tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91445435780358373922024-03-29T15:40:14.139+09:00Shinto Shrines of Japan: The Blog GuideJoseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-64589117225054780392023-01-15T12:08:00.000+09:002023-01-15T12:08:55.226+09:00<p> </p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: h3;"><span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Portable Kamidana Jinja </span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: h6;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An Inexpensive Fold-out Shinto Altar for Home or Away</span></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKnM8IwtHmKPUDztxenlmX8wiRpZQSKXYGC94wcCtHj932WOJKG8ywUibpDi8TRyzp6Pg4OMO6ieyNOmCpb4Xr1gJe61ix2vwJZz3_ZL8Py21--V46Qwf1j4TQ-mgRSTBAtv4EWr-6vtV2mFsKPr0Mb--g5mYvTQpWBjLNviTBVGvSKfZknENkohV_g/s909/red-maine-ofuda.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Portable Kamidana Jinja with a sample ofuda. The pictured ofuda is only a representation. An actual ofuda can only be purchased from a Shinto shrine." border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="909" height="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKnM8IwtHmKPUDztxenlmX8wiRpZQSKXYGC94wcCtHj932WOJKG8ywUibpDi8TRyzp6Pg4OMO6ieyNOmCpb4Xr1gJe61ix2vwJZz3_ZL8Py21--V46Qwf1j4TQ-mgRSTBAtv4EWr-6vtV2mFsKPr0Mb--g5mYvTQpWBjLNviTBVGvSKfZknENkohV_g/w640-h493/red-maine-ofuda.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Portable Kamidana Jinja with a sample <i>ofuda</i>. The pictured ofuda is only a representation. <b>An actual ofuda can only be purchased from a Shinto shrine.</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b>Originally posted on 6/19/19</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b>Most readers of this blog know that a <i>kamidana</i> or "God Shelf" is a small, Shinto altar for the home, office, or place of work.</b>
Usually made of wood and attached to a wall near the ceiling it was
once ubiquitous in Japan. However, these days, when most people live in
apartments, where attaching anything to the wall is restricted, move
frequently, or live away from home for long periods of time due to work
requirements, the <i>kamidana</i> has all but disappeared. Still, many people frequent the local shrine, particularly at New Year's, and purchase <i>ofuda</i>
for the home, then have no place to properly keep them. For people in
these situations, as well as for foreign visitors with a keen interest
in Shinto, the Portable Kamidana Jinja is an excellent solution. <b>Please keep in mind that the <i>kamidana</i> is only a home alter and does not refer to any specific <i>kami</i> or <i>jinja</i>.</b> In other words, it is not imbued with any spiritual power. Only an <i>ofuda</i> from a <i>jinja</i> can represent the spirit of any specific <i>kami</i>. The one pictured above is only a sample, not an actual <i>ofuda</i>.<br />
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Simply follow the easy instructions to unfold the <i>kamidana</i>, and set it up in on a shelf or cabinet. No tape or glue needed. Then place your <i>ofuda</i> in the position provided. Now you are set to offer a silent prayer to the <i>kami</i>
and receive it's blessings. If you would like to send the Portable
Kamidana Jinja as a gift, it slips conveniently into an A4 size
envelope. You can also collapse the Kamidana and reset it any number of
times. The Portable Kamidana Jinja costs <b>2,700</b> <b>yen including 200 yen tax</b>. <b>(Shipping and paypal fee adds 450 yen for a total of 3,150 )</b>. For further information or orders, contact me at <b>hitsugi101@yahoo.com</b>. <br />
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The Portable Kamidana makes an excellent gift as well. Made of heavy
weight paper and beautifully printed, it presents a formal appearance
appropriate to the task of supporting the <i>ofuda</i>. Once again, please keep in mind that the sample provided with the <i>kamidana</i>, is not an actual <i>ofuda</i>,
and should not be displayed. Also note that some ofuda may be very long
and not easily supported. The sample ofuda depicted here is 190mm tall
but up to 250mm is fine. You can pay through paypal internationally or <i>furikomi</i> within Japan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ay2iOka8jE9pIBcgSk9TsNYv1t1zURw85MjHmq0nl9jq-jjyupbljnWakc-awaa0AG6gqGW5QYyigY400t0uTcYahN5x5FvI1u_RIVtxY91aRfPKLbMYuOBkcR-FQZmMb3-8_JqdWf8k/s1600/res-jinja-set-back.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="842" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ay2iOka8jE9pIBcgSk9TsNYv1t1zURw85MjHmq0nl9jq-jjyupbljnWakc-awaa0AG6gqGW5QYyigY400t0uTcYahN5x5FvI1u_RIVtxY91aRfPKLbMYuOBkcR-FQZmMb3-8_JqdWf8k/s640/res-jinja-set-back.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instructions for setting up the Kamidana Jinja</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpfGI3EG0jQarse5jIcs-GTklS3GTPE5PAc4DiTj0J3YW31dsoi7BL_HcCzP2YprgZPt7xmwBKR-o3tX-z9RFwaKblqZ7J2_vHmh4nuGC2FN-LDH9cobxunl9mlVuMr9BzCln8AOkgqHC/s1600/red-jinja-set.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="842" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpfGI3EG0jQarse5jIcs-GTklS3GTPE5PAc4DiTj0J3YW31dsoi7BL_HcCzP2YprgZPt7xmwBKR-o3tX-z9RFwaKblqZ7J2_vHmh4nuGC2FN-LDH9cobxunl9mlVuMr9BzCln8AOkgqHC/s320/red-jinja-set.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Kamidana Jinja comes with a <i>suzu</i> and <i>saisenbako</i>. Remove the folded kamidana from the package and follow the set-up instructions printed on the back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0s-vBGXV41qBU2jBiUtuyN7xvU-hMa_rAFDRVA11TFfe3FaG_slB-BKdfGzHvHAnDz5rqI0veKowNs6Mj17S2P1CBnG6_hSguTnZTiNEHPcgJUCXi4t1L0dvW7z272iaCvwOlPVC_Mbu/s1600/red-stamp-book-side.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1086" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0s-vBGXV41qBU2jBiUtuyN7xvU-hMa_rAFDRVA11TFfe3FaG_slB-BKdfGzHvHAnDz5rqI0veKowNs6Mj17S2P1CBnG6_hSguTnZTiNEHPcgJUCXi4t1L0dvW7z272iaCvwOlPVC_Mbu/s200/red-stamp-book-side.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>kamidana</i> with two <i>Goshuinchou</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9yfVQncdJ2V52CVyw5OyxRjPg18iEPpuaNPPgN4dyXWa4O9i66pXAluK19wf6nzzZwIX5ainO0eHVdguTtGTl0F4J-BsqCP9DUnkXOgqGv_6JMye11pITxxA1Xf19u7OtxrkFuVlZyGG/s1600/suzu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1440" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9yfVQncdJ2V52CVyw5OyxRjPg18iEPpuaNPPgN4dyXWa4O9i66pXAluK19wf6nzzZwIX5ainO0eHVdguTtGTl0F4J-BsqCP9DUnkXOgqGv_6JMye11pITxxA1Xf19u7OtxrkFuVlZyGG/s400/suzu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kamidana Jinja with the <i>saisenbako</i> and <i>suzu</i> in place.</td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKnM8IwtHmKPUDztxenlmX8wiRpZQSKXYGC94wcCtHj932WOJKG8ywUibpDi8TRyzp6Pg4OMO6ieyNOmCpb4Xr1gJe61ix2vwJZz3_ZL8Py21--V46Qwf1j4TQ-mgRSTBAtv4EWr-6vtV2mFsKPr0Mb--g5mYvTQpWBjLNviTBVGvSKfZknENkohV_g/s909/red-maine-ofuda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="909" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKnM8IwtHmKPUDztxenlmX8wiRpZQSKXYGC94wcCtHj932WOJKG8ywUibpDi8TRyzp6Pg4OMO6ieyNOmCpb4Xr1gJe61ix2vwJZz3_ZL8Py21--V46Qwf1j4TQ-mgRSTBAtv4EWr-6vtV2mFsKPr0Mb--g5mYvTQpWBjLNviTBVGvSKfZknENkohV_g/s320/red-maine-ofuda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-39807262619011541942020-03-09T12:41:00.001+09:002020-03-12T10:43:39.366+09:00<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples for Disease Protection and Good Health</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buddhist temples</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyFV-gOMokBluxBUoriPStvjlhGayQ3Mr7fxxCxp3w4PgBanWwh7cPZwvjcJBGTtuUURPXGkG1CgPcEh1FEpl0YAxHi3SIYEZSBSD3II0fWZfnELLuo3fPs8OOryafgKbbrNpNSIvmQo0/s1600/Horuji_Yakushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyFV-gOMokBluxBUoriPStvjlhGayQ3Mr7fxxCxp3w4PgBanWwh7cPZwvjcJBGTtuUURPXGkG1CgPcEh1FEpl0YAxHi3SIYEZSBSD3II0fWZfnELLuo3fPs8OOryafgKbbrNpNSIvmQo0/s640/Horuji_Yakushi.jpg" width="432" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yakushi Nyorai of Horyuji in Nara courtesy Horyuji' <a href="http://www.horyuji.or.jp/en/garan/kondo/detail/#kondodetail02" target="_blank">website</a> (Note that not all Yakushi representations include a medicine jar in the left had, especially older statues.)</span></td></tr>
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">At a time of heightened concern about the corona virus, I offer this short list of shrines and temples where you can pray for good health and protection against disease. The idea of praying at a specific shrine or temple for a specific purpose dates in Japan to at least to the 6th century and the assimilation of a mountain <i>kami</i> known for its healing powers, into the Buddhist cult of Yakushi Nyorai: commonly known as the medicine Buddha. This is according to the book <i>Practically Religious</i> by Ian Reader and George Tanabe. The concept of <i>genze riyaku</i>, which is the subject of this informative book, is usually translated as "this-worldly benefits".</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Naming the concept may make it seem like something particular to Shinto and Buddhism. But if we consider prayer as a sort of dialog, with whoever we conceive of as a God who can answer our prayers, it is clear that all prayer is a plea for help. That plea may be as vague as asking for "guidance" or as specific as praying for relief from pain or debt. In fact, it is probably impossible to think of prayer which does not involve asking for something or thanking God for benefits already bestowed. Bhaiṣajyaguru – the original Sanskrit name of Yakushi (Nyorai basically means Buddha), was transmitted from India to China in the 4th century with the translation of the <i>Sutra of the Master of Medicine </i>(<a href="http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/D%20-%20Chinese%20Mahayana%20Buddhism/Chinese%20Mahayana%20Buddhism/The%20Sutra%20of%20the%20Master%20of%20Healing/mstrhealing.pdf" target="_blank">Bhaiṣajyaguru vaiḍurya prabha rāja sūtra</a>). This according to the website of my old friend Mark Schumacher <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/yakushi.shtml">http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/yakushi.shtml.</a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless of any amalgamation with Shinto deities, Yakushi was always a Buddha who vowed to bring care to the sick. This is by way of the above mentioned sutra, in which Yakushi makes 12 vows. Vow number 6 says:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I vow that, after my reincarnation and having attained Perfect Enlightenment, those beings who are physically inferior, with imperfect senses, such as... leprous, lunatic, or sick in many respects, shall all of them, when they hear of my name, regain their normal appearance and become intelligent. All their senses shall be perfectly restored, and they shall not suffer from disease. </i></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Yakushi's statue usually depicts the Buddha with a small pot of medicine held in the left hand. Perhaps the oldest temple for praying to this Buddha is Horyuji temple in Nara. But Yakushi-ji, also in Nara, is usually considered the most famous. Built in the Asuka period in the capital of Fujiwara-kyo, by Emperor Tenmu to pray for the recovery of his consort (the later Empress Jito) it was moved to Nara around 718. The massive building, located not far from the more famous Buddha of Todaiji, (457 Nishinokyo-cho, Nara City, 630-8563) is flanked by two pagodas (<i>gojunoto</i>) in a symmetrical layout. The temple hosts a Yakushi Triad with the main figure flanked by two bodhisattvas, Nikko and Gakko.</span><br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Arai Yakushi Baisho-in Temple <a href="https://www.araiyakushi.or.jp/en"><span style="font-size: small;">https://www.araiyakushi.or.jp/en</span></a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9gnpkDI6_8Uc2lLw73bYcKHw3IkAQFs5kHkGPEmqv0crM9Ss05oDJnvF6S4mUWDzCg6-tCE6ac9hyphenhyphen9wAIdLbt09Kcvc03yBUkCBKtLE3gCmrbtxUSS8-39ABOlQNrWERMgdZ5YLT6KnZ/s1600/Baisho-in+Yakushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9gnpkDI6_8Uc2lLw73bYcKHw3IkAQFs5kHkGPEmqv0crM9Ss05oDJnvF6S4mUWDzCg6-tCE6ac9hyphenhyphen9wAIdLbt09Kcvc03yBUkCBKtLE3gCmrbtxUSS8-39ABOlQNrWERMgdZ5YLT6KnZ/s400/Baisho-in+Yakushi.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arai Yakushi of <a href="https://www.araiyakushi.or.jp/en" target="_blank">Baisho-in</a> (courtesy <a href="https://www.jalan.net/event/evt_230372/" target="_blank">jalan.net)</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Address: 5-3-5, Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 165-0026</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This temple in Tokyo's Nakano area, is accessible from Nakano Station on the Chuo-line. The temple has information in English at the website above. One interesting feature of this temple is their hidden Buddha statue which is displayed only in the year of the Tiger (a substitute is always on display). The next Tiger year is 2022. This Yakushi is historically linked to efficacy in curing diseases of the eyes.</span><br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yakushi-ji Temple, Tokyo Betsu-in <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://yakushiji.or.jp/tokyo/">https://yakushiji.or.jp/tokyo/</a></span></span></span></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cd-2N07cs7kxLvUj22VY3zawe1-IYs_DPMaZ0qUyVgUyB7hhG75lHwdV-_cOD-SZcYCMVlx6RT9J7KyMwlAGgQdfpBxCCs6_t-q0A0HkAe2gXohaEctun7u8IEo8G8A1LGYriUHZN3EU/s1600/Tokyo+Betsu-in+Yakushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cd-2N07cs7kxLvUj22VY3zawe1-IYs_DPMaZ0qUyVgUyB7hhG75lHwdV-_cOD-SZcYCMVlx6RT9J7KyMwlAGgQdfpBxCCs6_t-q0A0HkAe2gXohaEctun7u8IEo8G8A1LGYriUHZN3EU/s320/Tokyo+Betsu-in+Yakushi.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yakushi of Tokyo Betsu-in (courtesy Tokyo Betsuin)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Address: 5-15-17, Higashi-gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141-0022</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Information about this temple comes from the website of <a href="https://www.akadamajapan.com/single-post/2016/11/18/The-Buddhist-practice-of-Shakyou-is-to-trace-Sutras-by-hand" target="_blank">Akadama Japan</a>. According to that site the interesting thing about this temple, a branch temple of Yakushi-ji in Nara, is the chance to do <i>shakyou</i>.</span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"> Shakyou </span></i>is the practice of sutra copying. Copying sutras by hand was once the only way to reproduce them. These concise and terse expressions of received wisdom are the Eastern equivalent of scripture. Normally the practice of monks, it is believed that anyone can gain merit by copying sutras. No appointment is needed and the temple is open for <i>shakyou</i> from 9 to 5, 365 days of the year. The cost is 2,000 yen and apparently your copied sutra will be saved at Yakushi-ji in Nara. Tokyo Betsu-in is a short walk from Gotanda Station<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hinata Yakushi Temple (Hojobo Temple) <a href="http://hinatayakushi.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://hinatayakushi.com/</span></a></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7UwfL1iFdkiiP7YI-aoMUVshfr1REaEuwHXuJSCdv00m0DmTdRTvGkPuwcgl8-n4B8o5vvh6yM8dBAIXWHJHt_MXfxk7FADWPbEcorGC_aQ2p7R3XBi6D0EPu2uV3wmbTqQTTgWTAsb7/s1600/Hinata+Yakushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1125" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7UwfL1iFdkiiP7YI-aoMUVshfr1REaEuwHXuJSCdv00m0DmTdRTvGkPuwcgl8-n4B8o5vvh6yM8dBAIXWHJHt_MXfxk7FADWPbEcorGC_aQ2p7R3XBi6D0EPu2uV3wmbTqQTTgWTAsb7/s400/Hinata+Yakushi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hinata Yakushi (courtesy <a href="https://www.ana.co.jp/en/us/japan-travel-planner/kanagawa/0000009.html" target="_blank">ANA's website</a>)<br />
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<div id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Address: 1644 Hinata, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1101 (300 yen admission)</span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Get out of the city and travel to Mt. Oyama in Kanagawa to visit what, a number of other websites have called, one of the three greatest Yakushi temples in Japan. Whenever I hear "three greatest" something or other, I run for cover. So lets take one thing at a time. For one, it is said the temple was founded in 716 by Gyoki. This would make it one of the oldest temples in Kanagawa. This is not the place to get into it but Gyoki is a very significant figure in the history of Japanese Buddhism. I will just say that he may rightfully be considered one of the chief proselytizers of the religion, wandering throughout the country at a time when monks were mostly cloistered, ostracized by the elite, until he was recruited by Emperor Shomu to save the failing construction of Todai-ji.<br />
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For another, the main building (<i>hondo</i>) sports a large thatch roof that was rebuilt in 2016. An excellent site to read about the restoration (and many other topics) is <a href="https://blog.japan-insights.jp/" target="_blank">Japan - Insights</a>. A small quote from one of this site's excellent writers, Alice Gordenker, relates to another aspect of the temple.<br />
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<i>"Although many temples in Japan preserve ancient Buddhist images, Hinata Yakushi houses an unusually high number of rare and important wooden statues of Buddhist deities, including six that are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. Because the statues are so valuable, they have been moved for safekeeping into a fireproof building next to the main building, where they can be viewed for a small fee."</i><br />
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A final reason to visit Hinata Yakushi is the location. Mt. Oyama, considered one of the principle sacred mountains of Japan, is a traditional destination for worshipers of both Buddhism and Shinto. The natural environment is spectacular and at least as conducive to good health as prayer.</span></span></span><br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nihon-ji Temple <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nihonji.jp/index.html">http://www.nihonji.jp/index.html</a></span></span></span></span></h1><h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table></span></span></span></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjqvWBDxEcO98M40K4UwOMBPkbltAuh-nVU6AETuqhIl1fIncQLYPCbTQhkb0nO0n9ikNnvt4J_ilLMEbLQrfOihU5IQUac63uGt2jRa0MUOk7lhh1rVBPcgBRDEK1GPwVavqL6GXVulm/s1600/Nihon-ji+Yakushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjqvWBDxEcO98M40K4UwOMBPkbltAuh-nVU6AETuqhIl1fIncQLYPCbTQhkb0nO0n9ikNnvt4J_ilLMEbLQrfOihU5IQUac63uGt2jRa0MUOk7lhh1rVBPcgBRDEK1GPwVavqL6GXVulm/s400/Nihon-ji+Yakushi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Great Buddha of Nihon-ji (courtesy <a href="https://www.ana.co.jp/en/ph/japan-travel-planner/chiba/0000016.html" target="_blank">ANA's website)</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1></td></tr>
</tbody></table></span></span></span></span></h1><div id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Address: Nokogiriyama, Kyonan-machi, Awa-gun, Chiba, 299-1901 (600 yen admission)</span></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A Yakushi temple that has several things in common with Hinata Yakushi: another of the oldest temples in the Kanto, another temple founded by Gyoki, and another opportunity to refresh mind and body in spectacular nature. According to the temple's website, Nihon-ji was founded by order of Emperor Shomu, 1300 years ago in 725. While Gyoki had no choice but to walk everywhere he went, several interesting methods for getting to Nihon-ji are available to you. Drivers can cross the combination bridge and tunnel called the Tokyo Aqua Line, which lets out relatively close by. The other is a ropeway from JR Uchibo station that brings you up the mountain.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> As the photo indicates, the temple itself may be the least of the attraction here. Mt. Nokogiriyama, where the temple is located, has a fantastic view of Tokyo Bay and the mountain side is peppered with devotional sculptures – such as the 1,553 <i>rakan</i> – culminating in the 31 meter, carved stone, seated Yakushi. The original dates from 1783, restored in 1969.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Finally, there is Jigoku Nozoki, "hell lookout", an overhang that affords a 360 degree view. The lookout is typical of Shugendo sites, such as the Three Shrines of Kumano (Kumano Sanzan), where pilgrims hang over the edge held by the ankles, while they confess their sins out of fear of imminent death. Gyoki and his followers are usually referred to as <i>ubasoku</i> (layman) rather than <i>bo</i> (monk). The most famous <i>ubasoku</i> is En no Gyoya, considered the founder of Shugendo (mountain asceticism) and a contemporary of Gyoki.</span></span></span><br />
<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shinto shrines</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTORaIP7XgAHXTg5iqpR2H4YZNTp4LPNeUWf5Pj2aQDl-ZAuOaz7HKd3W59ADJITgM-cxX3LftW0f14BOdawFMP98L0WahbOf8v68-jEQdN_dIOeTZmdxyRkLkqZYbZPEeJUuEv2QFAb5/s1600/Sukunahikona+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTORaIP7XgAHXTg5iqpR2H4YZNTp4LPNeUWf5Pj2aQDl-ZAuOaz7HKd3W59ADJITgM-cxX3LftW0f14BOdawFMP98L0WahbOf8v68-jEQdN_dIOeTZmdxyRkLkqZYbZPEeJUuEv2QFAb5/s400/Sukunahikona+Shrine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sukunahikona Shrine (courtesy <a href="https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/en/bunkazai/%E5%B0%91%E5%BD%A6%E5%90%8D%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE" target="_blank">Osaka Heritage Navigation</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Shinto has many <i>kami</i> and praying to any number of them may have some efficacy in curing disease but there is one that is immediately identifiable as a <i>kami</i> of medicine: Sukunahikona (or Sukunabikona) no kami. The small amount of information on this <i>kami</i> comes from the Kojiki, the Izumo and Harima <i>fudoki</i>, and Nihon Shoki. It is a curious and complex tale, so I will let <a href="https://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/en/article/142393" target="_blank">Kokugakuin</a> tell it.<br />
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<i>The appearance of the smallest god in Japanese mythology, Sukunabikona, is filled with mysteries. <br />
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One day, a small god clothed in the feathers of a wren crossed the sea on the sheath of a metaplexis vine to where Okuninushi was. Okuninushi, wanting to learn the truth behind this mysterious deity, asked nearby gods. A toad told him that Kuebiko likely knew. Kuebiko is the ancient word for scarecrow. The knowledgeable Kuebiko said this small god was Sukunabikona, child of Kamumusuhi.<br />
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Kamumusuhi in heaven said that Sukunabikona was too small and fell through his fingers, and that now Sukunabikona should join Okuninushi as a brother in working to build the country. This was the beginning of their task to build the country.<br />
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The Kojiki does not describe the details of what they did to build the country. However, since the identity of Sukunabikona was revealed by toads and scarecrows in the fields, it can be assumed it had something to do with rice cultivation. This is pointed to by Harima no kuni no fudoki and Izumo no kuni no fudoki (works describing the geography and people of ancient Harima and Izumo, located in modern Hyogo and Shimane prefectures respectively), which both depict Okuninushi and Sukunabikona as carrying rice plants, together.<br />
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Also, in the Nihon shoki, these two gods are said to have established methods for healing people and farm animals. In other words, they spread knowledge of medicine. According to the remnants of Izu no kuni no fudoki (a work describing ancient Izu, located in the modern Izu region in Kanagawa Prefecture), Okuninushi and Sukunabikona pitied how quickly humans died and taught them how to use medicine and hot springs. The use of hot springs to improve health has been known in Japan since ancient times. The existence of these two gods attests to that. There are shrines to these two gods in hot spring areas around the country.<br />
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The tiny Sukunabikona who fell from heaven brought with him to Earth the advents of medicine and bountiful harvests. </i><br />
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There are many shrines that worship Okuninushi. Many of them enshrine both <i>kami</i>. Two of the most famous are Izumo Taisha in Shimane Prefecture and Omiwa Jinja in Nara Prefecture. This <i>kami</i> is also called Omononushi and Onamuchi, the explanation of which is too complicated to get into here. I will say only that Okuninushi is worshiped for other things such as wishes for a good marriage and childbirth but, despite the strong agricultural connections, Sukunabikona is thought of as a god of medicine. Interestingly, the Chinese ruler Shennong (Jap. Shinno) is said to have taught the people agriculture and the use of herbs to concoct medicines. He is worshiped as a god of medicine and often conflated (in Japan) with Sukunabikona.<br />
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Even today, many drugs are made from concentrating the active ingredients of certain plants. China has a very long history of using plants as medicine and much of this knowledge was transferred to Japan by Buddhist monks who traveled to China in search of doctrines and teachers. Almost coincidentally, they brought back the knowledge of using plants for health benefits. Many Chinese monks who came to Japan did likewise. These plants were often infused in hot water and drank as a tea. They were also mashed into pastes and dried and processed into powders. Along with this knowledge of medicines, the worship of Shennong came to Japan.<br />
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But since Japan already had a <i>kami</i> of medicine – Sukunabikona – Shennong (or Shinno), was conflated with this <i>kami</i>, which only served to strengthen his reputation as a <i>kami</i> of medicine. Thus it was that in the Doshomachi area of Osaka, which became the center of import and sale of Chinese medicines by the 16th century, also became the home of some of Japans largest pharmaceutical companies. It was only natural then that in 1780, a shrine to Sukunabikona and Shennong was founded which is commonly referred to as Shino-san. Today, the shrine is reached by walking through a narrow alley between two tall modern buildings, one of which is the shrine office that also houses the Doshomachi Pharmaceutical and Historical Museum on the third floor.<br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sukunahikona Jinja (Shinno-san) <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sinnosan.jp/index.html">http://www.sinnosan.jp/index.html</a> </span></span></span></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kGJy7br8TbhZ4BSnvoKvNVMUvftggXQglGjMezdRbWiFixBgKx3-uMjT4d9-iKqyW41HzXnnvv9NHWzcB569oQ2L2GgZJojPXhpArAwuAgsFCvzsDc7hniOw-QsA1GI-XGJOzT8_0539/s1600/Sukunahikona+Jinja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kGJy7br8TbhZ4BSnvoKvNVMUvftggXQglGjMezdRbWiFixBgKx3-uMjT4d9-iKqyW41HzXnnvv9NHWzcB569oQ2L2GgZJojPXhpArAwuAgsFCvzsDc7hniOw-QsA1GI-XGJOzT8_0539/s640/Sukunahikona+Jinja.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haiden of Sukunahikona Jinja (courtesy of the above website)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Address: 2-1-8 Doshomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi 541-0045.<br />
The Sukunahikona <i>kami</i> enshrined here was originally brought from Gojo Ten Jinja of Kyoto, and combined with the Chinese god Shennong. As I mentioned above, Osaka became the import-export capital of Japan, and this was likely due to its good access by ship, and its proximity to the capital of Kyoto. It also quite naturally became a hub of trade in Western medicine, or <i>rangaku</i> (Dutch medicine), as it was called at the time. The area gave birth to Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 1781. The company's main office is located a short distance away but it is now a multi-national company. Another company, which later became Tokyo Tanabe, was founded in Doshomachi in 1678 by a descendant of Tanabeya Matazaemon who was a trader in medicines appointed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1604. For those familiar with Japanese history this may come as a surprise since we are taught that Japan was closed to trade with the outside world at this time except through the Dutch trading post in Nagasaki.<br />
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While you are in the area you may as well visit the <a href="http://www.mtpc-shiryokan.jp/en/index.html">Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Historical Museum</a> but be warned that reservations are necessary. Another point of interest in medical history is the Tekijuku of the famous <i>rangakusha</i>, Ogata Koan. Founded in 1838 to teach medicine, it is considered the ancestor of Osaka University. Guided tours are offered on their <a href="https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/guide/about/tekijuku/gyoji.html">website</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gojo Tenjin Jinja<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLDMHuyuTqC4LPf1_ZAYEIgHLi9QypDECemaVbAUg4ZvAQHxIo77ejLCOt-t5i2rtONtYx0RaeWffjA-jDmW3Uwi0nWZY5iHbCGZP_CcIxeFA1eyPbdYrasl3F5S_JImOQEyYJXCUxXzJ/s1600/Gojoten+Jinja.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLDMHuyuTqC4LPf1_ZAYEIgHLi9QypDECemaVbAUg4ZvAQHxIo77ejLCOt-t5i2rtONtYx0RaeWffjA-jDmW3Uwi0nWZY5iHbCGZP_CcIxeFA1eyPbdYrasl3F5S_JImOQEyYJXCUxXzJ/s640/Gojoten+Jinja.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haiden of Gojo Tenjin Jinja in Ueno Park. Tokyo (from <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BA%94%E6%A2%9D%E5%A4%A9%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE_(%E5%8F%B0%E6%9D%B1%E5%8C%BA)">Wikipedia</a>) </td></tr>
</tbody></table></span></span></span></span></h1><h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: small;">Address: 4-17 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Sukunhikona of Doshomachi is said to be divided from Jojoten Jinja in Kyoto, but as many times as I searched the internet for the shrine, is is the Goto Tenjin-sha in Tokyo's Ueno Park, which always shows up first. For that unreasonable reason, I have listed it first here. Onamuchi no mikoto is also enshrined here. According to shrine legend, the foundation date is 1486. Apparently the shrine was moved several times due to expansion of neighboring Kanei-ji Temple, during the Edo period. Unfortunately, its current location near the Ameya Yokocho entrance, is a little obscure. To confuse matters further, it seems that the <i>kami</i> of learning, Tenjin, was also enshrined here in 1641, hence the name.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1><br />
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<h1 id="main-title"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1><br />
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-57213008846341814072019-08-08T12:26:00.001+09:002019-08-24T13:05:36.870+09:00Kinpu Jinja<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kinpu Jinja </span>(Kimpu, Kinbu, Jinja)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span>UC</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT381cbOkcRTQHtHlwGZMfEDpI5RHYfrZ3s6eIDLi9bOTBML-pP-1zeBmBbfmFrlrhw4_pdav-NrX_LxLshcS9wNiXDjl_8JlUcMjfMWSs8-vu3TB1Cnnfmq9p70SFz6wm1p1K_7fK52Z/s1600/Konbu_Shrine%252C_Yoshino02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT381cbOkcRTQHtHlwGZMfEDpI5RHYfrZ3s6eIDLi9bOTBML-pP-1zeBmBbfmFrlrhw4_pdav-NrX_LxLshcS9wNiXDjl_8JlUcMjfMWSs8-vu3TB1Cnnfmq9p70SFz6wm1p1K_7fK52Z/s640/Konbu_Shrine%252C_Yoshino02.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kinpu Jinja, photo courtesy Kansai Explorer</td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> Date is unclear but mentioned in the Eiga Monogatari written between 1028 and 1107.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 1651 Yoshino-yama, Yoshino-cho, Yoshino-gun, Nara 639-3115<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 0746-32-8167(3032) (Yoshino Tourism Office) Admission of 300 yen for the tower where Yoshitsune Moritomo hid from the Taira.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> Take the Kintetsu Yoshino Line to Yoshino Station. Then take the Yoshinoyama rope way to Yoshinoyama Station. From there take the Yoshino Omine Cable-car minibus headed to Okusenbon Kuchi and get off at the last stop. Then walk about 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>:</b> Kanayamahiko no mikoto.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Good fortune and protection against danger.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Best time to go: </b>Late March to early May for the cherry blossoms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While you're here, any readers who are interested in having a <i>kamidana</i> of their own, or would like to send one to a friend or family member, please check out this post: <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html">https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html</a><br />
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<b>Important physical features: </b> Physically, Kinpu Jinja is a very modest construction of heavily weathered wood, belying the image of its name – Gold Ridge. (It is not to be confused with <a href="https://nippon100.com/en/autumn-shugendo-yoshino" target="_blank">Kinpusen-ji</a>, a very large Buddhist temple, also in the Yoshino area – though somewhat distant from Kinpu Jinja – and also considered a center of Shugendo.) Passing through the first <i>torii</i>, you travel along an ascending paved road to the second <i>torii</i> at the very front of the <i>jinja</i>. The shrine itself is a square structure, three bays wide and deep, with a <i>chidorihafu</i> roof and no walls. From the rear of the shrine a stone stair leads further up the mountain: a clear indication that this is the home of a mountain <i>kami</i>. The present form of the shrine is probably from around 1613 when it was rebuilt after a fire. A pine tree on the grounds is thought to be more than 1,000 years old.<br />
Another important structure is found following the narrow path past the shrine. The so called <i>Yoshitsune kakure-to</i> is a one story pagoda. No more than a simple one room "box" with a cypress-bark roof, as architecture it's neither particularly interesting nor even typical of one-story pagodas. The interest here is related to the historical myth. An 18th century print by, Utagawa Toyohara, depicts an elaborate three-story building which was likely pure imagination on the part of the artist. The title of the print comes from a tale about Yoshitsune no Minamoto, one of many tales related to the Minamoto clan and locations from Kinki to Kanto. Yoshitsune spent years on the run from his jealous and rivalrous brother, the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo, who had previously spent years in hiding from his enemy, the Taira clan. One such tale has it that Yoshitsune hid out in this pagoda and, when discovered and surrounded, escaped by kicking out the roof and running away. Therefore, the title of the print and an alternate name for the pagoda, Kenuke-no-to (literally ‘kicking and escaping pagoda’).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenuke-no-to, print in the possession of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston</td></tr>
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However, as with so many shrines and temples in Japan, the real physical attraction is in the surroundings. The Yoshino and Omine mountain ranges in southern Nara prefecture present a breathtaking and generally unspoiled environment. Kinpu Jinja is near the famous <a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4152.html" target="_blank">Okusenbon</a> area of some 1300 cherry trees (the entire Yoshino area is said to contain some 30,000 trees), which bloom between April and May. The area is best seen by hiking its many rugged trails – between 100 and 600 meters above sea level – stopping to refresh at one of the many <i>onsen</i>, or by joining an ascetic practice group and staying in a <i>shukubo</i> accommodation.<br />
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>The true significance of this shrine is in the history of combinatory gods and religious practices that was once the hallmark of Japanese religion. When the feudal system of government and social organization finally toppled in the late 19th century, it was replaced by a combination of enlightened, Western ideologies – public education, Western medicine, a semi-representative form of government, modern transportation and industrial systems – and a rigid ideology based on the image of a modern European-style monarchy, with a strong military and a God-like Emperor at its head. That ideology demanded that Buddhism and Shinto be completely separated and that Shinto become "what it had always been" – a philosophy of state control and protection. In such an environment, the combination of Buddhas and Kami that had been practiced since the 7th century, was abruptly destroyed. Places such as Kinpu were forbidden from continuing their former practices and Shugendo – an ideology developed from a combination of ancient native gods and sacred sites, overlaid with Buddhist iconography and esoteric spiritualism – was outlawed.<br />
Still today, religion in Japan is basically the Meiji construct that it became at the beginning of the 20th century. But believers are now free to practice as they wish and Shugendo continues to exist at the margins. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Description: </b>Now part of the United Nations designated World Heritage site formally called "Sacred Sited and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, Kinpu Jinja is an important stop on the Omine Pilgrimage route (<i>Omine Okugakemichi</i>). The World Heritage groups together the Koyasan route, the Kumano Kodo routes, and the Yoshino and Omine routes. I have detailed the history of the pilgrimage routes in other posts such as <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2013/06/tenkawa-jinja.html" target="_blank">Tenkawa Jinja</a> and Y<a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2012/08/yoshino-mikumari-jinja-uc-three-honden.html" target="_blank">oshino Mikumari Jinja</a>. The essential thing to note is the influence of Shingon Buddhism, also known as Mikkyo. This esoteric Buddhism was brought to Japan by the priest Kukai, or as he was known later in life, Kobo Daishi. As a scion of the Saeki family of Shikoku, he traveled to Nara for study and eventually was selected to travel on a government sponsored pilgrimage to China in the year 804. In 805 he was introduced to Master Huiguo who initiated him in the esoteric teachings of Indian Mahayana Buddhism at the Qinglong Monastery. Huiguo died shortly after and Kukai returned to Japan in 806 to establish Shingon Buddhism.<br />
Quoting from Oliver Statler's <i>Japanese Pilgrimage</i>, in 816 Kukai petitioned Emperor Saga (786-842) to be given Mount Koya saying, "It is regrettable that only a few priests practice meditation in high mountains, in deep forests, in wide canyons, and in secluded caves. This is because the teaching of meditation has not been transmitted, nor has a suitable place been allocated for the practice of meditation." This is probably the beginning of the pilgrimage routes that started in the capital of Kyoto and ended at the tip of the Kii Peninsula in modern day Wakayama Prefecture. Early pilgrimage was often an elaborate months-long affair, including Emperors and a retinue of hundreds. As a result, an entire pilgrimage enterprise developed with small temples, shrines, and lodgings popping up along the route. The practice of mountain asceticism became key to both Shingon and Tendai Buddhism from this time. Pilgrimage is still very much alive in these mountains with thousands walking the various routes each year.<br />
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<b>Festival:</b> Hanakueshiki Festival, April 10 to 12. Take the Kintetsu Line from Osaka to Yoshino Station. Then take the ropeway to Yoshinoyama Station. Actually a festival closely associated with Kinpusen-ji Temple, flowers are offered to the statue of En no Gyoja, the father of Shugendo, in front of the temple. On the 11th a grand parade departs from Chikurn-in Temple and makes its way to the Zao-do of Kinpusen-ji, amid the sound of the conch and an array of brightly costumed shugenja. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-76986943770365332462019-07-23T17:39:00.002+09:002019-07-23T17:39:48.835+09:00<b><span style="font-size: small;">This article is reproduced from the Japan Mission Journal, September 2019. The Journal is published by Oriens Institute for Religious Research. Some of the references can be better understood by reading the September issue. www.oriens.or.jp</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Pains courtesy of JSTOR Daily</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">The Local and the Universal: What Thomas Paine has to say to the Daijo</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">sai <span style="font-size: small;">by Joseph Cali</span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></h4>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">At the time of the Daij</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai and the Enthronement, attention is again focused on the minutiae of ceremony, of Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, and on the supposed origins of Emperorship in Japan. In this essay I will bypass what I consider to be a misplaced focus on mythology as history and return to the fundamentals of Localism vs. Universalism via the essays of the Englishman cum American, writer and philosopher, Thomas Paine (1737-1809).</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The fascination of ceremony and ritual</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">especially when they are unfamiliar and shrouded in mystery</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is as captivating and entertaining in the age of YouTube as it was in ages past. It is also just as irrelevant as ever to the fundamentals of human existence. This fact was eloquently addressed by one of the most farsighted and critical thinkers of the late 18<sup>th</sup> century, Thomas Paine. Sometimes called </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the Father of the American Revolution,</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the moniker was earned through his attacks on the British Monarchy, most famously in his pre-war pamphlets <i>Common Sense</i>, and <i>The American Crisis</i> of 1776. Paine</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s writings focused on the abuse of power, whether by one man over another or by one man over another using God as a justification. Therefore, his writings attacked the evils of monarchy and religion. An heir of John Locke</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s doctrine of </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">consent of the governed,</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Paine was a great defender of what we call democracy. He was also a deist who abhorred the tyranny of religion, believing that God is omnipresent in all nature, including man.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">The Daij</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">ō</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">sai in the Tradition of Sacral Kingship</span></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">First, to matters at hand, the Daij</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai has been described as a harvest festival, a variation of the Imperial Niiname Festival wherein the Emperor relays the blessings of heaven to the people for the coming year. This also confirms the position of Emperor as chief celebrant of the Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">faith. Leaving aside the fact that there was no Emperor, no Enthronement ceremony, and no Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">faith at the supposed time of </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the first Emperor, Jinmu</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(mythic date 660 BCE), or for many centuries thereafter, the mythology continues in periodically modified forms. For instance, at one of those many points in Japanese history when rival factions fought for selfish gain, a court noble named Kitabatake Chikafusa (1293-1354) wrote an oft-quoted tract, <i>Jinn</i></span><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sh</span></i><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t</span></i><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ki</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (Chronicle of Legitimate Succession of the Divine Emperors). This tract was thought a necessary justification for the continuation of the Imperial line, at one of those not infrequent times when it was splintered by infighting. The tract was later taken as another piece of evidence that the Imperial line has never been broken. The need for such justification in this case was the <i>namboku senso</i> that deposed the Imperial line for about fifty years. Without delving too deeply, Kitabatake</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s spurious </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">history</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is forever used to deny that the line of kings was, in fact, broken, and had been several times in its history. A quote from Mark Riddle</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s <i>Tenn</i></span><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> sums it up:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Kitabatake Chikafusa (1293–1354), a court noble whose political-historical work <i>Jinnou Shoutouki </i>(</span><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">神皇正統記</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">, Chronicle of the Legitimate Succession of the Divine Emperors) was the classic expression of the imperial ideology that provided an official state dogma for Japan from the Meiji Restoration (1868) until well into the twentieth century, wrote: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Japan is the land of the gods. The divine ancestor Kuni-no-tokotachi-no-mikoto laid its initial foundation, and the sun goddess Amaterasu-oo-mi-kami bestowed eternal sovereignty. This is unique to Japan; there is nothing like it in other countries. Thus Japan is the land of the gods.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Actually, divine kingship was ubiquitous in the ancient world. Riddle seeks for the roots of the solar kingship model that Japan adopted as late as the 9<sup>th</sup> century CE, and recounts the Indo-Asian roots of the King</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s relation to </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the Goddess</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">from whom he derives his right to rule. This long essay is well worth rereading on the occasion of the current Daij</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai. It clearly relates the continuity of culture from West to East from which most of Japan</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s religious and cultural practices derive:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Divine authority was a </span><i><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: IT;">sine qua non </span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">of kingship in antiquity—the king derived his status from special powers bestowed upon him by the gods, or, more specifically, by a goddess. As Henri Frankfort expressed it, ‘only those kings were deified who had been commanded by a goddess to share her couch</span><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR;">’ (297). </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">According to Frankfort, divine kingship began when the king began to play the role of the bridegroom in the annual rites of spring, the divine union—the marriage of a god and goddess, which brought about the renewal of nature, ritually enacted in the city temples of Mesopotamia. In several Sumerian texts the king is described as ‘the beloved of Inanna.</span><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR;">’ </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Sargon of Akkad wrote of his love for Ishtar and of the powers she furnished him. The divine right of kingship through a special relationship with the goddess of the land was ritualized in a </span><i><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">hieros gamos</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">, a sacred marriage between the king and a priestess who represented the goddess. The Hittite sun goddess Arinna was described as ‘she who controls kingship in heaven and on earth.’ Of the Egyptian pharaoh, Henri Frankfort wrote (200), ‘A succession of individuals embodies the same divine being,</span><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR;">’ </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">and in that same way, each Japanese emperor embodies, in succession, the divine spirit of his ancestors. It is in the series of rites called the <i>Daijōsai </i>(</span><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">大嘗祭</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">) that the emperor is infused with the spirit of the sun goddess and becomes a divine king. (Riddle, 2-4)<span style="mso-text-raise: 128.0pt; position: relative; top: -128.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-text-raise: 128.0pt; position: relative; top: -128.0pt;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> It is worth noting that in the currently approved Japanese version of the Daij</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai, any inference of a sexual or physical union between the Emperor and Amaterasu, or that the ritual enacts the birth of the Emperor from Amaterasu</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s womb, or even that the Emperor once may have lain on the <i>shinza</i> couch</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">one placed in the <i>sukiden</i> and one in the <i>yukiden</i></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is vehemently denied. </span> <br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The current view rejects the previously influential theory of scholar Orikuchi Shinobu who wrote an essay in 1928 called <i>Daij</i></span><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai no hongi </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(see Blacker, 85-97).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There he expresses the view that it is not so much hereditary blood succession that creates the new emperor, but the correct transference of the imperial <i>mitama</i> or soul from the old emperor to the new. He conjectured that this must happen in complete darkness and that the Emperor, lying on the <i>shinza</i> couch, is likely wrapped in the coverlet called <i>ofusuma</i>, which allows his <i>mitama</i> to gestate. Such a ritual would also mimic the way the first ancestor, Amaterasu</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s grandson Ninigi no mikoto, descended to earth wrapped in the <i>madoko-ofusuma</i>. Orikuchi </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">argued that an immortal, unchangeable imperial soul (<i>tenn</i></span><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">rei</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">), which had left the body of the deceased emperor, is reinvigorated and directed by ritual means into the body of the new <i>tenn</i></span><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> lying on the </span><i><span lang="IT" style="mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">shinza</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, wrapped like Ninigi no Mikoto in the coverlet, </span><i><span lang="PT" style="mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">madoko ofusuma</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, where it is duly incorporated. In other words, while the </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">mortal frame</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">changes, the imperial <i>tama </i>remains forever the same</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">a special type of reincarnation</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(Liscutin, 38-9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">That this imperial <i>tama </i>was believed to be <i>solar </i>is shown by the <i>Chinkonsai </i>ritual performed by the emperor annually on the eve of the <i>Niinamesai</i>, the late fall harvest festival. Like the sun, the emperor</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s soul was believed to weaken as winter approached, and it was feared that his soul was about to leave his body. This </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">soul appeasement</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">”</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">chinkon,</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">”</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "ms 明朝"; mso-ansi-language: JA; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">鎮</span><span lang="JA" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "ms 明朝"; mso-ansi-language: JA; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">魂</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, means </span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">soul-calming</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">”</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">) </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is performed to maintain political order and prevent the world from falling into chaos</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(Riddle, 5-6).</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Riddle adds information on the views of the Japanese-Canadian scholar Waida Manabu, who held that </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the meaning of the mythico-ritual complex of the Chinkon-sai<i> </i>lies in the emperor</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s repetition or reenactment of the rebirth of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu at the critical time of the winter solstice. The sovereign is homologized with Amaterasu.</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Drawing on Georges Dum</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">é</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">zil</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">analysis of Indo-European kingship, Waida picked out three ceremonies in which the emperor reenacts </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">what was done in the two cosmic zones of heaven and earth in the beginning of mythical time</span><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">by mythical figures: Amaterasu, Ninigi, and the first emperor Jinmu, representing the magico-religious, economic, and military functions of kingship respectively. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Of course, there are other views and no one knows for sure what the significance is. However, there is a larger picture we should not lose sight of: why are we still even bothering with defunct notions of Gods, Goddesses and Emperorship (Kingship), when the world continues to face potential destruction caused in part by these very notions? Returning to Paine, I would like to quote from <i>Common Sense</i> in the section headed </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">But there is another and greater distinction for which no truly natural or religious reason can be assigned, and that is, the distinction of men into KINGS and SUBJECTS. Male and female are the distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth enquiring into, and whether they are the means of happiness or of misery to mankind….</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">To the evil of monarchy we have added that of hereditary succession; and as the first is degradation and lessening of ourselves, so the second, claimed as a matter of right, is an insult and an imposition on posterity. For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever….</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Perhaps the disorders which threatened, or seemed to threaten on the decease of a leader and the choice of a new one (for elections among ruffians could not be very orderly) induced many at first to favor hereditary pretensions; by which means it happened, as it hath happened since, that what at first was submitted to as a convenience, was afterwards claimed as a right. (Paine 1776:25-37) </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">At this time of renewed kingship, I think it is equally important to renew the power of the sober reflections of Thomas Paine.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">Localism vs. Universalism</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A subject that seems to be an undercurrent in discussions about Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and its rituals, is the question of whether the religion has elements of the Universal and whether foreigners can understand or connect with it. First, let me put forth some of my own definitions.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I consider God (with a capital G) to be a universal concept. It is expansive, all-encompassing, and unrestricted. Religion, however, is a local concept. It is definitive, exclusive, and restrictive. By the same token, the family of man is inclusive, egalitarian, and somewhat abstract. My family is exclusive, hierarchal, and very close to the bone. By these brief definitions I think it is obvious where the problems of man arise, and why we can never be at peace until the day we can be free of religion, family, and county as they are still defined. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Not to say that such experiments are not always underway. The United States is one such experiment. So are the EU and the UN. There are experiments in extended family structure and in the adoption of rules to make religions and membership in various organizations less restrictive and more inclusive. But there are as many failures as successes.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Let me stop there and look at how these definitions apply to Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and the Emperor of Japan. Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">has an element of universalism in that it finds god or <i>kami</i> in everything. This is what I take the <i>yaoyorozu </i>to signify. So, to the degree that Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is worship of the divinity in nature, it is universal, and speaks to us all. But where it is tied to specific place, or where it deifies humans as gods, or attempts to define a host of gods, it is a religion with all that the word implies: it is strictly local. Where Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">seeks inclusiveness and is open to change and interpretation, and can accept that much of its symbolism is not unlike that of other belief systems in other parts of the world, it has a universal element. Where it defines itself by its Japaneseness and exclusive traditions that cannot possibly be understood by outsiders, it is local. The Emperor and the rituals surrounding the throne are part of this Japaneseness</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">whether or not most Japanese are even aware of them.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I believe that confusion comes when modern-day people, with knowledge of the wider world, feel irrelevant and isolated, and scramble to prove that their beliefs are as valid as any. I sense this strongly from Rev. Kat</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Taishi</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s essay in this journal. Why else try to convince us of the universality of something that is so clearly local? A quick glance at Japanese media reveals the abject need of the Japanese people to be praised by people from other countries in order to feel validated. My point is that Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">is neither superior nor inferior to any other belief. Universalism is not superior to localism nor the other way around: they are co-equal aspects of our humanity.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Here are some of Thomas Paine</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s definitions and beliefs, again edited for brevity:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe in the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All national institutions of churches</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish [Islamic]</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind and monopolize power for profit.</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Every national church or religion established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. </span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Each of these churches show certain books which they call revelation, or the word of God… Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and, for my own part, I disbelieve them all. (Paine 1994:53-9)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s books of revelation, if we wish to call them that, are the <i>Kojiki</i>, the <i>Nihon shoki</i>, and the <i>Engishiki</i>. Shint</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, as a belief system, falls very specifically into the category of a local religion. One that is forever at the beck and call of a government that can</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">t seem to decide if it wants to be spiritual or secular but lives in constant fear of losing its grip on power</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">—</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">as John Breen</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s essay eloquently points out. Long before the current constitution enshrined the principle, religious and secular authority have been quite separate in Japan. Yet, when it comes to the institution of the Emperor and of the Shrines that empower him, the state is still quite willing to envelop itself with a mystical aura of divine authority. Thus, we arrive at the very definition of the modern-day Daij</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai: a ritual designed to give a man the aura of a god, and help perpetuate the authority of the state as the secular expression of that divinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">References</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Blacker, Carmen (2000). <i>Collected Writings. </i>Edition Synapse.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Frankfort, Henri (1948). <i>Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Religion as the Integration of Society & Nature. </i>Chicago: University of Chicago Press.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Liscutin, Nicola (1990). </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Daij</span></i><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sai</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">: The Great Festival of Tasting the New Fruits.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 5:25</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">–</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">52.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Paine, Thomas (1776). <i>Common Sense. </i>Philadelphia: W. & T. Bradford.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">———</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(1894). <i>The Writings of Thomas Paine, </i>ed.<i> </i>Moncure Daniel Conway, IV. New York: G. P. Putnam</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s Sons.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Riddle, Mark A. (2011). <i>Tenn</i></span><i><span style="color: #00b050; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ō</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><i><span lang="JA" style="font-family: "ms 明朝"; mso-ansi-language: JA; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">天皇</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">):<i> The Central Asian Origin of Japan</i></span><i><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span></i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s Solar Kingship. Sino-Platonic Papers</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (Philadelphia), no. 214, September.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Waida Manabu (1976). </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Sacred Kingship in Early Japan: A Historical Introduction.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"> </span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">History of Religions</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 15:319-42.</span></div>
