In 1920 he moved to Tokyo to become a painter, but after winning a prize at an exhibition in Kyoto, he settled down in the old capital. He studied under renowned renovator Tsuchida Bakusen and later exhibited at the Inten, the largest exhibition of Japanese-style paintings. Living a secluded life in Ohara from age 25 until his death almost 65 years later, and sporting a long, snow-white beard, people considered him as a typical hermit painter.
Komatsu Hitoshi made his most characteristic paintings in a sort of pointillist sumie (Indian ink) style. He is famous for his panoramic screens of the Mogami River or the scenery of Ohara, enormous canvasses which he painted in meticulous detail.
The Komatsu Hitoshi Gallery consists of a few simple structures (partly the painter’s refurbished residence) and the paintings have unfortunately been harmed a bit by dampness and perhaps the fact that they are exhibited for too long, but this museum offers an interesting glimpse into the world of a delicate artist.
Besides the monochrome works, there is also a uniquely colorful painting of an Ohara-me, a young woman from Ohara carrying vegetables in a basket on her head.
When we leave the last of the four galleries, which is dedicated to the person of Komatsu Hitoshi and also has his portrait on an altar, and step through the small garden, it is as if we meet a sudden apparition: a hermit with a long white beard is chopping wood, looks up, smiles at us. As if the portrait has come alive...
Automatically, we greet back, flabbergasted we walk on, but decide it must be the son of the painter... or the grandson? ...without knowing whether he had a son.
Who else could it have been?
[Entrance of Komatsu Hitoshi Gallery. Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
Komatsu Hitoshi was born in Yamagata Prefecture. In 1920 he moved to Tokyo to become a painter, but after winning a prize at an exhibition in Kyoto, he settled down in the old capital. He studied under renowned renovator Tsuchida Bakusen and later exhibited at the Inten, the largest exhibition of Japanese-style paintings. Living a secluded life in Ohara from age 25 until his death almost 65 years later, and sporting a long, snow-white beard, people considered him as a typical hermit painter.
Komatsu Hitoshi made his most characteristic paintings in a sort of pointillist sumie (Indian ink) style. He is famous for his panoramic screens of the Mogami River or the scenery of Ohara, enormous canvasses which he painted in meticulous detail.
The Komatsu Hitoshi Gallery consists of a few simple structures (partly the painter’s refurbished residence) and the paintings have unfortunately been harmed a bit by dampness and perhaps the fact that they are exhibited for too long, but this museum offers an interesting glimpse into the world of a delicate artist.
Besides the monochrome works, there is also a uniquely colorful painting of an Ohara-me, a young woman from Ohara carrying vegetables in a basket on her head.
When we leave the last of the four galleries, which is dedicated to the person of Komatsu Hitoshi and also has his portrait on an altar, and step through the small garden, it is as if we meet a sudden apparition: a hermit with a long white beard is chopping wood, looks up, smiles at us. As if the portrait has come alive...
Automatically, we greet back, flabbergasted we walk on, but decide it must be the son of the painter... or the grandson? ...without knowing whether he had a son.
Who else could it have been?
Tel: 075-744-2318
Hrs: 10:00-17:00; CL Mon, NY
Access: Take Kyoto bus 17 or 18 from Kyoto St to Ohara and get off at Todera; then a 15 min walk through the fields on the side of the bus stop).
November 20, 2006
Musashi Mitake Shrine: Armor on the mountain
The Mitake shrine sits on top of Mt. Mitake (929m) to the west of Tokyo, just inside the Chichibu and Tama National Park. It has always been regarded as a sacred mountain and was honored by both Japan's indigenous faith and Buddhists. Mt. Mitake was especially popular among the syncretistic shugendo cult of the mountain ascetics. The shrine was also highly regarded by those in power as is attested to by the many gifts they donated. Part of these are on view in the Treasure Hall.