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</style>Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-82967448573894723692019-06-27T16:00:00.003+09:002021-07-21T09:56:11.412+09:00<html lang="en">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 24pt;">Japan Has a New Emperor and a New Era, but a Dark Future</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b8DAc9zdsJzlNVvRZYPc0oDBsc_braVYn8U5aaVr-fi39F7NE83eQCl9KEhxENL81byj3G1TZn3SLPCbZSVVVkyO2hGNYjAH8sQFHy-aFtB5MDWHxcV7SXaRL9AursmYDhnwn3Tm2wbl/s1600/Under_control_Primeminister_Abe_Japanese_flag_Japanese_economy_war_politics.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b8DAc9zdsJzlNVvRZYPc0oDBsc_braVYn8U5aaVr-fi39F7NE83eQCl9KEhxENL81byj3G1TZn3SLPCbZSVVVkyO2hGNYjAH8sQFHy-aFtB5MDWHxcV7SXaRL9AursmYDhnwn3Tm2wbl/s640/Under_control_Prime%20minister_Abe_Japanese_flag_Japanese_economy_war_politics.JPG" width="449" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese boss of bosses, Abe Shinzo (Illustration by Joseph Cali)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Continuing the effort to inform readers of the real political and social state of affairs, in the country that has been my home for more than half my lifetime, I reproduce here an important article by <i>TokyoVice</i> author Jake Adelstein. Jake is a frequent contributor to the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-has-a-new-emperor-naruhito-and-a-new-era-but-a-dark-future-under-shinzo-abe" target="_blank"><i>Daily Beast</i></a>, one of my favorite websites, where this article first appeared. Those of us who live in Japan and watch as the government has gone from a one party state, to a country run by a criminal organization with Abe Shinzo as the <i>oyabun</i>, Aso Taro as <i>kobun, </i>and Suga Yoshihide as<i> yakuza </i>moll<i>. </i>This well researched article offers a glimpse behind the mini-skirted manga characters that help loll the world into thinking of Japan as a happy-go-lucky paradise.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">TOKYO—The name of Japan’s new imperial era, Reiwa, was announced on April Fools’ Day with great fanfare and a great big linguistic lie. The official government party line is that it translates as “Beautiful Harmony,” but what it means literally is more Orwellian: “Commanded Peace.”</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Of course, a certain portion of the Japanese population realizes that the explanation given for the new imperial name is not the truth, but they probably were not surprised.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">“Akihito posed a problem for Abe because while considered a divine being his actual words disagreed with Abe's political agenda.”</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Japan has grown numb to the deceptions and lies of its elected rulers. As of January this year, for instance, 79 percent of the Japanese public no longer believed the Japanese government’s statistics, and you probably shouldn’t either.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Everybody lies, they say, but there’s a problem with lying to yourself and to the public, because reality doesn’t listen. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">No Longer ‘Cool Japan’ but ‘Cruel Japan’</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">While the Japanese government relentlessly promotes the image of “Cool Japan” and mega-tourism, the current reality is a country run by </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-shinzo-abes-government-has-a-thing-about-hitler-it-likes-him"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">sociopathic Hitler-loving plutocrats</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, with plummeting </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japans-new-secrets-bill-threatens-to-muzzle-the-press-and-whistleblowers"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">press freedom</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, endemic</span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/prize-winning-shoplifters-japans-pm-hates-this-movie-because-its-just-too-true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";"> poverty</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japans-nasty-nazi-ish-elections"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">rising censorship</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, </span><a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190415/p2a/00m/0na/001000c"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">deliberate destruction of public records</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, continual </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-has-a-word-for-working-to-death"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">death by overwork</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, a </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-scapegoats-nissan-boss-carlos-ghosn-in-overdue-corruption-crackdown"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">corrupt bureaucracy</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, and </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/abandon-hope-all-ye-tried-in-japan"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">a medieval justice system</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. Despite the triple meltdown of Fukushima, the government is rushing </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-nuclear-plants-are-vulnerable-to-terror-attacks"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">to start nuclear power plants again</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> with reckless abandon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The population is aging and shrinking. One out of five citizens is now over 70; in 2017, nearly 400,000 more people died in Japan than were born. Abysmal working conditions, low wages, lack of maternity leave (not to mention </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2017/11/28/paternity-harassment-lawsuit-brings-attention-to-japans-low-birth-rate-and-workplace-bullying/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">paternity leave</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">) a chronic shortage of affordable daycare, and excessively long hours virtually ensure Japanese women and men don’t have time to date, mate, or procreate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Raising a kid alone? Very difficult. If a woman chooses to be a single mother there is a 50 percent chance she will live in poverty. The failure of anything approaching a baby boom over the decades is already invisible. The shortage of workers is forcing many businesses to close. Women might take up the slack of a worker shortage, but </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/in-japan-its-now-withyou-not-metoobut-sexual-harassment-is-still-a-venerated-tradition"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">sexism is rampant</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> and gender inequality is institutionalized: Japan ranks 110 out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s global gender equality rankings for 2018.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Japan is working on haphazard plans to introduce foreign labor that are exploitive and doomed to fail in an environment where</span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japan-needs-foreigner-blood-like-naomi-osakas"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";"> xenophobia is encouraged</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> as is </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/in-japans-ruling-party-pathological-anti-lgbt-prejudice"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">homophobia</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The highlight of the Reiwa era will be the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe believes will add luster to his legacy. The 2020 Olympics were </span><a href="https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/01/article/french-probe-casts-light-on-dark-practices-in-tokyos-olympics-bid/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">secured with bribes</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, </span><a href="https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/kz9e89/photos-allegedly-tying-an-olympic-official-to-the-yakuza-keep-causing-him-problems"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">corrupted by yakuza</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, and will be billions of dollars more expensive than the original forecasts. They are foolishly scheduled around August, assuring that there will be </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/tokyo-is-boiling-will-it-be-too-hot-for-the-2020-summer-olympics"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">deaths from heat-stroke</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> and crises at hospitals unable to handle the triage that will be necessary. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Japan’s trickle-down economic plan, Abenomics, is faltering. According to Japan’s Tokyo Shoko Research, </span><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/10/business/corporate-business/japan-corporate-bankruptcies-6-1-percent-november/#.XMcA1i-ZPys"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">bankruptcies of smaller companies are rising</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, and it may be that its much touted success turns out to be</span><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/01/business/economy-business/blow-abenomics-government-may-admit-dodgy-stats-hid-fact-wages-japan-fell/#.XMbg6y-ZO-s"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";"> based on falsified data</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. Meanwhile, as a result of the government of Japan trying to prop up the Japanese stock market using public funds, Japan’s aging population faces the danger of having no pension money left for themselves. The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) announced this February a record quarterly loss of over </span><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/08/business/financial-markets/135-billion-loss-japans-pension-fund-shows-shifting-away-bonds-cost/#.XMbiyS-ZO-s"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">$135 billion</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, half of it in investments in domestic shares. If the losses continue, it will eventually impact pension payments to the elderly. The future is bleak.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">What’s in a Name?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The new imperial era began with the current </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-emperor-strikes-back-japans-monarch-takes-on-imperialist-abe"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">emperor retiring </span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">while still alive on April 30, something that the </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/11/japanese-emperor-akihito-has-feelings-too"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">Abe administration fought</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> but couldn’t prevent.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The announcement of the retirement derailed Abe's push to change the constitution of Japan. The emperor is a divisive but important symbol in Japan’s political landscape and daily lives: there are five national holidays related to emperors past. And the name of the imperial era becomes something of great importance. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Prime Minister Abe and his political base are members of a Shinto cult and political lobby, </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-religious-cult-secretly-running-japan"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">Nippon Kaigi</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, which believes that Japan must shed the shackles of a “U.S. imposed” democratic constitution, popular sovereignty, basic human rights, pacifism, and gender equality. Abe and most of his cabinet members believe that the Japanese people are divine descendants of the gods, World War II was justified, and that emperor worship should be restored. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The just-resigned Emperor Akihito posed a problem for them because while they considered him a divine being, his actual words disagree with their political agenda.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Emperor Akihito publicly expressed gratitude to the U.S. for stripping away the fascist regime that brought Japan into the war, and sees the nation as </span><a href="http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/press/kaiken-h25e.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">“based on peace and democracy as important values to be upheld</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">.” He is also a defender of Japan’s current pacifist constitution, which Abe wants to dismantle. The new emperor, Akihito's son, Naruhito, who ascends to the throne on May 1, carries the same progressive views. The contrast between what the emperor and the crown prince believe and the beliefs of those that claim to worship them as gods is striking.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">If you want to see what the current rulers of Japan really want in the Reiwa Era, watch this </span><a href="https://amara.org/en/videos/Sn9Zc0UeRQzF/en/1405913/3792355/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";"> English subtitled and chilling video</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> taken at a May 10, 2012 meeting of Liberal Democratic Party members during a forum on reinventing Japan. At the meeting, Abe and his former minister of justice declare that for Japan to progress it must have a standing army and rid itself of “popular sovereignty, basic human rights, pacifism…” Those remarks are greeted with wild applause. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Japan uses two calendars—the Western Calendar and the Imperial Calendar [<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9144543578035837392#editor/target=post;postID=900277861117782304;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=7;src=postname" target="_blank">as detailed on this blog</a>]. This can be confusing. I was born in the Showa era, created when Emperor Hirohito took the throne; he was one of the architects of Japan’s colonialism and disastrous war. We are now in the Heisei era, which began when Emperor Akihito ascended to the throne, after Emperor Hirohito passed away on January 7, 1989.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> According to the <i>Mainichi</i> newspaper, only 34 percent of the population uses the imperial name to describe the year. All government documents have to use the imperial calendar. The conversion from one calendar to the other is a colossal pain and most reporters in Japan usually carry a company memo book that has a handy conversion chart. If you ever need to do it, to convert Showa years into Western years, you add 25 years; for era Heisei, add 1,988 years. This usually works but not always. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">“The contrast between what the emperor and the crown prince believe and the beliefs of those that claim to worship them as gods is striking.”</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Officially, Reiwa began at zero hour (12 a.m.) May 1, the day when Emperor Naruhito is magically made the new emperor during a mystical Shinto ceremony, one </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/world/asia/japan-emperor-women.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">that his wife will not be allowed to watch.</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> The date seems to have been picked so that it will overlap with labor day, taking the wind out of a holiday that the anti-labor, pro-business Japanese government despises.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Banri Kaieda, a scholar and parliamentarian, explains in the recently published <i>From Heisei To Reiwa</i>, the Gengo (imperial calendar system) dates back to China. The system indicates that “the Emperor rules over the passage of time itself.” Japan introduced the system in 654, and because it still has an emperor, the system survives. While the system has continued for over 1,000 years, the only child of the crown prince is a daughter and for it to continue, there is a need to consider having female as emperor—something that is anathema to the chauvinists in the Liberal Democratic Party. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The new name REIWA (</span><span face=""ms 明朝" , "serif"">令和</span><span style="font-family: "times";">) is composed first of the character REI meaning "Order, Command" as in MeiREI (direct order, command). You can also find it in words like arrest warrant or kankoREI, “a gag order.” You can see why the authoritarian administration loves this kanji. The second character: WA means "peace" but is also a reference to the Japanese race. So you could easily interpret it to read, "If the Japanese people obey there will be order.”</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> It is not clear how the name REIWA was derived. The Japanese press has reported that the name was chosen by Abe with little consultation. Former LDP kingpin Ichiro Ozawa recently admitted in a weekly magazine that the previous era name HEISEI, was actually decided by the then prime minister at the time—and then rubber stamped by compliant experts.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The full details of the discussions to come up with the current name are classified, and since the Abe administration now routinely destroys all records of meetings, we may never know the truth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">So again, let’s ask: what’s in a name? A lot. Because under the Abe regime, in a nod to George Orwell, the names of proposed laws often hide the fact that they mean exactly the opposite of what they are. Doublespeak Japan style.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> For example, the deceptively dubbed “Anti-Terrorism Laws” were originally submitted as the “Criminal Conspiracy” bills, but since they aroused too many protests, they just changed the name of the bill, and finally passed it into law. </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japans-terrible-anti-terror-law-just-made-the-minority-report-reality"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">It stipulates 277 crimes that police can arrest people for planning, or simply discussing</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. Technically, because social media is covered in the legislation, even liking a related tweet or retweeting it could now be grounds for arrest on conspiracy charges. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">But the doublespeak has gotten smoother and better in recent years, much like </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/japanese-whisky-tastes-even-better-the-second-time-around"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">Japanese whisky</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. The deceptively name </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2018/03/01/what-you-need-to-know-about-japans-controversial-proposed-labor-reform-laws/#74d2eb6e9dd0"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">“Work−Style Reform Laws,”</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> actually eliminated overtime pay for thousands of people and capped overtime hours at 100 per month, 20 hours more than what the Ministry of Labor deems a risk for death by overwork. The ballsiest bits of doublespeak legislation were “</span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-japan-protests-20150915-story.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">The Peace Preservation Laws”</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> which allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to engage in offensive warfare. (You wil recall the motto in 1984: “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” At this point in time when the Abe government names anything, you might as well assume it means the exact opposite. If the current government says REIWA means “beautify harmony,” you should suspect what it really means is “stark tyranny.” </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The Real Architects of the New Name</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Despite a council which nominally participated in deriving the name of the new era, the real architects are the two people running the Abe administration: Prime Minister Shinzo “Bon Bon” Abe and Cabinet Spokesman Yoshide “Bar-code” Suga. Abe is the ne'er do well, wealthy, and not very bright grandson of former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, who was also a war criminal. The man behind the scenes is Abe’s political mentor, right-hand man, and back-door power broker, the savvy and cruel Yoshihide Suga. In American terms, Abe is George W. Bush and Suga is Dick Cheney aka </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vice-the-dick-cheney-biopic-might-be-the-worst-movie-of-the-year"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">VICE</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. However, in Japan, Suga unlike Cheney may become the next national leader instead of a reviled architect of disaster. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Abe is a short-tempered, vain, habitual liar with political savvy who is extremely ruthless. Early in his career he allegedly </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abe-Shinzo-Attempted-arson-Japanese-ebook/dp/B07DL3BR85"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">hired a local yakuza in his district to destroy a political rival</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. When he didn’t pay the yakuza what he had promised, a group of yakuza firebombed his office in retaliation. All of this was documented </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2J6uLlg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">in a book</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> written by Yu Terasawa and Shunsuke Yamaoka, published last year. It’s not hard to see how he turned out the way he did. His father was a busy absentee dad and career politician, so Abe was raised by his overbearing mother and grandfather, both of whom harbored deep resentment of Japan’s loss in the war and fantasized of a day when Japan would become an imperial power again. If you r</span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%AE%89%E5%80%8D%E7%B7%8F%E7%90%86%E3%81%A8%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%82%92%E5%A4%89%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B-%E6%9C%88%E5%88%8AHanada%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3-%E8%8A%B1%E7%94%B0%E7%B4%80%E5%87%B1-%E8%B2%AC%E4%BB%BB%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86/dp/486410641X"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">ead the letters of his mother</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, you quickly understand that she is the brains behind the boy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Abe screwed the pooch during his first stint as prime minister in 2006-2007, due to a never ending series of political scandals and his inability to stomach the job. </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-religious-cult-secretly-running-japan"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">A right-wing Shinto cult, Nippon Kaigi</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, helped foist him back on the country and Abe has been in their debt ever since. Most of his cabinet members belong to the organization. Abe’s signature campaign slogan was “Take Japan Back” (Nihon O Torimodose) although it’s never clear who “stole” Japan in the first place.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Suga has distinguished himself by working behind the scenes to do Abe’s dirty work, allegedly playing an active part in the </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-japans-top-politician-behind-a-shameful-rape-cover-up"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">squashing of a rape investigation involving Prime MInister Abe’s biographer.</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> Recently, he has been gaining a bad reputation even in Japan’s timid press corps for his </span><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/02/13/national/politics-diplomacy/government-slammed-singling-problematic-tokyo-shimbun-reporter-warning-press-club/#.XMcLJS-ZPys"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">relentless harassment of a female journalist</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, Isoko Mochizuki, of the newspaper <i>Tokyo</i>. She has the temerity to ask hardball questions and such insolence offends Suga, who seems to believe women (and reporters) should listen but not speak. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The Mendacity of the Bureacracy</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Seventy-nine percent of the Japanese no longer trust statistics released by Abe’s government, according to a poll released by the <i>Nikkei </i>newspaper in January. You should probably join them in your disbelief. The <i>Mainichi </i>newspaper reports nearly the same results.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The Japanese government has spent months embroiled in an under-reported (in the West) scandal over falsified data that calls into question everything we’ve been told about Japan’s GDP, labor policy, recent scandals and Abenomics.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Here’s a brief history of false data put forward in the last two years alone, in cases where the government was actually caught red-handed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">“Honest bureaucrats end up dead or demoted.”</span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">In February of 2018, Abe tried to push forward labor law reforms under the “Work Style Reform” name. The legislation stressed the benefits of “discretionary work” in which employees have a predetermined number of hours no matter how many they actually work. Abe claimed in the parliament that under this system corporate employees worked fewer hours, giving them more leisure time. That sounds great.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The problem? The data was false–under discretionary labor practices employees worked longer hours. The prime minister had to apologize and retract his statement on Feb. 14, 2018. Key data used to justify the labor law changes were found to have 233 errors, but the bills were rammed into law on June 29 anyway. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Last November, as the parliament deliberated on new visa systems for foreign workers, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) lied about Japan’s foreign technical intern trainee program, which has been compared to human trafficking by the U.S. State Department. The ministry said they conducted interviews with 2,870 trainees and claimed 86.9 percent left their jobs in search of higher wages. In reality, that question was never asked.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Instead, the trainees were asked if they quit because of low wages; 67.2 percent said yes. The MOJ said only one in 20 fled their jobs because of harsh conditions. The actual number, more than 1 in 10 (12.6 percent). Shiori Yamao of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said, it “was an unforgivable fabrication of data.” </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Abenomics, the economic policy of the government, is often faulted for increasing inflation but without increasing wages. Recent Ministry of Labor data seemed to indicate Abenomics was working—that indeed wages were rising—until the truth came out. It turns out that in January 2018, the ministry secretly changed the way they collected their workplace data so that it appeared salaries had been going up.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The ministry also was forced to admit this year that faulty survey data deprived 19 million people of 53 billion yen ($490 million) in unpaid welfare benefits. A series of emails unveiled in the parliament showed the Abe government directly pressured the Labor Ministry to alter data in a way that would make wages appear to have risen. The government is refusing to create an independent third-party commission to investigate properly. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Why are government officials lying and falsifying data so proactively? Professor Jeff Kingston of Temple University and Professor Koichi Nakano of Sophia University both agree that it can be traced back to 2014, when the Abe administration introduced the Cabinet Personnel Bureau. This new office gave them control over the promotions and demotions of hundreds of government officials, and they gained a stranglehold on the bureaucracy.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Not only did Abe put political appointees in almost every ministry, he muzzled Japan’s formerly respected public broadcaster, NHK (the PBS of Japan), by stacking the board with ideological flunkies.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">There’s another reason the bureaucrats running the government are making up statistics and lying: because they are rewarded for doing so and are not punished when they do get caught. </span><span style="font-family: "times";">In February 2017, <i>Asahi</i> broke the news of the </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2018/03/29/school-scandal-may-get-japans-pm-expelled-can-abenomics-survive-without-abe/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">Moritomo Gakuen</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> land scandal, a $7 million discount given on government land sold to a right-wing school owner. The school owner was a close friend of Prime Minister Abe and Abe’s wife. The majority of the Ministry of Finance bureaucrats that helped cover up the shady deal were promoted. They reportedly altered documents linking </span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/japanese-government-altered-documents-in-scandal-linked-to-abe-wife/4295140.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">Prime Minister Abe’s wife to the scandal</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> as well as mentions of Nippon Kaigi.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> The bureaucrat who allegedly orchestrated the cover up, Nobuhisa Sagawa, was made head of Japan’s National Tax Agency—where he distinguished himself by never having a press conference. There was however one Ministry of Finance bureaucrat, Toshio Akagi, who had a crisis of conscience and killed himself.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> He shouldn’t have worried. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Machiko Yamamoto, in charge of Osaka’s Special Prosecutor Office, announced on May 31 that none of the 38 suspects accused of falsifying government documents would be indicted (including Sagawa). She refused to explain why. A few months later she was promoted. It would seem no cover-up or data window-dressing for Abe goes unrewarded; the honest bureaucrats end up dead or demoted.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> Thus, there’s no need any more to ask the bureaucrats to alter data so it’s favorable to the government—they do it on their own. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">William Pesek, author of <i>Japanization: What the World Can Learn from Japan's Lost Decades</i>, notes, “Whether the wage data was ordered to be falsified, no one knows yet. However, the Ministry only began tampering with the data after heavy criticism of Abe regarding stagnated salaries. In reality, real wages didn't rise in 2018 and if you adjust for inflation, they actually went down. Trickle-down economics never works. Tampering with statistics… that works until you get caught.”</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> However, the Abe administration has taken extraordinary measures to make sure this problem is corrected—by instituting rules that almost guarantee any embarrassing document is destroyed. In April, a request by the newspaper <i>Mainichi</i> under Japan’s Freedom of Information Act revealed that all </span><a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190415/p2a/00m/0na/001000c"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">records of Abe's meetings </span></a><span style="font-family: "times";">with top ministry and agency officials between December 2017 and January of this year were destroyed, and now routinely briefing materials for such meetings are shredded within a year. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">It’s a mind-boggling step back in time. Imagine in the U.S. if every record of a meeting with the president or his cabinet members and members of the government were destroyed within days, or within a year after they happened. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "times";">Mainichi</span></i><span style="font-family: "times";"> was lucky to get as much as it did. The Abe administration has made the Freedom of Information Act almost useless. All you can find out is the documents you want have probably already been shredded–or at least that is what you are told. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Is there any hope at all for a brighter future for Japan? Well, more than anything, what Japan needs in the new era is truth. To have that truth, Japan needs freedom of the press and elimination of the Cabinet Personal Bureau, so that bureaucrats can do their job without fear or favor—and promulgate statistics that aren’t lies. Japan’s Potemkin economy and </span><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/prize-winning-shoplifters-japans-pm-hates-this-movie-because-its-just-too-true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times";">social problems</span></a><span style="font-family: "times";"> can’t be fixed by just hiding them.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times";"> If Japan can’t face the truth about its own past, its present, and the future, this will be the era in which the land of the rising sun becomes the land of the setting sun, and Japan could sink into a darkness that will last longer than the Reiwa era itself.</span></span> </div>
Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-43915377243516580682019-05-14T15:23:00.000+09:002019-06-12T18:05:34.671+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ceremony and Meaning in the Accession of the Reiwa Emperor</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qk7yA00AX_iwBslT938zr_7rLAQtKjJnpoA0286Iq-1vpBmhyWQtTASIYDkgTSHXdE56zexQyUpKYq3vYaEH5QLNqFsbj-GHIIRP8NnZgxev7x4qpj0N8BXhm6oUgWs3m2dRbg58sRY8/s1600/reiwa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qk7yA00AX_iwBslT938zr_7rLAQtKjJnpoA0286Iq-1vpBmhyWQtTASIYDkgTSHXdE56zexQyUpKYq3vYaEH5QLNqFsbj-GHIIRP8NnZgxev7x4qpj0N8BXhm6oUgWs3m2dRbg58sRY8/s640/reiwa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An 'electrified' citizen celebrating the Reiwa Era. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Readers of this blog know that its focus is on providing information about those illusive places known as Shinto shrines. That focus continues. However, I find it necessary from time to time, to introduce some related issues. <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-modern-history-controversy-of.html" target="_blank">This is the reason for the number of posts relating to the Emperor</a>. In addition, I find that the deteriorating political situation in Japan is increasingly difficult to avoid commenting on. Like a man living next to a dangerously rising river, I find myself reluctantly compelled to begin filling sand bags.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">In this post, I have the pleasure of reproducing an important essay by John Breen, a well-known researcher and author who is currently a professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto, where he edits the journal <i>Japan Review</i>. This essay comes via <a href="https://apjjf.org/2019/09/Breen.html" target="_blank">The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus</a>. John is co-author of <i>A new history of Shinto</i> and editor of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><i>Yasukuni, the War Dead and the Struggle for Japan's Past</i>, among others.<i> </i>Beside the lucid description of the accession ceremony, John illuminates certain aspects of the curious situation that finds the Emperor as the last defender of the Constitution and greatest bulwark against the Liberal Democratic Party, which strangle-holds the government and has become little more than a criminal organization.<i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "dejavuserifcondensed"; font-weight: 700;">Abdication, Succession and Japan’s Imperial Future: An Emperor’s Dilemma </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;">John Breen </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Abstract </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">On 30 April 2019, 86-year old Emperor Akihito made history. He became the first emperor in 200 years to abdicate, yielding the throne to his son. The trigger for this historic moment was an extraordinary event that took place three years earlier. In August 2016, the emperor appeared on NHK to address the nation. His purpose? To intimate his desire to abdicate. The address, of questionable constitutionality, set in motion a debate about the nature of emperorship in 21</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> Century Japan, and led directly to the April abdication. This article sets out to explore some of the questions raised by the emperor’s address, and its historic outcome: What are emperors for? What is their place in contemporary Japan? What, indeed, are their future prospects? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Key Words </span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Emperor Akihito, Emperor Naruhito, abdication, Nippon Kaigi, Kobori Keiichirō, Murata Haruki, Abe Shinzō, Sun Goddess, Ise Shrines, <i>senso</i>, <i>sokui</i>, <i>daijōsai </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Introduction </span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">On 30 April 2019, 86-year-old Emperor Akihito </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">明仁</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> made history. He became the first modern emperor to abdicate. Indeed, his was the first abdication since that of Emperor Kōkaku</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"> 光</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">格</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> over two centuries before in 1817. By the same token, the succession of Akihito’s 59-year- old son, Crown Prince Naruhito </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">徳仁</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> on 1 May was an historic moment. For he was the first in modern times to succeed to the throne while his father was alive and well. The trigger for all these firsts was an extraordinary event that took place nearly three years before. On 8 August 2016, Emperor Akihito appeared on NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, to address the nation. He gave an understated but riveting performance. Speaking of his advanced years and the growing burden of his duties, he intimated his desire to abdicate. Abdication rumors had been circulating for some weeks, but his address dispelled all doubt. An address of this sort was quite without precedent. The Constitution requires that succession to the throne accord with the Imperial Household Law of 1946, but that law does not recognize abdication. The emperor was thus challenging the law. The challenge, however circumspect, was a political act, and political acts are not permitted him under the Constitution. It is little wonder that he caused a stir; it is no less than remarkable that he got his way.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The emperor’s TV address, watched by some 12% of the population, triggered a national debate that led to Prime Minister Abe Shinzō’s government enacting a special abdication bill, which became law in June 2017.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">It was this bill that enabled Akihito to abdicate, yielding the throne to his son. Emperor Akihito raised fundamental questions about the role of the emperor in 21</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">st </span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Century Japanese society. What are emperors for? What is their place in contemporary Japan, and what are their future prospects? This article sets out to explore precisely these questions. The place to start is that August 2016 address. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">1. The Emperor’s Words: O-kotoba </span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The emperor began by framing his reign as a personal search for meaning. He had dutifully <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;">carried out the “acts of the emperor in matters</span> <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;">of state” as stipulated in Article 7 of the </span>Constitution. These include convocation of the Diet, dissolution of the House of Representatives, attestation of ministerial appointments, awarding of honors, and so on. However, he had “spent [his] days searching for and contemplating on” the meaning of Article 1’s designation of him as “symbol of the State and of the unity of the people.” The Constitution, after all, fails to elucidate what <i>action </i>is required of, or indeed permitted to, a “symbol of the State.” The emperor’s search led him to conclude that he must serve as “an active and inherent part of society, responding to the expectations of the people.” </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Emperor Akihito delivering his address to the nation on NHK, 8 August 2016<sup style="cursor: pointer;">3</sup></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">What matters, he said, is to “stand by the people, listen to their voices, and be close to them in their thoughts.” Many of those who tuned in to his eleven-minute broadcast must have cast their minds back to the visits he made with the empress throughout Japan, especially in times of national crisis. Never was the emperor closer to the people than in 2011<span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"> after the Great East Japan earthquake. </span>Historically a distant figure, he made powerful TV appearance after the disaster struck, articulating his concerns, offering<span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"> solace and hope.</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;">He and the empress visited </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">survivors in Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, and Tochigi prefectures and, of course, in Tokyo, too</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;">5</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">. In his August 2016 broadcast, the emperor left no doubt that such active devotion to the Japanese people was his calling. It was demanded of him, he believed, as “symbol of the State.” </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">It was at this point in the broadcast that the emperor broached his dilemma. What to do when an emperor has become too old to serve the people? He acknowledged, only to dismiss, the constitutional answer: the appointment of a regent. A regency was, in his view, no solution. For when an emperor ceases to serve the people, he no longer functions as symbol. His role is done, and he must step down. Emperor Akihito intimated that stepping down was, indeed, his intention. He was especially concerned lest he become a burden to the people. He was thinking ahead here to his own death, and to the “heavy mourning” that would endure for months were he to die <i>in situ </i>as emperor. If he gave up the throne, he would inconvenience no one; his son Naruhito would succeed him, and continue the vital work of public service uninterrupted. Such was his “earnest wish.” Emperor Akihito concluded with a plea to the people of Japan: “I sincerely hope for your understanding.”</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">6</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Nowhere in his address did the emperor deploy the word “abdication,” but this was the radical solution he offered.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">7</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">2. Abdication</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> </span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Emperor Akihito’s address was more than n appeal or understanding: it was a personal challenge to the law, amid a call for critical reflection to on the role of the emperor in the 21<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>st</sup></span> century. It was undeniably political. During his thirty-year reign, the emperor made several statements freighted with political meaning. In 2001, he declared “a certain kinship with Korea” on learning that the mother of Emperor Kanmu </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">桓武</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">– the 8</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Century founder of the city of Kyoto – was descended from Korean immigrants.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">8</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">In 2004, he said it was desirable <i>not </i>to compel Japanese school pupils to sing the national anthem.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">9</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">In 2009, he reflected that the monarchy under the 1946 Constitution was closer to Japan’s “traditional model” than it had been under the 1889 Constitution. The 1946 Constitution, he implied, was more appropriate for the 21</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">st</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Century.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">10</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Likewise, in 2013, he praised the postwar Constitution for laying the foundations of peace and democracy</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"></span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;">11</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">These issues - relations with Korea, the anthem and the Constitution – were all, to differing degrees, political. The emperor’s statements were political interventions, but he had never before questioned the law. Nor, of course, had he played any role in fashioning the law. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">What did the Japanese people make of it all? The <i>Yomiuri </i>newspaper, Japan’s best-selling daily, conducted an opinion poll three days after the NHK broadcast and found that it had won the approval of 93% of the population. This figure was reflected in other media surveys. The <i>Asahi </i>reported that 84% supported abdication, while 5% opposed it. The <i>Mainichi </i>survey yielded a somewhat lower 67% approval rating, but it rose to 84% in a second survey. Of those polled by the Kyōdō news agency, 86% approved changing the law to allow abdication.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">12</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">In any case, it was abundantly clear that the emperor’s wish to abdicate accorded with the “will of the people,” albeit after the fact. This degree of popular support was little cause for surprise, given the consistently high ratings the emperor and empress had enjoyed in recent years, especially since the disaster of 2011.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">13</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">What is interesting is the reaction of ultra conservative groups, the self-appointed guardians of Japan’s imperial legacy. The most vociferous among them today is Nippon Kaigi</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">日本会議</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>(Japan Conference; here after NK). This is a powerful group, whose board features many Shinto religious leaders. The chief priests of the Ise Shrines, the Yasukuni Shrine, and the Meiji Shrine are among them. But NK matters because Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and the majority of his cabinet are members.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">14</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">How did NK respond to the emperor’s address? NK was swift to deny press reports that it was “vigorously opposed” to abdication, but statements by key NK members suggested otherwise. The most articulate among them was Kobori Keiichirō </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">小堀桂一郎</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">, emeritus professor of Tokyo University and incumbent NK Vice-Chairman. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>PM Abe Shinzō addressing Nippon Kaigi’s 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary gathering, 27 November 2017<sup style="cursor: pointer;">15</sup></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Kobori was “confused” by the emperor’ pressing the government to take extra constitutional measures to satisfy his personal wishes. He wondered at the government’s apparent compliance, and was dismayed at the precedent set, namely of an emperor successfully challenging the Constitution. For Kobori and his colleagues, however, the real issue lay elsewhere, in the nature emperorship. Is it really necessary, asked Kobori, for the emperor to engage in those actions that he finds so meaningful? Kobori’s answer was no. “Symbol of the state,” he argued, does not require social engagement from the emperor. That the emperor’s age rendered him no longer able to serve the people was, therefore, no reason for him to abdicate. Kobori blamed the American makers of the “anti-<i>kokutai </i>Constitution” for creating confusion about the emperor’s role.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">16</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Other NK members were less measured. Murata Haruki </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">村田春樹</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> authored an extraordinary opinion piece in the journal <i> Seiron </i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">正論</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">in October 2017. His critique of Emperor Akihito makes for fascinating reading. Murata saw the emperor’s wish to abdicate as symptomatic of his failure to appreciate the unique nature of Japanese emperorship. The emperor cannot refer to himself as<span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"> </span>individual, as he did in the broadcast, since he is semi-divine; he has no need for popular approval, since he is neither politician nor performer, but descendant of the Sun Goddess; and he has no business appearing on TV to address the people; it is his ancestors – the Sun Goddess and the first emperor Jinmu above all – whom he should be addressing.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">17</span></span></span> Murata found, moreover, that Emperor Akihito had breached the Constitution on three counts: 1) he had failed to consult the will of the people before taking action; 2) he was responsible for the fact that an abdication bill – not the Imperial Household Law – would determine succession for the first time ever; and 3) as a consequence, he had effectively exercised legislative power. All of this, asserted Murata, was “blatantly in breach of the Constitution.”</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">18</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Nippon Kaigi is, in fact, divided over the abdication issue, but it is clear that what matters to Kobori, Murata and their fellows is not the person of the reigning emperor, nor the Constitution, but the unbroken imperial line that began, so they believe, with the Sun Goddess. Emperor Akihito’s words and actions constituted a threat to their view of emperorship. Clearly, if an emperor can change the rules of succession on a whim, the myth becomes untenable. What then would they and their allies have had the emperor do? On the specific issue of succession, they wanted him to hand the burdensome tasks over to a regent, and stay put. As a general principle, emperors should abstain from the sort of public service in which Emperor Akihito found meaning. They should instead remain within the walls of the palace, perform their acts “in matters of state,” and otherwise devote themselves to prayer. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Emperor Akihito was clearly not averse to praying. Indeed, he stressed the importance of prayer twice in his TV address. “The first and foremost duty of the Emperor,” he insisted, “is to pray for peace and happiness of all the people.” He reflected further that it was always incumbent on him to “think of the people and pray for the people, with deep respect and love for the people.”</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;">19 </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">But for him, prayer alone was never sufficient. The NK position, by contrast, is that “symbol of the State” means precisely the emperor’s performance of prayer at the shrine-complex within the Tokyo palace. The complex in question, built in 1888, is known as the <i>kyūchū sanden</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">宮中三殿</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">, and as the name suggests, it comprises three sites. There is a central shrine for the Sun Goddess (the <i>kashikodokoro</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"> 賢所</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">) , which is flanked by the <i>kōreiden</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">皇霊殿</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">, a shrine dedicated to the imperial ancestors (the spirits, that is, of all deceased emperors since the time of the mythical Emperor Jinmu), and by a shrine for the myriad gods of heaven and earth (the <i>shinden</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">神殿</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">). It is worth noting in passing that the rites which Akihito and his father before him performed at the shrine-complex since 1945 are precisely those of prewar Japan; they differ only in that they are private, and no longer public, events.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSgXASoE6qHGOGP5OWMVUfIn59iU-RPqozqFqFNLAudrBcFACtrZmS5JVA8TkpOCqPu7tggj2ZQ7u-8PvfCa4VMaBvjG4kz8NhRJ8HEqrgbKN9gWhLfc1z5mQZlVPkwDUSVZqNpg-7Cdb/s1600/kashikodokoro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSgXASoE6qHGOGP5OWMVUfIn59iU-RPqozqFqFNLAudrBcFACtrZmS5JVA8TkpOCqPu7tggj2ZQ7u-8PvfCa4VMaBvjG4kz8NhRJ8HEqrgbKN9gWhLfc1z5mQZlVPkwDUSVZqNpg-7Cdb/s400/kashikodokoro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Emperor Akihito enters the <i>kashikodokoro</i> shrine in the imperial palace to report his abdication to the Sun Goddess, 12 March 2019<sup style="cursor: pointer;">20</sup></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">There is every reason to believe that Prime Minister Abe shared the concerns of his fellow NK members. He appears to have known of the emperor’s wishes since the autumn of 2015, but denied him permission - or so it is claimed - to raise the matter at his birthday press conference in December that year. The<span style="mso-text-raise: -7.0pt; position: relative; top: 7.0pt;"> </span>emperor’s frustration grew thereafter, and in July 2016, he had the Imperial Household tell NHK of his wish to abdicate. NHK informed the nation in a broadcast on the night of 13 July, and this paved the way for the emperor’s address on 8 August.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">21</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Opinion polls quickly made it clear that a large majority of Japanese were sympathetic to the emperor; the broadcast and print media generated support and sustained interest. The prime minister had no choice but to act. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The choice facing Prime Minister Abe was between a change to the Imperial Household Law, allowing abdication for<i> all </i>future emperors, and the enactment of an abdication bill, applicable to Emperor Akihito alone. The emperor was known to favor the former; the prime minister would only countenance the latter. He moved swiftly to appoint a council of experts to advise him. Over a six-month period starting in autumn 2016, he consulted twenty experts, eight of whom were affiliated with, or openly sympathetic to, NK.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">22</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Their final report recommended the enactment of a one-off abdication bill. The bill was duly drafted and approved by the Diet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">3. Succession </span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Emperor Akihito was reportedly shocked by the criticism leveled at him by certain experts during the consultation period, and he was displeased, too, with the compromised outcome.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">23</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Still, it rendered abdication possible for the first time in 200 years. The emperor duly abdicated on 30 April 2019 in a brief rite in the Matsu no Ma</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"> 松の間 </span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">chamber of the palace.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">24</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">He stood with the empress before an audience of some 300 dignitaries. Prime Minister Abe faced them, and delivered a short speech, expressing his respect and gratitude for the emperor’s reign on behalf of the Japanese people. The emperor responded by articulating his love and respect for the people of Japan. He thanked them for supporting his symbolic role, and concluded with a prayer that the new Reiwa </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">令和</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> era might be one of peace and happiness.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">25</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Then, at 10.30 am on 1 May, Crown Prince Naruhito received the sword and jewel of the imperial regalia in the very brief <i>senso </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">践祚</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> succession rite.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">26</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">This <i>senso </i>took place in the same Matsu no Ma chamber in the presence of the prime minister, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the speaker of the Lower House and the president of the Upper House, among others, and was an entirely male affair. In line with prewar practice, the participation of the empress and the many other female members of the imperial family was not permitted. After the <i>senso</i>, the emperor proceeded directly to the palace shrine-complex to inform the Sun Goddess and his ancestors of his succession. In a third ritual phase, Emperor Naruhito, accompanied now by the empress, returned to the Matsu no Ma to receive the heads of the three branches government and some 250 dignitaries, and deliver his inaugural address to the nation.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">27</span></span></span> Here, he spoke of his deep respect for his father and mother for their unwavering devotion to the people. He, for his part, promised to think always of the people and be with them.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">He committed himself to fulfilling his constitutional role as symbolic emperor, and prayed for peace. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">On 4 May, members of the general public were <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;">admitted to the palace grounds, and the emperor and empress appeared on the veranda </span>of the Chōwaden building to greet them. The emperor thanked the public for their felicitations, and expressed his wish that Japan might work with other nations to promote peace in the world. What happens next? On 22 October, the emperor and empress will ascend their respective thrones before an assembly of dignitaries, Japanese and foreign, the <i>sokui </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">即位</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">enthronement rite. They will then parade through the streets of Tokyo, before hosting a banquet in the evening. The abdication, <i>senso </i>and <i>sokui </i>rites are held as “acts in matters of state.” It is worth pointing out that, although they are broadly secular in nature, they are not entirely so. At the very least, the sword and the jewel that feature in all three rites are sacred objects, and are treated as such. According to Japan’s seventh century state foundation myths, they, along with a sacred mirror, were handed by the Sun <span style="mso-text-raise: -3.0pt; position: relative; top: 3.0pt;"></span>Goddess to her grandson before he descended to earth. These objects are testament, in other words, to the sacred nature of Japanese <span style="mso-text-raise: -3.0pt; position: relative; top: 3.0pt;"></span>emperorship. </span></span></div>
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--></style></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The climax of the enthronement sequence is indisputably sacred in character. This is the <i>daijōsai </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">大嘗祭</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> or “rite of great feasting,” which will take place on the night of 14-15 November. A complex of wooden buildings, featuring two main pavilions (the Yukiden </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">悠紀田 </span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">and Sukiden</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"> 主基田</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">), will be erected on the palace grounds. Both pavilions are furnished with bed and shroud to welcome the Sun Goddess. Two different districts of Japan – the Yuki field to the west of Tokyo and the Suki field to the east – supply the rice for feasting. In each pavilion, <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;">the emperor will offer the Sun Goddess meal </span>of rice, before partaking of it himself. He will emerge at dawn, transformed by his mystical <span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;">communion with his ancestress. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">This enthronement sequence – <i>senso</i>, <i>sokui </i>and <i>daijōsai </i>– is of great vintage. In some form or <span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;">other, the rites can be traced back to the 7</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -5pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Century. They have played a vital role producing and reaffirming Japan’s emperor- centered order for over a millennium.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">28</span></span></span> </span></span>The <i>daijōsai</i>, in particular, has undergone multiple interpretation over time, and its mise-en-scene has changed drastically, too. Only in modern times has it been regarded as the most as the most important of the three enthronement rites, and this is because it was interpreted now as the <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;">in </span>ultimate act of imperial piety. It served, by the same token, as dramatic proof that the emperor was indeed descended from the Sun Goddess. It was for this reason that the modern <i>daijōsai </i>as performed by the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa emperors were staged as truly national events; they sought to engage the whole of Japan and, indeed, the empire with the imperial myth. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Emperor Akihito’s <i>daijosai</i>, the first in the postwar era, took pace on the night of 22-23 November 1990. It had the distinction of being the first ever to cause legal controversy. The controversy and its resolution deserve to be more widely known. Articles 20 and 89 of the Constitution provide for the separation of state and religion. And yet, the state funded the <i>daijōsai</i>, which is “religious” to the extent that it features the Sun Goddess. The government fended off accusations of unconstitutionality by citing the “object and effect” principle established in a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1977.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">29</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The essence of the ruling was that the state may engage with religion, so long as neither the “object” nor the “effect” of its engagement amounts to the promotion of any specific religion. The government’s position was that public funding of the <i>daijōsai </i>contravened neither criteria. Many citizens’ groups disagreed, and took legal action, but their suits all foundered on the “object and effect” principle.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">30</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Controversy surrounds the 2019 <i>daijōsai</i>, too. Citizens’ groups are poised once more to take legal action against the government, even though they stand little chance of success. This time, however, they appear to have the moral support of Prince Akishino no Miya Fumihito, the new emperor’s younger brother and next in line to the throne. At his birthday meeting with the press on 11 November 2018, the prince queried the wisdom of the government underwriting the <i>daijosai</i> as it had in 1980. He confessed it left him feeling "uneasy." The cause of the uneasiness was that this: the government sets aside two funds for imperial family use. There is the “court fund” (<i>kyūteihi</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";"> 宮廷費</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">), totaling some $83 million, which covers all the emperor’s public activities - his “acts in matters of state.” There is also a much more modest “imperial family fund” (<i>naiteihi</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">内廷費</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">) of some $2.7 million, which is for the private use of the emperor and his family.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">32</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT4imaUw67wFVf6ULXgmOqyAvJ4D0IDezGAt3yXTzjK9dmSp8EHgxTI134YEGillG6Iv_4YNwdhO_j9ckSN9MdnrfRGoZKSJ5mCvJ9DePwBabcEmqCD_4g7AAUU_GuUNeZWX0eKeLCwB7/s1600/Prince+Akishino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="350" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT4imaUw67wFVf6ULXgmOqyAvJ4D0IDezGAt3yXTzjK9dmSp8EHgxTI134YEGillG6Iv_4YNwdhO_j9ckSN9MdnrfRGoZKSJ5mCvJ9DePwBabcEmqCD_4g7AAUU_GuUNeZWX0eKeLCwB7/s320/Prince+Akishino.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Prince Akishino no Miya Fumihito 秋篠宮文仁with the Princess at his birthday press conference, November 2018<sup style="cursor: pointer;">31</sup></b></td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Both funds are, of course, tax payers’ money, but the prince is uneasy at the government’s insistence on using the “court fund” to underwrite the “religious” <i>daijōsai</i>. This implies that the <i>daijōsai </i>is, after all, a public not private act.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">33</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The prince’s radical idea, intended to preserve the constitutional separation of state and religion, was that the <i>daijōsai </i>be scaled back to a point where it might be covered entirely by the “imperial family fund.” The prince had raised this matter time and again with Imperial Household officials, but, he lamented, they had “refused to pay him heed.” He was, indeed, ignored by both the Imperial Household and the Abe administration.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">34</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">No one doubts that the prince was articulating views shared by his older brother and father. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">In any case, the <i>daijōsai </i>rite remains essential to emperor-making in Japan. In its postwar manifestation, it merits attention as one further piece of evidence of the sacred encroaching into Japan’s public sphere. By “the sacred,” I refer specifically to ritual performances involving the Sun Goddess, and to the myth of the emperor’s descent from the Sun Goddess, which the rites serve to animate. The postwar Constitution sought to confine the sacred to the private sphere of the imperial court, and yet, in the seven decades since its promulgation – and especially during Abe Shinzo’s premiership – the sacred has become ever more public. Abe’s active association with the Ise Shrines is a case in point. In 2013, when the Ise Shrines underwent their vicennial rebuild, he played a <span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"></span>key ritual role, escorting the Sun Goddess on her solemn progress through the night from old shrine to new.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -8pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">35</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">In 2016, he hosted the G7 summit in Ise, and took heads of the G7 states to the shrines as though they were a national site. In law, of course, they are a private religious juridical entity. In both 2017 and 2018, Abe participated in the <i>niinamesai </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">新嘗</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">祭</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> court rite, which also celebrates the Sun Goddess. The rite is held within the palace’s shrine complex annually on 23 November.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">36</span> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">It is in this broader context that the Abe administration will fund Emperor Naruhito’s <i>daijōsai </i>in November 2019. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSzRvx8rkkd6gi6wO1CxxzST9AKJ5AWX6Xk7l4L87YJ-sKSDi_IFCwVcC9X1bO3tYWRlH-xKRVkdd9ZmKL_xTkqKQzMRbtD-t9T44sM6eO-L5Kdcqz2Kv187gmmX-Vv3An4DwCI6bPxHW/s1600/Abe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSzRvx8rkkd6gi6wO1CxxzST9AKJ5AWX6Xk7l4L87YJ-sKSDi_IFCwVcC9X1bO3tYWRlH-xKRVkdd9ZmKL_xTkqKQzMRbtD-t9T44sM6eO-L5Kdcqz2Kv187gmmX-Vv3An4DwCI6bPxHW/s320/Abe.JPG" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Prime Minister Abe Shinzō at the palace shrine-complex, 23 November 2018<sup style="cursor: pointer;">37</sup></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">2018 marked the 150th</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">anniversary of the Meiji Restoration, which brought emperors out of the shadows of the premodern court, allowing them to occupy the center of modern Japan’s public culture. The myth of the emperor’s descent <span style="mso-text-raise: -1.5pt; position: relative; top: 1.5pt;"> from the Sun Goddess, which the Meji </span>government actively promoted and exploited, remains alive and well today. The myth, and the rites that sustain it, will be on more secure footing if the Abe administration effects its promised revisions to the Constitution. Article 20 deals with the separation of state and religion. The government plans to retain the principle of separation, of course, but wishes to render the <i>daijōsai </i>and other imperial court rites as non-religious “social rituals or customary practices.” If, and when, the revisions are effected, there will be no further impediment to the state’s sponsorship of, and engagement with, such events. Their place in the public sphere will be assured. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">We have seen evidence that the imperial institution itself is highly contested. The emperor’s 2016 address, the abdication bill that it produced, and the very fact that an emperor abdicated for the first time in two hundred years, have highlighted the multiplicity of views on emperorship in 21<sup>st</sup> Century Japan. The prohibition of abdication, it should be stressed, is modern. There are fifty- eight known cases of emperors abdicating before the practice was prohibited in the late 19th</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Century. Meiji bureaucrats ended abdication, fearful that it threatened the myth that guaranteed the stability of the imperial line. Their concerns are shared today by NK members with close ties to the Abe administration. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Let us not forget that there is, objectively speaking, a graver challenge to the imperial institution than abdication. It is the absence of male heirs. Emperor Naruhito’s younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino no Miya, is now next in line to the throne, and <i>his </i>son the 13-year-old Hisahito </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">悠仁</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";"> will succeed him. If Hisahito produces no male heirs, that is it. This dire situation has generated impassioned debate about the pros and cons of female succession to the throne. According to the latest polls, 76% of the population would be happy to see a woman enthroned. There is, after all, ample precedent for this: women have to the throne on ten previous occasions. What is striking is that 74% have no objection to the offspring of a woman emperor succeeding to the throne. If this were happen, it would be an historical first.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">39</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">Finally, it should be pointed out that, for ultraconservatives, the abdication issue and the future of the imperial line are intimate related. Yagi Hidetsugu </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝";">八木秀次</span></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">, a radical conservative intellectual, who is sometimes referred to as Prime Minister Abe’s “brain,” puts it like this: </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">If an emperor is free to abdicate, it won’t be long before a man is free to decline the throne. Abdication, as the free choice of the emperor, can only lead in time to a man’s right to refuse succession. [When this comes to pass,] the emperor system, which depends on an unbroken line of male heirs, will collapse.</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; position: relative; top: -6.5pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">40</span> </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times";">The historic precedent set by Akihito's abdication and the absence of male heirs will ensure that Japanese emperorship is contested for years to come. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Notes </span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">1 </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The official designation of the emperor’s address is Shōchō toshite no o-tsutome ni tsuite no tennō heika no o-kotoba</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">象徴としてのお務めについての天皇陛下のおことば</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. The address can be replayed on the Kunaichō website, where the Japanese and English transcriptions can also be found: </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detail/12#41) <span style="color: #191919;">and </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detailEn/12#41)<span style="color: #191919;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">2 </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The full Japanese title of the bill is Tennō no taii tō ni kansuru kōshitsu tenpan tokureihō </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">天</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">皇の退位等に関する皇室典範特例法</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. The bill’s nine articles can be accessed </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">here (http://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/search/elawsSearch/elaws_search/lsg0500/detail?lawId=429AC0000 000063&openerCode=1)<span style="color: #191919;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">3 </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detail/12#41) <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">4 </span><span style="color: #191919;">The emperor’s address in the aftermath of the Great East Japan earthquake can be replayed on the Kunaichō website; the Japanese text and English translation can be accessed there too: </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/okotoba/tohokujishin-h230316-mov.html#h02) <span style="color: #191919;">and </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/address/tohokujishin-h230316-mov.html#h02)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">5 </span>For an overview of the activities of the emperor and empress at this time, see </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/okotoba/saigai-01.html#h230312)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">6 </span>The closest critical reading of the emperor’s address can be found in Hara Takeshi</span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">原武史</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. <i>Heisei no shūen: taii to tennō, kōgo</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">平成の終焉</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">:</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">退位と天皇皇后</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Iwanami Shoten, 2019, pp.11-68. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">7 </span>Abdication is hardly a new issue for the imperial family. In 1946, Prince Mikasa no Miya</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">三笠</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">宮</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">, Akihito’s uncle, famously attacked the government’s refusal to sanction abdication. The government was effectively “binding the emperor in chains, making him a slave of the cabinet.” (<i>Asahi Shinbun </i>17 December 2017) <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">8 </span>For the original Japanese, see </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/kaiken/kaiken-h13e.html)<span style="color: #191919;">. There is an English translation at </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/press/kaiken-h13e.html)<span style="color: #191919;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"> <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">9 </span><i>Asahi shinbun </i>28 October 2004. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">10 </span>The emperor offered this view of the postwar constitution at a press conference to celebrate his 50th<span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span>wedding anniversary. Note that here, too, he mentioned his struggle to interpret the meaning of “symbol of the state and of the Unity of the People.” For the original Japanese and an English translation, see: </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/kaiken/kaiken-h21-gokekkon50.html and http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/press/kaiken-h21-gokekkon50.html)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">11 </span>The occasion for this statement was the emperor’s birthday press conference. See, for the Japanese original, </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/okotoba/01/kaiken/kaiken-h25e.html) <span style="color: #191919;">and, for the English translation, </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-okotoba/01/press/kaiken-h25e.html)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">12 </span>For a survey of polls, see Hosaka Masayasu</span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">保阪正康</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. <i>Tennō heika “seizen taii” e no omoi</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">天皇陛下生前退位への思い</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Mainichi Shinbun Shuppan, 2016, pp.85-88. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">13 </span>The latest poll conducted by the <i>Asahi </i>newspaper in April 2019 shows that 76% of the population “feel an intimacy” with the imperial family. This is the highest “intimacy factor” ever recorded. (<i>Asahi Shinbun</i>, 19 April 2019.) <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">14 </span>For a recent academic study of Nippon Kaigi, see Thiery Guthmann. “Nationalist Circles in Japan Today: The Impossibility of Secularization.” <i>Japan Review</i>, 30 (2017), pp.207-235. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">15 </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source (https://www.nipponkaigi.org/about/20years) <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">16 </span><span style="color: #191919;">Kobori Keichiirō has articulated his views most cogently in <i>Kōdō</i></span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">弘道</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">, the journal of the conservative organization, Nippon Kōdōkai</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">日本弘道会</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. See “Tennō = shōchōkan no konjaku.” </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">天皇象徴感の今昔</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kōdō </span></i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(January 2018), pp. 6-11. Kobori refers frequently in his recent writings to the “<i>kokutai</i>-wrecking Constitution.” <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">17 </span>Murata Haruki. “Sakunen hachigatsu yōka no heika no o-kotoba wa.” </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">昨年八月八日の陛下の</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">お言葉</span><i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Seiron </span></i><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">326 (1 October 2017), p. 3. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">18 </span>Ibid. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">19 </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detailEn/12#41) <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">20 </span>Source (https://www.sankei.com/premium/news/190315/prm1903150005-n1.html) <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">21 </span><span style="color: #191919;">For the events behind NHK’s July broadcast, which was watched by 14 million people, see Gomi Yōji</span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">五味洋治</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. <i>Seizen taii o meguru Abe shushō no sakubō</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">生前退位をめぐる安倍首相の</span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">策謀</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Takarajimasha Shinsho, 2017, pp. 20-24, and Hosaka. <i>Tennō heika</i>, pp. 14-16 and pp. 81-83. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">22 </span>On the advisory council (<i>yūshokusha kaigi</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">有職者会議</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">) and its experts, see Hara. <i>Heisei no shūen</i>, pp. 4-6, and Gomi. <i>Seizen taii</i>, pp. 104-109. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The agenda and the minutes of the several council meetings are accessible on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office (http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/koumu_keigen/)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">23 </span>For the emperor’s shock, see both <i>Mainichi shinbun </i>21 May 2017 and the discussion in Shirai Satoshi</span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">白井聡</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. <i>Kokutairon: Kiku to seijōki</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">菊と星条旗</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Shūeisha Shinsho, 2018, pp.16-19. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">24 </span>The official name given to the abdication is Taii rei seiden no gi </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">退位礼正殿の儀</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">or (Palace rite of abdication.) <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">25 </span>The emperor’s address in both English and Japanese can be accessed on the Imperial Household website: </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detail/46#155) <span style="color: #191919;">and </span>here (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/okotoba/detailEn/46#155)<span style="color: #191919;">. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">26 </span>The official designation of the rite is Kenji tō shōkei no gi</span></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">剣璽等承継の儀</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. <i>Ken </i>is “sword” and <i>ji </i>is “jewel.” <i>Tō</i>, meaning “et cetera,” refers to the fact that the emperor receives other objects, too. These objects include the state seal (<i>kokuji</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">国璽</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">) and the imperial seal (<i>gyoji</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">御璽</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">) and also the entire palace shrine-complex. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">27 </span>This audience is officially known as the Sokuigo chōken no gi </span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">即位後朝見の儀</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">or “Rite of audience after succession.” <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">28 </span>For a concise critical history of the <i>daijōsai</i>, see John Breen and Mark Teeuwen. <i>A New history of Shinto</i>. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), Chapter 5. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">29 </span>This principle is known in Japanese as <i>mokuteki kōka kijun</i></span><span lang="JA" style="color: #191919; font-family: "ms 明朝"; font-size: 10.0pt;">目的効果基準</span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">30 </span>For a summary view of the legal controversy concerning the 1999 <i>daijōsai</i>, see Breen and Teeuwen 2011, Chapter 5. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">31 </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/kaiken/show/23) <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">32 </span><span style="color: #191919;">It is, incidentally, this latter fund which pays for the rites performed by the emperor and empress at the palace shrine-complex. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">33 </span>The total budget for the 2019 <i>daijōsai </i>is set by the government at $21 million. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">34 </span>The full text of the prince’s statement on the <i>daijōsai </i>can be accessed on the </span>Imperial Household home page (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/page/kaiken/show/23)<span style="color: #191919;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">35 </span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On postwar conservative administrations’ cultivation of the Ise shrines, see Mark Teeuwen and John Breen. <i>A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital</i>. Bloomsbury, 2017, especially Chapter 10. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">36 </span>The <i>niinamesai </i>is the annual version of the once-in-a-reign <i>daijōsai</i>. The prime minister informed the nation of his participation on Twitter. </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">37 </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Source (<a href="https://twitter.com/abeshinzo/status/1065966577214865409">https://twitter.com/abeshinzo/status/1065966577214865409</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> <span style="color: #191919; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">38 </span><span style="color: #191919;">For the LDP’s proposed revisions to Article 20, see Jiyūminshutō comp. </span><i>Nihonkoku kenpō kaisei sōan </i>(https://jimin.jp-east-2.storage.api.nifcloud.com/pdf/news/policy/130250_1.pdf) <span style="color: #191919;">(2012), p.7 <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">39 </span>The poll referred to was conducted by the <i>Asahi shinbun</i>, and published on 19 April 2019. <span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 8.0pt; position: relative; top: -8.0pt;">40 </span><i>Asahi Shinbun </i>10 September 2016. For Yagi’s intimate relationship to PM Abe, see also <i>Asahi Shinbun </i>28 March 2018. </span></span></div>
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</style>Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-39862505331470681062019-04-29T19:25:00.000+09:002019-04-30T11:34:12.455+09:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Accession of the Reiwa Emperor, <span lang="ja">令和</span><span lang="ja">天皇, </span>2019 and the Mystery of the God Seat</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Reiwa is the name chosen for the new Emperor and the era during which he will reign. A<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9144543578035837392#editor/target=post;postID=900277861117782304;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=5;src=postname" target="_blank">s those who follow this blog know</a>, Japan functions under two systems of year counting: the Gregorian calendar—whereby the year is 2019—and the Imperial calendar, in which case the year will be <i>Reiwa gannen</i>. <i>Gannen</i> means 'first year". Next year (2020) will be <i>reiwa</i> 2. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the Emperor is not actually called the Reiwa Emperor until after his reign is finished. In the meantime he will be called by his given name, Naruhito.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I encourage anyone who is interested in the year counting aspect of the accession to check the kink above. Also, for those interested in the entire sequence of events, <a href="http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/seido/sokui-01.html" target="_blank">view this post from the Kunaicho.</a> Then on a practical note, lest we forget that ceremony and pageantry has a price, <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/21/national/costs-key-daijosai-imperial-ceremony-total-%C2%A52-7-billion/" target="_blank">view this article from The Japan Times. </a>The current post is about one important, mysterious, and lesser known aspect of the accession: the <i>daijosai</i>. To quickly state, the accession ceremony<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i> (<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sokui no rei</span></i><span lang="ja"> 即位の礼)</span> </span>consists of three parts. First, is the hand-over of two of the three sacred regalia—a sword and a string of beads, (not handed over is a mirror which never leaves Ise Jingu). Second, is the enthronement which takes place in a structure wherein the new Emperor will sit on the "throne" for the first time. The third part is the <i>daijosai</i> which is related to a harvest ceremony that takes place every year called the <i>niinamesai</i>. It is this mysterious, secretive, and somewhat controversial ceremony which is the subject of the remainder of this post.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For those few, hearty souls, who relish getting into the weeds of history, I will reproduce in its entirety, a somewhat thorough-going entry from the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, published by the <a href="https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank">Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture</a>, in 1990. Nanzan University is a private Catholic university in Nagoya which publishes one of the most prestigious and informative journals of religion in Japan. This particular article is by Carmen Blacker, who was one of the most renown researcher's and writer's on Japanese religious culture and cosmology. She is best known for a book on Japanese shamanism called "The Catalpa Bow." </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2JVE_nQAsgg7eJCRlxRjH9Ob89d4MR5g6Na6rgVmHJGureyGJit9U9RCUViQ1wAlwt5fD2pNYYjuxHRGzp4tR6xCjkOigRrizz6kffLU9X2Rw8vAm5iYhH_fkF9xbdUchQFBx2-DHi6d/s1600/Duchamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="507" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2JVE_nQAsgg7eJCRlxRjH9Ob89d4MR5g6Na6rgVmHJGureyGJit9U9RCUViQ1wAlwt5fD2pNYYjuxHRGzp4tR6xCjkOigRrizz6kffLU9X2Rw8vAm5iYhH_fkF9xbdUchQFBx2-DHi6d/s400/Duchamp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcel Duchamp, Self-portrait with Pipe (Smoke and Mirrors)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 175.5px; top: 253.188px; transform: scaleX(1.02787);"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 472.833px; top: 289.188px; transform: scaleX(1.12867);">Carmen Blacker </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 175.5px; top: 253.188px; transform: scaleX(1.02787);">The </span><span style="left: 224.833px; top: 253.188px; transform: scaleX(0.865128);">Shinza</span><span style="left: 279.5px; top: 253.188px; transform: scaleX(1.11074);"> or God-seat in the </span><span style="left: 485.5px; top: 253.188px; transform: scaleX(0.911788);">Daijosai</span><span style="left: 159.5px; top: 289.188px; transform: scaleX(1.11151);">—Throne, Bed, or Incubation </span><span style="left: 472.833px; top: 289.188px; transform: scaleX(1.12867);">Couch?—</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 96.3333px; top: 481.7px; transform: scaleX(1.22463);">The </span><span style="left: 136.333px; top: 483.278px; transform: scaleX(0.863862);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 199.167px; top: 481.683px; transform: scaleX(0.973333);"> 大嘗祭</span><span style="left: 247.167px; top: 481.7px; transform: scaleX(1.11834);"> is the oldest and most mysterious ceremony in </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 503.7px; transform: scaleX(1.16109);">the ritual sequence which marks the consecration of the Japanese </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 526.033px; transform: scaleX(1.13137);">emperor. It is also possibly the oldest ritual of its kind to survive </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 547.7px; transform: scaleX(1.164);">in the world. Its exact age is not known. The first record of its </span><span style="left: 98px; top: 571.463px; transform: scaleX(1.2762);">performance </span><span style="left: 204px; top: 570.033px; transform: scaleX(1.14005);">comes in the reign of </span><span style="left: 390.833px; top: 571.463px; transform: scaleX(1.27698);">Emperor </span><span style="left: 466.5px; top: 570.033px; transform: scaleX(1.19528);">Tenmu </span><span style="left: 531.667px; top: 570.017px; transform: scaleX(1.11);">天武</span><span style="left: 572.5px; top: 570.033px; transform: scaleX(1.23601);"> (r. 672</span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 592.533px; transform: scaleX(1.11285);">687). But certain features of the rite — the absence of any metal in </span><span style="left: 97.6667px; top: 614.533px; transform: scaleX(1.18887);">the building of the Daijogu </span><span style="left: 324.833px; top: 614.517px; transform: scaleX(1.10667);">大嘗宮</span><span style="left: 382.833px; top: 614.533px; transform: scaleX(1.13827);">, the rough earthenware vessels </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 636.867px; transform: scaleX(1.12929);">and oak-leaf dishes from which the emperor eats and on which he </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 660.297px; transform: scaleX(1.23202);">offers food to the kami —indicate that its origin may take us back </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 680.867px; transform: scaleX(1.13326);">to a prehistoric age. </span><span style="left: 114.833px; top: 703.2px; transform: scaleX(1.15808);"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 114.833px; top: 703.2px; transform: scaleX(1.15808);">During its long history of at least a millennium and a half the </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 725.2px; transform: scaleX(1.1419);">rite has naturally suffered many vicissitudes. Wars, rebellions, and </span><span style="left: 97.5px; top: 748.2px; transform: scaleX(1.18184);">impoverishment of the imperial house led to periods, longer or </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 770.867px; transform: scaleX(1.14776);">shorter, of discontinuance. The longest lapse lasted for more than </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 793.2px; transform: scaleX(1.13153);">two centuries, from 1466 to 1687, when civil war and its aftermath </span><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 122.6px; transform: scaleX(1.16219);">prevented its performance. During this long gap much of the tra</span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 144.6px; transform: scaleX(1.17763);">dition surrounding the ritual was lost. The ceremonial prescriptions </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 166.933px; transform: scaleX(1.19707);">which during the early tenth century had been committed to writing </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 190.363px; transform: scaleX(1.27506);">in the </span><span style="left: 158.5px; top: 190.511px; transform: scaleX(0.921408);">Engishiki</span><span style="left: 232px; top: 188.917px; transform: scaleX(0.985);"> 延喜式</span><span style="left: 280.833px; top: 190.363px; transform: scaleX(1.26302);"> were safely preserved, but much of the sur</span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 212.697px; transform: scaleX(1.25311);">rounding oral tradition, which had been a closely guarded secret of </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 232.933px; transform: scaleX(1.12849);">the imperial household, was forgotten.</span><span style="left: 119.167px; top: 255.267px; transform: scaleX(1.21378);"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 119.167px; top: 255.267px; transform: scaleX(1.21378);">Among the lost parts of the ritual were the entire </span><span style="left: 517.5px; top: 256.844px; transform: scaleX(0.828593);">geino</span><span style="left: 554.833px; top: 255.267px; transform: scaleX(1.13691);"> [entertainment] element— </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 279.53px; transform: scaleX(1.24194);">the ancient folk songs, the </span><span style="left: 321.167px; top: 279.678px; transform: scaleX(0.931942);">furugoto</span><span style="left: 393.167px; top: 278.083px; transform: scaleX(1.0275);"> ふる</span><span style="left: 428.333px; top: 278.083px; transform: scaleX(0.91);">ごと</span><span style="left: 455.667px; top: 279.53px; transform: scaleX(1.24982);"> or old stories chanted </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 300.1px; transform: scaleX(1.20743);">by the </span><span style="left: 159.167px; top: 301.678px; transform: scaleX(0.872611);">kataribe</span><span style="left: 223.167px; top: 300.083px; transform: scaleX(0.9675);"> 語部</span><span style="left: 254.5px; top: 300.1px; transform: scaleX(1.17196);"> minstrels, the aboriginal cries and dances. Some </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 322.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14155);">of these have been “revived” in recent times by court musicians, </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 344.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14957);">but their reconstructions are not the authentic ancient tunes. Lost </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 366.6px; transform: scaleX(1.13209);">or suppressed also was the very name of the divinity or divinities </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 388.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15124);">in whose honor the rite was performed. Lost also was all knowledge </span><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 410.933px; transform: scaleX(1.14266);">of the symbolic meaning of certain ritual objects prescribed for the </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 434.697px; transform: scaleX(1.27017);">ceremony </span><span style="left: 189.167px; top: 434.697px; transform: scaleX(1.12025);">(O</span><span style="left: 208.833px; top: 437.271px; transform: scaleX(1.66056);">kada</span><span style="left: 258.5px; top: 434.697px; transform: scaleX(1.24915);">1979, pp. 260-62). It is assumed that, like all </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 455.267px; transform: scaleX(1.13675);">rites whereby a sacral king is consecrated, the symbolic sequence </span><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 477.267px; transform: scaleX(1.14313);">confers on the new sovereign the sacred power which transforms </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 500.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12403);">him from a human to the divine condition necessary to become a </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 522.6px; transform: scaleX(1.17411);">king. But exactly what the ritual sequence signified in terms of </span><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 544.6px; transform: scaleX(1.16271);">symbolism is still far from clear. A number of enigmas still remain.</span><span style="left: 120.5px; top: 566.6px; transform: scaleX(1.18144);"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 120.5px; top: 566.6px; transform: scaleX(1.18144);">The purpose of this study is to try to elucidate one of these </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 588.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14969);">puzzles: the meaning and purpose of the </span><span style="left: 444.333px; top: 590.178px; transform: scaleX(0.836082);">shinza</span><span style="left: 497.167px; top: 588.583px; transform: scaleX(0.975);"> 神座</span><span style="left: 528.833px; top: 588.6px; transform: scaleX(1.10214);"> or “god-seat” </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 610.933px; transform: scaleX(1.12552);">which stands in the very middle of each of the two “halls,” the </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 633.267px; transform: scaleX(1.17295);">Yukiden </span><span style="left: 177.667px; top: 633.25px; transform: scaleX(0.983333);">悠紀殿</span><span style="left: 226.5px; top: 633.267px; transform: scaleX(1.14273);"> and the Sukiden </span><span style="left: 376.5px; top: 633.25px; transform: scaleX(1.09333);">主基殿</span><span style="left: 433.667px; top: 633.267px; transform: scaleX(0.965943);">, in </span><span style="left: 469.167px; top: 634.697px; transform: scaleX(1.23392);">which </span><span style="left: 522.833px; top: 633.267px; transform: scaleX(1.19596);">the rite is per</span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 655.267px; transform: scaleX(1.13461);">formed. This </span><span style="left: 214.833px; top: 656.844px; transform: scaleX(0.83435);">shinza</span><span style="left: 257.667px; top: 655.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15821);"> resembles a bed, of strange and complex con</span><span style="left: 104px; top: 677.267px; transform: scaleX(1.1547);">struction, with a well-defined pillow and coverlet. But so completely </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 700.6px; transform: scaleX(1.19357);">has its function been forgotten that during the course of the ritual </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 722.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1347);">the emperor does not once touch it, let alone lie on it. As Holtom </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 745.267px; transform: scaleX(1.17971);">put it in 1928, “the god-seat and its strange furnishings stand there </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 767.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15572);">throughout the night as silent witnesses of a half-forgotten past” </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 790.1px; transform: scaleX(1.21257);">(Holtom 1972</span><span style="left: 222.833px; top: 790.083px;">, </span><span style="left: 236.5px; top: 790.1px; transform: scaleX(1.0459);">p. 96).</span><span style="left: 120.833px; top: 812.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14238);"> An intriguing variety of theories have been advanced to account </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 834.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12592);">for its presence. It has been seen as a throne, as a marriage bed, </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 856.6px; transform: scaleX(1.11643);">a symbol of the Sun Goddess, a resting-place for a visiting god, a </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 878.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15038);">refuge where the emperor may receive the soul of his ancestors. </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 900.933px; transform: scaleX(1.1404);">Before considering these varied explanations, however, let us recall </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);">in brief outline the outward sequence of the rite.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; left: 215.167px; top: 128.044px; transform: scalex(0.801967);">T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he Sequence of the</span></span><span style="left: 361.167px; top: 126.467px; transform: scaleX(1.10054);"> Daijosai </span><span style="left: 440.333px; top: 128.044px; transform: scaleX(0.805976);">Ceremony</span></b><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 170.8px; transform: scaleX(1.23587);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 170.8px; transform: scaleX(1.23587);">The heart of the </span><span style="left: 228px; top: 172.378px; transform: scaleX(0.870753);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 280.833px; top: 170.8px; transform: scaleX(1.17881);"> ceremony is apparently a communion meal, </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 193.633px; transform: scaleX(1.18205);">in which the emperor eats the first-fruits of the new rice of the </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 215.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16033);">season, and offers the same, cooked in the same vessel, to the kami </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 237.633px; transform: scaleX(1.16935);">of his ancestors. The very name of the ceremony, Festival of Great </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 259.633px; transform: scaleX(1.15988);">Eating, reflects the importance attached to this act of commensal </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 282.467px; transform: scaleX(1.19687);">eating, and indeed the rite has much in common with the old </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 306.23px; transform: scaleX(1.24656);">annual harvest festival, the </span><span style="left: 314.333px; top: 306.378px; transform: scaleX(0.883024);">niinamesai</span><span style="left: 398px; top: 304.783px; transform: scaleX(1.095);"> 新嘗祭</span><span style="left: 455.167px; top: 304.068px;">,</span><span style="left: 468px; top: 306.23px; transform: scaleX(1.24868);">also recorded in the </span><span style="left: 90.8333px; top: 328.044px; transform: scaleX(0.912856);">Engishiki.