[Mitake Shrine. Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
As all Japanese shrines, the Mitake Shrine traces its origins to an unbelievable antiquity that never was, except in myths. The mythical hero Yamato Takeru visited here and buried a cache of arms. The country around it was therefore called Musashi (written with characters meaning “military storehouse”). The next visitor was not mythical, but highly legendary: the peripatetic priest Gyoki, who is credited with setting up a statue of Zao Gongen here in 736. What this shows is that the shrine was a syncretic establishment (both Shinto and Buddhist, with the latter element perhaps even stronger) of the shugendo priests, ascetic priests who practiced in the mountains. Later, the shrine came to be regarded as a patron deity of the Edo/Tokyo area. In Meiji, when gods and Buddhas were split by the new government, the syncretic establishment was turned into a Shinto shrine.
The Haiden (Prayer Hall) was donated in 1700 by the Tokugawa shogunate and is in the ornate Gongen-style of the Nikko shrines. The two-story Treasure Hall dates from 1976; in front of it stands a statue of Hatakeyama Shigetada on horseback.
The shrine owns two national treasures: a piece of gorgeous armor (yoroi) with lacing of red thread (12th c.) and a saddle decorated in mother-of-pearl inlay with a design of circles (13th c.). The armor is counted among the three best pieces of armor in Japan and was donated to the shrine in 1191 by the military man sitting on horseback (and in bronze) in front of the museum, Hatakeyama Shigetada. The saddle is regarded as an exemplary item of a military saddle from the Kamakura period.
Other items in the museum include a portable shrine (mikoshi) from 1700; a metal plate with an effigy of Zao Gongen on it (these plates called kakebotoke were hung on the walls of temples); and a set of large cups to toast with before going into battle. In short, this is a cache of armor and Buddhist art worth to climb the mountain for.
[Mitake Shrine. Photo © Ad Blankestijn]
As all Japanese shrines, the Mitake Shrine traces its origins to an unbelievable antiquity that never was, except in myths. The mythical hero Yamato Takeru visited here and buried a cache of arms. The country around it was therefore called Musashi (written with characters meaning “military storehouse”). The next visitor was not mythical, but highly legendary: the peripatetic priest Gyoki, who is credited with setting up a statue of Zao Gongen here in 736. What this shows is that the shrine was a syncretic establishment (both Shinto and Buddhist, with the latter element perhaps even stronger) of the shugendo priests, ascetic priests who practiced in the mountains. Later, the shrine came to be regarded as a patron deity of the Edo/Tokyo area. In Meiji, when gods and Buddhas were split by the new government, the syncretic establishment was turned into a Shinto shrine.
The Haiden (Prayer Hall) was donated in 1700 by the Tokugawa shogunate and is in the ornate Gongen-style of the Nikko shrines. The two-story Treasure Hall dates from 1976; in front of it stands a statue of Hatakeyama Shigetada on horseback.
The shrine owns two national treasures: a piece of gorgeous armor (yoroi) with lacing of red thread (12th c.) and a saddle decorated in mother-of-pearl inlay with a design of circles (13th c.). The armor is counted among the three best pieces of armor in Japan and was donated to the shrine in 1191 by the military man sitting on horseback (and in bronze) in front of the museum, Hatakeyama Shigetada. The saddle is regarded as an exemplary item of a military saddle from the Kamakura period.
Other items in the museum include a portable shrine (mikoshi) from 1700; a metal plate with an effigy of Zao Gongen on it (these plates called kakebotoke were hung on the walls of temples); and a set of large cups to toast with before going into battle. In short, this is a cache of armor and Buddhist art worth to climb the mountain for.
Tel: 0428-78-8500
Hrs: 9:00-17:00; CL Thurs
Access: JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station to Tachikawa Station and transfer to the Ome Line to Mitake Station. Take a bus from the car park opposite Mitake Station to Takimoto at the foot of Mt. Mitake. Board the cable car for the top of the mountain and walk 25 min. to the Mitake Shrine.
November 17, 2006
Great sites (2): Medical Ukiyo-e
Yes, your read it right: Ukiyo-e and other Japanese paintings on medical subjects. The site is not very large (a series of yamato-e paintings and 30 ukiyo-e), and comments are not perfect or even totally lacking and replaced by question marks, but the whole is weird enough to mention here.