</span><span style="left: 159.5px; top: 326.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1917);"> It is tempting therefore to see the </span><span style="left: 471.667px; top: 328.044px; transform: scaleX(0.850136);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 524px; top: 326.467px; transform: scaleX(1.15631);"> as simply a </span><span style="left: 92.5px; top: 350.23px; transform: scaleX(1.28831);">grander version of the </span><span style="left: 274.333px; top: 350.378px; transform: scaleX(0.85977);">niiname,</span><span style="left: 332.333px; top: 350.23px; transform: scaleX(1.32469);"> which is performed at the beginning </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 370.8px; transform: scaleX(1.177);">of the reign of every new emperor, and hence confers, through the </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 392.8px; transform: scaleX(1.19192);">spirit of the rice, blessings and fecundating power on the new </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 415.3px; transform: scaleX(1.21647);">sovereign. This interpretation, however, leaves several puzzles </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 436.8px; transform: scaleX(1.12256);">unsolved.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 459.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16691);">The ceremony is prescribed for the second hare day of the elev</span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 481.633px; transform: scaleX(1.20838);">enth month. It lasts for four days and can be seen in three principal </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 503.633px; transform: scaleX(1.12421);">stages. On the first day is </span><span style="left: 307.5px; top: 505.063px; transform: scaleX(1.27522);">performed the rite </span><span style="left: 463.5px; top: 503.633px; transform: scaleX(1.22161);">of </span><span style="left: 486px; top: 505.211px; transform: scaleX(0.857928);">chinkonsai</span><span style="left: 568.333px; top: 503.617px; transform: scaleX(1.115);"> 鎮魂祭, </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 526.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13311);">or “pacifying the soul.” The emperor’s clothes, treated as a symbol </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 548.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14419);">of himself, together with a cord of white silk, are brought to two </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 570.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1858);">specially constructed shrines. The clothes are shaken ten times, and </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 592.467px; transform: scaleX(1.13118);">ten knots are tied in the white cord. The second stage comprises </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 614.467px; transform: scaleX(1.13051);">the ceremonies in the Daijogu, the focus of this study, enacted on </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 636.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18239);">the night of the second day and the early morning of the third. </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 658.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14198);">These are followed on the third and fourth days, our third stage, </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 680.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14703);">by banquets for some hundreds of guests. It is the ceremonies in </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 702.8px; transform: scaleX(1.1168);">the Daijogu, which form the second stage, which concern us.</span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 725.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16195);">The complex of buildings known as the Daijogu, or Shrine of </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 747.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16311);">the Great Eating, consists of two identical “halls” known as the </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 770.133px; transform: scaleX(1.14973);">Yukiden and Sukiden, surrounded by a fence of brushwood. These </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 792.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1567);">are constructed seven days before the ceremony by the specially </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 815.3px; transform: scaleX(1.15982);">skilled carpenters known as </span><span style="left: 312.333px; top: 816.878px; transform: scaleX(0.875876);">miya-daiku.</span><span style="left: 391.5px; top: 815.3px; transform: scaleX(1.25502);"> The architecture of the Yuki</span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 838.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15339);">den and the Sukiden is of an archaic type similar to the buildings</span></span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 838.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15339);"><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 125.733px; transform: scaleX(1.16936);"> of the Ise Shrines: they stand on piles, with crossbeams on the </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 148.067px; transform: scaleX(1.15818);">thatched roof; all posts and timbers are of rough unpeeled pine; </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 170.4px; transform: scaleX(1.14895);">the walls and ceilings are of matting; and around each building is </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 192.567px; transform: scaleX(1.19375);">a veranda of bamboo. No metal of any kind is used in the building. </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 214.9px; transform: scaleX(1.18367);">The brushwood fence which surrounds the enclosure has an en</span><span style="left: 102px; top: 236.9px; transform: scaleX(1.15047);">trance to the north and to the south; a kitchen where the sacred </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 259.233px; transform: scaleX(1.1079);">rice is cooked is allotted for each hall, one to the east and one to </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 281.567px; transform: scaleX(1.13884);">the west of the enclosure (see Fig.1).</span><span style="left: 118.5px; top: 303.733px; transform: scaleX(1.15321);"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9n4LkV8JbKOXPHnPbsARDRULeJ308WzpH-0FzmJC__Y8dncgwhyphenhyphenISRYoutcec1Lz7sNv20JGm6NTpwRkBJ5LY9jgYtZ-KFgkWPgwFH72uwHIrmJGSjYXkXF1jTvGdBNlmbZyduS8k9aL/s1600/Sukiden%252C+Yukiden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="908" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9n4LkV8JbKOXPHnPbsARDRULeJ308WzpH-0FzmJC__Y8dncgwhyphenhyphenISRYoutcec1Lz7sNv20JGm6NTpwRkBJ5LY9jgYtZ-KFgkWPgwFH72uwHIrmJGSjYXkXF1jTvGdBNlmbZyduS8k9aL/s640/Sukiden%252C+Yukiden.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Suki-den and Yuki-den</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 838.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15339);"><span style="left: 118.5px; top: 303.733px; transform: scaleX(1.15321);">The preparations for the rite, which must be accounted part of </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 326.067px; transform: scaleX(1.1322);">the whole ritual sequence, begin in the second month of the year, </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 348.567px; transform: scaleX(1.16339);">when divination by turtle-shell is performed to discover the two </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 370.067px; transform: scaleX(1.15591);">districts where the rice is to be grown. These are known as the </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 392.567px; transform: scaleX(1.15763);">Yuki field and the Suki field, and traditionally were located east </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 414.067px; transform: scaleX(1.16028);">and west of Kyoto. At the </span><span style="left: 337.167px; top: 415.644px; transform: scaleX(0.851566);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 389.5px; top: 414.067px; transform: scaleX(1.17499);"> for the late Showa emperor</span><span style="left: 636px; top: 414.05px;">, </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 436.567px; transform: scaleX(1.11159);">divination for the two fields took place on 5 February 1928, when </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 458.9px; transform: scaleX(1.1371);">the cracks in the turtle shell decreed the Yuki field to be located </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 480.9px; transform: scaleX(1.15799);">in Shiga Prefecture, and the Suki field in Fukuoka Prefecture in </span><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 504.663px; transform: scaleX(1.32818);">Kyushu. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 838.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15339);"><span style="left: 103.667px; top: 504.663px; transform: scaleX(1.32818);">Divination for the forthcoming </span><span style="left: 452px; top: 504.811px; transform: scaleX(0.851566);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 516.833px; top: 504.663px; transform: scaleX(1.32411);"> ceremony next </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 525.733px; transform: scaleX(1.12463);">November took place on 8 February 1990; the results decreed that </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 547.233px; transform: scaleX(1.18657);">the Yuki field should be in Akita Prefecture, further north than on </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 569.733px; transform: scaleX(1.17771);">any previous occasion. The Suki field was located in Oita Prefecture </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 593.163px; transform: scaleX(1.16343);">in Kyushu.</span><span style="left: 120.833px; top: 614.067px; transform: scaleX(1.1676);">In these fields, and under strict conditions of ritual purity, the </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 636.9px; transform: scaleX(1.16361);">rice is sown, cultivated, harvested, and eventually transported to </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 658.567px; transform: scaleX(1.10595);">Kyoto or Tokyo. This is the rice which is to provide the meal and </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 680.9px; transform: scaleX(1.14618);">the sak6 which the emperor at the climax of the rite shares with </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 703.233px; transform: scaleX(1.13842);">the presiding kami.</span><span style="left: 120.833px; top: 725.233px; transform: scaleX(1.19468);"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 923.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15515);"><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 838.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15339);"><span style="left: 120.833px; top: 725.233px; transform: scaleX(1.19468);">Inside the Yukiden and the Sukiden, the furnishings are identical. </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 747.733px; transform: scaleX(1.1726);">In the center stands the </span><span style="left: 312px; top: 749.311px; transform: scaleX(0.891589);">shinza,</span><span style="left: 359.667px; top: 747.733px; transform: scaleX(1.1711);"> the focus of our inquiry (see Fig.2). It is of </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 770.067px; transform: scaleX(1.15743);">exceedingly complex construction, consisting of seven layers of thick</span></span></span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 118.167px; transform: scaleX(1.22753);"> tatami arranged in three tiers, </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 118.167px; transform: scaleX(1.22753);"><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 118.167px; transform: scaleX(1.22753);">so that there is a projection </span></span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 118.167px; transform: scaleX(1.22753);">or ledge</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 140.5px; transform: scaleX(1.17074);">at the foot, to the north, and another to the right or east. On the </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 162.167px; transform: scaleX(1.21246);">ledge at the foot lies a pair of slippers, purple with a white pattern. </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 184.167px; transform: scaleX(1.18523);">On the ledge to the right lies a comb and a fan, encased in folded </span><span style="left: 93.5px; top: 206.167px; transform: scaleX(1.17315);">white paper, and a length of silk, in a willow box, known as </span><span style="left: 565.667px; top: 207.744px; transform: scaleX(0.896487);">uchiharai</span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 229.744px; transform: scaleX(0.90844);"> no nuno</span><span style="left: 166.5px; top: 228.15px; transform: scaleX(1.12);"> 打拂布</span><span style="left: 225.667px; top: 228.167px; transform: scaleX(1.16216);">. On the uppermost layer of tatami, at the south </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 250.5px; transform: scaleX(1.14304);">end of the bed, is laid a pillow of triangular shape known as </span><span style="left: 594.833px; top: 252.078px; transform: scaleX(0.81499);">saka-</span><span style="left: 94px; top: 274.078px; transform: scaleX(0.899056);">makura </span><span style="left: 156px; top: 272.483px; transform: scaleX(1.1475);">坂枕</span><span style="left: 199.167px; top: 274.078px;">. </span><span style="left: 201.667px; top: 272.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13949);">Over both the pillow and the uppermost tatami are </span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 295.333px; transform: scaleX(1.18607);">laid eight layers of thinner reed matting known as </span><span style="left: 491.667px; top: 296.911px; transform: scaleX(0.854075);">yaedatami</span><span style="left: 570.833px; top: 295.317px; transform: scaleX(1.10167);"> 八重畳</span><span style="left: 628.333px; top: 295.333px; transform: scaleX(0.966);">. </span><span style="left: 95.1667px; top: 317.333px; transform: scaleX(1.16336);">Lastly, completely covering tatami and pillow, is a coverlet of white </span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 340.5px; transform: scaleX(1.09652);">silk, known as </span><span style="left: 216.333px; top: 342.078px; transform: scaleX(0.85281);">ofusuma</span><span style="left: 283.667px; top: 340.483px; transform: scaleX(1.1275);"> 御衾 .</span><span style="left: 114.5px; top: 711.333px; transform: scaleX(1.17962);"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 114.5px; top: 711.333px; transform: scaleX(1.17962);">Next, on either side of the </span><span style="left: 352.833px; top: 712.911px; transform: scaleX(0.83435);">shinza</span><span style="left: 395.667px; top: 711.333px; transform: scaleX(1.181);"> stands a table supporting a </span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 733.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19539);">basket of cloth. The basket on the western side contains a soft cloth </span><span style="left: 98px; top: 755.667px; transform: scaleX(1.10254);">called </span><span style="left: 148.5px; top: 757.244px; transform: scaleX(0.883261);">nigitae,</span><span style="left: 199.667px; top: 755.667px; transform: scaleX(1.22314);"> that on the eastern side a rougher cloth called </span><span style="left: 586px; top: 757.244px; transform: scaleX(0.855532);">aratae.</span><span style="left: 97.1667px; top: 778.167px; transform: scaleX(1.15056);">The function and meaning of these two lengths of cloth have, like </span><span style="left: 97.6667px; top: 800.833px; transform: scaleX(1.16314);">the function and meaning of the </span><span style="left: 371.667px; top: 802.411px; transform: scaleX(0.846088);">shinza,</span><span style="left: 418.833px; top: 800.833px; transform: scaleX(1.1323);"> been forgotten.</span><span style="left: 115.167px; top: 822.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15145);"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 115.167px; top: 822.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15145);">Next amongst the furnishings of the two halls are the mats on </span><span style="left: 98px; top: 844.833px; transform: scaleX(1.16773);">which are placed the food offerings for the kami, and the food </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 867.333px; transform: scaleX(1.20677);">eaten by the emperor. The chamber is lit by two lamps, one white </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 889.833px; transform: scaleX(1.14351);">and one black, each standing on an eight-legged table. Finally, the </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 912.5px; transform: scaleX(1.16005);">food, which is carried in procession into the halls and which is </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 934.5px; transform: scaleX(1.1119);">served in boxes and dishes of oak leaves and on dishes and bowls </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 956.833px; transform: scaleX(1.1834);">of unglazed red earthenware, includes steamed rice, fresh and dried </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 979.167px; transform: scaleX(1.09783);">fish, seaweed broth, </span><span style="left: 266px; top: 980.911px; transform: scaleX(0.861955);">awabi</span><span style="left: 306.5px; top: 979.333px; transform: scaleX(1.13772);"> broth, fruit, boiled rice and millet, and</span></span></span><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15px; left: 99.6667px; top: 119.897px; transform: scalex(1.25155);"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">two kinds of sak</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 232.333px; top: 118.45px;">e</span><span style="left: 241.167px; top: 119.897px; transform: scaleX(1.4033);">. The</span><span style="left: 283.5px; top: 119.897px; transform: scaleX(1.25325);"> emperor's food, </span><span style="left: 423.167px; top: 120.044px; transform: scaleX(0.915485);">onaorai </span><span style="left: 485.667px; top: 118.45px; transform: scaleX(1.11667);">御直会</span><span style="left: 544.5px; top: 119.897px; transform: scaleX(1.1521);">, consists of </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 140.467px; transform: scaleX(1.12414);">steamed rice and millet molded into </span><span style="left: 399.667px; top: 142.044px; transform: scaleX(0.827565);">dango</span><span style="left: 442.5px; top: 140.467px; transform: scaleX(1.0859);">, or small dumplings.</span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-egTenxzLNOXhIvtb2UNR4NRNdUtqCT1q-oAcVMeha13mOpWf0PZBdEbKehGnuyeU6XUlKvFUxTo1iVZoMrFMuMojy3DXNDVWBUhIPZHwyecu0q7AhWkNopTSYhn_WA6UkTMWUiythza/s1600/shinza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="554" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-egTenxzLNOXhIvtb2UNR4NRNdUtqCT1q-oAcVMeha13mOpWf0PZBdEbKehGnuyeU6XUlKvFUxTo1iVZoMrFMuMojy3DXNDVWBUhIPZHwyecu0q7AhWkNopTSYhn_WA6UkTMWUiythza/s640/shinza.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <i>shinza</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 442.5px; top: 140.467px; transform: scaleX(1.0859);"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 116px; top: 162.8px; transform: scaleX(1.16446);">The ceremony begins on the evening of the second day, when </span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 184.467px; transform: scaleX(1.17496);">the emperor takes a ritual bath of hot water, in a building to the </span><span style="left: 99.5px; top: 206.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14377);">northeast of the Daijogu enclosure called the Kairyuden, from an </span><span style="left: 99.5px; top: 230.23px; transform: scaleX(1.24202);">archaic tub known as </span><span style="left: 279.167px; top: 230.378px; transform: scaleX(0.906765);">miyu no fane</span><span style="left: 384.833px; top: 228.783px; transform: scaleX(1.10667);"> 御湯槽</span><span style="left: 442.833px; top: 230.23px; transform: scaleX(1.25238);">. He wears meanwhile a </span><span style="left: 99.5px; top: 251.633px; transform: scaleX(1.19657);">hempen garment which bears the name of </span><span style="left: 436px; top: 253.211px; transform: scaleX(0.81224);">ama no hagoromo</span><span style="left: 571.667px; top: 251.617px; transform: scaleX(1.15333);"> 天羽衣</span><span style="left: 633.167px; top: 251.633px; transform: scaleX(1.006);">, </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 273.633px; transform: scaleX(1.14208);">or heavenly feather robe. After his bath he removes this garment </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 295.633px; transform: scaleX(1.13187);">and puts on another robe of white silk. Wearing this, he walks in </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 318.133px; transform: scaleX(1.12777);">solemn procession from the Kairyuden, through the north gateway </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 340.467px; transform: scaleX(1.17768);">of the Daijogu enclosure, and into the Yukiden by its south entrance. </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 362.467px; transform: scaleX(1.15845);">As he walks, a mat is unrolled before him, and rolled up again </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 384.467px; transform: scaleX(1.13191);">immediately behind him, so that no feet save his own touch it A </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 406.133px; transform: scaleX(1.12991);">sedge umbrella is held over his head. Before him are carried two </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 428.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14941);">of the three imperial regalia, the Sword and the Jewels. He enters </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 451.3px; transform: scaleX(1.20771);">the Outer Chamber or </span><span style="left: 286px; top: 452.878px; transform: scaleX(0.918764);">gaijin</span><span style="left: 327.667px; top: 451.3px; transform: scaleX(1.18634);"> of the Yukiden, and there waits while </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 473.3px; transform: scaleX(1.1471);">certain magic music is performed. Traditionally this music included </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 495.633px; transform: scaleX(1.13499);">folk songs from the district where the Yuki rice field was located; </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 517.967px; transform: scaleX(1.17796);">ancient ballads called </span><span style="left: 287.167px; top: 519.711px; transform: scaleX(0.921721);">furugoto</span><span style="left: 348.5px; top: 518.133px; transform: scaleX(1.23236);"> chanted by the minstrels of the </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 541.711px; transform: scaleX(0.88176);">kataribe;</span><span style="left: 160px; top: 540.133px; transform: scaleX(1.31065);"> the </span><span style="left: 200.5px; top: 541.711px; transform: scaleX(0.849944);">Kuzuso</span><span style="left: 251.667px; top: 540.133px; transform: scaleX(1.14491);">, or song of the Kuzu folk, an aboriginal people </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 562.467px; transform: scaleX(1.16642);">from the Yoshino mountains; and the dances and “dog-cries” </span><span style="left: 581.167px; top: 564.044px; transform: scaleX(0.842649);">(inugoe)</span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 584.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15609);"> of the Hayato, another aboriginal people from southern Kyushu. </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 606.133px; transform: scaleX(1.19056);">All these ancient songs and tunes were lost during the two centuries </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 628.467px; transform: scaleX(1.17591);">of desuetude, and are replaced today by “reconstructions” composed </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 650.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14215);">by court musicians.</span><span style="left: 117.167px; top: 672.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14636);">When the food offerings are in place, the emperor is summoned </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 694.8px; transform: scaleX(1.20255);">by a special call to pass into the Inner Chamber or </span><span style="left: 518px; top: 696.378px; transform: scaleX(0.973585);">naijin.</span><span style="left: 562.833px; top: 694.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14852);"> Here he </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 717.3px; transform: scaleX(1.17947);">seats himself on a mat placed to the northeast of the </span><span style="left: 560.833px; top: 718.878px; transform: scaleX(0.853671);">shinza.</span><span style="left: 608.333px; top: 717.3px; transform: scaleX(1.259);"> In </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 740.133px; transform: scaleX(1.14573);">front of him are the two food mats, one for the kami and one for </span><span style="left: 100.333px; top: 762.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14216);">himself. He then offers to the kami the various foods prepared for </span><span style="left: 100.333px; top: 784.8px; transform: scaleX(1.1637);">them, and himself consumes three </span><span style="left: 393.5px; top: 786.378px; transform: scaleX(0.811283);">dango</span><span style="left: 435.167px; top: 784.8px; transform: scaleX(1.19867);"> of the </span><span style="left: 505.667px; top: 786.378px; transform: scaleX(0.911181);">onaorai</span><span style="left: 559.167px; top: 784.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18596);"> rice and </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 806.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18367);">millet, helping himself with chopsticks in his right hand and placing </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 830.73px; transform: scaleX(1.29154);">the </span><span style="left: 132px; top: 830.878px; transform: scaleX(0.832795);">dango</span><span style="left: 174px; top: 830.73px; transform: scaleX(1.22413);"> on the palm of his left, followed by four sips each of the </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 851.633px; transform: scaleX(1.14217);">two kinds of sake. He then washes his hands, the remaining food </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 874.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13787);">is removed, he withdraws and returns, in the same procession, to </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 896.133px; transform: scaleX(1.18543);">the Kairyuden. The Yuki ceremony is concluded shortly before mid</span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);">night.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 112px; top: 122.833px; transform: scaleX(1.13574);">At two o’clock the following morning, exactly the same ceremony </span><span style="left: 95.1667px; top: 144.833px; transform: scaleX(1.2056);">is repeated in the Sukiden, the whole ritual sequence ending before </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 166.833px; transform: scaleX(1.1608);">dawn. The Daijogu rite is thus concluded. The buildings are dis</span><span style="left: 96px; top: 188.833px; transform: scaleX(1.12607);">mantled the same day, and all the </span><span style="left: 380.333px; top: 190.411px; transform: scaleX(0.796303);">dogu</span><span style="left: 413.5px; top: 188.833px; transform: scaleX(1.1292);"> or ceremonial implements, </span><span style="left: 95.5px; top: 211.333px; transform: scaleX(1.13433);">together with the remaining food offerings, are buried </span><span style="left: 543.5px; top: 212.911px; transform: scaleX(0.856479);">(maizo)</span><span style="left: 593.667px; top: 211.333px; transform: scaleX(1.24041);"> at a </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 233.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13845);">spot in the precincts of the Kamigamo Shrine. Banquets follow for </span><span style="left: 95.1667px; top: 256.167px; transform: scaleX(1.12209);">the next two days </span><span style="left: 249.667px; top: 257.597px; transform: scaleX(1.19611);">(T</span><span style="left: 266.5px; top: 260.171px; transform: scaleX(1.70233);">anaka</span><span style="left: 324.833px; top: 256.167px; transform: scaleX(1.09451);">1975, pp. 166-237).</span><span style="left: 237.667px; top: 319.244px; transform: scaleX(0.897757);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 237.667px; top: 319.244px; transform: scaleX(0.897757);">Kingship Rituals and the</span><span style="left: 422px; top: 317.667px; transform: scaleX(1.08908);"> Daijosai</span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 353.65px;"></span><span style="left: 110px; top: 353.667px; transform: scaleX(1.1375);"> </span></span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 110px; top: 353.667px; transform: scaleX(1.1375);">A. M. Hocart, in his classic work, </span><span style="left: 383.167px; top: 355.244px; transform: scaleX(0.893996);">Kingship</span><span style="left: 446px; top: 355.082px;">, </span><span style="left: 458.5px; top: 353.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15574);">discovered that in the </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 374.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15256);">consecration rituals for kings all over the world an extraordinary </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 396.833px; transform: scaleX(1.17568);">similarity of structure was discernible. So marked was the similarity, </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 418.833px; transform: scaleX(1.18471);">indeed, that he was tempted to wonder whether all could have </span><span style="left: 96px; top: 441.333px; transform: scaleX(1.15561);">derived from a single source. From numerous examples he distilled </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 463.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15308);">a model rite, to which all more or less conformed. Here he con</span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 486px; transform: scaleX(1.20431);">cluded that the general purpose and intention of the ceremony was </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 508.167px; transform: scaleX(1.13841);">to enact symbolically the death of the new king to his old human </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 530.833px; transform: scaleX(1.19739);">state, and his rebirth as a divine or semi-divine being. The moment </span><span style="left: 96px; top: 553.333px; transform: scaleX(1.15692);">of transformation or symbolic empowerment was accomplished when </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 577.097px; transform: scaleX(1.24448);">the king:</span><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 609.597px; transform: scaleX(1.23567);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 609.597px; transform: scaleX(1.23567);">a. was invested with special clothes: a tunic, cloak, gloves, hose, </span><span style="left: 132.5px; top: 629.667px; transform: scaleX(1.10725);">or sandals;</span><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 653.597px; transform: scaleX(1.25783);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 653.597px; transform: scaleX(1.25783);">b. received regalia, or magic objects of a power-conferring kind: </span><span style="left: 132.5px; top: 675.597px; transform: scaleX(1.23738);">a crown, an orb, a </span><span style="left: 292.5px; top: 674.167px; transform: scaleX(1.15125);">scepter, </span><span style="left: 359.667px; top: 675.597px; transform: scaleX(1.21364);">a ring, a sword;</span><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 696.167px; transform: scaleX(1.13112);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 696.167px; transform: scaleX(1.13112);">c. was either baptized with water or anointed with oil;</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 113.167px; top: 718.167px; transform: scaleX(1.16459);">d. received communion, or ate special food (1969, p. 70-98).</span><span style="left: 96.5px; top: 751.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13029);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96.5px; top: 751.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13029);">In all Hocart's examples, the king performed at least one of these </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 774.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15555);">symbolic actions; in some rituals he was required to enact more </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 797.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15337);">than one.</span><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 820.763px; transform: scaleX(1.33697);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 112.833px; top: 820.763px; transform: scaleX(1.33697);">The </span><span style="left: 150px; top: 820.911px; transform: scaleX(0.862432);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 210.833px; top: 820.763px; transform: scaleX(1.30312);"> did not number among the examples Hocart analyzed </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 841.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15652);">to this end. But it is clear that the Japanese rite is no exception </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 864px; transform: scaleX(1.13638);">to his rule. All scholars who have sought to interpret the general </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 886.167px; transform: scaleX(1.16594);">symbolic action of the </span><span style="left: 275.167px; top: 887.744px; transform: scaleX(0.851566);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 327.667px; top: 886.167px; transform: scaleX(1.2099);"> agree that the ritual sequence enables </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 908.5px; transform: scaleX(1.16018);">the future emperor to pass from a human to a divine condition. </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 930.5px; transform: scaleX(1.16263);">Where they disagree is over the question of which action in the </span><span style="left: 95.6667px; top: 952.5px; transform: scaleX(1.133);">ritual symbolizes the principal power-giving transformation.</span><span style="left: 113.667px; top: 975.333px; transform: scaleX(1.20137);"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 113.667px; top: 975.333px; transform: scaleX(1.20137);">From our brief description of the rite it is at once clear that the </span><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);">climax appears to be the communal eating, by the emperor in </span></span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 108.5px; top: 125.7px; transform: scaleX(1.12856);">company with his ancestral kami, of the First Rice grown from the </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 148.533px; transform: scaleX(1.17849);">sacred crop. At the same time we note that the </span><span style="left: 526px; top: 150.111px; transform: scaleX(0.884005);">shinza</span><span style="left: 573.5px; top: 148.533px; transform: scaleX(1.1736);"> with its </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 170.533px; transform: scaleX(1.16089);">strange appurtenances, is completely ignored. It is not surprising </span><span style="left: 108.333px; top: 192.033px; transform: scaleX(1.17295);">therefore that explanations of the meaning of the rite should fall </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 214.867px; transform: scaleX(1.11415);">into two broad categories. Some scholars give principal importance </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 236.867px; transform: scaleX(1.1653);">to the communion meal; it is in the eating of the special magic </span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 258.867px; transform: scaleX(1.16332);">food that the transforming moment occurs. The bed is of minor </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 281.2px; transform: scaleX(1.15103);">importance. Others would have it that the bed does not stand in </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 302.867px; transform: scaleX(1.15446);">the center of each hall by accident; some secret or forgotten rite </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 326.778px; transform: scaleX(0.902387);">(higi)</span><span style="left: 146px; top: 325.2px; transform: scaleX(1.15076);"> must have taken place upon it which is of equal or greater </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 347.7px; transform: scaleX(1.1404);">importance than the communal meal. The explanations offered by </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 369.7px; transform: scaleX(1.22279);">these latter scholars come in general under the heading of our first </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 391.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14212);">Hocart alternative, the investiture of the King in magic clothes.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 126.833px; top: 424.033px; transform: scaleX(1.16145);">Let us now review some of these theories regarding the </span><span style="left: 602.333px; top: 425.611px; transform: scaleX(0.836082);">shinza</span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 446.867px; transform: scaleX(1.12177);"> and its function.</span><span style="left: 126.833px; top: 469.2px; transform: scaleX(1.16892);"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 126.833px; top: 469.2px; transform: scaleX(1.16892);">In the first category of scholars, who favor the communion meal </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 491.2px; transform: scaleX(1.19471);">as the climax of the rite and relegate the bed to a minor appurte</span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 513.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14337);">nance, comes </span><span style="left: 226.833px; top: 515.13px;">T</span><span style="left: 238.833px; top: 517.704px; transform: scaleX(1.70533);">anaka</span><span style="left: 298px; top: 513.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14801);"> Hatsuo, with his massive and authoritative </span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 537.278px; transform: scaleX(0.817383);">Senso daijosai</span><span style="left: 207.167px; top: 535.7px; transform: scaleX(1.17015);"> (1975). For Tanaka the whole ritual is easily explicable </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 558.033px; transform: scaleX(1.14805);">in terms of symbolic action signifying hospitality to a guest. The </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 580.033px; transform: scaleX(1.14158);">primary focus of the rite is that the emperor should summon</span><span style="left: 609.5px; top: 580.017px;">,</span><span style="left: 622.333px; top: 580.033px; transform: scaleX(1.61294);">en</span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 602.033px; transform: scaleX(1.21387);">tertain, and honor the visiting kami, who in return will lavish bless</span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 624.033px; transform: scaleX(1.14196);">ings and protection on his coming reign. Thus the emperor offers </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 646.533px; transform: scaleX(1.16841);">food to his divine guests and, like a good host’ partakes of the same </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 668.867px; transform: scaleX(1.18397);">food himself. But his hospitality does not end here; he also provides </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 691.2px; transform: scaleX(1.16533);">a bed for his guests to rest after their journey, and even a pair of </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 713.533px; transform: scaleX(1.22697);">slippers, a fan, a comb and a change of clothes for their toilet The </span><span style="left: 108.833px; top: 737.278px; transform: scaleX(0.84093);">shinza</span><span style="left: 152px; top: 735.7px; transform: scaleX(1.16663);"> is thus not a transforming symbol; it is merely a comfortable </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 758.533px; transform: scaleX(1.13151);">refuge for a weary guest. This explanation puts the </span><span style="left: 537.5px; top: 760.111px; transform: scaleX(0.85271);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 590px; top: 758.533px; transform: scaleX(1.13035);"> into a </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 781.2px; transform: scaleX(1.15188);">pattern common to many Shinto </span><span style="left: 385.167px; top: 782.778px; transform: scaleX(0.909788);">matsuri</span><span style="left: 440.333px; top: 781.2px; transform: scaleX(1.17228);"> in which kami are sum</span><span style="left: 110.333px; top: 803.2px; transform: scaleX(1.18307);">moned, entertained, honored, treated with every mark of hospitality, </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 825.2px; transform: scaleX(1.14006);">and finally requested for blessings before being sent back to their </span><span style="left: 109.5px; top: 846.867px; transform: scaleX(1.15011);">own world (1975</span><span style="left: 245.5px; top: 846.85px;">, </span><span style="left: 258px; top: 846.867px; transform: scaleX(1.12659);">pp. 129-44).</span><span style="left: 127.167px; top: 871.13px;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 127.167px; top: 871.13px;">H</span><span style="left: 142px; top: 873.704px; transform: scaleX(1.79743);">oltom</span><span style="left: 194px; top: 871.13px;">,</span><span style="left: 197.5px; top: 871.13px; transform: scaleX(1.28439);"> too, regarded the communion meal as the climax of the </span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 893.611px; transform: scaleX(0.862263);">daijosai,</span><span style="left: 166.333px; top: 892.033px; transform: scaleX(1.22465);"> but at the same time he was convinced that the </span><span style="left: 557.5px; top: 893.611px; transform: scaleX(0.844047);">shinza</span><span style="left: 600.833px; top: 892.033px; transform: scaleX(1.15188);"> must </span><span style="left: 109.167px; top: 914.533px; transform: scaleX(1.18636);">be some kind of throne. It proclaims “by every line of its couch-like </span><span style="left: 110px; top: 936.867px; transform: scaleX(1.19181);">construction," he wrote, “that it is the True Throne of the old</span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 121.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13925);">Yamato Sumeragi” (1972, p. 49). He offered no explanation, how</span><span style="left: 86.3333px; top: 143.667px; transform: scaleX(1.17848);">ever, of the function that this throne can have been assigned in </span><span style="left: 86.3333px; top: 166.167px; transform: scaleX(1.17933);">the sequence of the ritual, nor of the meaning of the pillow and </span><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 187.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13825);">coverlet placed upon this “throne.”</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 209.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15249);">An entirely different explanation, in this same first category, is </span><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 231.667px; transform: scaleX(1.18116);">offered by Saigo Nobutsuna in his </span><span style="left: 366.5px; top: 233.244px; transform: scaleX(0.858251);">Kojiki no sekai</span><span style="left: 471.167px; top: 231.667px; transform: scaleX(1.16972);"> (1967). The climax </span><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 254.167px; transform: scaleX(1.1529);">of the rite is still the communal meal. By eating with his ancestral </span><span style="left: 87.1667px; top: 276.5px; transform: scaleX(1.15553);">kami the products of the earth, the emperor acquires the magical </span><span style="left: 87.1667px; top: 298.167px; transform: scaleX(1.14141);">power to bestow fecundity on the land under his rule. But before </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 320.833px; transform: scaleX(1.18643);">he can reach this climactic moment of transformation, he must </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 343.333px; transform: scaleX(1.18869);">undergo a rite of passage. The necessary power must be conducted </span><span style="left: 88px; top: 365.667px; transform: scaleX(1.22606);">from the body of the old, dead emperor into his own body. To this </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 388.167px; transform: scaleX(1.15275);">end, he must revert to the condition of an embryo in the womb, </span><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 409.667px; transform: scaleX(1.1842);">wrapped in placenta. By this symbolic action he becomes the actual, </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 432.167px; transform: scaleX(1.13759);">direct child of Amaterasu; he is born directly from her womb. At </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 454.667px; transform: scaleX(1.20726);">the same time he re-enacts the mythical paradigm, recounted in the </span><span style="left: 86.8333px; top: 478.078px; transform: scaleX(0.889854);">Nihonshoki,</span><span style="left: 168.5px; top: 476.5px; transform: scaleX(1.14271);"> whereby Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the grandson of the goddess, </span><span style="left: 88px; top: 498.167px; transform: scaleX(1.17953);">is despatched down to the human world wrapped in a coverlet called </span><span style="left: 87.6667px; top: 522.411px; transform: scaleX(0.849179);">madoko-ofusuma</span><span style="left: 212px; top: 520.817px; transform: scaleX(1.0825);"> 真床襲衾</span><span style="left: 286px; top: 522.263px;">.</span><span style="left: 297.167px; top: 520.833px; transform: scaleX(1.178);"> Only when </span><span style="left: 391.167px; top: 522.263px; transform: scaleX(1.23283);">he has </span><span style="left: 450px; top: 520.833px; transform: scaleX(1.21402);">thus been </span><span style="left: 534.5px; top: 522.263px; transform: scaleX(1.18812);">symbolically </span><span style="left: 88px; top: 543.333px; transform: scaleX(1.1674);">reborn as the child of the Sun Goddess is the emperor ready to </span><span style="left: 88.5px; top: 565.667px; transform: scaleX(1.14071);">receive the final empowering communion of food and wine (1967, </span><span style="left: 88.8333px; top: 587.667px; transform: scaleX(1.12355);">pp. 133-36).</span><span style="left: 106.5px; top: 611.097px; transform: scaleX(1.26735);"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 106.5px; top: 611.097px; transform: scaleX(1.26735);">Ellwood, on the other hand, believes the </span><span style="left: 453.667px; top: 611.244px; transform: scaleX(0.83435);">shinza</span><span style="left: 506px; top: 611.097px; transform: scaleX(1.23138);"> to have been a </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 633.597px; transform: scaleX(1.27407);">marriage bed, and that a </span><span style="left: 293.5px; top: 633.744px; transform: scaleX(0.829418);">hieros </span><span style="left: 340px; top: 633.744px; transform: scaleX(0.806987);">gamos</span><span style="left: 382.833px; top: 633.597px; transform: scaleX(1.22417);"> or sacred marriage must have </span><span style="left: 88.5px; top: 654.167px; transform: scaleX(1.15403);">been a feature of the consecration ceremony in ancient times. It is </span><span style="left: 88.8333px; top: 676.5px; transform: scaleX(1.17032);">a common Shinto myth, he declares, that a male kami from an </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 698.833px; transform: scaleX(1.19188);">upper world should marry a local goddess of the human world, and </span><span style="left: 88.8333px; top: 720.833px; transform: scaleX(1.21745);">that their act of union should confer the blessings of fecundity and </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 743.333px; transform: scaleX(1.20396);">prosperity on the land. The argument by which he relates this myth </span><span style="left: 88.8333px; top: 765.667px; transform: scaleX(1.18231);">to the scenario of the </span><span style="left: 277.667px; top: 767.244px; transform: scaleX(0.850136);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 330px; top: 765.667px; transform: scaleX(1.15738);"> is, however, speculative and uncon</span><span style="left: 88.8333px; top: 788.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13749);">vincing. There is no real evidence that, if indeed the emperor did </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 810.5px; transform: scaleX(1.17645);">lie down on the bed, he lay in the company of a woman. There is </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 832.5px; transform: scaleX(1.12472);">even less indication as to who this woman may have been (1973, </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 854.833px; transform: scaleX(1.12047);">pp. 37-77).</span><span style="left: 106px; top: 877.333px; transform: scaleX(1.15608);"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 877.333px; transform: scaleX(1.15608);">We now turn to the explanations of scholars in our second cat</span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 899.333px; transform: scaleX(1.17245);">egory: those who assign greater importance, in the transforming </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 922.167px; transform: scaleX(1.20424);">process, to some secret or lost rite </span><span style="left: 368.833px; top: 923.744px; transform: scaleX(0.881281);">(higi)</span><span style="left: 404.5px; top: 922.167px; transform: scaleX(1.21633);"> concerning the </span><span style="left: 536.5px; top: 923.744px; transform: scaleX(0.844508);">shinza,</span><span style="left: 583.667px; top: 922.167px; transform: scaleX(1.30239);"> than </span><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);">to the communal meal.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 119.667px; top: 122.73px; transform: scaleX(1.26061);">Overwhelmingly prominent in this category is the theory of Ori</span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 145.063px; transform: scaleX(1.22978);">guchi Shinobu, expressed in 1928 in his essay "Daijosai no hongi” </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 165.633px; transform: scaleX(1.17965);">(1979). This essay has been extraordinarily influential in Japan. </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 187.3px; transform: scaleX(1.12075);">Briefly his view is as follows: sacral power comes to the Japanese </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 209.633px; transform: scaleX(1.1945);">emperor through the entry into his body of the soul or </span><span style="left: 590px; top: 211.211px; transform: scaleX(0.878141);">mitama </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 232.117px; transform: scaleX(0.933333);">みたま</span><span style="left: 149.667px; top: 233.563px; transform: scaleX(1.26424);"> of the imperial house. The legitimacy of the imperial line, </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 254.467px; transform: scaleX(1.15816);">dating back to the descent of the divine grandchild Ninigi-no-Mikoto, </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 276.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18184);">depends not so much on hereditary blood succession as on the </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 299.3px; transform: scaleX(1.1632);">complete and correct transference of the imperial </span><span style="left: 510.833px; top: 300.878px; transform: scaleX(0.890052);">mitama</span><span style="left: 562px; top: 299.3px; transform: scaleX(1.14781);"> from the </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 321.633px; transform: scaleX(1.12926);">old emperor to his successor. This transference is accomplished by </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 345.397px; transform: scaleX(1.3155);">the ritual of the </span><span style="left: 242.5px; top: 345.711px; transform: scaleX(0.855791);">daijosai,</span><span style="left: 298.833px; top: 345.563px; transform: scaleX(1.20908);"> in which we see, symbolically enacted, all </span><span style="left: 103.5px; top: 366.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15721);">the necessary steps of the implanting and gestation of the imperial </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 388.133px; transform: scaleX(1.08122);">soul in its new vessel (1979).</span><span style="left: 128.833px; top: 409.633px; transform: scaleX(1.16006);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 128.833px; top: 409.633px; transform: scaleX(1.16006);">The imperial </span><span style="left: 240.333px; top: 411.211px; transform: scaleX(0.881523);">mitama,</span><span style="left: 295.167px; top: 409.633px; transform: scaleX(1.13063);"> in Origuchi’s view, resembles in some de</span><span style="left: 103.5px; top: 431.633px; transform: scaleX(1.20755);">gree the ancient Shinto </span><span style="left: 294px; top: 433.211px; transform: scaleX(0.866552);">tama,</span><span style="left: 332px; top: 431.633px; transform: scaleX(1.18449);"> which was believed to reside in a host, </span><span style="left: 103.5px; top: 454.133px; transform: scaleX(1.1752);">imparting to him/her life and energy, but not personality. When </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 477.563px; transform: scaleX(1.31397);">the </span><span style="left: 135.167px; top: 477.711px; transform: scaleX(0.896396);">tama</span><span style="left: 169.5px; top: 477.563px; transform: scaleX(1.21542);"> grew weaker, or left the body, the host must fall sick and </span><span style="left: 104px; top: 498.8px; transform: scaleX(1.19379);">eventually die. But Origuchi reminds us that the boundary between </span><span style="left: 104.333px; top: 521.633px; transform: scaleX(1.1324);">life and death was by no means clear cut in ancient Shinto belief. </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 545.563px; transform: scaleX(1.30553);">Even after bodily death, the </span><span style="left: 327.5px; top: 545.711px; transform: scaleX(0.891892);">tama</span><span style="left: 361.5px; top: 545.563px; transform: scaleX(1.27512);"> was still subject to recall, by special </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 566.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1329);">magic songs and dances, so that life might once more be infused </span><span style="left: 104.333px; top: 588.133px; transform: scaleX(1.20951);">into the dead body. To this end the body was placed in a “mortuary </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 610.133px; transform: scaleX(1.16167);">hut,” known as </span><span style="left: 240.833px; top: 611.711px; transform: scaleX(0.876969);">mogari</span><span style="left: 299.5px; top: 610.117px;">濱</span><span style="left: 326.5px; top: 610.133px; transform: scaleX(1.14402);">,where for a stated period the magic </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 632.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14626);">songs, dances, and ritual calls were performed which might induce </span><span style="left: 104.5px; top: 654.467px; transform: scaleX(1.22056);">the </span><span style="left: 137.167px; top: 656.044px; transform: scaleX(0.868704);">tama</span><span style="left: 171.167px; top: 654.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1565);"> to return. Only if the body failed to return to life at the </span><span style="left: 104.833px; top: 676.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14255);">end of the period was the final funeral performed.</span><span style="left: 122.333px; top: 698.467px; transform: scaleX(1.22224);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 122.333px; top: 698.467px; transform: scaleX(1.22224);">But the case of the imperial </span><span style="left: 353.667px; top: 700.044px; transform: scaleX(0.873358);">mitama,</span><span style="left: 408px; top: 698.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14588);"> Origuchi writes, is special in </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 720.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14519);">so far as during this period of intermediary waiting the soul must </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 743.633px; transform: scaleX(1.19815);">be transferred from the body of the old emperor to that of the </span><span style="left: 105.667px; top: 766.133px; transform: scaleX(1.1562);">new. It does not, as in the case of the souls of ordinary people, </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 788.8px; transform: scaleX(1.19775);">simply leave the body and depart for another world. The new </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 811.3px; transform: scaleX(1.14432);">emperor’s body is a </span><span style="left: 279.167px; top: 812.878px; transform: scaleX(0.890133);">tamashii no iremono</span><span style="left: 439.667px; top: 811.283px; transform: scaleX(1.10375);"> 魂の容物</span><span style="left: 515.667px; top: 810.568px;">, </span><span style="left: 530.833px; top: 811.3px; transform: scaleX(1.12574);">a vessel for a </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 832.8px; transform: scaleX(1.17638);">soul, ready waiting to receive the soul of his predecessor. The period </span><span style="left: 105.167px; top: 855.3px; transform: scaleX(1.13888);">which is called “mourning” for the old emperor is thus </span><span style="left: 560.333px; top: 856.878px; transform: scaleX(0.810562);">at the same </span><span style="left: 104.333px; top: 879.711px; transform: scaleX(0.865825);">time</span><span style="left: 133.167px; top: 878.133px; transform: scaleX(1.19466);"> the period in which the soul transfers itself to the body of the </span><span style="left: 105.5px; top: 900.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15716);">new emperor and there gestates.</span><span style="left: 122.333px; top: 922.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14026);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 122.333px; top: 922.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14026);">The initial symbolic implanting of the </span><span style="left: 438px; top: 924.044px; transform: scaleX(0.874765);">mitama,</span><span style="left: 492.5px; top: 922.467px; transform: scaleX(1.11788);"> Origuchi believes, </span><span style="left: 105.667px; top: 944.467px; transform: scaleX(1.17969);">takes place before the beginning of the Daijogu rite, during the </span><span style="left: 105.667px; top: 966.