After all, what does the virtuous Japanese housewife do when her husband has leprosy? Full of care, she brings him a nice cup of tea and doesn't run away as most other wives at that time did! A troubled lady is being treated with burning moxa; the print is a strange mixture of sadism (the painfulness of the treatment) with eroticism - the sensual nape of the neck dominates the print. There is also detailed information on the process of pregnancy, showing the growing foetus in the mother. This print is from 1881 and therefore already based on the insights of modern science.
The most horrific prints concern an old subject: the transcience of beauty, in the past usually depicted by showing the Marylin Monroe of Heian Japan, Ono no Komachi, as an old decripit hag and even as a decomposing corpse. Here we are shown the putrification of a female corpse in gruesome detail. Undoubtedly this served to propagate the Buddhist message that all things are mutable and basically empty (ku). A second series, on a more modern note, shows the dissection of the corpse of a female criminal.
The site was set up by the Kansas University Medical Center; the collection of medical ukiyo-e is housed in the Clendening History of Medicine Library belonging to that institution. It was donated by Dr. Matthew Pickard, a student of the history of medicine and collector of Chinese and Japanese prints, books and sculpture.
[With thanks to Mari Diary]
After all, what does the virtuous Japanese housewife do when her husband has leprosy? Full of care, she brings him a nice cup of tea and doesn't run away as most other wives at that time did! A troubled lady is being treated with burning moxa; the print is a strange mixture of sadism (the painfulness of the treatment) with eroticism - the sensual nape of the neck dominates the print. There is also detailed information on the process of pregnancy, showing the growing foetus in the mother. This print is from 1881 and therefore already based on the insights of modern science.
The most horrific prints concern an old subject: the transcience of beauty, in the past usually depicted by showing the Marylin Monroe of Heian Japan, Ono no Komachi, as an old decripit hag and even as a decomposing corpse. Here we are shown the putrification of a female corpse in gruesome detail. Undoubtedly this served to propagate the Buddhist message that all things are mutable and basically empty (ku). A second series, on a more modern note, shows the dissection of the corpse of a female criminal.
The site was set up by the Kansas University Medical Center; the collection of medical ukiyo-e is housed in the Clendening History of Medicine Library belonging to that institution. It was donated by Dr. Matthew Pickard, a student of the history of medicine and collector of Chinese and Japanese prints, books and sculpture.
[With thanks to Mari Diary]
November 12, 2006
Ten best samurai films
After reading Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves, I felt like making my own list of favorite samurai films and this is what I came up with:
- Miyamoto Musashi aka Samurai (1954-56) by Inagaki Hiroshi. In three films Inagaki follows the exploits of Japan's greatest legendary swordsman. The first film is rather sentimental (due to the time it was made, I usually prefer samurai movies from the sixties and later), but Mifune Toshiro shines in an explosive performance. The story improves in Part Two, Duel at Ichijoji Temple and Part Three, Duel on Ganryu Island.
- Yojimbo (1961) by Kurosawa Akira. Kurosawa made many superb samurai films and it is difficult to choose. I prefer the compact Yojimbo because of its sardonic antihero played by Mifune Toshiro (take alone the way he scratches his back at the beginning of the film!), setting the tone for the samurai film of the sixties and also influencing spaghetti Westerns.
- Seppuku (Harakiri) (1962) by Kobayashi Masaki. Stark, deep-cutting film that exposes the moral emptiness at the heart of Bushido. Great performance by Nakadai Tatsuya.
- Onibaba (1964) by Shindo Kaneto. Not in Galloway's book, and I have to confess there is no swordfight in it - instead, we have two women trapping wounded samurai to steal there weapons and armor. An aggressive masterwork that hits you squarely in the face. The huge field of waving susuki grass where the women wait for their prey dominates the film as a living organism. Read my review of the film.
- The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) by Misumi Kenji. The first in the series of 26, starring Katsu Shintaro as the blind swordmaster. Sheer fun, as he can cut a candle in two after throwing it into the air, splitting even the wick so that both halves fall down still burning. Although I also like Kitano Takeshi's pastiche (Zatoichi, 2003), the original series is superior!
- Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction (1964) by Ikehiro Kazuo. The best of the twelve films about Nemuri Kyoshiro, starring Ichikawa Raizo. A surrealistic film about a nihilistic hero, "the son of a Portugese priest who assaulted his Japanese mother during the Black Mass." Total pulp, as is the sword technique of Kyoshiro, who is skilled in stripping women of their clothes with one swipe of his mighty weapon.