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18813);">ritual of </span><span style="left: 180.5px; top: 968.378px; transform: scaleX(0.861907);">chinkonsai</span><span style="left: 252.833px; top: 966.8px; transform: scaleX(1.13176);"> which immediately precedes it Here, it will be </span><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);">recalled, the emperor’s clothes are shaken ten times. The act of </span></span></span></span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 117.667px; transform: scaleX(1.12688);">shaking the clothes, which symbolize the emperor himself, indicate </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 139.667px; transform: scaleX(1.26843);">that the </span><span style="left: 162.333px; top: 141.244px; transform: scaleX(0.883944);">mitama</span><span style="left: 213.167px; top: 139.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19372);"> is already attached or implanted. It is further con</span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 162.167px; transform: scaleX(1.26957);">solidated and strengthened by another preliminary step, the </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 184.167px; transform: scaleX(1.19005);">emperor’s hot bath, which was taken in the Kairyuden immediately </span><span style="left: 90.8333px; top: 207.597px; transform: scaleX(1.29262);">before the start of the Daijogu rite (Origuchi 1979</span><span style="left: 512px; top: 206.15px;">, </span><span style="left: 524.833px; top: 207.597px; transform: scaleX(1.24761);">pp. 220-23).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 108px; top: 228.5px; transform: scaleX(1.19697);">The reason for this is that hot water, particularly the water from </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 250.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15684);">hot springs, was not in ancient times a mere agent of cleansing. It </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 273.333px; transform: scaleX(1.12817);">was a magic, purifying, and hence life-giving substance, originating </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 294.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15703);">in the paradise of Tokoyo, conducted to Japan over vast distances </span><span style="left: 90.8333px; top: 317.333px; transform: scaleX(1.19265);">by underground channels, and eventually bursting through holy </span><span style="left: 90.8333px; top: 339.833px; transform: scaleX(1.15637);">vents in the ground. The visits which the </span><span style="left: 447.167px; top: 341.244px; transform: scaleX(0.993997);">Kojiki</span><span style="left: 489.167px; top: 339.667px; transform: scaleX(1.1731);"> records that the </span><span style="left: 91.5px; top: 361.667px; transform: scaleX(1.16047);">early emperors made to hot springs were hence not for mere pur</span><span style="left: 91.5px; top: 383.667px; transform: scaleX(1.18724);">poses of health and hygiene. They were of the nature of pilgrimages </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 405.333px; transform: scaleX(1.18309);">to holy places’ where pollutions could be washed away and spiritual </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 427.667px; transform: scaleX(1.13852);">power consequently strengthened.</span><span style="left: 108px; top: 451.93px; transform: scaleX(1.30481);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 108px; top: 451.93px; transform: scaleX(1.30481);">The hot bath which the </span><span style="left: 299.167px; top: 452.078px; transform: scaleX(0.866422);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 352px; top: 451.93px; transform: scaleX(1.31709);"> prescribes that the emperor should </span><span style="left: 91.5px; top: 472.5px; transform: scaleX(1.21316);">take in the </span><span style="left: 196.833px; top: 474.078px; transform: scaleX(0.918144);">miyu no fune</span><span style="left: 299.167px; top: 472.5px; transform: scaleX(1.17311);"> carries this transformative power. It is </span><span style="left: 91.5px; top: 494.833px; transform: scaleX(1.1592);">enhanced by the robe which the emperor wears during his bath. </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 517.333px; transform: scaleX(1.23849);">The </span><span style="left: 130.833px; top: 518.911px; transform: scaleX(0.851597);">ama no hagoromo,</span><span style="left: 264.833px; top: 517.333px; transform: scaleX(1.11242);"> or heavenly feather robe, is the analogue of </span><span style="left: 91.5px; top: 539.333px; transform: scaleX(1.12771);">the very feather robe, celebrated in legend and drama, by which a </span><span style="left: 91.1667px; top: 563.744px; transform: scaleX(0.831957);">tennyo</span><span style="left: 135.167px; top: 562.167px; transform: scaleX(1.19125);"> or angel is enabled to fly between heaven and earth. Deprived </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 583.667px; transform: scaleX(1.17407);">of her robe, she is confined to the human world. Restore her robe, </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 606.167px; transform: scaleX(1.11659);">and she once again becomes a divine being. The very name given </span><span style="left: 92px; top: 628.167px; transform: scaleX(1.14302);">to the emperor’s hempen robe indicates therefore that its purpose </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 651.597px; transform: scaleX(1.25403);">is to confer and consolidate nascent divine power (Origuchi 1979</span><span style="left: 626px; top: 650.15px; transform: scaleX(0.403125);">, </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 672.5px; transform: scaleX(1.10002);">pp. 243-46).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 672.5px; transform: scaleX(1.10002);"></span><span style="left: 110px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.31349);">But the next, crucial step, is that the </span><span style="left: 438.333px; top: 696.411px; transform: scaleX(0.882743);">mitama,</span><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"> thus implanted, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 119.633px; transform: scaleX(1.18484);">should be enabled to gestate and grow. This it can only do in </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 142.133px; transform: scaleX(1.18251);">darkness and seclusion. Thus, during the ceremonies in the Daijogu, </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 164.133px; transform: scaleX(1.16171);">the emperor must have lain on the </span><span style="left: 402.333px; top: 165.711px; transform: scaleX(0.847668);">shinza,</span><span style="left: 449.667px; top: 164.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13948);"> closely wrapped like a </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 186.133px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);">cocoon in the coverlet, and hence in darkness.</span><span style="left: 119.167px; top: 208.467px; transform: scaleX(1.12396);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 119.167px; top: 208.467px; transform: scaleX(1.12396);">Origuchi here reiterates a view to which he often returns in his </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 230.8px; transform: scaleX(1.13767);">works, and which he believes to be deeply embedded in Japanese </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 252.8px; transform: scaleX(1.14612);">culture: that spiritual power, if it is to grow and mature, needs a </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 274.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18722);">period in the darkness of a sealed vessel. Within this vessel it grows </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 296.8px; transform: scaleX(1.15716);">until it bursts its covering and is “born” into the world. Certain </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 319.3px; transform: scaleX(1.15654);">vessels, he continues, are imbued with the necessary power of con</span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 341.3px; transform: scaleX(1.19069);">taining and nurturing a supernatural principle. The quality is known </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 364.73px; transform: scaleX(1.19107);">as </span><span style="left: 125.167px; top: 364.878px; transform: scaleX(0.852386);">utsubo</span><span style="left: 173.667px; top: 364.73px; transform: scaleX(1.24242);"> or “hollowness” to the divine. Thus a peach, a gourd, a </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 385.3px; transform: scaleX(1.15472);">segment of bamboo, from which in folklore supernatural children </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 407.3px; transform: scaleX(1.1851);">are born, are </span><span style="left: 220.833px; top: 408.878px; transform: scaleX(0.815523);">utsubo</span><span style="left: 264.833px; top: 407.3px; transform: scaleX(1.13835);"> vessels. So is the cave or darkened room in </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 431.063px; transform: scaleX(1.29485);">which the religious ascetic secludes himself (Origuchi 1950, pp. </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 452.467px; transform: scaleX(1.11383);">260-74; also the lucid discussion in </span><span style="left: 395.667px; top: 453.897px;">O</span><span style="left: 409.667px; top: 456.471px; transform: scaleX(1.67067);">uwehand</span><span style="left: 493.667px; top: 452.467px; transform: scaleX(1.09605);">1964</span><span style="left: 529.167px; top: 452.45px;">, </span><span style="left: 542.5px; top: 452.467px; transform: scaleX(1.11774);">pp. 122-23).</span><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 474.467px; transform: scaleX(1.18681);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 474.467px; transform: scaleX(1.18681);">So also, therefore, is the </span><span style="left: 316.5px; top: 476.044px; transform: scaleX(0.858161);">ofusuma,</span><span style="left: 386px; top: 474.467px; transform: scaleX(1.19126);">which by wrapping the emperor </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 496.467px; transform: scaleX(1.1393);">in darkness enables the </span><span style="left: 300.5px; top: 498.044px; transform: scaleX(0.874171);">mitama</span><span style="left: 350.833px; top: 496.467px; transform: scaleX(1.14438);"> inside him to gestate. Further and </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 518.8px; transform: scaleX(1.15375);">more empowering still, according to Origuchi, the </span><span style="left: 526px; top: 520.378px; transform: scaleX(0.856464);">ofusuma</span><span style="left: 584px; top: 518.8px; transform: scaleX(1.18942);"> has a </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 541.3px; transform: scaleX(1.18547);">mythological analogue: it is the material representation of the orig</span><span style="left: 102px; top: 563.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16724);">inal </span><span style="left: 138.833px; top: 564.878px; transform: scaleX(0.845083);">madoko-ofusuma,</span><span style="left: 258px; top: 563.3px; transform: scaleX(1.17587);"> coverlet of the true couch, in which the </span><span style="left: 595.667px; top: 564.878px; transform: scaleX(0.912007);">Nihon</span><span style="left: 102px; top: 586.378px; transform: scaleX(0.862066);">Shoki</span><span style="left: 139.167px; top: 584.8px; transform: scaleX(1.15225);"> states the Sun Goddess’s grandson was wrapped during his </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 608.73px; transform: scaleX(1.2612);">journey to the human world (Aston 1972, p. 90).</span><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 629.633px; transform: scaleX(1.19725);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 629.633px; transform: scaleX(1.19725);">The coverlet, by its act of transformative wrapping, can therefore </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 651.3px; transform: scaleX(1.19285);">be seen in the category of a magic garment, analogous to the cloak</span>, <span style="left: 102px; top: 674.133px; transform: scaleX(1.16204);">tunic, or shoes which are believed in other consecration rites to </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 696.467px; transform: scaleX(1.13368);">endue the king with sacral power. It is, in fact, the second magic </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 718.133px; transform: scaleX(1.17174);">garment, after the </span><span style="left: 258.5px; top: 719.711px; transform: scaleX(0.842364);">hagoromo9</span><span style="left: 329.167px; top: 718.133px; transform: scaleX(1.15185);"> in which the emperor is wrapped in </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 741.897px; transform: scaleX(1.25375);">the course of the rite. The </span><span style="left: 320.833px; top: 742.044px; transform: scaleX(0.841103);">hagoromo</span><span style="left: 387.167px; top: 741.897px; transform: scaleX(1.2196);"> confers powers of magic flight, </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 762.8px; transform: scaleX(1.21212);">enabling its wearer to pass from one world to another. The </span><span style="left: 580.5px; top: 764.378px; transform: scaleX(0.850199);">ofusuma</span><span style="left: 102px; top: 785.633px; transform: scaleX(1.13043);"> incubates and gestates the nascent soul of his ancestors, which has </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 808.467px; transform: scaleX(1.18957);">been passed on to him from his predecessor, whole and unimpaired </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 830.467px; transform: scaleX(1.16344);">from the very beginning of the imperial line.</span><span style="left: 119.667px; top: 852.8px; transform: scaleX(1.15496);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 119.667px; top: 852.8px; transform: scaleX(1.15496);">It is, therefore, the moment when the new emperor </span><span style="left: 545.667px; top: 854.378px; transform: scaleX(0.808059);">takes off</span><span style="left: 608.5px; top: 852.8px; transform: scaleX(1.23793);"> the </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 875.3px; transform: scaleX(1.13259);">coverlet and emerges from the darkness once more into the light, </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 898.73px; transform: scaleX(1.26819);">that he is fully empowered and qualified as emperor. The </span><span style="left: 588.5px; top: 898.878px; transform: scaleX(0.87836);">mitama </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 919.633px; transform: scaleX(1.13045);">is fully matured and safely resident within its new receptacle, the </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 941.633px; transform: scaleX(1.15967);">new emperor’s body. His emergence from the coverlet is thus a </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 964.133px; transform: scaleX(1.20588);">moment of rebirth.</span><span style="left: 120px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.26696);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 120px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.26696);">Origuchi’s view of the imperial </span><span style="left: 388px; top: 988.378px; transform: scaleX(0.885689);">mitama</span><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"> and its transference by </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 122.867px; transform: scaleX(1.22081);">means of the coverlet on the bed from the old emperor to the new </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 145.367px; transform: scaleX(1.17222);">has exerted an extraordinary influence over subsequent interpreta</span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 167.7px; transform: scaleX(1.2148);">tions of the </span><span style="left: 190px; top: 169.278px; transform: scaleX(0.849546);">daijosai.</span><span style="left: 246.5px; top: 167.7px; transform: scaleX(1.18378);"> Many scholars have reiterated or elaborated the </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 189.367px; transform: scaleX(1.15827);">theme. </span><span style="left: 156px; top: 190.797px;">M</span><span style="left: 170.833px; top: 193.371px; transform: scaleX(1.77092);">atsumura</span><span style="left: 259.167px; top: 189.367px; transform: scaleX(1.15012);"> Takeo, for example, in his four distinguished </span><span style="left: 92.3333px; top: 211.7px; transform: scaleX(1.12432);">volumes, </span><span style="left: 168px; top: 213.278px; transform: scaleX(0.879139);">Nihon shinwa no kenkyu,</span><span style="left: 350px; top: 211.7px; transform: scaleX(1.12673);"> follows Origuchi entirely when he </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 235.13px; transform: scaleX(1.26883);">avers that the real key to the </span><span style="left: 344.333px; top: 235.278px; transform: scaleX(0.866422);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 397.167px; top: 235.13px; transform: scaleX(1.23517);"> symbolism is the concept of </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 256.033px; transform: scaleX(1.1443);">a </span><span style="left: 110.5px; top: 257.611px; transform: scaleX(0.874171);">mitama</span><span style="left: 160.833px; top: 256.033px; transform: scaleX(1.17067);"> or soul which can be renewed, strengthened, and trans</span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 278.033px; transform: scaleX(1.19066);">ferred from one person to another. The same concept is found </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 299.7px; transform: scaleX(1.19121);">among the Ainu, where the bear sacrifice is performed with exactly </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 323.463px; transform: scaleX(1.23273);">this intent, and in the Ryukyu islands, where “soul” may be trans</span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 346.297px; transform: scaleX(1.24925);">ferred through magic songs called </span><span style="left: 374px; top: 346.444px; transform: scaleX(0.848351);">omoro. </span><span style="left: 428.833px; top: 344.85px;">T</span><span style="left: 442.5px; top: 346.297px; transform: scaleX(1.29851);">here</span><span style="left: 476.5px; top: 344.85px;">, </span><span style="left: 488.833px; top: 346.297px; transform: scaleX(1.225);">too, soul not only </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 367.2px; transform: scaleX(1.14839);">can be transferred and implanted in someone else,like mistletoe </span><span style="left: 92.5px; top: 389.2px; transform: scaleX(1.13891);">which everywhere is revered as a magic plant, but also can even </span><span style="left: 92.5px; top: 411.2px; transform: scaleX(1.19593);">be offered voluntarily, as an act of homage, to a ruler by his people. </span><span style="left: 92.5px; top: 433.7px; transform: scaleX(1.21373);">To attach part of your soul-strength to the ruler was indeed to offer </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 456.033px; transform: scaleX(1.11068);">him your most precious possession (1955, pp. 540-44).</span><span style="left: 110.833px; top: 479.463px;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 110.833px; top: 479.463px;">M</span><span style="left: 125.667px; top: 482.037px; transform: scaleX(1.52845);">ayumi</span><span style="left: 172px; top: 479.463px; transform: scaleX(1.21567);"> Tsunetada (1978b, cited in </span><span style="left: 400.5px; top: 479.463px;">O</span><span style="left: 414.833px; top: 482.037px; transform: scaleX(1.64943);">kada</span><span style="left: 452.833px; top: 479.463px; transform: scaleX(1.18408);"> Shoji 1989, p. 2) also </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 500.033px; transform: scaleX(1.18226);">follows Origuchi when he asserts that the </span><span style="left: 426px; top: 501.611px; transform: scaleX(0.836082);">shinza</span><span style="left: 468.833px; top: 500.033px; transform: scaleX(1.16139);"> symbolizes the form </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 523.963px; transform: scaleX(1.25807);">of Ninigi, sent down from heaven wrapped in the coverlet. Every </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 544.867px; transform: scaleX(1.16054);">emperor in succession therefore </span><span style="left: 363.667px; top: 546.444px; transform: scaleX(0.73661);">is</span><span style="left: 373.5px; top: 544.867px; transform: scaleX(1.1664);"> the ancestor figure, and every </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 567.2px; transform: scaleX(1.14389);">emperor can be conceived as emerging from the </span><span style="left: 496px; top: 568.778px; transform: scaleX(0.834081);">shinza.</span><span style="left: 110.5px; top: 589.2px; transform: scaleX(1.17932);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 110.5px; top: 589.2px; transform: scaleX(1.17932);">Widely influential though his views on the inner meaning of the </span><span style="left: 92.8333px; top: 613.278px; transform: scaleX(0.862432);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 146px; top: 611.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14553);"> have been since 1928, however, Origuchi is not without his </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 635.463px; transform: scaleX(1.25494);">critics. Of these, perhaps the most cogent is Okada Shoji (1989), </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 655.7px; transform: scaleX(1.13876);">who argues that there is no real evidence for the existence of any </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 678.033px; transform: scaleX(1.1936);">secret rite </span><span style="left: 179.667px; top: 679.611px; transform: scaleX(0.889636);">(higi)</span><span style="left: 215.667px; top: 678.033px; transform: scaleX(1.21184);"> attached to the </span><span style="left: 350px; top: 679.611px; transform: scaleX(0.846088);">shinza.</span><span style="left: 397.167px; top: 678.033px; transform: scaleX(1.16266);"> In fact, there is not a single </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 700.533px; transform: scaleX(1.19952);">mention of any such secret tradition in any of the extant documents </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 722.533px; transform: scaleX(1.17496);">concerning the </span><span style="left: 223.167px; top: 724.111px; transform: scaleX(0.876273);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 276.5px; top: 722.533px; transform: scaleX(1.16424);"> throughout the ages. We examine in vain </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 745.2px; transform: scaleX(1.18338);">the premedieval records, written by those who actually took part in </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 769.463px; transform: scaleX(1.28886);">the ritual, for any shred of proof that the </span><span style="left: 440.833px; top: 769.611px; transform: scaleX(0.850874);">shinza</span><span style="left: 484.333px; top: 769.463px; transform: scaleX(1.25851);"> carried the secret </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 790.533px; transform: scaleX(1.1864);">meaning that Origuchi ascribes to it Nor is there any proper doc</span><span style="left: 94px; top: 812.867px; transform: scaleX(1.1745);">umentary evidence that the coverlet is rightly interpreted as the </span><span style="left: 93.5px; top: 834.533px; transform: scaleX(1.17822);">analogue of the </span><span style="left: 234.833px; top: 836.111px; transform: scaleX(0.844289);">madoko-ofusuma</span><span style="left: 350px; top: 834.533px; transform: scaleX(1.22743);"> in the </span><span style="left: 422px; top: 836.111px; transform: scaleX(0.868969);">Nihonshoki.</span><span style="left: 501.667px; top: 834.533px; transform: scaleX(1.2475);"> The </span><span style="left: 554.833px; top: 836.111px; transform: scaleX(0.876142);">Nihonshoki </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 857.2px; transform: scaleX(1.16095);">makes several references, to be sure, to </span><span style="left: 413.667px; top: 858.778px; transform: scaleX(0.874766);">tennorei,</span><span style="left: 473.167px; top: 857.2px; transform: scaleX(1.20608);"> or imperial soul or </span><span style="left: 93.5px; top: 879.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14381);">spirit, but by no possible stretch of the imagination can the word </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 901.7px; transform: scaleX(1.17517);">be interpreted as a soul brought to rest in the new emperor by </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 925.13px; transform: scaleX(1.30595);">means of the </span><span style="left: 207.667px; top: 925.278px; transform: scaleX(0.864992);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 260.5px; top: 925.13px; transform: scaleX(1.23059);"> rite.</span><span style="left: 111.167px; top: 946.033px; transform: scaleX(1.17129);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 111.167px; top: 946.033px; transform: scaleX(1.17129);">Look at any of the records and diaries of those who actually </span><span style="left: 93.1667px; top: 968.867px; transform: scaleX(1.1916);">witnessed or took part in the preparation of the </span><span style="left: 514px; top: 970.444px; transform: scaleX(0.862432);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 567.167px; top: 968.867px; transform: scaleX(1.21015);"> in any </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);">century, and you will find, Okada continues, that what is common </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 98.3333px; top: 122.6px; transform: scaleX(1.17063);">to them all is that it is always the communal meal which is stressed </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 144.933px; transform: scaleX(1.16837);">as the central climax of the rite. Any mention of a secret tradition </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 166.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15004);">that may happen to appear in these accounts, pertains not to the </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 188.933px; transform: scaleX(1.18605);">bed, but to the communal meal, and in these contexts “secret” </span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 211.267px; transform: scaleX(1.1345);">means no more than “that which is not made public,” that which </span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 232.933px; transform: scaleX(1.12169);">is confined to the Palace tradition.</span><span style="left: 116px; top: 255.267px; transform: scaleX(1.18773);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 116px; top: 255.267px; transform: scaleX(1.18773);">What is more, Okada continues, all the appurtenances of the </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 277.767px; transform: scaleX(1.17201);">bed—the pillow, the coverlet, the eight layers of tatami </span><span style="left: 541.167px; top: 279.344px; transform: scaleX(0.841163);">(yaedatami</span><span style="left: 614.833px; top: 277.767px; transform: scaleX(0.953224);">)—</span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 300.1px; transform: scaleX(1.14947);">are frequently found in old shrines as </span><span style="left: 420.833px; top: 301.678px; transform: scaleX(0.818674);">saigu</span><span style="left: 457.167px; top: 300.1px; transform: scaleX(1.15276);"> or ritual implements. </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 322.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1428);">There are brocade coverlets at Ise, a pillow at Usa Hachiman, a </span><span style="left: 98.5px; top: 346.178px; transform: scaleX(0.845778);">shinza</span><span style="left: 142px; top: 344.6px; transform: scaleX(1.20344);"> with a </span><span style="left: 200.833px; top: 346.178px; transform: scaleX(0.855147);">yaedatami</span><span style="left: 270.833px; top: 344.6px; transform: scaleX(1.16945);"> at the Kamo Wakeikazuchi Jinja, and a pillow, </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 366.933px; transform: scaleX(1.12658);">shoes, and coverlet at the Sumiyoshi Jinja. Such objects must have </span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 389.267px; transform: scaleX(1.1524);">been common in shrines during the Nara period and before; they </span><span style="left: 99.1667px; top: 411.267px; transform: scaleX(1.1885);">are simple </span><span style="left: 187.167px; top: 412.844px; transform: scaleX(0.820312);">saigu</span><span style="left: 223.667px; top: 411.267px; transform: scaleX(1.21478);"> and nothing more. But there is absolutely no men</span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 433.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15481);">tion anywhere of the emperor, or anyone else, being wrapped in a </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 455.767px; transform: scaleX(1.19103);">coverlet or </span><span style="left: 192.833px; top: 457.344px; transform: scaleX(0.912925);">tatami</span><span style="left: 236.5px; top: 455.767px; transform: scaleX(1.10226);"> (1989, pp. 7-8).</span><span style="left: 116px; top: 477.767px; transform: scaleX(1.1888);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 116px; top: 477.767px; transform: scaleX(1.1888);">The suggestion that the emperor may have been wrapped in the </span><span style="left: 98.8333px; top: 501.678px; transform: scaleX(0.861425);">ofusuma</span><span style="left: 157.167px; top: 500.1px; transform: scaleX(1.24707);"> before the </span><span style="left: 253.167px; top: 501.678px; transform: scaleX(0.884785);">ritsuryo</span><span style="left: 304.833px; top: 500.1px; transform: scaleX(1.17469);"> period, and that the practice was discon</span><span style="left: 100px; top: 522.6px; transform: scaleX(1.1302);">tinued at that time of drastic change, likewise holds no water. We </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 544.933px; transform: scaleX(1.1366);">should expect some documentary mention of such a major change </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 567.767px; transform: scaleX(1.14929);">in the ritual. The fact that nothing in writing can be adduced in </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 589.267px; transform: scaleX(1.18588);">support of Origuchi’s theory must lead us to conclude that the </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 612.1px; transform: scaleX(1.16998);">so-called “secret rite of the </span><span style="left: 316.5px; top: 613.678px; transform: scaleX(0.875916);">shinza”</span><span style="left: 366.833px; top: 612.1px; transform: scaleX(1.2162);"> never existed. The theory is pure </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 634.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12764);">speculation, with no foundation in history.</span><span style="left: 118px; top: 655.767px; transform: scaleX(1.1861);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 118px; top: 655.767px; transform: scaleX(1.1861);">But what of the </span><span style="left: 259.167px; top: 657.344px; transform: scaleX(0.842662);">shinza</span><span style="left: 302.5px; top: 655.767px; transform: scaleX(1.12557);"> itself? What function does Okada assign </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 678.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12151);">to this complex object? The simple one that it is, after all, as its </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 700.6px; transform: scaleX(1.1276);">name indicates, the kami’s seat. It is a seat for the visiting kami, </span><span style="left: 99.6667px; top: 722.6px; transform: scaleX(1.11655);">who is doubtless the Sun Goddess since the rite is oriented in the </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 745.267px; transform: scaleX(1.21194);">direction of Ise, to rest after her meal. Of course the emperor does </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 767.767px; transform: scaleX(1.12121);">not touch it, let alone lie on it, for it is for invisible guests only. </span><span style="left: 100px; top: 790.6px; transform: scaleX(1.13126);">The dual nature of the rite, with its two identical halls which have </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 813.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15859);">so puzzled scholars, is likewise easily solved. The two halls are really </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 835.267px; transform: scaleX(1.14475);">one and the same; they are divided merely because courtesy and </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 857.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15676);">regard for purity require that the kami has her morning meal in </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 879.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15465);">a different place from her evening one. When the morning rite in </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 901.767px; transform: scaleX(1.13329);">the Sukiden ends and dawn breaks, the kami goes home. The rite </span><span style="left: 100.5px; top: 925.53px; transform: scaleX(1.23757);">is at once solemn and simple (Okada 1989, </span><span style="left: 462px; top: 925.53px; transform: scaleX(1.28929);">pp.16</span><span style="left: 513.167px; top: 924.083px;">, </span><span style="left: 526.5px; top: 925.53px; transform: scaleX(1.22761);">23-4).</span><span style="left: 117.167px; top: 946.6px; transform: scaleX(1.12977);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 117.167px; top: 946.6px; transform: scaleX(1.12977);">These are cogent criticisms, which force us to consider whether </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 969.267px; transform: scaleX(1.17248);">Origuchi’s theory, with its apparently compulsive attraction, may not </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);">have generated a mythology of its own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 117.767px; transform: scaleX(1.17404);">In conclusion and with diffidence, I offer one further suggestion. </span><span style="left: 101.5px; top: 139.767px; transform: scaleX(1.16105);">Is it possible that we see in the </span><span style="left: 359.167px; top: 141.344px; transform: scaleX(0.849241);">shinza</span><span style="left: 402.833px; top: 139.767px; transform: scaleX(1.22466);"> an example of an incubation </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 161.767px; transform: scaleX(1.11353);">couch, a bed on which a sleeper lies who has solicited an oracular </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 183.767px; transform: scaleX(1.12279);">dream from a god?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 118px; top: 206.1px; transform: scaleX(1.15516);">We know that the practice of incubation—of sleeping in a holy </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 228.1px; transform: scaleX(1.16959);">place in order to solicit a dream — survived in Japan until as late as </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 250.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14849);">the sixteenth century, usually associated with Buddhist temples, such </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 272.933px; transform: scaleX(1.16745);">as Ishiyamadera and Hasedera, dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon. </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 294.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15699);">But Saigo Nobutsuna, in another interesting book, </span><span style="left: 515.167px; top: 296.511px; transform: scaleX(0.881932);">Kodaijin to yume </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 317.767px; transform: scaleX(1.12297);">(Ancient peoples and their dreams), suggests that the practice may </span><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 340.1px; transform: scaleX(1.184);">be far older than the introduction of Buddhism, older indeed than </span><span style="left: 101.667px; top: 361.767px; transform: scaleX(1.18067);">any cultural link with China. At this early period it was the emperor, </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 384.1px; transform: scaleX(1.13747);">the sacral king, who was the principal “dreamer” in the land. He </span><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 405.267px; transform: scaleX(1.17605);">was the chief link, through oracular dreams, with the world of the </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 427.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15009);">kami and the supernatural knowledge which lay in their gift. He </span><span style="left: 102px; top: 450.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12101);">had only to lie down to a “ritual sleep” for a kami to appear with </span><span style="left: 101.5px; top: 472.6px; transform: scaleX(1.18995);">the answer to a problem that seemed hitherto insoluble. Incubation </span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 494.933px; transform: scaleX(1.16054);">for the emperor was therefore an important religious duty.</span><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 517.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16273);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 118.833px; top: 517.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16273);">The emperor’s palace, Saigo continues, always comprised a special </span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 539.267px; transform: scaleX(1.11921);">hall where such dreams could be solicited, equipped with a special </span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 561.767px; transform: scaleX(1.17616);">couch, known as the </span><span style="left: 266.833px; top: 563.344px; transform: scaleX(0.839024);">kamudoko</span><span style="left: 343.5px; top: 561.75px; transform: scaleX(1.1025);"> 神床</span><span style="left: 383.5px; top: 561.767px; transform: scaleX(1.22145);">. The </span><span style="left: 431.167px; top: 563.344px; transform: scaleX(0.986039);">Kojiki</span><span style="left: 472.833px; top: 561.767px; transform: scaleX(1.10086);"> tells us, for example, </span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 583.767px; transform: scaleX(1.17592);">that Emperor Sujin, grieving that so many of his subjects were dying </span><span style="left: 102.333px; top: 605.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15547);">of a terrible epidemic, lay down upon a </span><span style="left: 436px; top: 607.344px; transform: scaleX(0.840096);">kamudoko</span><span style="left: 504.833px; top: 605.767px; transform: scaleX(1.15238);"> in the hopes of </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 628.1px; transform: scaleX(1.15404);">learning through a dream the cause of the sickness. Sure enough, </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 649.767px; transform: scaleX(1.23061);">the god Omononushi appeared to him in his sleep, with clear orac</span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 672.1px; transform: scaleX(1.12133);">ular advice as to how the plague might be stopped. Saigo reminds </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 694.933px; transform: scaleX(1.13396);">us also of the Yumedono, or Hall of Dreams, which at the end of </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 716.6px; transform: scaleX(1.1933);">the seventh century Shotoku Taishi is said to have constructed next </span><span style="left: 102.5px; top: 739.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16892);">to his sleeping chamber. After bathing three times, he would enter </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 761.767px; transform: scaleX(1.13437);">this hall, to emerge on the following morning to speak of “things </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 784.6px; transform: scaleX(1.16215);">good and bad all over the world.” The Yumedono must have been </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 806.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15384);">an incubation chamber, and Sujin's </span><span style="left: 397.667px; top: 808.511px; transform: scaleX(0.839024);">kamudoko</span><span style="left: 466.5px; top: 806.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15309);"> an incubation couch </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 830.363px; transform: scaleX(1.09149);">(S</span><span style="left: 116.833px; top: 832.937px; transform: scaleX(1.61857);">aig</span><span style="left: 142px; top: 830.363px; transform: scaleX(1.36933);">o </span><span style="left: 162.833px; top: 830.363px; transform: scaleX(1.22019);">1972, pp. 35-49).</span><span style="left: 120px; top: 850.933px; transform: scaleX(1.20476);"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 120px; top: 850.933px; transform: scaleX(1.20476);">Could the </span><span style="left: 205.667px; top: 852.511px; transform: scaleX(0.845778);">shinza</span><span style="left: 249.167px; top: 850.933px; transform: scaleX(1.15455);"> also have had such a function in ancient times? </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 873.767px; transform: scaleX(1.18549);">Could the emperor in the course of the rite have lain upon it, </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 895.767px; transform: scaleX(1.16105);">slept, and experienced a dream in which the apparition of an an</span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 918.6px; transform: scaleX(1.12709);">cestor conferred blessings and advice on the coming reign? Could </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 940.933px; transform: scaleX(1.19187);">the visiting kami, in whose honor the food, the shoes, the fan, and </span><span style="left: 102.833px; top: 963.267px; transform: scaleX(1.18852);">the comb were laid out, have first manifested themselves in a dream </span><span style="left: 103.167px; top: 984.933px; transform: scaleX(1.1284);">in the emperor’s mind?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 110.833px; top: 124.933px; transform: scaleX(1.17664);">We have now reviewed a good many suggestions for the presence </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 147.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16027);">of the enigmatic </span><span style="left: 231.5px; top: 148.844px; transform: scaleX(0.844047);">shinza</span><span style="left: 274.833px; top: 147.267px; transform: scaleX(1.08226);"> in the two halls of the Daijogu. All agree </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 169.267px; transform: scaleX(1.18887);">that its function must have in some way contributed to the symbolic </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 191.267px; transform: scaleX(1.20998);">passage from a human to the divine condition that every king must </span><span style="left: 94.5px; top: 213.767px; transform: scaleX(1.18621);">undergo. But the extraordinary range of explanations for what ex</span><span style="left: 94px; top: 235.767px; transform: scaleX(1.18113);">actly that function was, reflects at once the remarkable antiquity of </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 258.1px; transform: scaleX(1.14933);">the rite, and the extent to which its ancient symbolic language has </span><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 280.6px; transform: scaleX(1.10933);">been forgotten. We, living in what Ren</span>e<span style="left: 415.667px; top: 280.6px; transform: scaleX(1.14859);"> Guenon called the impov</span><span style="left: 94px; top: 302.933px; transform: scaleX(1.18089);">erished reality of the modern world, have largely lost our intuitions </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 324.933px; transform: scaleX(1.13563);">of the holy, and of the holy king. Translated into the language of </span><span style="left: 94.3333px; top: 347.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16953);">modern politics, the </span><span style="left: 255.667px; top: 348.844px; transform: scaleX(0.862327);">daijosai</span><span style="left: 308px; top: 347.267px; transform: scaleX(1.16545);"> may well appear irrelevant, meaningless, </span><span style="left: 94px; top: 368.933px; transform: scaleX(1.16584);">and in any case out of step with the </span><span style="left: 410.833px; top: 370.511px; transform: scaleX(0.837264);">Ningen sengen</span><span style="left: 526px; top: 368.917px; transform: scaleX(1.105);"> 人間宣目</span><span style="left: 602px; top: 368.933px; transform: scaleX(1);">, or </span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 391.267px; transform: scaleX(1.17745);">Declaration of Humanity, whereby in 1946 the emperor renounced </span><span style="left: 94.3333px; top: 412.933px; transform: scaleX(1.08793);">all claim to divinity.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"><span style="left: 106px; top: 989.3px; transform: scaleX(1.16844);"><span style="left: 492.833px; top: 696.263px; transform: scaleX(1.30683);"><span style="left: 438px; top: 988.23px; transform: scaleX(1.30223);"><span style="left: 93.6667px; top: 991.7px; transform: scaleX(1.14119);"><span style="left: 101.167px; top: 992.1px; transform: scaleX(1.1215);"><span style="left: 111.5px; top: 435.267px; transform: scaleX(1.19129);">In the </span><span style="left: 170.333px; top: 436.844px; transform: scaleX(0.850871);">daijosai,</span><span style="left: 226.833px; top: 435.267px; transform: scaleX(1.11412);"> nevertheless, we have, marvelously preserved like </span><span style="left: 94.3333px; top: 457.767px; transform: scaleX(1.1341);">a kind of spiritual fossil, one of the most complex and mysterious </span><span style="left: 94.3333px; top: 480.267px; transform: scaleX(1.15326);">rituals for the consecration of a king to survive from the ancient </span><span style="left: 94.3333px; top: 502.6px; transform: scaleX(1.15962);">world. To suggest discontinuing the rite because it seems irrelevant </span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 524.933px; transform: scaleX(1.1681);">to the modern scene must be shortsighted and precipitate. Its an</span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 546.933px; transform: scaleX(1.17096);">tiquity and its astonishing powers of survival are enough to remind </span><span style="left: 95.1667px; top: 569.267px; transform: scaleX(1.12484);">us that traditional symbols carry knowledge that we ourselves may </span><span style="left: 94.8333px; top: 591.267px; transform: scaleX(1.1327);">temporarily have forgotten.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="left: 100.833px; top: 918.133px; transform: scaleX(1.13374);"><span style="left: 96px; top: 997.667px; transform: scaleX(1.19469);"><span style="left: 89.1667px; top: 944.5px; transform: scaleX(1.13241);"> </span></span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 16.666666666666664px; left: 325.66666666666663px; top: 340.4999999999997px;"></span>Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-7962274348756356632018-02-13T17:11:00.001+09:002018-02-13T17:11:27.442+09:00Haruna Jinja<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Haruna Jinja</span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> <span style="font-size: small;">UC</span></b></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYNRBNwOpp0zN-y6DML5fH9DSwjg6X6NVsF4nC5yQVbp5ucObmZEu2Fxta1T9R_6wJ8ENFjY9vFm1R4vfh21buh_OWUM7lL0WiNGB6gGWZvqhlIoSlUa347uaNbYYeKhKGiTr9DkmPLKM/s1600/Haruna+Jinja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYNRBNwOpp0zN-y6DML5fH9DSwjg6X6NVsF4nC5yQVbp5ucObmZEu2Fxta1T9R_6wJ8ENFjY9vFm1R4vfh21buh_OWUM7lL0WiNGB6gGWZvqhlIoSlUa347uaNbYYeKhKGiTr9DkmPLKM/s320/Haruna+Jinja.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sōryūmon of Haruna Jinja</td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> Founded in 586 according to shrine tradition.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 849 Harunasan-machi, Takasaki-shi, Gunma Prefecture</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 027-374-9050.</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> A number of trains stop at Takasaki Station. The Takasaki line runs from Ueno and other Tokyo Stations. Then board the Lake Harunako Bus from bus stop 2 at the West Exit of Takasaki Station. The bus takes 70 minutes and costs 1,100 yen one-way. The first torii is about 400 meters from the Haruna Jinja bus stop.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>: </b>Homusubi no kami and Haniyama hime (Haniyasu no kami) and Toyokiirihiko in the <i>kyohonenkan</i>.</div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Prayers for good rainfall and good harvests, fertility, success in business and marriage. </div>
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<b>Best time to go: </b>The autumn color is beautiful.<b> </b>There is a fireworks festival on Haruna Lake on August 1st.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC5v85GlHkouMGg0mBCq18sJs_dYVls7Sj21YReaVLpOZiDmG1Po-7fGW4WoKzEuigQIOTPo0T1xamlg9hEug6G9vQLE6cj8iG7k7_PdDFXq7TyZEXgufvQEwYoFYitwahiDjDpAlKMoE/s1600/haruna-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1269" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC5v85GlHkouMGg0mBCq18sJs_dYVls7Sj21YReaVLpOZiDmG1Po-7fGW4WoKzEuigQIOTPo0T1xamlg9hEug6G9vQLE6cj8iG7k7_PdDFXq7TyZEXgufvQEwYoFYitwahiDjDpAlKMoE/s640/haruna-map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haruna Jinja map courtesy of naoto001.com</td></tr>
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<b>Important physical features: </b>Haruna Jinja is<b> </b>home to a number of Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The designation applies to the <i>honsha</i>, <i>heiden</i>, <i>haiden</i> combination reconstructed in 1806, a <i>gakuden</i>, two <i>gaguraden</i>, and and two gates – the <i>soryumon</i> and <i>zuishinmon</i>. The <i>honsha</i> and <i>haiden</i> are connected by the <i>heiden</i> in a form of <i>Kasuga zukuri</i> (actually more like <i>gongen zukuri</i>)<i>,</i> painted in red with <i>chidorihafu</i> and <i>karahafu</i> roof details and extensive carving colored in white – reminiscent of Toshogu shrines.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlGJ_30cVSQBsBhjQQEaTpvUtW_8isEiiyA6GswhbPWG9edmCxmY-EQTso3b5hg52yKbb7Ud40SkKcf1dF4sV5wuj7CvbYJKwrFPosbxG3KtDYiQBkFLfcpf6Lcgb9Mi6aMJ6FUBdv50T/s1600/harunajinja_honsha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlGJ_30cVSQBsBhjQQEaTpvUtW_8isEiiyA6GswhbPWG9edmCxmY-EQTso3b5hg52yKbb7Ud40SkKcf1dF4sV5wuj7CvbYJKwrFPosbxG3KtDYiQBkFLfcpf6Lcgb9Mi6aMJ6FUBdv50T/s640/harunajinja_honsha.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honsha of Haruna Jinja, all photos from here on courtesy of <a href="http://japan-geographic.tv/gunma/takasaki-harunajinja_201211_0146.jpg" target="_blank">Japan Geographic</a></td></tr>
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The <i>honsha</i> incorporates the Misugata Rock, which forms a cave and enshrines the <i>goshintai</i> of Haruna Jinja. To the left of the main shrine is the oldest of the buildings on the grounds, the <i>kyohonenkan</i> from about 1716. Before the forced separation of Buddhism and Shinto, this building housed a Buddha image. It is now said to be the home of the spirit of Toyokiirihiko, thought to be a son of Emperor Sujin (r.97-30<span style="font-size: x-small;">B.C.</span>). Also painted in red it is an <i>irimoya-zukuri</i> building with <i>chidorihafu</i> and <i>karahafu</i>. Directly in front of and facing the <i>honsha</i> is the <i>kaguraden</i> of 1764, entirely painted in red.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwrPlWpx3wihYv4ibbQf7zKUvSr-bvzRJuelmV2gHgdnf3gkDJRdvVSWqRcFinLSOk7ZvYWm3Y5U1PcWzq0kLD2nnlzNuATHVKByO4Bs_7qlKTv8hTZr3lMyReabxJX_OGjVyIBI4zScT/s1600/harunajinja_kaguraden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwrPlWpx3wihYv4ibbQf7zKUvSr-bvzRJuelmV2gHgdnf3gkDJRdvVSWqRcFinLSOk7ZvYWm3Y5U1PcWzq0kLD2nnlzNuATHVKByO4Bs_7qlKTv8hTZr3lMyReabxJX_OGjVyIBI4zScT/s640/harunajinja_kaguraden.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaguraden of Haruna Jinja </td></tr>
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These buildings sit on a sort of plateau approached by climbing two staircases and finally passing through the <i>soryumon</i> of 1855 and one final staircase. Perhaps more impressive than these interesting structures is the ancient landscape and the way in which the shrine has been incorporated into it. The shrine is virtually hidden within craggy rocks and tall cedars, giving it the feel of a secretive hideaway. Haruna Jinja lies at the base of Mt. Haruna, one of the "Three Mountains of Jomo" which includes Mt. Akagi and Mt. Myogi. Jomo is the old name for Gunma, the prefecture in Eastern Japan where the shrine is located.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miyukiden</td></tr>
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The area of the shrine is quite extensive with just the walk from the first <i>torii</i> to the main shrine being some 700 meters. Along the way are bronze sculptures of the "Seven Gods of Good-fortune" (<i>shichifukujin</i>), a pagoda (<i>sanjunoto</i>) and another building called the <i>miyukiden</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanjunoto</td></tr>
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A website I read claims the similarities between this pagoda and the famous one in Tokyo's Ueno zoo are "striking", this is a three-tired pagoda whereas Ueno's is five-levels. Like many religious sites in Japan, Haruna was a <i>shinbutsu shugo</i> site of combinatory practice until the Meiji period, and affiliated with Kaneji temple, which was located in Ueno, Tokyo, from the 14th to 19th century. The multi-level shrine grounds lies nestled in a cedar forest with streams and waterfalls. At about 860 meters above sea level, some of these falls freeze in winter. But perhaps most impressive are the fantastically-shaped rocks - including the Misugata-iwa - that form an impressive background to the shrine. Final mention goes to the towering cedars that dot the landscape. One of these is the Yatate Cedar – located near the hand-washing basin at the beginning of the final climb to the shrine – a Natural Monument of Japan. <br />
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>A number of Haruna shrines are listed in the Engishiki of 927, a compilation of rights and prayers which lists 3032 shrines. The main <i>kami</i> worshiped here is Homusubi or Kagutsuchi the original <i>kami</i> of fire, whose birth caused the death of Izanami. This <i>kami</i> became the object of popular faith, conversely, as a tutelary for protection from fire. Recorded in <i>Nihongi</i>, Haniyasu no <i>kami</i> is a tutelary <i>kami</i> of earth that was produced by Izanagi and Izanami after they had completed giving birth to the "Great Eight-Island Country" (Ōyashimaguni-Japan). The name <i>haniyasu</i> is thought to mean "to knead earth so as to make it soft." <i>Kojiki</i> relates that the two <i>kami</i> Haniyasu hiko no <i>kami</i> and Haniyasu hime no <i>kami</i> were produced from Izanami's feces. It seems that after the medieval period, the shrines fortunes declined and was ultimately revived and strengthened by the Tendai monk Tenkai who was abbot of Kaneji Temple and a close advisor of Ieyasu Tokugawa. Tenkai was responsible for Ieyasu being enshrined as the <i>kami</i> Tosho Daigongen. Monks called <i>betto</i> ran the shrine from this time until the Meiji Period.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many small falls in the vicinity of the shrine</td></tr>
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<b>Description: </b>There is some conjecture that the shrine was founded in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Yomei but the shrine website makes no mention of such an early date. Nevertheless Haruna Jinja is an excellent shrine in a beautiful natural setting. With craggy rocks, towering cedars, waterfalls, and mountain views, Haruna has much to recommend it. In addition to nature, a large number of man-made structures give the casual visitor or serious student much to explore. Beside the shrine grounds, nearby sites include Haruna Fuji and Haruna Lake, Mount Myogi and the very interesting Myogi Jinja. Mount Akagi and lake Ono complete the natural triumvirate. The entire area is thick with <i>onsen</i> hot springs. Although each season has much to recommend it, be aware that roads may be impassible in winter.</div>
Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-2279252859907235242017-12-10T18:53:00.002+09:002020-03-09T11:19:01.528+09:00<div class="Title">
<h3>
Police: 3 die after sword attack near famed shrine in Tokyo</h3>
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<a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201712080036.html" target="_blank">THE ASAHI SHIMBUN</a></div>
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December 8, 2017 at 17:30 JST</div>
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Though I am not in the habit of posting news stories on this blog, I felt I needed to be a bit more timely with this one. All though the facts are not all known, it is obviously a great tragedy. It has all the more meaning for me as I have featured this important shrine in my book and have spent many hours on the grounds and interviewed one of the <i>negi</i> for the book. I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and parishioners, and encourage any readers of this blog to visit this historic shrine and its magnificent festival. For details, please see <i>S<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shinto-Shrines-Sacred-Ancient-Religion/dp/0824837134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516596548&sr=8-1&keywords=shinto+shrines" target="_blank">hinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</a></i></div>
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<i class="Caption">Reporters gather near the Tomioka Hachimangu shrine early on Dec. 8 after a murder-suicide incident occurred there several hours earlier. (Takayuki Kakuno)</i><br />
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A bitter sibling rivalry apparently escalated into rampage involving swords that left three people dead and one injured near a renowned shrine in Tokyo on the night of Dec. 7.<br />
One of those killed was Nagako Tomioka, 58, chief priest at Tomioka Hachimangu shrine in Koto Ward.<br />
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She was stabbed in the back of her head as well as chest in an ambush perpetrated by her younger brother, Shigenaga, 56, and a woman, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.<br />