- Sword of Doom (Daibosatsu Toge) (1966) by Okamoto Kihachi. Dark film about a sociopathic samurai who is a murder-machine. Again featuring Nakadai Tatsuya in a fantastic act.
- Goyokin (1969) by Gosha Hideo. Nakadai Tatsuya as a guilt-ridden samurai who tries to stop the cynical clan government from massacring a whole village.
- Roningai (1990) by Kuroki Kazuo. A group of ronin drinks at a tavern/brothel in the outskirts of Edo. They come to the rescue of the women when samurai start killing off the prostitutes. Last film of Katsu Shintaro.
- Twilight Samurai (2002) by Yamada Yoji. Beautiful film about the passing of the samurai age. Sanada Hiroyuki plays the poor samurai Seibei who works as clerck for a small han in northern Japan; Miyazawa Rie shines as his love interest Tomoe. The clan tries to uphold feudalism even when their time is past, which spells tragedy for unheroic (but brave and upright) Seibei.
November 11, 2006
Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves
The first Japanese film I ever saw was Rashomon and since that momentous evening I have been hooked on samurai films (and Japanese film in general). This was about 20 years ago, at a time when it was still difficult to find Japanese films. The situation improved after I moved again to Japan in the late eighties - although the DVD did not exist yet, at least I could rent videos. I also used to scour the TV guide for occasional showings of samurai films on Japanese TV. Then the Laser Disc came and with it lots of chambara films, as the Zatoichi and Nemuri Kyoshiro series. In the late nineties, finally, the DVD took the world by storm and with it came the relatively large flow of films we now can choose from.
Compared to the past, we now live in heaven for the samurai fan! I gradually grew into this field of swashbuckling Ronin and stern Bushido (and there were such useful guides as Alain Silver's The Samurai Film and the book by Donald Richie on Kurosawa), but if you are new to it, some more help may come in handy. It is here that Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves, The Samurai Film Handbook by Patrick Galloway proves its worth, although even as an "old hand" I greatly enjoyed it.
Galloway is an ardent fan of samurai flicks and his enthousiasm is quite infectious. He discusses 50 films (all available to would-be viewers, most of them even relatively easy) and also provides profiles for 10 directors and actors. In the introduction he gives the necessary cultural background about the samurai and the films that were made about them. His definition of the samurai film neglects Japanese intricacies such as the difference between jidaigeki (historical films) and chambara (swordfight films). In Galloway's definition all films that have samurai and swordfights in it and that are set in the historical period until the start of the Meiji period (1868), are samurai films. A very practical definition with which I fully agree!
Galloway not only discusses classics as Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, but also delves into popular series as Zatoichi, Nemuri Kyoshiro, Miyamoto Musashi and Lone Wolf and Cub. Lady Snowblood is present as well. Sometimes he seeks the boundaries of the genre, as in Kwaidan (rather a horror film) or (on a different level) Daimajin, an old monster film about a giant samurai statue that comes to life. But he also discusses art films as Harakiri and gives a sympathetic account of Twilight Samurai.
Galloway writes in a light and humorous style that is a breeze to read. The book has been beautifully edited and illustrated and is fully up to the high standard we have gotten used to from Stone Bridge Press.
Compared to the past, we now live in heaven for the samurai fan! I gradually grew into this field of swashbuckling Ronin and stern Bushido (and there were such useful guides as Alain Silver's The Samurai Film and the book by Donald Richie on Kurosawa), but if you are new to it, some more help may come in handy. It is here that Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves, The Samurai Film Handbook by Patrick Galloway proves its worth, although even as an "old hand" I greatly enjoyed it.
Galloway is an ardent fan of samurai flicks and his enthousiasm is quite infectious. He discusses 50 films (all available to would-be viewers, most of them even relatively easy) and also provides profiles for 10 directors and actors. In the introduction he gives the necessary cultural background about the samurai and the films that were made about them. His definition of the samurai film neglects Japanese intricacies such as the difference between jidaigeki (historical films) and chambara (swordfight films). In Galloway's definition all films that have samurai and swordfights in it and that are set in the historical period until the start of the Meiji period (1868), are samurai films. A very practical definition with which I fully agree!
Galloway not only discusses classics as Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, but also delves into popular series as Zatoichi, Nemuri Kyoshiro, Miyamoto Musashi and Lone Wolf and Cub. Lady Snowblood is present as well. Sometimes he seeks the boundaries of the genre, as in Kwaidan (rather a horror film) or (on a different level) Daimajin, an old monster film about a giant samurai statue that comes to life. But he also discusses art films as Harakiri and gives a sympathetic account of Twilight Samurai.
Galloway writes in a light and humorous style that is a breeze to read. The book has been beautifully edited and illustrated and is fully up to the high standard we have gotten used to from Stone Bridge Press.
Great internet sites on Japan (1): The Night View of Seto
The Night View of Seto is a site with stunning panorama pictures of famous night views. The maker, Mr. M. Murakami, is not someone with a "night view mania" as he insists - he just likes to take pictures, put them together in panorama views, and so share night views with people who can't go there themselves. The site has outgrown the Seto Inland Sea, and night views now range from Nagasaki to Tokyo. It is a fantastic indepth site about one specific topic, night view panoramas.
I had to leave Firefox and fire up Internet Explorer to enjoy the automatic scrolling features of the site - in the case of smaller pictures from left to right, but larger ones scroll round a full 360 degrees! It was worth it!
The bilingual site contains well over a hundred night views, most of them in several sizes, besides essays about the technique of taking these pictures and pasting them together.
The best three "million dollar" night views in Japan are traditionally Nagasaki, Kobe and Hakodate. The site contains several views of Kobe by night - my favorite one is this one of Kobe Port, although the view from Mayasan is not to be neglected as well.
Of course, Nagasaki seen from Mt Inasa also looks great. And what about Shimonoseki and the Kaimon Straights seen from the Yume Tower? Osaka from the Umeda Sky Building? Kyoto from Mt Daimonji? Nara from Mt Wakakusa? Takamatsu from Yashima? Kumamoto seen from its impressive castle (this one is a day view, for a change)?
As you see, I just can't stopping clicking on these fascinating night views. And I haven't even told you which one is my favorite: the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo seen from Odaiba!
I had to leave Firefox and fire up Internet Explorer to enjoy the automatic scrolling features of the site - in the case of smaller pictures from left to right, but larger ones scroll round a full 360 degrees! It was worth it!
The bilingual site contains well over a hundred night views, most of them in several sizes, besides essays about the technique of taking these pictures and pasting them together.
The best three "million dollar" night views in Japan are traditionally Nagasaki, Kobe and Hakodate. The site contains several views of Kobe by night - my favorite one is this one of Kobe Port, although the view from Mayasan is not to be neglected as well.
Of course, Nagasaki seen from Mt Inasa also looks great. And what about Shimonoseki and the Kaimon Straights seen from the Yume Tower? Osaka from the Umeda Sky Building? Kyoto from Mt Daimonji? Nara from Mt Wakakusa? Takamatsu from Yashima? Kumamoto seen from its impressive castle (this one is a day view, for a change)?
As you see, I just can't stopping clicking on these fascinating night views. And I haven't even told you which one is my favorite: the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo seen from Odaiba!
November 9, 2006
The Kyoto Tourist and Culture Certification Test (Kyoto Kentei)
There is perhaps no country so fond of tests and exams as Japan. After passing through the "examination hell" of high school, you would think most Japanese would be fed up. But on the contrary, people go on taking exams just for the fun of it!
The example I want to talk about is the "Kyoto Tourist and Culture Certification Test," which was introduced in 2004 for the purpose of certifying knowledge about Kyoto's history and culture (to generate more interest in the historical city).
This test, organized by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has become extremely popular among Kyoto residents as well as fans of the old capital around the country. People who pass the exams (held in Japanese) receive a certificate and may call themselves "Kyoto Experts."
The test has now been conducted two times, in 2004 and 2005; the third test will be held on December 10 this year (unfortunately, written applications for the test were only accepted until November 8, so you will have to wait until next year... just like me!).