Police later on Dec. 8 confirmed the woman was Shigenaga’s 49-year-old wife, Mariko.<br />
After the attack on Nagako, Shigenaga fatally stabbed his wife in the chest and abdomen and then committed suicide by turning his sword on himself.<br />
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His body was found with wounds to the left chest and abdomen.<br />
Police suspect Shigenaga remained bitter about being fired as chief priest of Tomioka Hachimangu in 2001. His older sister later took over the post.<br />
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According to investigative sources, Shigenaga was arrested and indicted in January 2006 on charges of threatening his sister with postcards that said, “I will kill you,” among other things.<br />
According to Tokyo police, Nagako was driven to her home within the shrine grounds after a meeting with local police officers.<br />
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Police said Shigenaga and his wife were hiding by a nearby building.<br />
After the car parked and Nagako got out, Shigenaga attacked his sister with a sword with a blade about 80 centimeters long, according to security camera footage. The time of the attack was 8:25 p.m.<br />
The 33-year-old chauffeur, who had also gotten out of the vehicle, fled the scene but was chased for about 100 meters by Mariko. She slashed his right arm with a sword with a blade about 45 cm long.<br />
He was listed in serious condition, but his injuries were not life-threatening.<br />
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Shigenaga then stabbed his wife in front of Nagako’s home before killing himself, the video footage showed. A sword broken in half was found near Nagako’s body. A shorter sword and two knives were discovered near Shigenaga’s body.<br />
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According to people who knew the siblings, they were close as young children and often played together at the shrine, which hosts one of the three largest festivals in Tokyo.<br />
Their father served as chief priest until Shigenaga took over.<br />
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However, he was suddenly fired in 2001, and several sources said his financial problems likely led in part to his dismissal. A classmate of Shigenaga recalled that he enjoyed a flashy lifestyle.<br />
The father resumed as chief priest before eventually giving the post to Nagako.<br />
After Shigenaga was fired, Nagako consulted with police the following year and said there were problems within the family about the chief priest position.<br />
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Police are now looking into the possibility that other recent problems may have triggered the attack.<br />
A shrine member in his 50s recalled a phone call from Shigenaga in July. Over about 40 minutes, Shigenaga laid out his complaints about his sister and the shrine.<br />
“He occasionally broke out crying or began shouting, and I felt that he was emotionally unstable,” the man said.<br />
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A woman in her 70s who is a member of the shrine and knew the siblings said the two had argued over money even before Shigenaga was dismissed as head priest.<br />
From five to 10 years ago, shrine members received anonymous letters that criticized Nagako.<br />
“I was always worried that something like this might occur someday, but it is still a huge shock,” the woman said.<br />
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Tomioka Hachimangu shrine was established in the early Edo Period (1603-1867) and grew in popularity under the sponsorship of the Tokugawa Shogunate.<br />
The shrine is closely linked with sumo, and several statues erected on the shrine grounds are related to the sport.<br />
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Sword-wielding ex-priest warned shrine about his ‘vengeful ghost’</h3>
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THE ASAHI SHIMBUN</div>
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December 10, 2017 at 17:55 JST</div>
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A brother who killed his sister with a sword had demanded that officials of a famed shrine in Tokyo dismiss her as chief priest or else he would “haunt” them as a “vengeful ghost.”<br />
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The warning came in a letter received by officials and representatives of shrine parishioners on Dec. 9, two days after the brother fatally stabbed his sister and wife before committing suicide at Tomioka Hachimangu shrine in Koto Ward.<br />
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The letter, written by Shigenaga Tomioka, 56, described the trouble he had had with his sister, Nagako, 58, over the years and other matters, according to people familiar with the letter.<br />
The letter, written on eight A-4 size pages, bore a signature that is believed to be his, as well as a postmark showing that it had been dropped off in Tokyo’s Ueno district.<br />
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Police believe Shigenaga posted the letter before he went on the rampage on the night of Dec. 7.<br />
In the letter, Shigenaga, who had been fired as chief priest of the Shinto shrine in 2001, argued that Nagako’s character was not worthy of the position. He demanded that she be expelled from the shrine and that his son be named chief priest.<br />
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“I am going to haunt you by becoming a vengeful ghost after my death if my demands are not met,” the brother warned in his letter.<br />
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Shigenaga and his wife, Mariko, 49, ambushed Nagako near her home on the shrine grounds with swords. Mariko also slashed Nagako’s driver, who suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.<br />
Shigenaga then fatally stabbed his wife and killed himself.<br />
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Police suspect the brother continued to harbor resentment over being fired as chief priest of Tomioka Hachimangu, according to investigative sources.<br />
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The siblings’ father, Okinaga, was chief priest of the shrine. But Shigenaga began serving as acting chief priest in November 1994, after his father became ill and was admitted to a hospital the previous month, Toshiji Sato, a lawyer representing the shrine, told a news conference on Dec. 9.<br />
Shigenaga was promoted to chief priest in March 1995.<br />
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However, Okinaga resumed the role and fired his son as chief priest in May 2001, after his problems with women and money became a big issue within the family since 1999, according to Sato.<br />
When Shigenaga stepped down, he apologized to family members, shrine officials and representatives of shrine parishioners for causing problems. He also promised “not to cause any trouble afterward.”<br />
The family paid him a retirement fee for stepping down and offered financial support.<br />
Both sides agreed that the monetary support would be terminated if he breached his promise not to cause problems.<br />
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But Shigenaga was arrested and fined for sending a menacing letter to his father and shrine officials in 2006. Nagako had reported the letter to police, and he started condemning his sister around this time, according to Sato.<br />
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Nagako was named chief priest when her father stepped down in October 2010. Okinaga died in July 2012.<br />
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With unanimous backing from shrine officials and parishioner representatives, the shrine proposed Nagako’s appointment to the Association of Shinto Shrines, an influential organization of which Tomioka Hachimangu was a member. The association rejected the proposal.<br />
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The shrine sought the association’s approval in June 2013, but again the request was not granted.<br />
When Tomioka Hachimangu made its fourth request for approval of Nagako as chief priest in March this year, it came to light that a letter denigrating Nagako had been delivered to the association.<br />
The letter was sent under the name of Shigenaga’s wife.<br />
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Sato believed that Shigenaga played a role in the letter. He said he sent a letter dated April 25 to the brother, warning him against such behavior. On May 29, a board of senior officials at Tomioka Hachimangu adopted a resolution to leave the association. Sato said he was entrusted to take care of procedures following Nagako’s decision to withdraw the shrine’s membership.<br />
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The lawyer said he also interviewed Nagako about details of how and why she took the post.<br />
In late June, Shigenaga started denouncing senior shrine officials and some representatives of parishioners over the resolution. It was also learned that he made phone calls that slandered his sister.<br />
Sato said he sent another letter to Shigenaga, dated July 10, warning him to end his series of harassment. The brother was living in Fukuoka Prefecture at the time.<br />
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The harassment ended, procedures to leave the association were completed, and Nagako and people involved in shrine affairs had developed a sense of relief.<br />
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Shigenaga killed his sister on Dec. 7. “We could have taken measures to respond if new harassment had taken place,” Sato said. “I am sorry about the attack.”<br />
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Shigenaga also apparently created problems for others after he moved to Fukuoka Prefecture from Tokyo several years ago. Neighbors in the prefecture in Kyushu said disputes erupted between Shigenaga and local residents over his car’s parking space and other issues. “I had not seen his car for several months, so I assumed that he had gone somewhere else,” a woman in the neighborhood said.<br />
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<h3>
Slaying of priest, murder-suicide planned well in advance: police</h3>
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THE ASAHI SHIMBUN</div>
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December 12, 2017 at 15:05 JST</div>
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The wife of a murderous former chief priest made arrangements for her death before they carried out a carefully planned sword attack against his sister at Tomioka Hachimangu shrine in Tokyo, police said Dec. 12.<br />
The Dec. 7 attack and murder-suicide at the shrine in Koto Ward left all three dead.<br />
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department said Shigenaga and Mariko Tomioka used an apartment about 30 meters from the shrine as a base for their plot to murder Nagako Tomioka, 58, the chief priest of Tomioka Hachimangu and older sister of Shigenaga, 56.<br />
A sword with a 66-centimeter-long blade was found in the apartment along with a knife with an 80-cm blade normally used to cut up tuna and binoculars.<br />
Police also found a letter written under Mariko’s name taped to a door frame.<br />
“I, Mariko Tomioka, have decided to murder Nagako Tomioka because of long-standing animosity,” the letter said. “After I kill her, I plan to take responsibility by committing suicide, but if I am unable to do so due to fear, I have asked my husband, Shigenaga, to assist me in that task.”<br />
The letter was dated Dec. 1 and was addressed to the police and media representatives.<br />
Security cameras in the vicinity captured footage of Shigenaga and Mariko leaving the apartment building about an hour before the attack.<br />
After Nagako got out of a vehicle near her home on the shrine grounds, Shigenaga fatally stabbed her with a sword, while Mariko chased and slashed the 33-year-old driver.<br />
Two swords were used in the attack, and shorter knives were also found at the crime scene.<br />
Shigenaga then killed his 49-year-old wife with a sword and committed suicide.<br />
Police said the apartment was on the fifth floor and was rented out on June 30. Roads in the vicinity of the crime scene are clearly visible from the apartment.<br />
Police believe the attack stemmed in part from Shigenaga’s continued bitterness about being fired as chief priest of Tomioka Hachimangu in 2001. His older sister eventually took over the post, and Shigenaga had expressed clear resentment over her promotion.<br />
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<h3>
Shrine ‘cleanses’ murder sites, but worshippers may not return</h3>
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THE ASAHI SHIMBUN</div>
<div class="EnLastUpdated">
December 15, 2017 at 18:05 JST</div>
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A popular Shinto shrine in Tokyo performed purification rituals at the sites of a double-murder suicide, but parishioners there remain shaken by gruesome assault that involved samurai swords.<br />
At 4 p.m. on Dec. 14, 10 priests gathered in front of the home of Nagako Tomioka, 58, the chief priest of Tomioka Hachimangu shrine who was killed by her sword-wielding brother on Dec. 7.<br />
The priests performed a special “oharae” purification ritual at the front entrance of the house as well as the area where the brother, Shigenaga Tomioka, 56, killed his wife, Mariko, 49, and then committed suicide.<br />
The oharae ritual is usually conducted twice a year--the last day in June and New Year’s Eve.<br />
Police suspect that Shigenaga, who was fired as chief priest of the shrine in Koto Ward 16 years ago, held a grudge against his sister, who had taken over the post. He and Mariko apparently planned the attack against Nagako well in advance.<br />
“They did not hate each other in the past, but the situation somehow ended up with the worst possible ending,” a former employee of the shrine said about the siblings. “I feel terrible for the people who are connected to the shrine and who have worshiped at the shrine for many years.”<br />
The shrine, founded in 1627, is famed for the Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri festival, one of the three major festivals held in the capital. The imperial couple attended the event in 2012.<br />
Over the New Year’s holidays, Japanese customarily visit Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples for the first prayer of the year. Tomioka Hachimangu boasted about 300,000 New Year’s visitors every year.<br />
Officials of the shrine held an emergency meeting on Dec. 9 to decide on an acting chief priest. Some parishioners said their faith in the shrine is unchanged, but others had different feelings.<br />
“Although a shrine is a place where we receive the purification ritual, this horrendous case has rendered the shrine itself in need of the ritual,” said a woman in her 50s, who has made New Year’s prayers at the shrine for more than 30 years.<br />
A 77-year-old man who lives in the neighborhood said the shrine has usually been swarmed with worshipers on the first three days of the new year.<br />
“But I bet the number will greatly drop (in 2018),” he said.<br />
“A letter written by the suspect was found that said he will curse the place,” the man continued. “I will never visit the shrine again. I feel sad because it was the pride of our town, and the liveliness will be gone.”<br />
Shigenaga’s letter, written before he and his wife ambushed Nagako, demanded that his sister be dismissed as chief priest of the shrine and replaced by Shigenaga’s son.<br />
“I am going to haunt you by becoming a vengeful ghost after my death if my demands are not met,” the letter said, according to police.<br />
Tokyo police recently revealed that Shigenaga had, in fact, made <u> 2,800 copies of the letter for delivery to shrines around Japan and parishioners</u>. Each letter was signed and stamped with Shigenaga’s thumbprint.<br />
Shigenaga left the stack of letters with a commercial handyman and gave instructions on Dec. 7, the day of attack, to “post them on the morning of Dec. 8 from anywhere other than in Koto Ward.”<br />
Police confirmed that 1,000 of the letters were received by shrines around Japan. The other 1,800 were delivered to schools attended by children of Tomioka Hachimangu’s parishioners and eating establishments frequented by the parishioners.<br />
(This article was compiled from reports by Yosuke Takashima and Mika Kuniyoshi.)</div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-9002778611177823042017-04-22T19:44:00.000+09:002018-05-15T19:41:21.582+09:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Modern History (Controversy) of the Emperor's Succession</b> </span><br />
<b>and the Japanese Method of Counting Years (<i>Nengo</i>) (part 2)</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJio9RAWZENjoHZrWbxJDn0-hMxEYK0Z9njNr_vLJygbIYRyA5aLL69aSLal-MRlyZrxYWB-821Oe9PCPWyuIlXRAYF4q2KbJr04mnzpbvhffYI1roCB7bb8F2fgGiPCMYIBOWV0BSlxr/s1600/Akihito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJio9RAWZENjoHZrWbxJDn0-hMxEYK0Z9njNr_vLJygbIYRyA5aLL69aSLal-MRlyZrxYWB-821Oe9PCPWyuIlXRAYF4q2KbJr04mnzpbvhffYI1roCB7bb8F2fgGiPCMYIBOWV0BSlxr/s320/Akihito.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Emperor of Japan, Akihito, r. 1989– (photo Reuters)</td></tr>
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The answer to the question, "What year is it?" may seem obvious to Americans, most Europeans, and a vast number of people around the world: the answer is 2017. But though we may take for granted that time is the same all over the world, the counting of time is far from consistent. The point I am getting to is that, while in Japan we are fully aware of this Gregorian dating and use it daily, we also have another system which is just as widely employed if not well known outside the country: the <i>nengo</i> or <i>gengo</i> (both pronunciations are used). In terms of the <i>nengo</i>, the current year is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_period" target="_blank">Heisei 29.</a> The name Heisei is the Era name and is based two kanji: one in a line from the Chinese shokyo (Classic of History) referring to the wise Emperor Shun, and one from the shiki (Records of the Grand Historian). The combination of the two kanji is intended to mean "peace everywhere". The name was arbitrarily decided, and the era begun, in 1989 when Emperor Akihito ascended the throne. But the true significance of the <i>nengo</i> system is that it preserves the myth that Japan is a sacred land and her ruler is descended from Amaterasu omikami, and that Japan is unique and superior to any other nation because the Imperial line has continued from the beginning of time. This religious-mythological doctrine became a political and militaristic justification for war in the not-too-distant past. More importantly the myth is fundamentally alive and functioning behind many of Japan's doctrines in the present day. (More on this in a later post.)<br />
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Taking a step back, calendar systems basically come down to three types: those based on the earth's revolution around the sun (solar); those based on the phases of the moon (lunar); and those which are based on historical events related to a particular country. In fact, the first two also rely on the third type. The <i>nengo</i> can be considered of the third type. Since the Meiji Era (beginning in 1868) it has been based on the years of reign of the emperor. The current emperor, Akihito, acceded to the throne on 7 January 1989. That year became Heisei 1 or Heisei gannen meaning the first year of Heisei. Then we count from there to get the present year. The previous year (plus seven days) was the last year of his father's reign, Showa 64 (in other words, we went from year 64 [1988] to year 1 [1989] when the previous emperor passed away). In fact, the counting of time based on the reign of a sovereign was typical in many parts of the world in antiquity. In Japan before Meiji, just to complicate things however, a new era could be declared at any time and the numbering would begin again each time. So, for example, during the reign of Emperor Komei, the last emperor before Meiji, there were no less than seven era names within the twenty-four year span of his reign. This, and any number of other traditions, was legislated away by the new government with the stroke of a pen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emperor Showa (Hirohito), r. 1926–1989 (photo Japan Times)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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As I stated above, the vast majority of the world is at least aware of the Gregorian numbering and this is the system most used in international dating and transactions. It is based on a solar calendar with its own system of adjustment to keep the calendar from drifting (the drift occurs because splitting the year into 24 hour units leaves a negative remainder). The primary mechanism of adjustment is to add a day to the year <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year" target="_blank">once in every four years</a> (leap year) and change the number of days in February, which was deemed to be the simplest method. But besides the counting of time itself is the all-important question of starting points. The historical founding of a country in the modern age is generally based on some verifiable date. However, in a world that began who-knows-when, an arbitrary starting point must necessarily be decided if you intend to have a consecutive numbering system of years since the "beginning" such as the one that has brought us to the year 2017. To put it another way, no matter the solar or lunar system of measurement, the actual dating always involves some historical, and therefore local and arbitrary, conventions. <br />
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In the case of 2017 that choice was the supposed birthday of Jesus Christ. This starting point for the numbering of years was gradually adopted over a long period of time, beginning with its proposal by Dionysis Exiguus in 525, becoming widespread initially among Roman Catholic countries. He also proposed the term Anno Domini (the year of our Lord). He calculated the year of the birth of Jesus Christ, based <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini" target="_blank">on the Gospel of Luke, which states that Jesus was "about thirty years old" shortly after "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar"</a> (Wikipedia), calling this year AD 1. Of course, he recognized that actual time did not begin at that point. Without going into details, he was simply replacing an old convention with a new one that he felt was more pleasing to the increasing number of Catholics. A fairly arbitrary, fairly local concept based on sketchy history. But if you are going to count, no matter what system you use, you have to start somewhere. Of course, there are a number of sources that corroborate the dates of Tiberius life and reign and that he existed is not in doubt. A number of historical sources exist as well that corroborate the existence of a man named Jesus of Nazareth. Relating the two gives some basis for dating the later though, in fact, the exact year of the birth of Jesus is unknown. <br />
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While I find the topic of calendars and dating quite interesting, I will return to my original topic of the Japanese counting of time (hopefully before exhausting my readers' attention). As I mentioned above the traditional system in Japan involves dating according to the reign of Emperors. Underlying this is the same system of lunar measurement that was used in China and much of the world prior to the adoption of a solar-based system. Therefore Japanese New Year essentially coincided with Chinese New Year, which is reckoned as the beginning of spring. Since the lunar and solar calendars do not coincide, by the solar calendar New Year falls on a different day each year ¬– between 21 January and 20 February – when the new moon occurs. By the way, Shinto festivals, which by in large are still calculated by the lunar calendar, fall on different dates each year. Again, this is just the system of measurement and has nothing to do with the starting point, which is a historical-cultural choice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese Crown Prince, Naruhito (photo by Zimbio from unofficialroyalty.com)</td></tr>
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In the case of Japan, there has generally been no great interest in the sequential dating of years as in the Gregorian style – except during the war years when the Koki system was also employed. (Accordingly, for example,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_calendar" target="_blank"> 1940 was deemed to be the year 2600.)</a> But there has been a burning interest in the starting point, which relates to the beginning of the reigns of emperors. By this calculation, the first emperor of Japan is deemed to have been Jimmu (or Jinmu) and his reign is considered to have been from 660BC to 585BC; a total of 75 years (2600 was calculated form the first year of his supposed reign). This is according to the Kojiki, Japan's oldest existing record of legend, myth, and history, which was finished around AD712. It also relates that Jimmu was the great-grandson of Ninigi-no-mikoto, who was himself the grandson of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, and descended to earth to rule by her command. Why he ultimately did not rule, and why it took two more generations and several hundred years (yeah, those guys were as old as Moses) for the first Emperor to emerge, is not clear. Apparently the world was left in such disorder by the descendants of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9144543578035837392#editor/target=post;postID=2313175003293697484;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=13;src=postname" target="_blank"> Amaterasu's brother, Susano-o</a>, that it took several generations to straighten it out – though almost nothing is recorded of how this was accomplished. At the end of this time Jinmu and his brother(s) began a march from their native Kyushu, conquering and deposing – with divine assistance – along the way, until he arrived at the land of Yamato and established the "country". According to the Kojiki, Jimmu was 126 years old when he died and Japan reckons that the current emperor is the 125th in a direct line of decent from Jimmu. Japan still celebrates National Foundation Day (kenkoku or previously kigensetsu) on February 11, based on the nationalistic fantasies of the Meiji leaders and the foundation myth of Jimmu.<br />
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Of course, myth is central to the foundation of any country or people whether or not their origins predate written history, as Japan's certainly do. Stories or myths were all that existed before the practice of writing, archeology, paleontology, et al., began to present physical evidence of the lives of men of the past. But in regard to evidence, Japanese myths face some formidable problems. For all intents and purposes Japan had no writing system until it began to adopt the Chinese system in the 6th century. The earliest written reports about the country actually come from Chinese envoys who visited the country in the 3rd century (and apparently got a number of their facts wrong, adding to the confusion). Archeological evidence points to the existence of a group of city states from about the third century but nothing that could be called a unified country under a single monarch or group of monarchs until the fifth century if then. In other words, the supposed origin of the myth antedates the recording of it by some 1,300 years.<br />
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So, the mythology dictates that Jimmu was the first emperor in 660BC, and that by the fifth century, Japan already had its seventeenth Emperor, Richu. Of course, mythology is not to be taken on face value and certainly must be distinguished from history. And there's the rub: since the Meiji period, the Japanese have essentially – in many respects – refused to distinguish reality from myth. All the more so since the end of WWII when a new round of denial of history began which continues until today. This is because – to those most insecure about their own self-worth – to do so has the potential to diminish the position of the Emperor, and thereby the prestige and pride that has been invested in the myth of the country's history as a whole. The definition of diminish, in this case, simply means modifying the insistence on the "longest continuous line of emperors of any country in the world."<br />
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It is obvious to historians and archeologists alike that there is no way that Japanese history as a country begins anywhere remotely near 660BC. Yet at the dawn of the Meiji period, the leaders who had deposed the last Tokugawa Shogun and were desperately trying to build a modern nation-state on the Western model, used the myth of a country older than any other as their unifying theme. Since then, in some quarters, the Japanese self image has had too much invested in these Imperial/national myths to let them go. To my knowledge the question, "should Japan change the unfounded dating of its National Foundation Day and the wholly manufactured myth of 125 consecutive Emperors," has never come up, or has been shouted down so vehemently that no amount of evidence can give any alternative any traction. Yet, the very fact that the foundation day of the country is based on pure fiction makes for more, not less, insecurity vis a vis other countries.<br />
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As one who has lived in Japan for a very long time, I would describe the character of the people as generally lacking in introspection. To put it in a more positive light people do not like to dwell on the past. They also do not like to point the finger of blame at anyone – both admirable traits to be sure. However the other side of the coin is that placing real responsibility and correcting errors such that they never happen again, becomes virtually impossible. This for the simple reason that the "feelings" of others must be considered as paramount (not truth; not right or wrong). Of course, the feelings, in this case, are those of other Japanese and especially those intent on maintaining the myths that were created in the Meiji Era. Especially, when it comes to correcting history relating to the Emperor and the country, it is the nationalist elements whose feelings might be hurt, potentially making them angry – often violently so. In the past, these “feelings” could result in political assassinations by militaristic, nationalist elements. But such so-called feelings today are only a cover for the less violent but equally vehement powers that be, who are the ones currently employing these myths when it suits their purpose. This includes the Liberal Democratic Party and the still existent aristocracy that runs the country. In other words, one thing that is always behind Japanese inaction or seeming ambiguity on any thorny historical issue is the fear of disunity and violence from within.<br />
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The aversion to "rocking the boat" taints the Japanese experience of history. It impacts especially on relations with China and Korea, which have never been truly healed as a result. Even the bombing of Pearl Harbor has never truly been atoned in the national conscious, unlike the yearly remembrance of the bombing of Hiroshima (a contradiction that, as an American, I feel acutely). It also results in the government editing history books to be sure that they maintain the 'correct view' of history, the one which takes great pains not to offend the national(istic) myths. The audacity to state in public, for example, that Emperor Showa shared responsibility for the war (which he obviously did) earned the Mayor of Nagasaki a bullet in the chest in 1990. The statement that got him shot was this, "Forty-three years have passed since the end of the war, and I think we have had enough chance to reflect on the nature of the war. From reading various accounts from abroad and having been a soldier myself, involved in military education, I do believe that the emperor bore responsibility for the war..." Few dare to make such a statement even today. So long as the legitimization of Japan as a country is linked to the myth of an unfaltering and infallible line of emperors, the country can never come face to face with its true history. Though it might not be apparent at first glance, this is the crux of the issue surrounding the controversy of the current emperor's resignation as well. <br />
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I would like to end this brief discussion by quoting extensively from Klaus Antoni, professor of Japanology at the University of Tuebingen, who has researched and written extensively on Japanese religion and society. The entire text can be downloaded free from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Klaus_Antoni">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Klaus_Antoni</a> as well as other places on the net.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">"Unlike the situation in post-war Germany, in Japan the year 1945 has never been seen to the same degree as a historic turning point in the sense of a new beginning unencumbered by history. The break provided by the Japanese defeat in the war indeed had lasting effects on Japanese society, for example, in the form of a modern(ized) Constitution and a political turn toward the United States, and yet continuities remain in Japan that can only be understood historically. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">This is especially clear in the fact that Japan still uses its own calendar system [to count] years. The official Japanese calendar is not the Gregorian, or Western calendar, but the traditional Japanese system based on the periods of rule of the Japanese emperors (</span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">gengô</span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">, traditionally </span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">nengô</span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">). The psychological importance of this calendar in Japan can be seen, for example, in the fact that after 1945, the year of Japan’s defeat, the emperor not only retained his position, but also the era name – and thus the cycle of year numbers – remained unchanged. Only after the death of Emperor Hirohito (Shôwa-tennô) on January 7, 1989, was a new era name (Heisei) declared, marking the beginning of a new calendar cycle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">This calendar system has the effect that in Japan history is not viewed as a linear progression, but rather in an insular manner.</span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 8.000000pt; vertical-align: 3.000000pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">One cannot tell how far back in history an event lies simply from the calendar date on which it took place – for example, in the year Taihô 1. Only after placing it in a linear chronology is its true historical distance revealed, as in the case of Taihô 1, which corresponds to the year 701 A.D. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Obviously, this concept of time results in a different view of history, in which history becomes a kind of ocean with individual events scattered across it like islands. In extreme cases, an event’s historical distance from the present is of only secondary importance. In the context of religions, this fact results in a general indifference toward an objective historical chronology. Taken to the extreme, this can allow the age of myths to be directly linked to the present. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bookantiqua"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A further characteristic of Japanese culture that continues to be influential to this day is the fact that the country’s history has always been shaped and edited by large families, dynasties or clans – and a government which continues the practice until today. Whether for the imperial household, which proudly claims to have reigned without a change of blood lineage since the beginning of time (although this is viewed much more critically by any historian worthy of the title), the important families of the court nobility (and above all, the Fujiwara clan), the military nobility (especially the Minamoto and Tokugawa houses) or merchants and farmers, the crucial factor determining one’s position and reputation has always been one’s genealogical family membership – that is, one’s bloodline (though, in another twist which I won't get into, this also includes outsiders brought into the family when there are no blood descendants). Stated in the extreme, the power of genealogy can be seen as the driving force in Japanese cultural history and is especially important in the religious legitimization of ruling power." </span></div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-70392985520315228172017-03-29T09:06:00.002+09:002022-06-15T11:37:42.140+09:00<div class="date-posts">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Modern History (Controversy) of the Emperor's Succession</b></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and the Japanese Method of Counting Years (<i>Nengo</i>) (part 1)</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The legendary first Emperor Jimmu,<br />
supposed reign 660-585 BC</span></span></div></td></tr>
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On December 1 2001 a daughter was born to the Crown Prince of Japan, thereby stirring an old controversy on the right of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Princess Toshi, whose given name is Aiko, is the only child of the eldest son of the current monarch, Emperor Akihito. The Emperor's eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will succeed his father to the throne: no problem there. If Prince Naruhito had a son, his son would be next in line to succeed. However, <a href="http://aminoapps.com/page/anime/2387146/meet-10-women-who-ruled-japan" target="_blank">women are barred from succession</a> and this is where the old controversy has been revived. Until September of 2006, the controversy was more acute. That is because the Crown Prince's younger brother, Fumihito, also had two daughters who were barred from succession. In other words: only female heirs. But in that year, some sixteen years after his marriage to Princess Akishino, a son was born to Fumihito. The new nephew, Prince Hisahito is now next in line to the throne after his uncle. Why the controversy: simply because, like so many aspects of traditional, Japanese culture, the succession law is a modern invention disguised in traditional clothes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Legendary Empress Jingu (r. 201-269) </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Mother of Emperor Ojin<br />and worshiped together as the <i>kami</i> Hachiman</span></span></div></td></tr>
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Historically, the Emperor's succession has been male dominated, <a href="http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1123" target="_blank">but not exclusively so</a> and not legislated as such. Some male and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_of_Japan" target="_blank">female Emperors </a>even ascended the throne more than once. The Emperor also, traditionally, never stepped outside the palace grounds and most people had no idea who the Emperor was at any given time. This changed, as so many of Japan's "immutable traditions" did, after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Restoration" target="_blank">Meiji Restoration of 1868</a>. As most readers probably know, this is the beginning of the modern period when the Shogun was deposed and the Emperor "restored" to primacy as head of state – a position he had neither officially or unofficially occupied since the Kamakura Period beginning about 1185. Of course, after being restored, he was still, and is today, only a figurehead. Rather, the "restoration" ushered in a semi-democratic form of government. And that government not only legislated for the people, it legislated for the Emperor too. The Imperial House Code, established in 1889, and heavily influenced by Meiji leader's newfound love affair with Prussia, instituted a number of the changes that have continually returned to haunt the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpp4tga1gNf6k9svTQfDz2bH5VXb0AGHMLpzvga0x5elw3-ljoRVhSTBfA-4ilnKo3IIGQhdrI-RHEJ-N04vhWfa4_HMwatjYaW0_Zn2FtEJVIKFa-iWuQskZZwIdo7oP2lKtdAlGeg9n/s1600/Empress_Gemmei.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide, Empress Genmei" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpp4tga1gNf6k9svTQfDz2bH5VXb0AGHMLpzvga0x5elw3-ljoRVhSTBfA-4ilnKo3IIGQhdrI-RHEJ-N04vhWfa4_HMwatjYaW0_Zn2FtEJVIKFa-iWuQskZZwIdo7oP2lKtdAlGeg9n/s320/Empress_Gemmei.jpg" title="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Artist's impression of Empress Genmei (r.707-715)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzbI7ghzqypbjo_AsAEnJsI0CXjTqE12RGjZppRWbG6oSdOGvnTu2CjcU291C-kpo4GDv4rM0xYuz2BsToaBgS1-5jnhjzIJKzXUV-jYmOCY0PdSDCEDJ1d4nXd_iFg7sV9HLTEbv0cjI/s1600/Empress+Gensho.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide, Empress Gensho" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzbI7ghzqypbjo_AsAEnJsI0CXjTqE12RGjZppRWbG6oSdOGvnTu2CjcU291C-kpo4GDv4rM0xYuz2BsToaBgS1-5jnhjzIJKzXUV-jYmOCY0PdSDCEDJ1d4nXd_iFg7sV9HLTEbv0cjI/s320/Empress+Gensho.jpg" title="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Empress Gensho (r.715-724) the only<br />Empress in
history<br />to have succeeded her mother<br />who was also an Empress (Genmei</span>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;">The first change I have already mentioned (no female succession). The second change was to forbid agnatic succession whereby another relative – usually a brother – could succeed. The third change was that an adopted child could not succeed. The last adopted child to become Emperor was Emperor Kokaku (r.1780–1817) who stepped in because the previous Emperor, Go-Momozono, died childless. He was also the last Emperor to abdicate, which he did in favor of his son Emperor Ninko. Which brings us to the fourth change: abdication is also forbidden by the same law of 1889. Herein lies another controversy: the current Emperor Akihito, age 83, has decided to abdicate by 2017 (now postponed to 2019) due to health issues. This has sent the government scrambling to change the law and opponents scrambling for ways to convince the Emperor to die in office.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsb7t6M0r9GBtNJA_kfPjZjXpZn6MAp_UwkTy-XGN3Oh2jusbWfAiArvE9G92ilXeBCvGvQhj4gc7mbD3xd7tbZqchkHXRf651pl3lK-RXhXU7REC5uBJys2dr4YM2VjeKRTnxMGvDw-A/s1600/Emperor_Komei.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide, Emperor Komei" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsb7t6M0r9GBtNJA_kfPjZjXpZn6MAp_UwkTy-XGN3Oh2jusbWfAiArvE9G92ilXeBCvGvQhj4gc7mbD3xd7tbZqchkHXRf651pl3lK-RXhXU7REC5uBJys2dr4YM2VjeKRTnxMGvDw-A/s320/Emperor_Komei.jpg" title="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emperor Komei (r. 1846-67) the last feudal</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">
Emperor and last to reside in Kyoto</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSuO9TqBjJrduODJY0HWtxFHFQgDXP8Rigyr94N-y3vjVtCgLnSoVUfU1qpKRxB4HpV6jibpdkWsJDFIsyHN3JPRJIlFCMomGJs9BiE_m-_RKAaHIUWPV67HRP-5H6b2bzON0qRs5Ufmg/s1600/emperor_Meiji_of_Japan.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide, Emperor Meiji" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSuO9TqBjJrduODJY0HWtxFHFQgDXP8Rigyr94N-y3vjVtCgLnSoVUfU1qpKRxB4HpV6jibpdkWsJDFIsyHN3JPRJIlFCMomGJs9BiE_m-_RKAaHIUWPV67HRP-5H6b2bzON0qRs5Ufmg/s320/emperor_Meiji_of_Japan.jpg" title="Shinto Shrines of Japan the Blog Guide" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emperor Meiji (r.1867-1912) First Emperor to preside over a parliament in Tokyo.</span></div></td></tr>
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The law was rewritten again in 1947, mostly because Japan adopted a new American influenced constitution. However changes were minor and it was pretty much kept the same, except to further add the restriction that illegitimate children also could not succeed. Which might have been a moot point since another change from the 1889 law forbade Emperors to have concubines. It also abolished collateral houses which could have otherwise contributed princes in a pinch.<br />
<br />
But like most thorny problems in the land of the rising sun, the problem of the Emperor's abdication is already being solved. This is simply because the Emperor insists he will abdicate – and who is going to stop him? Which demonstrates very clearly that tradition, religion, law, hell and damnation aside – <a href="https://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/diet-proposes-one-off-abdication-law-for-emperor-2" target="_blank">where there's a will there's a way</a>. So why all the fuss about succession? Simply change the law to allow daughters to succeed as well. This law is not based on Japanese tradition other than the tradition, among a not-so-small segment of the public, that men are superior to women. Of course, this is fr from an unusual belief, not only in Japan but also in America – as was clear in the recent presidential election. In fact, the majority of the population is in favor of the change, <a href="http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161231/p2a/00m/0na/014000c" target="_blank">as a number of polls have shown</a>, but among the Japanese ruling class – I mean the permanent ruling class – "not over my dead body."<br />
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-78274444543435118982016-09-12T19:08:00.000+09:002016-09-12T19:08:37.491+09:00<b>Reviews</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As readers of this blog know I released "Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the
Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion", coauthored with John Dougill
and published by the University of Hawaii Press, in December of 2012.
The desire to continue my research into shrines led me to launch this
blog in August of the same year. In addition to ongoing research, the
blog contains excerpts from the book and a number of entries that didn't
make it through the final edit. I believe the combination of book and
blog presents a comprehensive overview of Japanese shrines in
English, unlike that found anywhere else. Whereas much of the blog
contents have not been verified with individual shrines—as the contents
of the book have—I am rather conservative about including information
from unreliable sources. One finds that misinformation is picked up
and repeated to such a degree that it becomes perceived as fact. This is
especially true in Japanese history/myth and equally true of Internet
content. I make every effort not to add to the noise. I have also tried
to make available on the blog some of the sources I have consulted in
writing the book—particularly where they are readily available on the
net—with a summary of each. Please let me know if there is some
information related to shrines which you would like to see posted.<br />
<br />
Here is a recent review from the website <i>Patheos </i>at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pagantama/2016/08/28/pagan-shinto-spiritual-book-reviews-august-2016/2/<br />
<br />
From the "About" section of the website comes this: <i>Founded in 2008, Patheos.com is the premier online destination to engage
in the global dialogue about religion and spirituality and to explore
and experience the world's beliefs. Patheos is the website of choice for
the millions of people looking for credible and balanced information
about religion. Patheos brings together faith communities, academics,
and the broader public into a single environment, and is the place where
many people turn on a regular basis for insight, inspiration, and
stimulating discussion. Patheos is unlike any other religious and
spiritual site on the Web today.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
The review is reprinted here by permission of the author, Megan Manson — with my thanks! You can read a short interview with Megan here: www.greenshinto.com/wp/2016/09/06/shinto-paganism-megan-manson/<br />
<br />
<h1 class="entry-title">
Pagan, Shinto & Spiritual Book Reviews </h1>
<div class="post-info">
<span class="date published time" title="2016-08-28T12:25:04+00:00">August 28, 2016</span> <span class="post-comments"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAHjNT5gohfCKNcWbxr3aA4rc7SZ5468liFfiOAKv2ywpH3yFRb9F-ZbvT_yTz9l1xlcgVWdsom74RYU5V-7CPfHV9LoKT6_81tzBL7aXpUbp0LhZ1wHPjcvqiV5M9XnwgdpBLJfoH62X/s1600/Shinto+Shrines+Joseph+Cali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAHjNT5gohfCKNcWbxr3aA4rc7SZ5468liFfiOAKv2ywpH3yFRb9F-ZbvT_yTz9l1xlcgVWdsom74RYU5V-7CPfHV9LoKT6_81tzBL7aXpUbp0LhZ1wHPjcvqiV5M9XnwgdpBLJfoH62X/s320/Shinto+Shrines+Joseph+Cali.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<strong>Joseph Cali & John Dougill, <em>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan’s Ancient Religion</em></strong><br /> (University of Hawai’i Press, 2012)<br />
This book is by two of the most generous and enthusiastic non-Japanese specialists on Shinto. Joseph Cali is the creator of Shinto Shrines of Japan Blog Guide, a very useful website for those looking for information about specific <em>jinja</em> (Shinto shrines). John Dougill is the author of <a class="ext-link" data-wpel-target="_new" href="http://www.greenshinto.com/" rel="external" title="">Green Shinto</a>,
which I consider an essential resource for international followers of
Shinto and especially those approaching Shinto from a Neopagan
perspective. I’ve therefore had <em>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan’s Ancient Religion </em>on my wishlist for some time, and I’m really glad I’ve finally got to read it. I was not disappointed.<br />
Booksellers would not be wrong for putting <em>Shinto Shrines</em> in their “Travel” section. It looks and feels very much like a <em>Lonely Planet</em>-style guidebook – one that covers, in considerable detail, 57 prominent <em>jinja</em> (shrines) located all over Japan. Like a <em>Lonely Planet</em> book, <em>Shinto Shrines </em>is packed with full-colour photographs and the entries for each shrine all feature a table of useful information.<br />
What makes <em>Shinto Shrines</em> stand out from <em>Lonely Planet</em>,
and in fact many other books on Shinto, is the attention given to
details about the shrines – there’s information here that you just won’t
find elsewhere, at least in English. The key information about each
shrine not only includes its contact details, but also information on
which <em>kami</em> are enshrined there, what kind of prayers are
usually offered, and key dates in the shrine’s calendar. Perhaps the
most attention is given to the shrine’s architectural features, so if
that interests you in particular you’ll be in heaven (and if you don’t,
you can just skim-read these parts). This, coupled with the excellent
introduction to Shinto (with some really helpful illustrations) at the
beginning, means that <em>Shinto Shrines</em> transcends being a mere
travel guide and is in fact a solid resource for more serious students
of the Shinto religion and its shrines.<br />
Friendly, detailed and clearly written with a lot of love, <em>Shinto Shrines</em>
is a reference book for a new generation of Japanologists and other
enthusiasts of Japan and Shinto – those who are not content with simple
armchair research, and want to go out there and experience Shinto for
themselves.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-26111837660353405722016-08-09T15:17:00.000+09:002016-08-09T15:17:21.286+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Photo Tour of Usa Jingu</b></span> <br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8926-9780824837136.aspx" target="_blank"><i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i></a>,
my focus was on delivering as much information as possible about as
many shrines as possible. The original goal was 100 shrines but this
would have necessitated a massive book at a massive price (as well as an
irate publisher). Since I was unwilling to compromise the information
for each shrine, I compromised on the number of photos. In this blog
too, I have followed the style of the book and therefore images are
again minimal. But in the assumption that readers of the book and of
this blog might also be interested in seeing more of the places being
written about, I am presenting a series of Photo Tours. Here then is the principle shrine of the <i>kami</i> often referred to as the "God of War":Hachiman.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vGk9t_6JsaaEH9EHVRTwpLufnNWaWAIljz3IHmnPHP-B6EcDs___NpWTBezf19muuBbtunG5PhAtLs5MifoYBazk8HlvFQC6cZnbwpu789-2g_nXDfZ4EIq2a1X0ot-V-ptYOOPkOdKz/s1600/DSCF9915+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vGk9t_6JsaaEH9EHVRTwpLufnNWaWAIljz3IHmnPHP-B6EcDs___NpWTBezf19muuBbtunG5PhAtLs5MifoYBazk8HlvFQC6cZnbwpu789-2g_nXDfZ4EIq2a1X0ot-V-ptYOOPkOdKz/s640/DSCF9915+copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usa Jingu</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hachiman shrines are one of the most numerous types, having 30,000 individual shrines by some reckonings. This is likely an inflated figure given that the total number of shrines in the country is said to number about 80,000. However there is little doubt that Hachiman is one of the most common shrines, and Usa in Oita province, Kyushu, is probably where the cult began. Hachiman is an extremely interesting and thoroughly combinatory <i>kami </i>containing distinct Buddhist elements and origins<i>.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaSdAirseHc82JqXaGa_MLKJzaj8oRNYTz28RbutdxeI3zPjWeXJDpxBj-kRdxGBOH_YM0W8zRv9aldmqH0jiI_4EFzfiLz0hDHWML8LRWQ9NoAzV00rRl_rzdYoO_J3aVIDOaWqm6JD7/s1600/DSCF9917+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaSdAirseHc82JqXaGa_MLKJzaj8oRNYTz28RbutdxeI3zPjWeXJDpxBj-kRdxGBOH_YM0W8zRv9aldmqH0jiI_4EFzfiLz0hDHWML8LRWQ9NoAzV00rRl_rzdYoO_J3aVIDOaWqm6JD7/s640/DSCF9917+copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top photo shows the left <i>ichi no goten</i>, bottom the <i>san no goten</i>. Both pictures also show the <i>nii no goten</i> in the center back and the <i>moshiden</i> in front of it.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hachiman is itself a combination of Emperor Ojin, Himegami (a consort <i>kami</i> which varies according to the shrine but is here considered to be the three female Munakata deities), and Jingu Kogo. This is why there are three individual buildings. These are enclosed within a <i>kairo</i> covered walkway with a two-tiered <i>roumon</i> entrance. It is the <i>roumon</i> and <i>kairo</i> painted in cinnabar that represent the Hachiman style to most visitors. The same style can be seen at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura and others. What is not so apparent is the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9144543578035837392#editor/target=post;postID=9059520945038494147;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=15;src=postname" target="_blank">double gable roof</a> which is even more indicative of the style though, in fact, the double gable is now to be seen in only four Hachiman shrines that I know of. Not all Hachiman shrines have three deities or three buildings either. Some enshrine Ojin alone and some Ojin and Jingu who are child and mother. Some include Ojin's sons.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gegu of Usa Hachiman, front and right side</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the grounds of the shrine are extensive and the structures number more than 20, the two principle groupings are the <i>jogu</i> (at the top of the page) and the <i>gegu</i>. Although the terminology is slightly different, as with Ise Jingu, the <i>kami</i> of the <i>gegu</i> are said to provide food to the <i>kami</i> of the <i>jogu</i>. Interestingly, I have been told that the <i>gegu</i> (or in the case of Ise, the <i>geku</i>) was likely built before the <i>jogu</i> (or in the case of Ise again, the <i>naiku</i>) since a place to prepare food offerings would be needed before the principle <i>kami</i> could be enshrined. The structure is similar to that of the main shrine except that the <i>kairo</i> does not surround the entire compound, there is no <i>roumon</i>, and the three individual shrines within do not sport a double gable as can be seen clearly from the right side photo. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covered bridge of Usa Jingu</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another distinctive structure at Usa is this covered bridge called the <i>kurehashi</i> which is thought to exist since the thirteenth century. It is one of several bridges that cross the Yorimo River bordering the shrine grounds. The ceremonial bridge is used only once every ten years when an imperial messenger, bearing offerings from the Emperor, crosses it. Modifications have been made over the years, such as the closed gate and the concrete pilings. Such a long covered bridge is quite rare in Japan and I would love to hear from readers if anyone is aware of any others.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of he grounds of Usa Hachiman</td></tr>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-50477498157647529042015-12-30T12:44:00.000+09:002016-10-08T19:36:55.481+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Photo Tour of Popular Shrines and Temples at New Year <span style="font-size: small;">C</span></b></span> <br />
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In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shinto-Shrines-Sacred-Ancient-Religion/dp/0824837134" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</span></i></a>,