The second test attracted 14,000 applicants. While the first test was only for the third and second grades (a basic and more specialized level), the 2005 test added a senior grade with advanced scholarly content. For attending the test, a small fee has to be paid in advance. It is allowed to sit for the third and second degrees at the same time, but the first degree test is only open to those who have passed the second degree.
In contrast to the lower levels, the top grade is not a multiple choice test, but students have to remember all those difficult kanji of names of historical persons, locations, and events! In 2004, the level 3 test was passed by more than 40% of participants, and the level 2 test by almost 30%.
This test is now so popular that the official text book has become a major bestseller in Kyoto bookshops. Besides that, whole stacks of books have appeared to help people test their Kyoto knowledge with questions and quizzes. Last year, even a coaching class was held in advance in Tokyo. Japan Travel Bureau has set up special tours to teach would-be experts about out-of-the-way temples.
In short, the Kyoto Kentei is fast becoming a business all of its own, and it goes without saying that in the meantime tourism in Kyoto is booming (67 million visitors in 2003).
[The first book shown here is the official text book. The second one gives questions and answers of the exam as drills. The third book contains lessons, also for practising]
The example I want to talk about is the "Kyoto Tourist and Culture Certification Test," which was introduced in 2004 for the purpose of certifying knowledge about Kyoto's history and culture (to generate more interest in the historical city).
This test, organized by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has become extremely popular among Kyoto residents as well as fans of the old capital around the country. People who pass the exams (held in Japanese) receive a certificate and may call themselves "Kyoto Experts."
The test has now been conducted two times, in 2004 and 2005; the third test will be held on December 10 this year (unfortunately, written applications for the test were only accepted until November 8, so you will have to wait until next year... just like me!).
The second test attracted 14,000 applicants. While the first test was only for the third and second grades (a basic and more specialized level), the 2005 test added a senior grade with advanced scholarly content. For attending the test, a small fee has to be paid in advance. It is allowed to sit for the third and second degrees at the same time, but the first degree test is only open to those who have passed the second degree.In contrast to the lower levels, the top grade is not a multiple choice test, but students have to remember all those difficult kanji of names of historical persons, locations, and events! In 2004, the level 3 test was passed by more than 40% of participants, and the level 2 test by almost 30%.
This test is now so popular that the official text book has become a major bestseller in Kyoto bookshops. Besides that, whole stacks of books have appeared to help people test their Kyoto knowledge with questions and quizzes. Last year, even a coaching class was held in advance in Tokyo. Japan Travel Bureau has set up special tours to teach would-be experts about out-of-the-way temples.
In short, the Kyoto Kentei is fast becoming a business all of its own, and it goes without saying that in the meantime tourism in Kyoto is booming (67 million visitors in 2003).
[The first book shown here is the official text book. The second one gives questions and answers of the exam as drills. The third book contains lessons, also for practising]
November 8, 2006
Authentic Japanese food
Eating Japanese food outside Japan can be quite a disaster. In my home country, the Netherlands, Japanese food all too often means teppanyaki and in most such restaurants the food is prepared by Chinese cooks. They can be quite creative and perform great shows with their knives on the metal hot plate (one cook was even reported to throw pieces of meat into the air so that the guests had to catch them in their mouths), but it has sadly little to do with Japanese cuisine.
(I have to admit that even Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands in most cases have very little to do with the cuisine of their country of origin - besides being inspired by Indonesian-Chinese cooking, the cooks are often not licensed or trained at all and the food is a far cry from the delicious dishes you are served in China).
So I wholly applaud the fact that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries now plans to launch a system to certify overseas restaurants that serve authentic Japanese cuisine in fiscal 2007.
As reported by the Mainichi Daily News, the Ministry will make a selection of restaurants faithful to traditional Japanese recipes and ingredients and so hopes to promote authentic Japanese food culture (and en passant also exports of Japanese agricultural and marine products).
A panel of experts will be established to decide on the certification standards. Although the plans are still scarce on details, I hope they will be realized and lead to more authentic Japanese restaurants overseas!
(I have to admit that even Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands in most cases have very little to do with the cuisine of their country of origin - besides being inspired by Indonesian-Chinese cooking, the cooks are often not licensed or trained at all and the food is a far cry from the delicious dishes you are served in China).
So I wholly applaud the fact that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries now plans to launch a system to certify overseas restaurants that serve authentic Japanese cuisine in fiscal 2007.
As reported by the Mainichi Daily News, the Ministry will make a selection of restaurants faithful to traditional Japanese recipes and ingredients and so hopes to promote authentic Japanese food culture (and en passant also exports of Japanese agricultural and marine products).
A panel of experts will be established to decide on the certification standards. Although the plans are still scarce on details, I hope they will be realized and lead to more authentic Japanese restaurants overseas!
November 5, 2006
Order of Culture 2006 for Setouchi Jakucho
On November 3, Culture Day, the Order of Culture is awarded to five persons. One thing that always strikes me about the winners is their advanced age. The unfortunate ones who happen to die before they have passed eighty, will never get such a coveted prize. As reported by the Asahi Shimbun, this year’s winners were aged 93, 87, 84 (2x) and 82.
The most interesting (and high-profile, at least in Japan) person to receive the prize this year was author and Buddhist nun Setouchi Jakucho. Born in 1922, Setouchi wrote semi-autobiographical fiction as well as biographical novels about feminists under the name Setouchi Harumi. Among her most famous works is Natsu no owari, 'The end of Summer' (1962).
She received many literary prizes, such as the Tanizaki Award. Besides The End of Summer, also Setouchi's Beauty in Disarray has been translated into English, as well as a few short stories, but the harvest is rather meagre, considering her immense popularity - perhaps because the struggle of women and feminists in Japan is too different from the situation in the West?
In 1973 Setouchi shaved her head and became a Buddhist nun of the Tendai denomination; to signify the change, she changed her first name from Harumi to Jakucho. Besides living in a hermitage in Kyoto, she also became chief priest of Tendaiji in Iwate prefecture, a temple she revived from the ruin into which it had fallen. She has continued to write, now also on popular Buddhism.
In the second half of the nineties she published a translation into modern Japanese of the classical Genji Monogatari - an 11th c. work of fiction so difficult to read for contemporary Japanese that in the last century at least three different translations in modern Japanese were made. Setouchi's skilled translation became a bestseller.
Setouchi Jakucho is a popular lecturer and can also often be seen on television. Her monastic life never has been a very quite one.
On Culture Day, fifteen others were named "Persons of Cultural Merit," apparently a somewhat lower rank that the Order of Culture, and therefore allowing a slightly younger age. Among them are actor Takakura Ken and architect Kurokawa Kisho, who are both in their seventies.
The most interesting (and high-profile, at least in Japan) person to receive the prize this year was author and Buddhist nun Setouchi Jakucho. Born in 1922, Setouchi wrote semi-autobiographical fiction as well as biographical novels about feminists under the name Setouchi Harumi. Among her most famous works is Natsu no owari, 'The end of Summer' (1962).
She received many literary prizes, such as the Tanizaki Award. Besides The End of Summer, also Setouchi's Beauty in Disarray has been translated into English, as well as a few short stories, but the harvest is rather meagre, considering her immense popularity - perhaps because the struggle of women and feminists in Japan is too different from the situation in the West?
In 1973 Setouchi shaved her head and became a Buddhist nun of the Tendai denomination; to signify the change, she changed her first name from Harumi to Jakucho. Besides living in a hermitage in Kyoto, she also became chief priest of Tendaiji in Iwate prefecture, a temple she revived from the ruin into which it had fallen. She has continued to write, now also on popular Buddhism.
In the second half of the nineties she published a translation into modern Japanese of the classical Genji Monogatari - an 11th c. work of fiction so difficult to read for contemporary Japanese that in the last century at least three different translations in modern Japanese were made. Setouchi's skilled translation became a bestseller.
Setouchi Jakucho is a popular lecturer and can also often be seen on television. Her monastic life never has been a very quite one.
On Culture Day, fifteen others were named "Persons of Cultural Merit," apparently a somewhat lower rank that the Order of Culture, and therefore allowing a slightly younger age. Among them are actor Takakura Ken and architect Kurokawa Kisho, who are both in their seventies.