my focus was on delivering as much information as possible about as
many shrines as possible. The original goal was 100 shrines but this
would have necessitated a massive book at a massive price (as well as an
irate publisher). Since I was unwilling to compromise the information
for each shrine, I compromised on the number of photos. In this blog
too, I have followed the style of the book and therefore images are
again minimal. But on the assumption that readers of the book and of
this blog might also be interested in seeing more of the places being
written about, I am presenting a series of Photo Tours.<br />
The tour this time is a little different in that it contains a number of the most popular shrines and temples frequented by the Japanese people—and quite a large number of foreigners—on or about the first day of the year. First up is, of course, Tokyo's <span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/about/1.html" target="_blank"><b>Meiji Jingu</b></a></span>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai4TUvv5R2Sptg2iIgj-96cBaEVhvO3lTMQP4Q17I0qWO72FDJLFbOQqxuKrOLqJJHrrFjjZPvRAy4s0J-c3102w-sdxTCsmCQz6LiUpcEAP1a5IdSTVpLOsjR4Spx5bZLQqT02fggbQB/s1600/meiji_jingu_new_year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai4TUvv5R2Sptg2iIgj-96cBaEVhvO3lTMQP4Q17I0qWO72FDJLFbOQqxuKrOLqJJHrrFjjZPvRAy4s0J-c3102w-sdxTCsmCQz6LiUpcEAP1a5IdSTVpLOsjR4Spx5bZLQqT02fggbQB/s640/meiji_jingu_new_year.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A taste of the crowds, looking from the inside of the <i>Roumon</i> on New Years Day (all photos copyright Joseph Cali)</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meiji Jingu is constantly the most visited <i>jinja</i> at <i>Oshogatsu</i> (Japanese new Year), with police estimates usually running around three million people over a three day period. Of course, the shrine's location in central Tokyo certainly contributes to the numbers. Please check my book for details.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwmQUH-OZvu2RE_AfY_leJzYavQ4Sc5MRobO-mj8DgIK87m0SZFivlNUhE0Qgsh7faDliVzAxLgg7dG8npO9nZVUKvukOWE4uHxtuhmqYio67onDB7TqtNDA5lKi6S8capATR_4EYg0fq/s1600/Meiji_Jingu_torii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwmQUH-OZvu2RE_AfY_leJzYavQ4Sc5MRobO-mj8DgIK87m0SZFivlNUhE0Qgsh7faDliVzAxLgg7dG8npO9nZVUKvukOWE4uHxtuhmqYio67onDB7TqtNDA5lKi6S8capATR_4EYg0fq/s640/Meiji_Jingu_torii.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During a quieter time, the first <i>torii</i>, one of the largest wooden <i>torii</i> in Japan.</td></tr>
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Even during a quiet time, it takes about fifteen minutes to walk from this <i>torii</i> of the large grounds to the shrine proper. But if you line-up and wait for the drums to signal midnight—as many people do—it can easily take between one and two hours not including the waiting time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iytW-kJwa98IQZwvboRvWdZNNSWfjs-Nbc5Ph0RzQnVSJtaXfg_fT6P_z8iHnVpBPen9U37EhU39uy40AFliagxmTaxpEga3LWobZheZRxHWU40ocTQ8cQpdymp6AaUFOMQrQM4Ragoi/s1600/Meiji_Jingu_forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iytW-kJwa98IQZwvboRvWdZNNSWfjs-Nbc5Ph0RzQnVSJtaXfg_fT6P_z8iHnVpBPen9U37EhU39uy40AFliagxmTaxpEga3LWobZheZRxHWU40ocTQ8cQpdymp6AaUFOMQrQM4Ragoi/s640/Meiji_Jingu_forest.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the forest surrounding the shrine in the autumn.</td></tr>
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The Meiji period began in 1868 after the shogun 'returned' power to the Emperor, who was a mere boy of fourteen. In 1873 the lunar calendar was abandoned in favor of the Gregorian and New Year began on January 1. Prior to this time the current holiday of Setsubun, celebrated on February 3, was essentially the New Year, and celebrated by throwing beans (<i>mamemaki</i>) to cleanse the evil accumulated in the previous year and make a fresh start.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xEk4ozuZi7SV5tdfL_FBXr_SHy86C-gc96cPVlme7qXixdBPLp57uRm00QoU05psMB3c2PX8kuRvcJUsOSQ8owQTJ9XH9j6F3QqrB5T3rdBCLuwZBd_ygUsRBKcsAaTDsFKSA5HgBTVg/s1600/Meiji_Jingu_wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xEk4ozuZi7SV5tdfL_FBXr_SHy86C-gc96cPVlme7qXixdBPLp57uRm00QoU05psMB3c2PX8kuRvcJUsOSQ8owQTJ9XH9j6F3QqrB5T3rdBCLuwZBd_ygUsRBKcsAaTDsFKSA5HgBTVg/s640/Meiji_Jingu_wedding.JPG" width="640" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photographing the members after the wedding ceremony</td></tr>
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Many New Years customs are associated with temples (ringing of the bell 108 times to rid the soul of the 108 worldly desires), and shrines (buying demon-breaking arrows), and customs such as eating t<i>oshikoshi soba, kagami mochi,</i> and <i>ozoni</i> and giving children <i>otoshidama</i>. Of course, Meiji Jingu is not just about New Years. On any weekend of the year you can witness a constant procession of Shinto wedding ceremonies, known as <i>shinzen kekkon</i>. The style began in the Meiji period but became popularized after the wedding of the Taisho Emperor's (Emperor Meiji's son) wedding. The bride in this photo wears a <i>wataboshi</i>, one of two common headdress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOCMG0eTTgMw_oGrDs6T3rvT16YpKE4NNlvPritkDZZgMEP0sIGJa9QBsDmUhoyjFMiIXcUwwxn7GYlt6yyOM7FJd7gHELEenTvsLj06l_79Ld4FRvFAtXXOAmiJ6bdQ4uUzJIjYEwaES/s1600/Meiji_Jingu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOCMG0eTTgMw_oGrDs6T3rvT16YpKE4NNlvPritkDZZgMEP0sIGJa9QBsDmUhoyjFMiIXcUwwxn7GYlt6yyOM7FJd7gHELEenTvsLj06l_79Ld4FRvFAtXXOAmiJ6bdQ4uUzJIjYEwaES/s640/Meiji_Jingu.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Geihaiden</i> outer worship hall of Meiji Jingu</td></tr>
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Meiji Jingu is also noteworthy for its dedication to Japanese martial arts known collectively as <i>budo</i>. The Shiseikan, located at the rear of the grounds, conducts training sessions in judo, kyudo, aikido and kendo, for both Japanese and foreigners (by invitation only). The shrine is also noted for its garden, called Yoyogi Gyoen, open to the public for a five hundred yen fee. The shrine itself was built in 1920, it is said, largely with contributions from the public. Its forest too was planted with donated trees and lots of volunteer labor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-KRS9P1evcC0vIMiXj776C0kZdtDTtpWCgbl2NllEEhVVdBkkgGkfhIikIaHhMpFQnNrcShtP8o6QizWtPjrV5YktiFyQ4bBye4c5CtLbMJttKaGIpk5Lz_DOSYTrEk3MocUtLnafs9U/s1600/Meiji_Jingu_garden_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-KRS9P1evcC0vIMiXj776C0kZdtDTtpWCgbl2NllEEhVVdBkkgGkfhIikIaHhMpFQnNrcShtP8o6QizWtPjrV5YktiFyQ4bBye4c5CtLbMJttKaGIpk5Lz_DOSYTrEk3MocUtLnafs9U/s640/Meiji_Jingu_garden_2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of part of the garden where iris bloom in spring</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAktxhdEQqD1cTYsOHO4Yl8iifUtJzMV06Eqo65tccAbOnKhmop3GcapoRqb0bw92ubCR5ccApJgvVlQyyK3IJbpm8cMLc0MpBhiopsJqn9PqKKdxg2D3ViiJYINyAJjMpHcnrEDRIJ7Y2/s1600/Meiji_Jingu_garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAktxhdEQqD1cTYsOHO4Yl8iifUtJzMV06Eqo65tccAbOnKhmop3GcapoRqb0bw92ubCR5ccApJgvVlQyyK3IJbpm8cMLc0MpBhiopsJqn9PqKKdxg2D3ViiJYINyAJjMpHcnrEDRIJ7Y2/s640/Meiji_Jingu_garden.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the garden in autumn</td></tr>
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The consistently second most visited New Year's destination is <span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.naritasan.or.jp/english/about.html" target="_blank"><b>Naritasan Shinshoji Temple</b></a></span> </span>in Chiba. Founded in 940, it also attracts around three million visitors over a three day period (considered the usual New Year holiday). This is another very large temple housing no less than five Important Cultural Properties.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFxnkeVZ7iQkHFM6yIukxs-MHMEXvn9JX_Rrr1_-FiRQy-oKwZlEjv1rjRZjVPFbkfMEjy3XmrEtBqFy07P_Gwh1To1HKH03GeWNTMF7AaXObRIo4Gxz1f753X9lmz0Wztmh1KxdvU_mS/s1600/DSCF3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFxnkeVZ7iQkHFM6yIukxs-MHMEXvn9JX_Rrr1_-FiRQy-oKwZlEjv1rjRZjVPFbkfMEjy3XmrEtBqFy07P_Gwh1To1HKH03GeWNTMF7AaXObRIo4Gxz1f753X9lmz0Wztmh1KxdvU_mS/s640/DSCF3169.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Somon</i> Gate of Naritasan</td></tr>
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The first three structures of the temple follow in quick order beginning with the <i>Somon</i> gate, which leads to the <i>Niomon</i> gate of 1830 above a short flight of stone stairs. This is followed by a three-story pagoda built in 1712 and the newly built Main hall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2SKBCZy2GMX62njWHGC5i7eSME1NKaWJCQEe7P2zoBJFX_39s1uBl5d22STVDP6dS7wuigErMBGcWoWy7xxSTP1WnDgHJ50uqaX92y0q9jBINXEAeHlkLd_lHWD6XO1BtjuSUfubyBlG/s1600/DSCF3179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2SKBCZy2GMX62njWHGC5i7eSME1NKaWJCQEe7P2zoBJFX_39s1uBl5d22STVDP6dS7wuigErMBGcWoWy7xxSTP1WnDgHJ50uqaX92y0q9jBINXEAeHlkLd_lHWD6XO1BtjuSUfubyBlG/s640/DSCF3179.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Niomon</i></td></tr>
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If you are interested in some details of the temple my book, <i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion, </i>has a short entry. It may seem incongruous that a book on Shinto has a listing for a Buddhist temple but such is the importance of the place that any trip to Katori Jingu—also in Chiba—would be incomplete without a stop here. This is especially true when one realizes that there was no sharp separation of shrines and temples and the worship of Kami and Buddha before the Meiji era.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrq1taDY72sl64QdaXRPk70RzDBriTCnbP2oCZurjcrvZoBDwBSeYQipSQ9nuLfyQF7My0i93m60olJfDyQPtfIydtmp7ROIWUjuoqRt3i5i5rjMtj-pYEcWAtxmmMl1RR1Yfa6rCYHcN/s1600/DSCF3291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrq1taDY72sl64QdaXRPk70RzDBriTCnbP2oCZurjcrvZoBDwBSeYQipSQ9nuLfyQF7My0i93m60olJfDyQPtfIydtmp7ROIWUjuoqRt3i5i5rjMtj-pYEcWAtxmmMl1RR1Yfa6rCYHcN/s640/DSCF3291.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lantern of Naritasan, donated by the local fish market, sporting the kanji for — "Fish Market'</td></tr>
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It is also possible to find a good bit of information in English on the net. Naritasan's own website is informative http://www.naritasan.or.jp/english/index.html as is <a href="https://www.city.narita.chiba.jp/english/welcome/naritasan_index.html" target="_blank">Narita City's</a> website at and <a href="http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-temples-shrines/naritasan-temple-1" target="_blank">Japan Visitor</a>. I don't vouch for the veracity of these sites but they will give you a good sense of what you are seeing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUC8QHRZQ7yBgn8TJuZRc2exxrq31y2w65myGbxgG2thEsnkZkNVlr69lbw8zQFRCpkaCm3f0I-P7uO7BOmt7tjiybZ4seFJKqaq1yfm4QC3PZ4I2CWQYtqf0DTqhbq149X3dWG2lHZFK/s1600/DSCF3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUC8QHRZQ7yBgn8TJuZRc2exxrq31y2w65myGbxgG2thEsnkZkNVlr69lbw8zQFRCpkaCm3f0I-P7uO7BOmt7tjiybZ4seFJKqaq1yfm4QC3PZ4I2CWQYtqf0DTqhbq149X3dWG2lHZFK/s320/DSCF3210.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three-story pagoda of Naritasan from 1712</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35y43EBL0Jk6poM8qARmCskbxZgcGVJI3359qMjZNa-FI2T7ZKXM0RQGNAfWKh36Ri32MO6Mq7WI9i2GbImABuF5R7lXZbODVvrvhKLjqjyxq4vqyz-xMIGmvyh80D20XHpumVVZMdua/s1600/DSCF3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35y43EBL0Jk6poM8qARmCskbxZgcGVJI3359qMjZNa-FI2T7ZKXM0RQGNAfWKh36Ri32MO6Mq7WI9i2GbImABuF5R7lXZbODVvrvhKLjqjyxq4vqyz-xMIGmvyh80D20XHpumVVZMdua/s320/DSCF3241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Main hall</td></tr>
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Naritasan is a Shingon sect temple, said to have been founded by a follower of Kobo Daishi who brought (or revived) the sect to Japan in the ninth century, which means that a ceremony called the<i> goma</i> is performed here. This is a ritual in which planks of wood are burned and prayers to Fudo-myo-O are chanted. I have not witnessed the ritual here but at a related temple, Naritasan Shinshoji Fukagawa Fudodo, located next to Tomioka Hachimangu in the Monzen-nakacho area of Tokyo. At this temple the chanting and drumming were accompanied by a <i>shugenja</i> blowing on the <i>horagai</i> (conch shell).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu9VDVKMpIqsKIzcWgIaG98C-bSeUCKEvecvCFNmOWCEnagR4f3LpEKLz8hvbYc7-jyu6v6pw7iQnybCoFjfb3DDHa8Y8UAovbtHybhtuKp_fBJEvvvGyhkqhU6EfZobCYqfmGzQyi92_/s1600/DSCF3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu9VDVKMpIqsKIzcWgIaG98C-bSeUCKEvecvCFNmOWCEnagR4f3LpEKLz8hvbYc7-jyu6v6pw7iQnybCoFjfb3DDHa8Y8UAovbtHybhtuKp_fBJEvvvGyhkqhU6EfZobCYqfmGzQyi92_/s640/DSCF3222.JPG" width="640" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakudo Hall</td></tr>
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The Shakudo Hall of 1858 was once the Main Hall of the temple. Built in the <i>irimoya</i> style with a copper-tile roof with <i>karahafu</i> and <i>chidorihafu</i>, it is more reminiscent of Shinto-style architecture that was prevalent throughout the Muromachi to the Edo periods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PZ20mRxqsSBg4DGz2bXIDX18jqYAjpc0Fz_DfqnVsveN_ktGU-UXRc4cTSsAD39XZF5GjNSv04fQVO69H7xxqHyt_RNjRFS176Z8p7_eGkL21cUT-CjvAqQKX8H94maariCphnu0w6oc/s1600/DSCF3225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PZ20mRxqsSBg4DGz2bXIDX18jqYAjpc0Fz_DfqnVsveN_ktGU-UXRc4cTSsAD39XZF5GjNSv04fQVO69H7xxqHyt_RNjRFS176Z8p7_eGkL21cUT-CjvAqQKX8H94maariCphnu0w6oc/s640/DSCF3225.JPG" width="640" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Omiyage</i> gift shops on the temple grounds.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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New Years is called <i>Oshogatsu</i> and the first visit to the shrine or temple is called <i>hatsumode</i>. Various charms to bring good luck are purchased and old charms are brought to the temple to be burnt. Probably the most sought after charm at either temple or shrine is the <i>omikuji</i>. This is essentially a prediction of your fortune for the coming year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ySa_CEZ1ffQttOCJRc5ePWAOjC2sEDXCE3NkL-Mr1QKmm0H5BNWPfb4Scms3bJLP5NF04jDDeKClGL73FiOs_yXYw83Ajzg9SY0QW7k2zAoukMci1OxdbVCsV6BxATc5YLiog2ch0adq/s1600/DSCF3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ySa_CEZ1ffQttOCJRc5ePWAOjC2sEDXCE3NkL-Mr1QKmm0H5BNWPfb4Scms3bJLP5NF04jDDeKClGL73FiOs_yXYw83Ajzg9SY0QW7k2zAoukMci1OxdbVCsV6BxATc5YLiog2ch0adq/s640/DSCF3262.JPG" width="640" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Daito</i> of Naritasan</td></tr>
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This is a recent addition built on the temple's 1,150th birthday in 1984. Called the 'Great Peace Pagoda' in English, the temple's website calls it a f<a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/g/gojuunotou.htm" target="_blank">ive-story pagoda</a> but I just don't see it. It looks more like a <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/d/daitou.htm" target="_blank">daito or tohoto</a> two-story pagoda to me. Be that as it may, it is impressively situated to be viewed from a lower plaza containing a fountain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rkLQoVvvcic3ZOqxv6CHh5c7QXL_sGNfxRBceFQWYZd3N8yjkgIvo6kkrhJE_A1rJg-1FTGDwdKEGh1V4Xd8pr1aiR73EH-yHxFyoQa9ZzPiqZ7ArdQhDyjp5JDeAqR8ydtnwXJtwmGs/s1600/DSCF3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rkLQoVvvcic3ZOqxv6CHh5c7QXL_sGNfxRBceFQWYZd3N8yjkgIvo6kkrhJE_A1rJg-1FTGDwdKEGh1V4Xd8pr1aiR73EH-yHxFyoQa9ZzPiqZ7ArdQhDyjp5JDeAqR8ydtnwXJtwmGs/s640/DSCF3271.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naritasan Park</td></tr>
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There is also a very lovely park/garden with a small pond and pavilion. If you stroll through the whole grounds, the park comes at the end of the journey, just in time for a well deserved rest. Of course, the new year is not the best time for viewing gardens but relaxing none the less.<br />
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It is often repeated that the third most popular shrine or temple in the Kanto for New Year's visits is <a href="http://www.kawasakidaishi.com/english/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Kawasaki Daishi</b></span> </a>more formally known as Heiken-ji. The temple's foundation story claims a date of 1128 when a priest named Sonken and exiled samurai from Owari, Hirama Kanenori, began constructing the temple to house a miraculous statue of Kobo Daishi also known as Kukai.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0fX65ozi1j9T8M8gpnbRPeNvGt82lIwZ2hONzr0eW5iC7KkK9mY9gcqwmv2aGfmuuWilAwPz63eZjXmPT9dNiBwdY3sRFNpwrw4unbs1Tv_E1RosLs3tkWTwgeBpvbqfzUSmm_C51CO1/s1600/DSCF3295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0fX65ozi1j9T8M8gpnbRPeNvGt82lIwZ2hONzr0eW5iC7KkK9mY9gcqwmv2aGfmuuWilAwPz63eZjXmPT9dNiBwdY3sRFNpwrw4unbs1Tv_E1RosLs3tkWTwgeBpvbqfzUSmm_C51CO1/s640/DSCF3295.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First gate and monzenmachi of Kawasaki Daishi crowded with people on New Year's Day</td></tr>
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Of course, one should note that stories of statues of Buddhas and others, being fished out of the sea, is a staple of temple foundation legends. One of the most famous in Tokyo is Sensoji in Asakusa where the fishermen were reputed to be two brothers who were later enshrined (along with the village headman) in Asakusa Jinja next door. Be that as it may, it is a very popular site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrMotUsKR4TgdHdo3oT_LGEdQUG1hR4Gv9zwPvCE4JgQYylFpBw36MiPMawuZ4vo7Ma_FvJ9IhQsg_53FrtwExKYKvKUET-zFt-0X1GqN9aDvarEAiVDog7QcMRXq0-uyHjz9MKH_HutL/s1600/DSCF3304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrMotUsKR4TgdHdo3oT_LGEdQUG1hR4Gv9zwPvCE4JgQYylFpBw36MiPMawuZ4vo7Ma_FvJ9IhQsg_53FrtwExKYKvKUET-zFt-0X1GqN9aDvarEAiVDog7QcMRXq0-uyHjz9MKH_HutL/s640/DSCF3304.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Daisanmon Gate built in 1977</td></tr>
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As with Naritasan above, this is a Shingon sect temple. Shingon is an esoteric sect that was brought to Japan by Kobo Daishi in 806 after a number of years studying in China. The teachings rely heavily on three ancient tantra's (treatise) and use physical images called mandala's as an aid to understanding, especially the Mandala of the Two Realms — the Womb and Diamond Realms.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EkLG1QFDFsnvB9cZijaTdVZH9ZgZF1n7ch4Olt26fIHEq1CtO6nf5HG0h2CZ3mjWJ9Q0nEE1RRa4zJ_pHAF_vzAmcb6kMq7FyiUCNtfyJB-G-3g3YNZp5xjWMWG4OIm6GCkuWzJrcSBP/s1600/DSCF3308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EkLG1QFDFsnvB9cZijaTdVZH9ZgZF1n7ch4Olt26fIHEq1CtO6nf5HG0h2CZ3mjWJ9Q0nEE1RRa4zJ_pHAF_vzAmcb6kMq7FyiUCNtfyJB-G-3g3YNZp5xjWMWG4OIm6GCkuWzJrcSBP/s640/DSCF3308.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Daihondo or main temple building of Kawasaki Daishi, rebuilt in 1958</td></tr>
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As temples go, the grounds of this one are rather small. This may be the consequence of several post-war reconstructions or it may simply be the encroaching city. Kawasaki has a population of about 1.5 million of which about thirty-thousand are foreigners. Situated between Tokyo and Yokohama and like them, it is a port city and the site of many large industries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JiYKgUKCN7cpxMqgbwvhu7kig7llWGSKA4bk_vIBq9kqs05EyNoxN0GRXkJ9EtsmgCdTbkptnKjTytMSueM-9Uf7MI70J8n1NK3OqR94RHr_jq0jW_zZnbP8ImeGTyRZgypP0WdMHrZn/s1600/DSCF3330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JiYKgUKCN7cpxMqgbwvhu7kig7llWGSKA4bk_vIBq9kqs05EyNoxN0GRXkJ9EtsmgCdTbkptnKjTytMSueM-9Uf7MI70J8n1NK3OqR94RHr_jq0jW_zZnbP8ImeGTyRZgypP0WdMHrZn/s640/DSCF3330.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back from the temple toward the Daisanmon as the crowd quietly waits for a chance to approach.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-f3Vpxp2muDsyDBm_G4k_L3F_VfUgf4mviSP0G2sjovnhg7gKRp7V9inwYOxu7i6MrouzF7ENV17YWaFeb_dJA4qwvoXHqE0NqJg8adZW51PlBMy5LNtHdc0SgSHWfGYfOFeBsYZphLU/s1600/DSCF3313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-f3Vpxp2muDsyDBm_G4k_L3F_VfUgf4mviSP0G2sjovnhg7gKRp7V9inwYOxu7i6MrouzF7ENV17YWaFeb_dJA4qwvoXHqE0NqJg8adZW51PlBMy5LNtHdc0SgSHWfGYfOFeBsYZphLU/s640/DSCF3313.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five-story pagoda from 1984 (note the similar timing with the Daito of Naritasan, above)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QtSYtq9qor4bP3MZsRYgDfev9G_MYQqoQTzroNsytEyXdy4ECWdNYimV3CGWRadOrOsiJr719bvIiNVF_GfXRx5mkK5MgRa1oKj19BoQbrMpel_ZRRtPxptfByvK82a6RDVaaeNkiB9Q/s1600/DSCF3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QtSYtq9qor4bP3MZsRYgDfev9G_MYQqoQTzroNsytEyXdy4ECWdNYimV3CGWRadOrOsiJr719bvIiNVF_GfXRx5mkK5MgRa1oKj19BoQbrMpel_ZRRtPxptfByvK82a6RDVaaeNkiB9Q/s640/DSCF3327.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the temple with visitors lined up to throw their money and say a prayer.</td></tr>
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In the photo above you can make out part of the <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>jimon</i></span> crest of the temple which consists of three oak-leaves in a circle and is called the<span style="color: #38761d;"> <span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/17474/what-is-the-meaning-of-this-samurai-crest" target="_blank"><i>maru ni mitsukashiwa</i></a></span>. </span>It is a fairly common crest with a very large number of variations. This is originally a samurai crest which was then adopted by both temples and shrines (when used in reference to samurai or <i>jinja</i> it is generally known as a <i>kamon</i> or just <i>mon</i>). Though not really visible in the photo, inside the closed glass doors, a <i>goma</i> ceremony is in progress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaknP_Uzhgk6MS7yJuHsl6mh6AWf4rx_pJF42AenQZmRjAN1UeR4W1j-mhA4r9j1HtqLy-ziPe7_lx2klgx6sHMm_bmWty7lZUXPyVzzXpgHYHmitJYw9Y-Mwx5r9tcfgugJldt697TiF3/s1600/DSCF3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaknP_Uzhgk6MS7yJuHsl6mh6AWf4rx_pJF42AenQZmRjAN1UeR4W1j-mhA4r9j1HtqLy-ziPe7_lx2klgx6sHMm_bmWty7lZUXPyVzzXpgHYHmitJYw9Y-Mwx5r9tcfgugJldt697TiF3/s640/DSCF3352.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shop selling <i>daruma</i> for the New Year</td></tr>
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Finally, I think it is fair to say that one of the most important aspects of shrines and temples is the <span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/m/monzenmachi.htm" target="_blank"><i>monzenmachi</i></a> </span>— literally the town within the gate. Many a large town began with no more than a temple or shrine. As one can imagine, this attracted pilgrims and pilgrims had needs which attracted merchants. Though most of these original towns are now only a small area within much larger cities, they still maintain something of that bygone era. The photo above shows one such shop at the entrance to Kawasaki Daichi which specializes in <span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma_doll" target="_blank">Daruma dolls</a></span>. The tradition is to buy the doll and paint in one eye when one makes a resolution or sets a goal, then paint in the other when the goal is accomplished. (No word on weather there is a market for used, one-eyed Daruma or not.) Not only for New Years, these dolls are a favorite among successful candidates for political office who love to be depicted painting in that second eye.<br />
<br />Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-61257331668621083992015-08-11T16:37:00.003+09:002015-08-11T16:37:44.225+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 26px;"><b>Yamamiya Sengen Jinja</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 26px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>UC</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Mount Fuji from Yamamiya Jinja<br />
(all photos by Joseph Cali)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> During the reign of Emperor Keiko (A.D. 71–130) at the behest of Yamato Takeru, according to shrine tradition.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 740 Yamamiya, Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka 418-0111 </div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> (no phone).</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> About twenty minutes by car or taxi from Fujinomiya Station on the JR Minobu Line.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>: </b>Konohanasakuyahime no mikoto, Asama no okami (Sengen no okami). </div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Successful childbirth. </div>
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<b>Best time to go:</b> Mid-October to May to see the snow covered version of Mt. Fuji which is the most famous view. Avoid mid-August when the crowds are the biggest.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PZeDkYZPdsY1Z4rQFo2bDFro8ZLyvPOyNPxyhbGGA1n10jBVxZBQSLkab-Uokl3pyS6W7C9gq7nXMSlPL6gFtlZAUy_8XP8giAcVAu2LYXyWrI6oiTz01gCWggVpzqU7h10y1_8Ql6UJ/s1600/Yamamiya+first+torii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PZeDkYZPdsY1Z4rQFo2bDFro8ZLyvPOyNPxyhbGGA1n10jBVxZBQSLkab-Uokl3pyS6W7C9gq7nXMSlPL6gFtlZAUy_8XP8giAcVAu2LYXyWrI6oiTz01gCWggVpzqU7h10y1_8Ql6UJ/s640/Yamamiya+first+torii.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First <i>torii</i> of Yamamiya Jinja</td></tr>
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<b>Important physical features: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shinto-Shrines-Sacred-Ancient-Religion/dp/0824837134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439277952&sr=8-1&keywords=shinto+shrines+of+japan" target="_blank"><i>In Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i></a>,
I have listed this shrine as a sub-entry under Fujisan Hongu Sengen
Taisha, considered the main shrine for Asama (Mt. Fuji) worship.
However, Yamamiya is considered the first place from which Mt. Fuji was worshiped. There are no shrine buildings here. Instead, there is only a tree and stone lantern-lined road that begins at a stone <i>torii</i> at a modern crossroad. Walking under the <i>torii</i> starts you down the narrow tree-lined path that leads to a second <i>torii</i> where the stone lanterns begin. This part of the path leads to a wooden gate where the collection box (<i>saisenbako</i>) stands. Continuing through the gate, just past the entrance, is a stone which is said to be the original place from where the mountain was worshiped. Now you find yourself on the last narrow path which leads to a stair that brings you to a sacred ground (yaniwa) from which the mountain was worshiped. This space contains a few trees and a stone alter and is surrounded by a low stone fence. This ground faces directly to Mt. Fuji which looms up behind it. The area is set to be moved to allow for a more direct view of the mountain. As it is, you may be able to walk to the back side of the fence and further up the slope for a magnificent view. The trees have been removed for some distance to afford a full view of the peak.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qmrWqFpDq-0Da9nI15c09sf8GHaJDnDipuM1bCwVEv0EVtlH0YEehDpcyfW8psi1C08oEPy3sfArjnoz7QrxZGMH_JsbjSHKG-yfbNPad9v8Hq9Kt6Rr6DryTIl1onWU33dpEbQ0voKE/s1600/Yamamiya+lanterns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qmrWqFpDq-0Da9nI15c09sf8GHaJDnDipuM1bCwVEv0EVtlH0YEehDpcyfW8psi1C08oEPy3sfArjnoz7QrxZGMH_JsbjSHKG-yfbNPad9v8Hq9Kt6Rr6DryTIl1onWU33dpEbQ0voKE/s640/Yamamiya+lanterns.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road lined with stone lanterns and the entrance gate in the background</td></tr>
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>(From <i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion.)</i><b> "</b>Although both the Kojiki and the Nihon shoki attribute Yamato Takeru’s deliverance from a burning field to the sacred sword kusanagi no tsurugi, shrine tradition says that he prayed to Asama no okami and that it was this deity that saved him. As a result, the origin of Asama worship is said to be here at Yamamiya Sengen Jinja. It is recorded that the deities of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha were moved to the present location from the Yamamiya shrine in 806." Yamato Takeru is a legendary figure who seems to represent the Yamato governments efforts to subdue the various tribes that existed even through the Heian period. Various stories in the Kojiki and Nihon shoki depict him subduing the Izumo tribes and the so-called <i>kumaso</i> in Kyushu, before being sent east where he was finally killed by an offended <i>kami</i>. He is in fact credited with so many major adventures and depicted in so many different places that whatever truth the legends may be based on is heavily obscured. More likely, Fuji san, also known as Asama, was worshiped from as early as the the Jomon period (14,500 to 300 BC). If not actually worshiped, it was no doubt revered and feared for its enormous power. The added dimension here is the beauty of the graceful slopes formed by ages of continued eruptions and weathering. This may be the main reason why the <i>kami</i> worshiped here came to be accepted as Konohanasakuya, said to be a beautiful young woman and herself the daughter of a mountain <i>kami</i>. However it is likely that the mountain was worshiped from many points on its circumference and the only reason Yamamiya is said to be the first is that some textural evidence remains from the eighth century. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqaDzIBPQc52A2x3HK-EmV5rvmrKUKRHUBZfLFkXJ9dRuTzKB92zmo3d1D9Cwqo8FK1meAiel5BVkOPtBAtDUfNlWCKO0yLpstYKbYQL_UOsy5nF_bZL-SSmAbCAnkaRj-Jz9qaPD_Wve/s1600/Yamamiya+stone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqaDzIBPQc52A2x3HK-EmV5rvmrKUKRHUBZfLFkXJ9dRuTzKB92zmo3d1D9Cwqo8FK1meAiel5BVkOPtBAtDUfNlWCKO0yLpstYKbYQL_UOsy5nF_bZL-SSmAbCAnkaRj-Jz9qaPD_Wve/s320/Yamamiya+stone.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stone said to mark the original point of worship.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4MSywaRUjhhTnzXWmTFhPkA2vv-fde0nKDLC4hleSqcBn9ZuluvD9omZlvWPTpmx_NJhliaNl7faVotd2_VsDTAPzfyEP00bTdhY-31kXIJIjH-2Epac_yIrgGAk3VvTuxkSwlKkNSYF/s1600/Yamamiya+sacred+ground.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4MSywaRUjhhTnzXWmTFhPkA2vv-fde0nKDLC4hleSqcBn9ZuluvD9omZlvWPTpmx_NJhliaNl7faVotd2_VsDTAPzfyEP00bTdhY-31kXIJIjH-2Epac_yIrgGAk3VvTuxkSwlKkNSYF/s320/Yamamiya+sacred+ground.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sacred ground at the top of the stairs</td></tr>
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<b>Description:</b> I go into detail about Mt. Fuji and its worship in my book. There are also a number of entries on this blog which may be of interest. For more information please view the entries for<a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/search/label/Mt.%20Fuji" target="_blank"> Shizuoka Sengen Jinja</a>, one of the other main shrines for Fuji worship, and <a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/search/label/Hokuriku-Tokai" target="_blank">Mount Fuji and its Religious Traditions</a>, which lists a number of important research articles on various aspects of the cult of Mt. Fuji, as well as some information on its popular climbing trails.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv67rqTnJYm9VvqzyPRsmeLZs_wIlVATLlOmi-FOPleXGLtaABjXgtH3rkP4UbDz93s5Z_U6zQv_oC94u04ZR_-HvMUGpWT1Md8VS_X2_-UlJIixmIn5g0vDuOZRVtwViJuE2xOYZuycnr/s1600/Yamaiya+fuji+actual.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv67rqTnJYm9VvqzyPRsmeLZs_wIlVATLlOmi-FOPleXGLtaABjXgtH3rkP4UbDz93s5Z_U6zQv_oC94u04ZR_-HvMUGpWT1Md8VS_X2_-UlJIixmIn5g0vDuOZRVtwViJuE2xOYZuycnr/s640/Yamaiya+fuji+actual.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Mt. Fuji from the sacred ground without aid of a zoom lens.</td></tr>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-3461887358666128752015-01-07T18:46:00.001+09:002019-08-07T10:35:37.444+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 26px;"><b>Shizuoka Sengen Jinja</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 26px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>UC</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The combined <i>haiden</i> of Sengen (Asama) and Kanbe Jinja (all photos, Joseph Cali)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> This shrine complex consists of three shrines, two of which are under the same roof. Kanbe Jinja was founded during the reign of Emperor Sujin (r. 97-30B.C.) according to shrine tradition. Asama Jinja (Sengen) was founded in 901 as a divided spirit of Fujisan Hongu Jinja. The third shrine, Otoshimioya Jinja was founded during the reign of Emperor Ojin (r. 270-310) according to shrine tradition.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 102-1 Miyagasaki-cho, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-0868</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 054-245-1820.</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> JR Shinkansen or local line to Shizuoka Station, then by Shizutetsu Bus to the Akatorii bus stop.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>: </b>Onamuchi no mikoto (Kanbe Jinja), Konohanasakuyahime no mikoto (Asama Jinja), Otoshimioya no mikoto (Otoshimioya Jinja). </div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Successful childbirth (Asama Jinja), long life and good marriage (Kanbe Jinja). </div>
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<b>Best time to go:</b> Himachi Festival, 25 September. About 500 hand painted paper lanterns are displayed.</div>
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While you're here, any readers who are interested in having a <i>kamidana</i> of their own, or would like to send one to a friend or family member, please check out this post: <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html">https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html</a><br />
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<b>Important physical features: </b><i>In Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i>, I have listed this shrine as a sub-entry under Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha, considered the main shrine for Asama (Mt. Fuji) worship. However, in terms of physical properties (other than Fujisan itself) Shizoka Sengen Jinja is at least as magnificent if not more so. For this reason I have recently visited the shrine and decided to go into greater detail on this blog.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a person like myself, an artist and designer, Shizuoka Sengen Jinja provides much that is of purely visual interest.Situated on a finger of stone and woods that extends from Mt. Ryuso into the heart of Shizuoka City, Sengen Jinja is actually the name for a group of shrines. Shizuoka was the the nineteenth stop on the old Tokaido rode linking Edo and Kyoto. It was also the home of retired Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu who rebuilt the shrine and resided at nearby Sunpu Castle after 1605. Unfortunately, only the castle grounds still exist, but it was a prosperous and popular city and well endowed by the Tokugawa family. Ieyasu, who had his coming of age ceremony at this shrine in 1555, was himself first laid to rest at nearby <span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/search/label/Kunozan%20Toshogu" target="_blank">Kunozan Toshogu</a></span> before being relocated to Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture. I detail the magnificent Kunozan Toshogu in my book and also have a Photo Tour elsewhere on this blog. That shrine has undergone major renovation as of 2013 so the paintwork is in splendid condition. There is no question that the exterior of the main shrine of Shizuoka Sengen is in need of repainting, which is a major undertaking that will no doubt occur at sometime in the future, nevertheless both the painted and sculptural detailing of the shrines, along with the splendid view of Mt. Fuji and the city itself as well as the sixth-century Shizuhatayama Kofun are all well worth seeing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJTWYoOwtuJDx32jazh20MYB8vgUA2ARLUb_mofYBKW4XvhE51NQUdIaLm8fpBOpKux5U-eMet4Tyoyl8jmx1Jw1vOKw4EKMrrIJLp2J8fQGULeT13A8nkUMD6y1jtfasXev-b-S7BXoN/s1600/Sengen+roumon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJTWYoOwtuJDx32jazh20MYB8vgUA2ARLUb_mofYBKW4XvhE51NQUdIaLm8fpBOpKux5U-eMet4Tyoyl8jmx1Jw1vOKw4EKMrrIJLp2J8fQGULeT13A8nkUMD6y1jtfasXev-b-S7BXoN/s1600/Sengen+roumon.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roumon of Shizuoka Sengen</td></tr>
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</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, the shrine grounds contain some twenty-six Important Cultural Properties of the country and the prefecture—an enormous number matched by few other shrines in Japan. Of these, what must be considered the main shrine in terms of size and status is the combined Kanbe and Asama Jinja. While there are many entrances to the shrine grounds, the one at the end of Hase Dori leads under a stone <i>torii</i>, a gate (which may have once held <i>nio</i>), and a large<i> roumon</i> with <i>zuijin</i> figures from 1816. This gate is interesting for its dragon carvings and its interesting <i>agyo</i> and <i>ungyo</i> <i>rikishi</i> sitting on or suppressing the <i>shishibana</i>.The black plaque in the photo contains the names of Sengen and Kanbe shrines. Passing through the <i>roumon</i> leads to a large <i>buden</i> from 1816 which sits in the center of a square formed by the covered walkway (<i>kairo</i>) that connects the <i>roumon</i> in the front to the <i>haiden</i> in the back. Only the <i>honden</i> is outside of this. This <i>buden</i> is one of the only unpainted structures here though the remains of color on the <i>zoubana</i> indicate that at least parts may have been painted at one time. Extensive carvings in the <i>ranma</i> are by the Tachikawa-ryu as are most of the carvings here (though a volunteer guide I met at the shrine mentioned that the dragon on the <i>roumon</i> was carved by the legendary Hidari Jingoro (1596-1644?)—although it would have had to been salvaged from the original gate which burnt down in 1804).</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> The next structure, the <i>haiden</i>,
has several distinguishing features. First, one notices that there are
two staircases and two entrances, one for the worship of each <i>kami</i>.
The other thing is the second story structure, found only on this
shrine and Fujisan Hongu. That distinction earns for these two shrines
the nomenclature <i>sengenzukuri</i>. The second level (pictured above)
is built like a smaller shrine however, unlike Fujisan Hongu, there are
no <i>chigi</i> or <i>katsuogi</i> and the illusion of a small shrine is less strong.
Nevertheless the <i>irimoya</i>-style roof, balcony and railing give the
impression of a complete building sitting on top of the first floor. I am told that,
like Fujisan Hongu, this room is not used and that to do so would place a
worshiper above the level of the <i>honden</i> where the <i>kami</i>
resides. If the combined height is in fact twenty-five meters (about eighty-two
feet) as is stated, that would make it taller than Izumo Taisha which is often
claimed to be the tallest shrine (at almost eighty feet—twenty-four meters) in
Japan. Regardless, this beautiful building from around 1814 reflects the
tastes and lavish support that the shrine was given by its powerful
Tokugawa patrons.</span></span> The interior ceiling features a dragon painting by Kanno Horinobu.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDckNAOrEozYaECaJj0m3RoRaTaB9YnrdfTBM6wNQa1KaIFgEzvNs6ap1BaGR4v4JGIvlweB6r-ZGmY9SlzeBUJ4hznfGBmc8PkAFUmDOMdwZISKnyOsxSuW6FlG4kO3gy0wfjkFoUdFf/s1600/honden_haiden_Shizuoka_Sengen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDckNAOrEozYaECaJj0m3RoRaTaB9YnrdfTBM6wNQa1KaIFgEzvNs6ap1BaGR4v4JGIvlweB6r-ZGmY9SlzeBUJ4hznfGBmc8PkAFUmDOMdwZISKnyOsxSuW6FlG4kO3gy0wfjkFoUdFf/s1600/honden_haiden_Shizuoka_Sengen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: The rear of the <i>haiden</i> (left) courtyard and <i>honden</i>. Right: <i>Honden</i></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> The shrine is encompassed by a <i>kairo</i> that begins at the <i>roumon</i> and ends at the <i>haiden</i> forming a courtyard. Completing this shrine is the detached <i>honden</i> which also has two staircases (Asama Jinja to the left), plus a third for the priests, and is built on a raised level about eight meters high, surrounded by a low fence with <i>kawara</i> roof, and two entrance gates topped by <i>karahafu</i> roofs. The entrance is on the eave side of a simple gabled roof. The construction of the <i>honden</i> above an earth and stone platform is reminiscent of such shrines as <a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/search/label/Chugoku-Kinki" target="_blank">Yoshino Mikumari Jinja</a>. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xjC6EH3FR_48p_8TINPEHaCKjkEeNv031dPUKlHNTRzy_pM8xVl9U4S_igw4gy7UGQBAc8GGDOPsIS_y_rANbKFr7u0mP9LFBleVSjSPqx9-4ch9k41KTdqa6h9xVkWuY1UtCdQPn1tr/s1600/Otoshimioya+Jinja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xjC6EH3FR_48p_8TINPEHaCKjkEeNv031dPUKlHNTRzy_pM8xVl9U4S_igw4gy7UGQBAc8GGDOPsIS_y_rANbKFr7u0mP9LFBleVSjSPqx9-4ch9k41KTdqa6h9xVkWuY1UtCdQPn1tr/s1600/Otoshimioya+Jinja.jpg" title="Otoshimioya Jinja at Shizuoka Sengen Jinja" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: <i>Torii</i> and <i>zuijinmon </i>of Otoshimioya Jinja Right: Map of the shrine grounds showing the round <i>kofun</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPnqNcgYCf0-W2XD9x3IGKKn-Q2po0zx0PyBR-B5misP2Ntdy1FuI8z__M2dISxulnxbDH9vlCesO6oVw6u2gohZ16nCPBt3TwonDWWFZnaIRsIxosVjh3kspo87Fwj73f9pbYfSlJbyd/s1600/Yachihoko+Jinja.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPnqNcgYCf0-W2XD9x3IGKKn-Q2po0zx0PyBR-B5misP2Ntdy1FuI8z__M2dISxulnxbDH9vlCesO6oVw6u2gohZ16nCPBt3TwonDWWFZnaIRsIxosVjh3kspo87Fwj73f9pbYfSlJbyd/s1600/Yachihoko+Jinja.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yachihoko Jinja with beginning of staircase on the left.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> The other main shrine here is Otoshimioya Jinja which has a completely different entrance and faces south where Asama and Kanbe face east. The entrance is at the end of Sengen Dori and starts with a large red <i>torii</i> at the beginning of the shopping street at the Nakacho intersection of the road that comes directly from Shizuoka Station and passes by the south side of Sunpu Castle. After passing the second red <i>torii</i>, you immediately enter through a <i>zuijinmon</i> and the <i>haiden</i> of the shrine stands about three meters from that. It is immediately apparent that this <i>haiden</i> is more simply appointed than the other buildings on the grounds. The copper roof with <i>karahafu</i> is not the classic <i>dobuki-ita</i> of most Tokugawa sponsored shrines but a simple copper shingle, and the elaborate carvings are missing. The <i>honden</i> is however built much like Asama and Kanbe—detached from the <i>haiden</i> and raised on an earth and stone platform. It is a small building (3x2 bays) in a <i>nagare</i>-<i>zukuri</i> style. The <i>honden</i> does feature a <i>dobuki-ita</i> roof and polychromed carvings without <i>chigi</i> or <i>katsuogi</i>. The shrine dates from the same early nineteenth-century period after a fire destroyed the previous structures in 1804.</span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> It is built in a direct line and sitting directly below the sixth-century</span></span> Shizuhatayama Kofun which can be seen (but not entered) by walking up the left side of the shrine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo42Hm4StFEUg3xXpbxdYhvMEiDyB_7brHVCDWS4iU6h3HMnc3nIke9fdhsvHf3C6twbTQ7qu8WYekOqXNWur9T4TlP9IHl7ax2Fmfl60gUeZT_6XLeLmmtvxQ1h0lKwNd1KrILD1LJD90/s1600/Shisuhatayama+kofun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo42Hm4StFEUg3xXpbxdYhvMEiDyB_7brHVCDWS4iU6h3HMnc3nIke9fdhsvHf3C6twbTQ7qu8WYekOqXNWur9T4TlP9IHl7ax2Fmfl60gUeZT_6XLeLmmtvxQ1h0lKwNd1KrILD1LJD90/s1600/Shisuhatayama+kofun.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shizuhatayama Kofun<br />
(Kofun photos courtesy of M. Kawaguchi)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJFZljXwFOcEnbhKJoNgflaf3xcMnk65mFb51z1Rn5RAtieFZSAOZuesCzE_cJp9Tfp20fbvYNOTJQyxv7hjijqFOzdVsDMCeHANOJ9BG59lPYbPZNiVvbLTPH_bWK5TFpIAOJSAZ9-jd/s1600/mock-up+kofun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJFZljXwFOcEnbhKJoNgflaf3xcMnk65mFb51z1Rn5RAtieFZSAOZuesCzE_cJp9Tfp20fbvYNOTJQyxv7hjijqFOzdVsDMCeHANOJ9BG59lPYbPZNiVvbLTPH_bWK5TFpIAOJSAZ9-jd/s1600/mock-up+kofun.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large cutaway mockup</td></tr>
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The <i>kofun</i> is a thirty-two meter mound of about seven meters height with a large stone sarcophagus inside. First excavated in 1949, the bones and and most valuable goods were long gone by then but the remaining weapons, armor, and other metal work and pottery marks it as that of an influential family of the sixth or early seventh century. Some of these can be seen at the shrine's museum.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7sQf1nkWdqJiQCJWABRkVii0n7gnwhoxdL6ErUQYTGvnZyls8MiSGPL9hraHm8eXQBzN7jiit8D0_V3nP-PKwuAT_r08I09I-Eqhzh6PMOrP5avRfbsXCTCTlLi-XdWyjS93a7kPspY9/s1600/Yachihoko+Jinja+side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7sQf1nkWdqJiQCJWABRkVii0n7gnwhoxdL6ErUQYTGvnZyls8MiSGPL9hraHm8eXQBzN7jiit8D0_V3nP-PKwuAT_r08I09I-Eqhzh6PMOrP5avRfbsXCTCTlLi-XdWyjS93a7kPspY9/s1600/Yachihoko+Jinja+side.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right side of the shrine</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">Walking to the right of Otoshimioya you come to a long staircase leading up the mountain. To the right of this is Yachihoko Jinja, elaborately carved, painted and gilded. The roof is <i>irimoya-zukuri</i> with <i>chidorihafu</i> and <i>karahafu</i> all in <i>dobuki-ita</i> (also called <i>dogawarabuki</i>). These features, and a primarily black lacquer exterior were favorite features of Tokugawa-sponsored shrine construction. This shrine as well as most of the others on these grounds are the work of the Tachikawa-ryu family of shrine carpenters who were renown also for their carving abilities. Their </span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">magnificent </span></span>works include Nikko Toshogu in Tochigi and Suwa Taisha in Nagano. They were active from 1774 to the beginning of the Meiji period. This building is a <i>honden</i> only with no <i>haiden</i>. the carving here includes the "The 24 Paragons of Filial Piety" a Confucian text from the thirteenth century that was a favorite of Tokugawa Japan. these scenes are depicted in the <i>kaerumata</i> (frog-leg struts) that encircle the building.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMGDUZcxKAq0YFaeyIQQhO57YiEK2FUIyqDTw1D-ckvaB2TZEfs-1jdkZhrLNciY3gMFbUyvM7Q7_pft20amyZh3QjjvYU1oTND1hUMYQSJz2JrMVGdjmpgWn-ysg4dwCBu2ymvFcn5l0/s1600/Hayama+Jinja.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMGDUZcxKAq0YFaeyIQQhO57YiEK2FUIyqDTw1D-ckvaB2TZEfs-1jdkZhrLNciY3gMFbUyvM7Q7_pft20amyZh3QjjvYU1oTND1hUMYQSJz2JrMVGdjmpgWn-ysg4dwCBu2ymvFcn5l0/s1600/Hayama+Jinja.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayama Jinja <i>haiden</i> with <i>zuijin</i> figure</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view of the <i>honden</i>.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Climbing those long stairs and then another shorter climb to the right brings you to Hayama Jinja, another magnificent example of decorative shrine architecture in the Buddhist-Shinto combinatory mold. The most unusual feature of this shrine is that the <i>zuijin</i> guardian figures, usually reserved for entrance gates (<i>mon</i>) are here placed directly on the portico of the <i>haiden</i>. This is a highly unusual feature and no other shrine comes to mind that matches it though there are a number of shrines that have <i>komainu</i> sitting on the portico (I would be interested if any readers could site another example). The <i>haiden</i> is decorated and polychromed above the <i>nuki</i> but otherwise simple in appearance. As with most of the shrines on this site, the <i>haiden</i> and <i>honden</i> are separated which is a little unusual for shrines of this period which were built by the Tokugawa. Most such shrines were of the <i>gongen</i>-<i>zukuri</i> type with the <i>haiden</i> and <i>honden</i> attached by an intermediary <i>heiden</i>. The <i>honden</i> is a <i>nagare</i>-<i>zukuri</i>, 3 x 2 bay type painted primarily in black, with elaborate carving and polychrome. Passing beyond the shrine and a bit more climbing brings you to a wonderful view of Mt. Fuji and the city of Shizuoka stretching out to the sea. This view reminds us of why the shrine exists; to venerate the <i>kami</i> of the mountain.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Fuji and Shizuoka City with the ocean in the far distance.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">Finally is Sukunahikona Jinja located back down the hill to the right side of the main shrine. This is also a <i>honden</i>-only shrine of 3x2 bays, primarily in black lacquer, with extensive polychroming and carving above the <i>nuki</i>. The theme here is the twelve signs of the Chinese/Japanese zodiac.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE47WCWPKl179CAntNwbnqcAzWbqbVMVagLhaYKhtUZQSGzEr7TVOTBCewfUOu_a4q3JzUTS2RZRL8sQpyXPB1N38NWtmIHul65z5LuZHNahkcdN0cZBvHWL2S23PwrJPsUU3jxRHTv7m/s1600/Sukanahikona+Jinja_side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE47WCWPKl179CAntNwbnqcAzWbqbVMVagLhaYKhtUZQSGzEr7TVOTBCewfUOu_a4q3JzUTS2RZRL8sQpyXPB1N38NWtmIHul65z5LuZHNahkcdN0cZBvHWL2S23PwrJPsUU3jxRHTv7m/s1600/Sukanahikona+Jinja_side.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">Sukunahikona Jinja (right side)</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>It is not unusual for more than one shrine to exist on the same grounds. There are generally several reasons offered for this phenomena. One is the concept of a mini-pilgrimage which became popular from the medieval period when the idea of visiting more than one shrine or temple, to gain spiritual benefits, became more widespread. However, even during the Edo period, travel was restricted and costly. So the idea of enshrining famous and far-flung <i>kami</i> on the same site became popular. There was also a question of economics, especially when patronage of the Imperial House dried up as it did from time to time. This prompted the creation of the <i>soja</i>, a site that contained a number of the <i>kami</i> of the province. This is the case with Shizuoka Sengen Jinja. The primary difference here is that where most such structures at other shrines would be modest, many splendid buildings were lavished on this site by the Tokugawa who claimed Suruga no kuni (the old name for Shizuoka) as their home province. It is great luck that these buildings have survived. Of the many shrines, three are considered to be primary. Of these, the <i>kami</i> of Asama or Sengen Jinja (two different readings of the same Chinese characters)—Konohanasakuya—is usually considered to be the <i>kami</i> of Mt. Fuji and is worshiped at all the Sengen Jinja. Onamuchi no mikoto of Kanbe Jinja is considered the ancestor of the Izumo clan and is the deity of Izumo taisha, Omiwa, and Hiyoshi Taisha. Otoshimioya no mikoto is considered a child of Susano-o, father (or grandfather) of Onamuchi and considered a <i>kami</i> of grains and the market place. He is therefore related to Onamuchi and the Izumo line of deities. He was considered the principle <i>kami</i> of Abe River and the area where the shrine is located.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> While the other shrines here are considered <i>sessha</i> and <i>massha</i> of the principle shrines, it seems that Hayama Jinja ranked on the same level prior to the Meiji period when shrines were reorganized and their rankings confirmed or changed. The deity of the shrine is Oyamatsumi, another of the Izumo line, but the great shrine authority R.A.B. Ponsonby-Fane believed it was originally Hayamatsumi one of the five mountain <i>kami</i> created when Izanagi cut off the head of the fire <i>kami</i>, Kagutsuchi. Hayamatsumi was created from his right hand, Oyamatsumi from the head of the fire <i>kami</i>. What is more to the point is that most of the <i>kami</i> here are related to mountains as one might expect.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Sukunahikona is a <i>kami</i> closely associated with Onamuchi. He is a <i>kami</i> of grains and also of healing and paired with Onamuchi in "building" the land. Yachihoko is another name for Okuninushi no <i>kami</i> who is considered to be the transformed spirit of Onmononushi after he survived a number of trials by his father Susano-o and returned from <i>yomi</i>, the land of the dead. In fact there are so many alternate names for these <i>kami</i> that it is difficult to pin them down exactly. However, as I mentioned above, these <i>kami</i> in their various guises are enshrined at important mountains of the old Yamato polity such as Mt. Hie and Mt. Miwa.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Fuji</td></tr>
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<b>Description:</b> Shizuoka Sengen Jinja is located in the heart of Shizuoka City, a short walk or bus ride from Shizuoka Station which is on the local and the Shinkansen Line. Since this shrine is not part of the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Site, about one hour by train or car from Fujinomia City where Fujisan Hongu Sengen is located, and far from the beginning of any climbing routes up the mountain, it is likely to be overlooked by foreign travelers. That would be a shame. It really is a most important shrine from the point of view of history, architecture and nature and well worth the trip. Located at the base of the small Shizuhatayama, it contains some beautiful old trees, a short hiking course through Shizuhata Park to the north (which also contains a pond), and splendid views of Mt. Fuij. </div>
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<b>Festival:</b> Reitaisai, 1~5 April. On the 5th there is a large procession of around one thousand participants and five <i>dashi</i> (called <i>kuruma</i> here) with musicians and pantomime.There is also a performance of <i>bugaku</i> at the <i>buden</i> on the shrine grounds. Other events throughout the week.</div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-71467209492763001452014-08-04T12:40:00.000+09:002014-08-06T17:05:52.189+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Photo Tour of Kunozan Toshogu Jinja</b></span> <br />
<br />
In <i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i>,
my focus was on delivering as much information as possible about as
many shrines as possible. The original goal was 100 shrines but this
would have necessitated a massive book at a massive price (as well as an
irate publisher). Since I was unwilling to compromise the information
for each shrine, I compromised on the number of photos. In this blog
too, I have followed the style of the book and therefore images are
again minimal. But in the assumption that readers of the book and of
this blog might also be interested in seeing more of the places being
written about, I am presenting a series of Photo Tours. This one, the magnificent Kunozan Toshogu Jinja.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNpxqWgyhkUF1rmbpbfx6LnUSuwvjQykLU9IpjDnA9PKGS3a7BD3E04Ii2_f_tyK_P-95P9jzY4-GsS-T1-HQ1Owhj65uMZDxK3SRVYmEfKQNzW7yKL2VWNc-ZvWCQv8QOq6bb0D6Q4Ww/s1600/zuijinmon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNpxqWgyhkUF1rmbpbfx6LnUSuwvjQykLU9IpjDnA9PKGS3a7BD3E04Ii2_f_tyK_P-95P9jzY4-GsS-T1-HQ1Owhj65uMZDxK3SRVYmEfKQNzW7yKL2VWNc-ZvWCQv8QOq6bb0D6Q4Ww/s1600/zuijinmon.JPG" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>zuijinmon</i> of Kunozan Toshogu at the top of a lengthy staircase.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another of the splendid Toshogu shrines featured in the book this shrine should perhaps have been the first of these photo tours. After all, it is the first place in which the spirit as well as the physical remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu were interred. At that time the rights were conducted under the direction of the Yoshida family and their brand of Yuitsu Shinto (One-and-only Shinto).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDHJoj6UN9Tv-VEgwJn8z669IJOCoBB4IvWzyoN3GRjWNFRoQhP3zH_PbamKspwWj0fcK_JSXSWbIxBS26Zom85a8YjYnSyoldI6U8L9SrRyPQ-mdXakafPneInqJyWsGpKB1f0Re8FYQ/s1600/guardian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDHJoj6UN9Tv-VEgwJn8z669IJOCoBB4IvWzyoN3GRjWNFRoQhP3zH_PbamKspwWj0fcK_JSXSWbIxBS26Zom85a8YjYnSyoldI6U8L9SrRyPQ-mdXakafPneInqJyWsGpKB1f0Re8FYQ/s1600/guardian.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>zuijin</i> (guardian) on the right side of the entrance. His mouth is open in the classic "<i>a</i>" gesture, forming a pair with the closed-mouth figure ("<i>un</i>")
on the left side. These are the first and last letters of the Sanskrit
alphabet and symbolizes the beginning and end. The gesture is common to
Buddhist <i>nio</i> guardian figures at the entrance to temples, as well as the <i>komainu</i>
used at the entrance to Shinto shrines. These Shinto guardians are
usually sitting upon a lion skin and are armed with swords, bow and
arrows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7gOe_VYr3Uol_RM6iRDfscZvMOahyphenhyphen4Xl098_sWtr6dh_kiTQI_dIpJNsEnUo1GbbFTlI9i8Rt1E2N_YoTjhHcRhgTYu5RxHHGMOfmMVDcj3GJxFdsR-PH_uyDpDPLJg-qQTji1fqn2Sx/s1600/korean+dog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7gOe_VYr3Uol_RM6iRDfscZvMOahyphenhyphen4Xl098_sWtr6dh_kiTQI_dIpJNsEnUo1GbbFTlI9i8Rt1E2N_YoTjhHcRhgTYu5RxHHGMOfmMVDcj3GJxFdsR-PH_uyDpDPLJg-qQTji1fqn2Sx/s1600/korean+dog.JPG" height="474" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While shrine visitors who are familiar with the typical stone <i>komainu</i>