November 3, 2006
How to spend Culture Day
Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) on November 3 is originally the holiday dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, whose birthday according to the Lunar Calendar fell around this date. Before the war, people would gather at shrines throughout the country and bow in the direction of the Imperial Palace. Under the postwar constitution the day was rechristened as "Culture Day", as after all autumn is a time for cultural pursuits. Moreover, on this day in 1946, the new constitution was officially announced.
[Meiji Shrine, Tokyo]
On November 3 the Emperor awards the Order of Culture to people of outstanding achievement in the fields of science, art or culture. The Emperor presents the awards (shaped as a mandarin orange blossom with purple cord; the mandarin orange was planted in the palace courtyard since Heian times and symbolizes eternity - in this way the timelessness of culture is expressed - see the webpage of the Bureau of Culture) during a ceremony held in the palace. There are also many art festivals and cultural activities nationwide, where lesser awards are given by all kinds of organisations.
The best news: it is always sunny weather on November 3, at least in Tokyo or Kyoto, so it is a great day to go out! Some suggestions:
- In Nara, visit the National Museum to see the Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures. These are 650 items, all personal belongings of Emperor Shomu, given to the Great Buddha of Todaiji by his widow, the Empress Komyo in the 8th century. Among the priceless treasures are many Persian and Chinese items that reached Japan via the Silk Road. Carefully kept under lock by Todaiji for many centuries, the Shosoin is now under the care of the Imperial Household Agency. The annual exhibition shows a limited number of items, usually for about 3 weeks from the last week of October. See the webpage of the Museum for details.
- There are also special exhibitions in many other large and small museums nationwide.
- In Tokyo, visit the Meiji Shrine for the last day of the Shrine's Festival (held from Oct. 29 to Nov 3). Various activities are held, including yabusame (archery on horseback) and other demonstrations of martial arts.
- In Hakone, go and see the Daimyo Procession in Hakone Yumoto (and while you are there, have a look at Sounji Temple).
- Go out into nature to view the maple leaves (momiji-gari). In the city it is still to early (both Tokyo and Kyoto have the best leaves from the middle of November on), but if you travel to Nikko or Hakone you will be greeted already by a carpet of red and yellow. In the Kansai, Koyosan should be beautiful around this time.
[Meiji Shrine, Tokyo]
On November 3 the Emperor awards the Order of Culture to people of outstanding achievement in the fields of science, art or culture. The Emperor presents the awards (shaped as a mandarin orange blossom with purple cord; the mandarin orange was planted in the palace courtyard since Heian times and symbolizes eternity - in this way the timelessness of culture is expressed - see the webpage of the Bureau of Culture) during a ceremony held in the palace. There are also many art festivals and cultural activities nationwide, where lesser awards are given by all kinds of organisations.
The best news: it is always sunny weather on November 3, at least in Tokyo or Kyoto, so it is a great day to go out! Some suggestions:
- In Nara, visit the National Museum to see the Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures. These are 650 items, all personal belongings of Emperor Shomu, given to the Great Buddha of Todaiji by his widow, the Empress Komyo in the 8th century. Among the priceless treasures are many Persian and Chinese items that reached Japan via the Silk Road. Carefully kept under lock by Todaiji for many centuries, the Shosoin is now under the care of the Imperial Household Agency. The annual exhibition shows a limited number of items, usually for about 3 weeks from the last week of October. See the webpage of the Museum for details.
- There are also special exhibitions in many other large and small museums nationwide.
- In Tokyo, visit the Meiji Shrine for the last day of the Shrine's Festival (held from Oct. 29 to Nov 3). Various activities are held, including yabusame (archery on horseback) and other demonstrations of martial arts.
- In Hakone, go and see the Daimyo Procession in Hakone Yumoto (and while you are there, have a look at Sounji Temple).
- Go out into nature to view the maple leaves (momiji-gari). In the city it is still to early (both Tokyo and Kyoto have the best leaves from the middle of November on), but if you travel to Nikko or Hakone you will be greeted already by a carpet of red and yellow. In the Kansai, Koyosan should be beautiful around this time.
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