might find this gold and blue version startling, I am told that it is
of a very old type. My first encounter with such was at the Kamigamo
shrine in Kyoto, where the coloration is silver and blue. The <i>komainu</i> here are located on the back side of the <i>zuijinmon</i> and sport the same open and closed mouth poses.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However, this was not to be Ieyasu's final resting place. About one year after after his interment, the story goes that he was transferred to Nikko in Tochigi prefecture so that he could guard the country and his beloved Edo. He was supposed to have left a sort of last will and testament to this effect but it is also the case that the Tendai prelate Tenkai, who was a confidant of Ieyasu and of his grandson Iemitsu, was fighting to preserve the position of his sect after it was devastated by Oda Nobunaga. It is likely too that Iemitsu, who by all accounts revered his grandfather, was anxious to secure his own position and that of his clan by having Ieyasu elevated to the level of <i>kami</i>, at the head of his own sect. He and Tenkai worked together to successfully create the cult of Toshogu Daimyojin.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYsuPsb9XdEY0VSsubnGMPkdepc4ZFNrYrBr3FpSv8eVfLgI7Y-BeRCZ_TFK-s-lyPyboUphtcGvYPoAtHJN2mnuqgi6nPJ6g2rZ_TXISv1DkvhlEWfG0CEJ0w1-oOJw7PGuo9iwunkun/s1600/kunozan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYsuPsb9XdEY0VSsubnGMPkdepc4ZFNrYrBr3FpSv8eVfLgI7Y-BeRCZ_TFK-s-lyPyboUphtcGvYPoAtHJN2mnuqgi6nPJ6g2rZ_TXISv1DkvhlEWfG0CEJ0w1-oOJw7PGuo9iwunkun/s1600/kunozan.JPG" height="444" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the top of Mount Kuno, overlooking Suruga Bay, on the former sight
of one of his implacable enemies, stands the first shrine to Tokugawa
Ieyasu. The <i>heiden</i> connected to the <i>honden</i> behind is clearly visible in this photo of the splendidly detailed<i> gongen-zukuri</i> shrine. The photo shows the side gate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGnoQfrn8rJPjr6qPifYkZgx3yu1pt0aEE9IAXBaWJ2FkyNz3jWfPe5O2ddaWeIJBBHRooKVT9MTiTb6jYozwHrAF0POqoKbn4B96erPdmV8_hKBWuSG_m1V4xEvOktIVoseYfgOFDSiS/s1600/haiden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGnoQfrn8rJPjr6qPifYkZgx3yu1pt0aEE9IAXBaWJ2FkyNz3jWfPe5O2ddaWeIJBBHRooKVT9MTiTb6jYozwHrAF0POqoKbn4B96erPdmV8_hKBWuSG_m1V4xEvOktIVoseYfgOFDSiS/s640/haiden.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the <i>heiden</i> showing the rich detailing especially above the tie-beams. The entrance and surrounding fence primarily in cinnabar red and the shrine primarily in black with polychrome and gold details. Notice the three-hollyhock leaf <i>kamon</i> of the Tokugawa on the <i>saisenbako</i>.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNsilHY5vPpFtBTRXPVqihktYM49j4gzfblVWlQ-bEasD9B11kY4edx7CTqPT10_EBNVJZDSLfofs1OdiyUy5HmSDqIJabFu-BmryuRHkaeT5fpY3QTmXa_N-1JyMVNjSf5j05NJLwit7/s1600/gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNsilHY5vPpFtBTRXPVqihktYM49j4gzfblVWlQ-bEasD9B11kY4edx7CTqPT10_EBNVJZDSLfofs1OdiyUy5HmSDqIJabFu-BmryuRHkaeT5fpY3QTmXa_N-1JyMVNjSf5j05NJLwit7/s640/gate.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the main entrance, a four-legged <i>mukaikaramon</i> (also called a <i>karamon</i>) with <i>karahafu</i> on all four sides. The side panels are carved in deep relief and the gate connects to the same type of <i>sukashi-be</i>i fence which we saw on the Ueno Toshogu shrine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvBJhraGcuZ1xU3HHE9AEsfkVY47mt0wb0DCnxibHhXbC6wtbkvBsCjJiZ7nfy85V58fnegLBi_EzRFOf08v9oHWSSATZOMeRZuA6qIO0_3k8lD5G8PQJEyCRgBCChWCup4J6F1mYSQfl/s1600/honden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvBJhraGcuZ1xU3HHE9AEsfkVY47mt0wb0DCnxibHhXbC6wtbkvBsCjJiZ7nfy85V58fnegLBi_EzRFOf08v9oHWSSATZOMeRZuA6qIO0_3k8lD5G8PQJEyCRgBCChWCup4J6F1mYSQfl/s640/honden.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view toward the <i>honden</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpphCmSAouLDwEoe3EjOghklqpAEPMi_W1HRj7ws-pZaC-6UiS81XrfA41ND8w_3Ea-9sXD12-AMcboB4qkq5HEMMjWHJjSb3e9AIv3TCOv5G5-3GqrsYYdLXb9lteYfzf1Smo5Z-_1Kml/s1600/un+renovated.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpphCmSAouLDwEoe3EjOghklqpAEPMi_W1HRj7ws-pZaC-6UiS81XrfA41ND8w_3Ea-9sXD12-AMcboB4qkq5HEMMjWHJjSb3e9AIv3TCOv5G5-3GqrsYYdLXb9lteYfzf1Smo5Z-_1Kml/s640/un+renovated.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the rich carving and polychroming above the <i>nageshi</i>. Of particular interest is the way in which one corner has been left un-renovated (the pale color area). This was done to preserve an example of the older decoration in order to assist future renovators with an original reference point. The shrine was completely renovated several years ago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadg0XgPbjQrXbtwGKCBsFAeZnQk5j9y35GXvjn2pN_YxDq7Qetu9X0JRLC8jq-gFYK58Zi0m7t59H5QaeyZ_IiXWg3JbWBfRjc5sse23uzmvchu3TjzlUWZZzS3sNmPmmbrTcg2TdxJaX/s1600/cript.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadg0XgPbjQrXbtwGKCBsFAeZnQk5j9y35GXvjn2pN_YxDq7Qetu9X0JRLC8jq-gFYK58Zi0m7t59H5QaeyZ_IiXWg3JbWBfRjc5sse23uzmvchu3TjzlUWZZzS3sNmPmmbrTcg2TdxJaX/s640/cript.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As with Nikko Toshogu, behind the shrine is located the crypt of Ieyasu. Upon questioning a very kind <i>negi</i> of the shrine, I was told that some remnant of the body was left behind when it was transferred to Nikko. Apparently, the body was originally interred in a sitting position inside the stupa-shaped crypt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz61WUvxEnIHrlpqref0nV8d6lDdLs3Tz0pZZ-iHcuBA7Ox3-p6a8BPYHt9r1mu9OSil5aXWG-kyZ_WzqQzMzG3V38no1sCKVRQqSAU3Yu2TBvYFzZJ4TniysWKiVKxugdGfcXjhB4T-XH/s1600/stairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz61WUvxEnIHrlpqref0nV8d6lDdLs3Tz0pZZ-iHcuBA7Ox3-p6a8BPYHt9r1mu9OSil5aXWG-kyZ_WzqQzMzG3V38no1sCKVRQqSAU3Yu2TBvYFzZJ4TniysWKiVKxugdGfcXjhB4T-XH/s640/stairs.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The climb up Mount Kuno is more than only the most hardy can endure. The recommended route is to take the cable car to the top and walk back down. The photo shows one small section of the serpentine stairway that winds up the side of the mountain, along with a glimpse of the bay. Even the trip down was grueling and though it was quite difficult in the summer heat, I wouldn't want to attempt it in a strong wind! There are only several buses per day from the train station to the lift so a taxi may be needed to get you that far.</td></tr>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-84108727526357064102014-08-01T19:46:00.000+09:002016-06-05T17:59:07.495+09:00<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Photo Tour of Ueno Toshogu Jinja</b></span> <br />
<br />
In <i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i>,
my focus was on delivering as much information as possible about as
many shrines as possible. The original goal was 100 shrines but this
would have necessitated a massive book at a massive price (as well as an
irate publisher). Since I was unwilling to compromise the information
for each shrine, I compromised on the number of photos. In this blog
too, I have followed the style of the book and therefore images are
again minimal. But on the assumption that readers of the book and of
this blog might also be interested in seeing more of the places being
written about, I will begin a series of Photo Tours with the recently
renovated Ueno Toshogu Jinja.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkfsa365hT2CufHORB7w7wbxednZEfgDr2bIVe8LIixfrIAyp7MgpnUTfPPx8onX9o63dUhZcaDDBfcr7amE08JWbsj03RD65GcLYpAMmFi6klpcNUsUo7Fj53bsy7mLx4WCZu97CMsam/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkfsa365hT2CufHORB7w7wbxednZEfgDr2bIVe8LIixfrIAyp7MgpnUTfPPx8onX9o63dUhZcaDDBfcr7amE08JWbsj03RD65GcLYpAMmFi6klpcNUsUo7Fj53bsy7mLx4WCZu97CMsam/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate and <i>haiden</i> of Ueno Toshogu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mujlK59lqRs3eS7h56FvaTVh5QDtB-U_0WKQKfjvviC77gOOqy9uNrgC5qbID3UA-vtpuaBNpK_FZ_16dJsxtBm83EUOwUoVMVHSGAEklSfIv8NOQ3U_H_yAWwcHhZcOsAXnYn-RmGhM/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_main_gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mujlK59lqRs3eS7h56FvaTVh5QDtB-U_0WKQKfjvviC77gOOqy9uNrgC5qbID3UA-vtpuaBNpK_FZ_16dJsxtBm83EUOwUoVMVHSGAEklSfIv8NOQ3U_H_yAWwcHhZcOsAXnYn-RmGhM/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_main_gate.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate of the shrine covered in gold leaf, red lacquer, and polychrome under the roof. To the right and left of the door are rising and falling dragons, carved and polychromed. The dragons were carved by the legendary Hidari Jingoro.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The jinja is one of several magnificent Toshogu shrines detailed in the book. All Toshogu jinja enshrine the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the progenitor of a line of shoguns who brought some 200 years of relative peace and stability to Japan known as the the Edo period. Ieyasu died in 1616. The shrine was founded in 1627 and the current building from 1651 is one of those miraculous survivors of the earthquakes, fires and wars that otherwise devastated the city of Edo over and over again, even after it became the official capital of the country and was renamed Tokyo (eastern capital) in the late nineteenth century.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAJo4ZZ4Q09wNFcWGWDG1SLL9Kh7LoBIQv5jPnR6jANOmhD2t3M3v895R0Ob1xm0X0rWmeVdxvjyYmfl9SwvnS1R6QNDKCydaWxwYZIDiES52QjdqrhpkcWIZIVp9mO1pJhFUGXTRJJPv/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_main_gate_inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAJo4ZZ4Q09wNFcWGWDG1SLL9Kh7LoBIQv5jPnR6jANOmhD2t3M3v895R0Ob1xm0X0rWmeVdxvjyYmfl9SwvnS1R6QNDKCydaWxwYZIDiES52QjdqrhpkcWIZIVp9mO1pJhFUGXTRJJPv/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_main_gate_inside.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">The interior side of the classic and highly ornate four-post, <i>karahafu</i> gate.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As is the case with most Toshogu shrines, Ueno is detailed with elaborate carvings and polychrome. Unlike most shrines its exterior is covered in gold leaf. The renovation of the shrine took six years and an undisclosed amount of money. Even the Huffington Post had a poorly written "gee, golly" blog piece on the reopening in January 2014. Unfortunately, the interior of the shrine is not generally open to the public and so my photos are only of the exterior—but what a magnificent exterior it is. This <i>gongen-zukuri</i> shrine is more correctly considered in the context of its original setting on the grounds of Kaneji Temple. This was a typical situation when <i>shinbutsu shugo</i>, the integration of Buddhism and Shinto, was the mainstay of Japanese religion from the Nara to the late Edo periods. Kaneji was founded by the monk Tenkai to protect the <i>kimon</i> (north-gate) of Tokyo from the entrance of demons. The grounds were arranged to reflect Kyoto's Higashiyama, and its famous cherry trees were planted at that time. Other remnants of the former temple grounds exist in the form of the pagoda, now located in the Ueno Zoo adjoining the <i>sando</i> of the shrine, Kiyomizu Kannon-do (a reflection of Kiyomizudera) overlooking Shinobazu pond (a reflection of Lake Biwa), and the Bentendo temple located in the middle of the pond (a reflection of Chikubushima). It is a fitting tribute to the man, the era and the enlightened (or perhaps mystical) attitude that allowed all the "gods" to live together in a sort of spiritual soup, which tasted miraculously good (and marvelously different) to everyone who partook of it. While no doubt that is an overly optimistic view of the situation, it is equally without doubt that the following era of "nationalistic, Japanese only" gods was part and parcel of the "us vs. them" mentality that culminated in World War 2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmWujY-etNMRJRChA5ic7H8mViJDy3HflXuA-lSzleBtFS5y00lNTqNKesx3FrJywitx1Tobxx4bZx8eYKjySf5sZCyIrhdcOifeRqr8hx87AqIt4t6j0pYr1IB0et-mhwjBhe2Ta7dh/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_sho_chiku_bai.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmWujY-etNMRJRChA5ic7H8mViJDy3HflXuA-lSzleBtFS5y00lNTqNKesx3FrJywitx1Tobxx4bZx8eYKjySf5sZCyIrhdcOifeRqr8hx87AqIt4t6j0pYr1IB0et-mhwjBhe2Ta7dh/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_sho_chiku_bai.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the carved panels of the interior gate. The motif uses the rooster, symbol of the rising sun, sitting on a drum that is painted with the <i>tomoe</i>. These are surrounded by plum, pine, and bamboo trees (<i>sho, chiku, bai</i>), the Confucian "Three friends of Winter," a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. </td></tr>
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Ueno Park became Japan's first public park in 1873 on the former grounds of Kaneji. As readers are likely aware, Hachiman and Toshogu shrines were the epitome of <i>shinbutsu shugo</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>haiden</i> of the shrine in gold leaf and black lacquer.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though no longer the religious center that it once was, Ueno continues to be one of Tokyo's most famous leisure spots combining as it does shrines and temples, historic sites, a zoo, and a large number of museums, as well as playing host to one of Japan's biggest cherry viewing festivals with over 2 million revelers. That wily old 'chairman of the sword', Ieyasu Tokugawa, would be proud.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCV_HwDXeuPaY_MWRJEQAh-V_Pj-leb3YToKhecMLs4oiyiITp8We9u3ZLw0l-vhBmZPO-SzqJQGSlmr8yzTmN12KBHFNBvVrRN2FK_jyqqTkuUqFEocr8CcQuS3tsMT_dK9iOUi90RgQ/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_haiden_doors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCV_HwDXeuPaY_MWRJEQAh-V_Pj-leb3YToKhecMLs4oiyiITp8We9u3ZLw0l-vhBmZPO-SzqJQGSlmr8yzTmN12KBHFNBvVrRN2FK_jyqqTkuUqFEocr8CcQuS3tsMT_dK9iOUi90RgQ/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_haiden_doors.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The doors of the haiden are gold leaf but the interesting thing is the motif. This is the Buddhist "Wheel of the Law" which one would not expect to find on a Shinto shrine until one remembers that the Toshogu branch of Shinto was essentially created by the Buddhist prelate Tenkai and, apparently, no one dared to mess with Ieyasu's shrine even after <i>shinbutsu bunrei</i>. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXu3j9hI8YWEkXgDTJ5f46wlJ_u1UTj7MtXLbOZP1_QEYQta2jQYAv5ETmJ0FFfLQBQz_wGGAj2zH8GxFpys37mBll5EgTf8a53-Fef4VRLMT8f4Yl6R10qB2-xfTbEHanYAWsyN_YI5qm/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_gongen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXu3j9hI8YWEkXgDTJ5f46wlJ_u1UTj7MtXLbOZP1_QEYQta2jQYAv5ETmJ0FFfLQBQz_wGGAj2zH8GxFpys37mBll5EgTf8a53-Fef4VRLMT8f4Yl6R10qB2-xfTbEHanYAWsyN_YI5qm/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_gongen.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A side view of the shrine reveals the <i>gongen-zukuri</i> style of <i>haiden </i>connected to <i>honden</i>, the former in black lacquer, the latter completely in gold leaf.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The side of the <i>honden</i> in gold leaf. Notice the intricate carving and polychrome under the eaves. Though the roof line of the <i>haiden</i> and <i>honden</i> are at the same level, the floor of the <i>honden</i> is raised higher.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNjCzRZ8OJOSXlRKw-zOgoTzmz7sAwc6HmqZUzIx2vmzqdBXWq-6agqoWZMRVwaY1QHeUDpimtyNFf_9ZXTScBl_BmIERFimN2lmwAhG4e6UjCzVvosmyn1vYxJS3kDXAjopwceh4vDWv/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_polychrome.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNjCzRZ8OJOSXlRKw-zOgoTzmz7sAwc6HmqZUzIx2vmzqdBXWq-6agqoWZMRVwaY1QHeUDpimtyNFf_9ZXTScBl_BmIERFimN2lmwAhG4e6UjCzVvosmyn1vYxJS3kDXAjopwceh4vDWv/s400/Ueno_Toshogu_polychrome.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the carving and polychrome under the eaves. Elaborate carving and painting is indicative of Toshogu shrines, but only Ueno is so extensively gold leafed. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElEtpGyUU2Aws1rcJHvbqEf73i9xQxW43Dly1LwP29cy1YZ9bQzRIaOrxEWspqhqT4IgFBS2veFOQMwXhnOxUcEYp6rvw24JkxI2Qxll5VURs2swbpshWcidDPT3iryYGHxWiGBODCFs4/s1600/Ueno_Toshogu_fence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElEtpGyUU2Aws1rcJHvbqEf73i9xQxW43Dly1LwP29cy1YZ9bQzRIaOrxEWspqhqT4IgFBS2veFOQMwXhnOxUcEYp6rvw24JkxI2Qxll5VURs2swbpshWcidDPT3iryYGHxWiGBODCFs4/s640/Ueno_Toshogu_fence.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>sukashi-bei</i> fence in green and red surrounding the grounds is over six hundred feet long and one of only the surviving in Tokyo. The other is at Nezu Jinja. Again, notice the intricate carving and polychrome along the top.</td></tr>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-52680674307049249842014-03-27T15:17:00.001+09:002014-03-27T15:17:39.053+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Enoshima Jinja</b></span> <b> UC</b>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the bridge to Enoshima<br />
(all photos: Joseph Cali)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> Founded in 853 by the Buddhist monk Ennin according to shrine tradition.</div>
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<b>Address: 2-3-8</b>, Enoshima, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa 251-0036</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 0466-22-4020 A brief history of the shrine is
available in English.</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> Take the Enoden Line to Enoshima Station. Walk about ten minutes across the bridge from near the station exit.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>:</b> The three female Munakata deities, Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagirihime.</div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Safety on the sea and on the road.</div>
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<b>Best times to go:</b> Summer is the best season. The beach area opposite the island, though rather narrow and sometimes underwater, is one of the main attractions of the area.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Torii</i> and <i>zuishinmon</i> of Enoshima</td></tr>
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<b>Important physical features: </b>The most striking physical
feature of Enoshima Jinja would probably be the <i>shima</i> of Enoshima, which in Japanese means "island". It is basically a massive rock covered with trees lying about 650 yards off shore. It is connected by a natural causeway that is covered in high tide. However since the 1960's a bridge was built above the causeway that now permanently links the island to the mainland for both pedestrian and automobile traffic. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The jinja is actually composed of three shrines, one to each deity. After the bridge you arrive in a small town with the typical shops one finds in a <i>monzenmachi</i> purveying food and various goods. Passing under a copper torii a narrow street leads to the shrine. After climbing a number of steep staircases, the first of which passes under a red <i>torii</i> and then an <i>ryugumon</i>-stye gate more usually associated with Buddhist temples (but here called the <i>zuishinmon</i> and associated with the entrance to the undersea palace of the dragon deity), you reach the <i>hetsunomiya</i> where Tagitsuhime is enshrined. The <i>gongen-zukuri</i> structure contains the <i>haiden</i> and <i>heiden</i> with an <i>irimoya-zukuri honden</i> at the back. This shrine is said to have been established in 1206 by order of Minamoto no Sanetomo (though he was only three at the time) and rebuilt in 1675. The present incarnation is from a 1976 rebuilding. Because of its location on the mountain, relative to the other two shrines, it is also referred to as the lower shrine.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> To the left is an octagonal building, called the Hoanden. It is of a type one finds at Buddhist temples. Indeed, this one was modeled after the <i>yumedono</i> of Nara's famous Horyuji. It was built in 1976 to house two famous statues; the Happi (eight-armed) Benzaiten and the Hadaka (naked) Benzaiten. Minamoto Yoritomo supposedly ordered the making of the eight-armed statue. Both statues were only available for viewing once every six years however both can now be viewed most days for an entrance fee of 150 yen.</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Although the next shrine is further up the hill it is actually the oldest one, and today referred to as the middle shrine; <i>nagatsumiya</i>. This shrine's founding </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">in 853 </span>is attributed to Ennin (794-864), the head of the Tendai sect of Buddhism at that time. It is currently also a smaller, <i>gongen-zukuri</i> type, painted in red and constructed in 1689. The shrine is dedicated to Ichikishimahime no mikoto, the second of the Munakata deities.</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Much further along the road to the other side of the island lies the shrine to Tagorihime no mikoto known as the <i>okutsumiya</i> or inner shrine. This is an <i>irimoya-zukuri</i> type built sometime after 1841 when the old shrine, said to be much more magnificent, was destroyed. It sports a famous painting on its ceiling known as the "Turtle Glaring in Eight Directions" with eyes painted such that it seems to be looking at you wherever you stand. Another shrine of some interest here, called Wadatsunomiya, is made like a stone cave with a sculpture of a dragon atop it. This shrine is dedicated to the deity of the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Continuing on you come to a staircase leading down to the backside of Enoshima where worship was said to begin in the sixth century when Emperor Kinmei enshrined the Munakata deities in one of several caves in the rock face. These caves then became the object of devotion of such famous monks as Kukai, Ennin, Nichiren and Ippen. Today there are a number of statues and other objects and images associated with the history of the island. Here too the dragon deity is found as is a statue of the founder of the Shingon sect, Kukai.</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> For any reader interested in further physical details of the island, I recommend "A Guide to Kamakura" at asahi-net.or.jp. This is an excellent website for information on the shrines and temples of Kamakura. I will close this part of the entry with a quote from that website. Lamenting the changes the island has undergone, the website quotes "</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">a reader's complaint on Enoshima in its Letters-to-the-Editor
page, in which the reader said she was disappointed with her visit to Enoshima
saying it was far from beautiful and did not deserve another visit." This is in relation to the three outdoor escalators, the observation tower, and any number of horrible "innovations" all made in the name of tourism. These kind of grossly ugly "conveniences" are fairly typical in Japan. The country really needs to get a grip on this government sponsored pollution of natural and historical sites. 'Nuff said. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Haiden</i> of Enoshima Jinja</td></tr>
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>If there are two significant factors to consider in the history of Shinto they would be the great unification of Shinto and Buddhism that occurred from the seventh century and then the great schism that was perpetrated by the Meiji government in the early nineteenth century. I mention this to point out that although Enoshima is one of the preeminent places of Benzaiten worship in Japan, this deity is not enshrined in the jinja. In "Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion" I have detailed entries on two of the other main sites of Benzaiten worship; Chikubushima in Shiga Prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture. Both islands were considered sacred from ancient times, as was Enoshima, and both embodied Shinto deities. However both places came also to embody Benzaiten worship from as early as the sixth or seventh century. The book "Chikubushima" by Andrew Watsky quotes the fourteenth century encyclopedia of religion <i>Keiran shuyoshu</i> on Benzaiten, "Within Japan, how many places are there that are Pure Lands of Benzaiten? The answer, according to legend is Tennokawa,... Itsukushima,... Chikubushima,... These three places...are linked together by underground tunnel." Later on in the same document "Six Benzaitens" are listed. To the above three are added Enoshima, Minoo in Osaka Prefecture and Sefurisan in Saga Prefecture. Of the six, Enoshima, Chikubushima and Itsukushima are today considered the most prominent sites. And, not coincidentally, all three are islands. Water is the medium through which the female deity Benzaiten (the Hindu goddess of water and "all things that flow" such as music, also called Benten in Japan and Sarisvati in India) became associated with the female Munakata deities who are <i>kami</i> of the sea. The other three sites are in mountains but mountains are also strongly related to water as the source of rivers that flow down into fields and nourish the land. It is exactly this kind of "easy" association between the Hindu, Buddhist and Shinto gods and mythologies which Buddhism was so good at facilitating. And why not? The concerns for natural phenomena and how to derive its benefits (and avoid its hazards) were the same. From this, Hinduism derived a highly developed textural mythology that was only added to by Buddhism—much as the new testament of the Christians added to the old testament of the Jews. Shinto had almost no textural mythology and so absorbed Buddhism (and with it a selected group of Hinduism) like a sponge.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> That being said, the native religion retained an identity (if not in fact) of a pre-Buddhist religion, which was always yearning to reassert itself. This it did officially in the Meiji period by artificially distinguishing what was Shinto ritual and myth from what was Buddhist. The government then forcibly dividing sacred sites into "yours and mine". So we have the situation today where the three most prominent centers of Benzaiten (a Hindu-Buddhist deity) are islands where the most prominent places of worship are Shinto, and enshrine the Munakata daughters of Amaterasu omikami. In fact, Enoshima comes closest to the old <i>shinbutsu shugyo</i> configuration in that it now enshrines its Benzaiten statues in a Buddhist-style structure on the grounds of the shrine. Whereas in both Chikubushima and Itsukshima, Benzaiten worship is conducted in prominent temples completely separated from the shrines.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the causeway and beach<br />
from Enoshima.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Description:</b> Enoshima Jinja is actually only one part of the religio-amusment complex known more simply as Enoshima. This complex most prominently features the beach opposite the island. More properly called Katase Beach or Shonan, this narrow three-mile stretch of sand, is visited by millions during the summer months. A single fireworks event in August attracts in the neighborhood of 150,000 people. Perhaps as a result of its popularity and government meddling, the water is famously polluted and the island sports all sorts of incredibly unsightly conveniences such as three outdoor escalators and a god-awful observation tower from which you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day. So long as you are looking out from the tower you may be OK but having to look <i>at</i> the tower is one of the things that has taken Enoshima far from the beautiful scenic spot it once was. The tower is located in the Botanical Gardens that grew from the Samual Cocking Garden. Samual was an English merchant who made a mint by exporting mint (and importing carbolic acid). He was married to a Japanese woman and bought a piece of the island in the 1870's when the government decided to sell off land belonging to Buddhist temples. In fact about half the island is now concrete, sporting such facilities as a yacht harbor and another ugly building called the Kanagawa Woman's Center.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> The other prominent man made structure on the island is the Shingon Buddhist temple Saifukuji, also known as Enoshima Daishi. It occupies a prominent position on top of the rock. It was built in 1993 as a replacement of sorts for the older temples that existed on the island before they were destroyed by the Meiji government. A twenty-foot statue of Fudo-myoo stands outside the temple. Its prominent head monk, Ekan Iguchi, was recently embroiled in a controversy when he fronted for a pro-North Korean group that won a bid to buy that country's former de-facto embassy for 4.5 billion yen. The Japanese government is strictly opposed to the building falling back into the hands of a pro-North Korean group. Iguchi was forced to give up his bid after the government stopped the bank from lending the money to the priest's association.</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> Lest I give the impression that its "all bad" a quick glance at comments on the web tells me that many people enjoy their trip to the island. Some mention the Iwamoto-ro Japanese ryokan, which sports spectacular views of Mt. Fuji, as a very pleasant place to stay. It is the former site of a Buddhist structure called Iwamono-in and while it is no substitute for the temples, niomons and pagodas that once added to the islands sense of sacredness, I suppose it will have to do until another "restoration" comes along.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enoshima by Utagawa Hiroshige</td></tr>
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<b>Festivals:</b> Adult Festival (<i>seijin-sai</i>), 13 January. This is a national holiday called Seijin no hi when men and women whose birthday falls within the year, celebrate their coming of age. A <i>mikoshi</i> is carried by men in <i>fundoshi </i>(loin cloths) into the freezing sea.</div>
<br />Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-13775712488390377922013-11-14T18:37:00.000+09:002019-03-27T19:07:06.609+09:00<b>Reviews</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As readers of this blog know I released "Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion", coauthored with John Dougill and published by the University of Hawaii Press, in December of 2012. The desire to continue my research into shrines led me to launch this blog in August of the same year. In addition to ongoing research, the blog contains excerpts from the book and a number of entries that didn't make it through the final edit. I believe the combination of book and blog presents a comprehensive overview of Japanese shrines in English, unlike that found anywhere else. Whereas much of the blog contents have not been verified with individual shrines—as the contents of the book have—I am rather conservative about including information from less reliable sources. One finds that misinformation is picked up and repeated to such a degree that it becomes perceived as fact. This is especially true in Japanese history/myth and equally true of Internet content. I make every effort not to add to the noise. I have also tried to make available on the blog some of the sources I have consulted in writing the book—particularly where they are readily available on the net—with a summary of each. Please let me know if there is some information related to shrines which you would like to see posted.<br />
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Reviews of the book will be posted as they come to my attention. I begin with an interview which is a repost from John Dougill's excellent blog on all things Shinto— <i>Green Shinto</i>.<br />
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<h1 class="entry-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2012/07/23/joseph-cali-on-shinto-shrines/" rel="bookmark" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0a0a0a; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Permalink to Joseph Cali on Shinto Shrines">Joseph Cali on Shinto Shrines</a></h1>
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<span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Posted on</span> <a href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2012/07/23/joseph-cali-on-shinto-shrines/" rel="bookmark" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="3:09 pm"><span class="entry-date" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">July 23, 2012</span></a> <span class="meta-sep" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by</span> <span class="author vcard" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="url fn n" href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/author/john-d/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="View all posts by John D.">John D.</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload3.jpeg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5467" height="300" src="https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload3-210x300.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 24px; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Book cover" width="210" /></a>Joseph Cali is the main author of the forthcoming title, <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shinto Shrines</i>. (Publication date: Nov. 30, 2012. For further details and pre-orders, please click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shinto-Shrines-Sacred-Ancient-Religion/dp/0824837134/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343019196&sr=8-3&keywords=john+dougill" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Shinto Shrines">here</a>.)</div>
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<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1) When and why did you first conceive of the book?</b><br />
I first began working on <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The New Zen Garden</i> around 2002. At that time, I met an exceptional gardener named Yasumoro Sadao who taught me about traditional garden design. Although the theme of the book was modern dry-gardens (<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">karesansui</i>) and especially the influence of Buddhism, Yasumoro sensei (and a number of other gardeners) loved to say that Buddhism had nothing to do with garden design. But a comment he made to me about ‘listening to the kami of the place before starting to work’ stayed with me. I think this and Landon Warner’s <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enduring Arts of Japan</i> put Shinto on the playing field for me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload-2.jpeg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-5381" height="300" src="https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload-2-199x300.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; display: inline; float: right; height: auto; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 24px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Joseph Cali" width="199" /></a><br />
<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) How did you go about selecting the 57 shrines included in the book?</b><br />
Well, the original intention was to have about 100 shrines. I used my basic knowledge of the country and listed up all the major shrines. Then I began area searches focusing on major historic cities such as Nara and Kyoto, and then island by island beginning with Kyushu. I also searched endless lists of ‘favorites’ and ‘top 5′ and any shrine that was mentioned as interesting — the Shinto ML list was helpful here.</div>
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<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3) How did you carry out the research?</b><br />
Once I had composed a list I set about finding someone to help with the research. When I had as much information about a shrine as I could find, I wrote it up and then began sending out letters to shrines. The letters included information about the book, the contents of the entries, a request for photos that could be used in the book, and then slowly arranging for meetings with an official from the shrine. I spent between one and four hours with priests to verify key points, and another one to three hours wandering the shrine grounds and photographing.</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_5386" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #706752; display: inline; float: left; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 24px; margin-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;">
<a href="http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload-1.jpeg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #474134; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-5386 " height="225" src="https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload-1-300x225.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; height: auto; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Zuijin" width="300" /></a><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: -2px; margin-top: -20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
A fascinating and unique<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> zuijin </span>guardian figure in the new<i> romon</i> of Oyamatsumi Jinja in the Seto Inland Sea. An interesting combination of<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> zuijin </span>and<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> nio</span> (Buddhist guardians) sheathed in 13th century armor.</div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292929; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4) What were the main difficulties you encountered?</b><br />
The only difficulty I encountered was the occasional reluctance to grant me the use of photos or of an interview. However this was not usually very difficult to overcome. In some cases I had to go back again and again before getting an OK. However you come to realize that part of it lies in the layers of organization (particularly in some of the larger shrines) and partly what I perceive as a great fear of creating any sort of controversy or taking responsibility for having said something which may cause damage to the shrine. Once people could see that I had a good grasp of their concerns and were convinced of my non-political intentions, there was little difficulty.</div>
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The other problem was one of my own making. My initial goal of one hundred shrines proved impossible in terms of pages. When I had more or less completed eighty-eight shrines, I sent it off to the publisher whose initial reaction was that 50% needed to be cut! With some finessing of the layout, I managed to retain 57 shrines but had to out the remaining ones, not to mention a big chunk of the background material on Shinto. I believe I managed to retain most of the major shrines and several smaller shrines that will be of interest to those involved with Japanese arts such as aikido, bugaku, and Noh.</div>
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The other major problem was that my long-time publisher, Kodansha International, decided to close their doors in April of 2012—roughly one month after the Great East Japan Earthquake — just as the book was on the layout table. This set the project back more than a year but in the end enhanced the quality, as the new publisher, University of Hawaii Press, has produced an even better version than the original.</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_5391" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #706752; display: inline; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 24px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;">
<img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-5391" height="225" src="https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload-1-copy-2-300x225.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; height: auto; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Golden Rock" width="300" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: -2px; margin-top: -20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
The "golden rock" at the Hachioji Jinja of Hiyoshi Taisha in Shiga Prefecture. Thought to be the place where worship on Mt. Hie began, it is situated between the Sannomiyagu and the Ushiogu on top of the 1,200-foot hill.</div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292929; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5) What impressed you the most in compiling the information?</b><br />
I would say that while I am a lover of traditional architecture (and there is plenty of that in the book), I am always most impressed by people. Although this was not the focus of the book, I think it was the extraordinary kindness of the priests I met which impressed me the most. For example, I thought I had lost my camera on the way to Kifune Jinja outside Kyoto. I had had a meeting with a priest at Heian Jingu, and as I got off the train at Kurama and reached for my camera it had gone! When I finally got to Kifune shrine and announced my name, I head a voice call from the back, ‘Cali san, your camera is here!’ All the miko and priests in the shrine office began to laugh at the look of confusion on my face. It turned out that I had left my camera at Heian Jingu, and the priest there, knowing I was on my way to Kifune, jumped on a train. Since I had taken the long route, he had already delivered it before I got there. This incredible act of kindness was repeated in different form on more than one occasion.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #292929; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6) What kind of readership do you think the book will appeal to?</b><br />
Certainly anyone interested in visiting a Shinto shrine. Shrines are not the most accessible places and it is very easy to come away nonplussed. This book will help to make it a more fulfilling experience. I think people interested in Japanese culture generally will also benefit, for it strikes me how much I have learned about Japan from books like Karen Smyer’s <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Fox and the Jewel</i> about Fushimi Inari Shrine, or from John Nelson’s <i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine</i> about Nagasaki Suwa Shrine.</div>
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I hope my book will also appeal to people planning their itinerary for a visit to Japan, as well as those who may not have the opportunity to visit but are interested in the country’s religion and its places of worship. It may also be a good resource book from which to launch further study. With all the spurious information out there on the internet, I think it will be very helpful to have a single source of reliable information that does not cost hundreds of dollars, as many of the scholarly resources on the subject do.</div>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_5387" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #706752; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
<img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-5387 " height="480" src="https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/securedownload1-1024x768.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; height: auto; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Cali and priest" width="640" /></div>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_5387" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 650px;">
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With Noguchi Guji of Isaniwa Jinja in Matsuyama, which is one of the finest examples of Hachiman style in Japan</div>
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<b>The following is a review from the Japan Times by author Stephen Mansfield </b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rds7wllWQ6vFnzr4F2KJc0NLwQzAgW0VphJUxgaeVHLaMbz1_16zSCaF5F1boU5VNOnnbUNq5czXHj70vpvTYj9Gb26LueQ2-e0TiqYh9eX6B1pSp8aMBB0EzUIdsA1_gARRnpEoaBa6/s1600/Ise+jingu+rainy+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rds7wllWQ6vFnzr4F2KJc0NLwQzAgW0VphJUxgaeVHLaMbz1_16zSCaF5F1boU5VNOnnbUNq5czXHj70vpvTYj9Gb26LueQ2-e0TiqYh9eX6B1pSp8aMBB0EzUIdsA1_gARRnpEoaBa6/s640/Ise+jingu+rainy+day.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rainy day at the newly constructed Naiku of Ise Jingu, October 28, 2013<br />
(photo by Joseph Cali)</td></tr>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: utopia-std, Georgia, 'Hiragino Mincho Pro', 'ヒラギノ明朝 Pro W3', 'Hiragino Mincho', ヒラギノ明朝, serif; font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.9375em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">Irrespective of whatever faith you might hold, or if you count yourself among the growing ranks of the agnostic, shrines can be appreciated as much as a cultural experience as a religious one. For native religions to flourish, an appropriate national character or mind-set has to exist.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: utopia-std, Georgia, 'Hiragino Mincho Pro', 'ヒラギノ明朝 Pro W3', 'Hiragino Mincho', ヒラギノ明朝, serif; font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.9375em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">Accordingly, the writers of this new and much needed guide, two well-established authors on Japanese culture, examine the fertile socio-psychological ground that made it possible for Shinto to secure a firm purchase in Japan.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: utopia-std, Georgia, 'Hiragino Mincho Pro', 'ヒラギノ明朝 Pro W3', 'Hiragino Mincho', ヒラギノ明朝, serif; font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.9375em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">With no central book, the religion must be practiced and well supported to thrive. Shrines are generally very well maintained in this country. It is a rare case to come across a truly dilapidated one. It would be like abandoning the gods.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "hiragino mincho pro" , "ヒラギノ明朝 pro w3" , "hiragino mincho" , , serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 24px;">While the book covers well-known places of worship like the Meiji and Ise shrines, there are structures that may not be familiar to all readers, like the modest Aiki Jinja in Yoshioka, Tsubusumu Jinja, a shrine located on a small island in Lake Biwa, and Yukoku Inari Jinja in Kyushu, its main structure built on vermilion-colored scaffolding. The guide provides detailed background information on architecture, customs and rituals, clothing, symbolism and much more. It also gives the reader a rundown of all the major deities, a necessarily short list given that there are a whopping 8 million of them.</span></div>
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I’ve always thought of Shinto as a pantheistic belief, the mother faith in many ways of all people, the religion having its roots in the animism and shamanism that defined the practices of many ancient communities in the world.</div>
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And with no founders, prophets, miracles, or divine channeling of messages, Shinto may be one of the more credible of today’s faiths, it’s reverence for nature sitting well with the concerns of a green age. Predicated on the idea of coexisting with the forces of nature, rather than exploiting them, there is much to be learned from this non-doctrinal faith and this fine guide to all its intriguing aspects.</div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292929;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a review from the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan's magazine: <i>Acumen</i> </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a Buddha but a z<i>uijin</i> guardian figure<br />
peering from inside the entrance of Kibitsuhiko Jinja<br />
in Okayama (photo by Joseph Cali)</td></tr>
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Shinto is the indigenous and older of Japan’s two main belief systems (the other being Buddhism, a 6th-century import). It rests on faith in kami (spirits) – although gods is the usual, though slightly misleading, translation – that are to be found in everything, from people and animals, to places and even inanimate objects such as rocks or trees. Thus. it is a faith that is at the same time polytheistic. pantheistic, animistic, and something that is surely special. Shinto rites and practices are very much alive in today’s Japan. so much so that most Japanese take them for granted and many would be surprised if reminded that they were practising Shintoism.</div>
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For the majority of non-Japanese. the most obvious encounter with Shinto is at the many shrines that are all around us (an estimated 80.000 nationwide). Cali and Dougill’s impressive book, presenting itself as a guide to just a select few of these, is far more than that. The introduction is easily the clearest and most accessible explanation of Shinto that I have read. There is an immense amount of detail about the history of Shinto, the types of kami, and how this most Japanese of faiths interrelates with Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity, among other belief systems.</div>
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There are numerous helpful illustrations, including ones of the most important features of a typical shrine, as well as of the clothing worn by priests and shrine attendants. In addition, of great interest is the way that the authors pose the question: “What benefit might there be in visiting a shrine for someone who has grown up in another country with different cultural and religious values?” Their answers are compelling.</div>
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The authors’ enthusiasm is infectious and the depth of their knowledge, and obvious love and respect for the subject, is evident on every page. Thoroughly researched, well written and cleverly illustrated, the book should be a must-read for anyone wishing to delve into this most fascinating aspect of Japanese culture.</div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-54120168301454271192013-09-23T19:09:00.000+09:002013-10-26T14:19:45.987+09:00<b>Excerpts</b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">From</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b> <i>Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i></b></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Another post from the book relating to the architecture of shrines. As some readers may know, the vast majority of existing shrine buildings (as distinct from the founding of the shrine and what may or may not have been its original structure) were built between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most have been repaired or totally rebuilt but have managed to keep something close to the original style. The pitched roof is standard for all such buildings and very early on—perhaps as early as the seventh or eighth centuries—pent roofs were often added. While this is not yet a <i>chidorihafu</i> it is easy to see the evolution of the false dormer from the pitched roof - pent roof combination. The obviously separate pent roof—as in the <i>Kasuga-zukuri</i> style—evolved differently from what might be called the continuous-flowing combination of gable and pent roof known as a hip and gable (<i>irimoya-zukuri</i>) roof, which is more common. This combination was also prominent in both the <i>shoin</i> and <i>shinden</i> architectural styles. However it was probably not until the extensive building of castles got underway that the <i>chidorihafu</i> became a standard of any building attempting to express nobility or strength. While this sentiment may seem unrelated to shrines at first glance, it is important to remember that shrines were always built by the nobility. Therefore the aesthetic is closely connected and the <i>chidorihafu</i> became a standard of Shinto shrines and castles alike. Along with this, the slightly more decorative <i>karahafu</i> was used at an early date and can also be seen on castles from the sixteenth century. Though said to be from China (Jp. <i>kara</i>), this is not confirmed. It is often considered the more "noble" of the two and used more sparingly, for example, just over the main entrance. These two features do not apply to some specific shrine types, particularly as it concerns the <i>honden</i>. But even in these cases, the <i>haiden</i> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(which may possibly have been constructed at a later date) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">is likely to contain <i>chidorihafu</i> and <i>karahafu</i>. As to <i>chigi</i> and <i>katsuogi</i>, many have been added after the Meiji period in an attempt to fall into line with the idea that Ise Jingu and its <i>shinmei zukuri</i> style, represented the "true" or most "elite" Shinto style. Here then is an excerpt from the book on a few of the common building characteristics of Shinto shrines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Building Characteristics</b><br />
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<b>Measurements:</b> The traditional Japanese measurement system (<i>shakkan-ho</i>) came to Japan from China. The metric system was adopted in 1924 but the old system is still used in traditional building. Shrines are usually measured in bays (<i>ken</i>), with a bay being the distance between two columns. The actual measurement of one bay varies according to age, location, and custom. Excavations of Heian-period Kyoto show a bay having a span of 9.8 feet (from center to center of the pillar), whereas in the Edo period a bay measured about six feet-where it has remained to this day. The extremely large bays of Izumo Taisha measure about eighteen feet, but they are exceptional for shrines. The size of the bay may also vary within the same structure. The traditional Japanese length of measure is the <i>shaku</i>, which is 30.3 centimeters or about one foot. It is further divided in ten parts, called <i>sun</i>. Generally the standard is six <i>shaku</i> to a bay.<br />
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<b>Wood construction:</b> Japan is noted for its Hinoki Cypress(<i>Chamaecyparis obtusa</i>), which have provided most of the wood for both shrine and temple construction over the centuries. The structures all use post-and-lintel construction with cut and fitted joints. The use of nails or glue is limited. Some shrine types have the main pillars planted directly in the ground. Most shrines since the eighth century have pillars resting on stone bases, as do Buddhist temples. Infill walls may be wooden board or clay and plaster over bamboo lath.<br />
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<b>Periodic rebuilding:</b> <i>Shikinen sengu</i> means a periodic rebuilding of the shrine. The period is often fixed at twenty or twenty-one years, but it varies by shrine. The reasons for the rebuilding are ritual renewal to maintain purity; the natural deterioration of wood construction (especially where pillars are planted directly in the ground); and the need to train new carpenters in the ancient building techniques before the older carpenters die off (however, temples did not follow the custom, which seems to lend weight to reasons of ritual purity). The most famous such rebuilding is that of Ise Jingu, the preeminent shrine of Japan. Though many shrines that once underwent this renewal process are currently designated Important Cultural Properties and are only repaired, not rebuilt., Ise Jingu still observes a twenty-year rebuilding cycle. It has been carried out since the seventh century, uninterrupted except for a hundred-year interval between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Some of the 125 structures at Ise are rebuilt at twenty-year intervals, while others are rebuilt every forty years or as need be.<br />
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<b>Painted or unpainted:</b> It is widely thought that shrines are made in unfinished wood and temples are painted, but this is incorrect. Both can be found in unfinished or polychromed wood. Where paint is used, a vermillion or cinnabar red generally predominates. Toshogu shrines tend to have the most ornate polychroming. Certain types of shrine building are never painted (and probably never were). <i>Shinmei- </i>and <i>taisha-zukuri</i> are two such styles. Others, such as Toshogu, Sumiyoshi, and Kasuga, are always painted (please see the descriptions of these styles below).<br />
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<b>Roof types:</b> There are several roof types, surfaced in one of a number of materials: straw; <i>kaya</i> (miscanthus); cypress bark; cedar or other wood shingle; copper shingle; copper tile; and at a later date ceramic tile. (Tile is used primarily in temple construction.) Roofs are always gabled, and one of the most common types is the <i>irimoya-zukuri</i> (hip-and-gable style). The other common style is called <i>nagare-zukuri</i> and is essentially an asymmetrical gable, with one side extended to cover the stairway on the entrance (front) side. The other primary type is the <i>yatsumune</i> roof found on buildings that combine the <i>honden</i> and <i>haiden</i> in one (see below).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chidorihafu and karahafu</i></td></tr>
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<b>Key features:</b> False A-shaped dormers called <i>chidorihafu</i> are a common feature on shrines, especially on the <i>haiden</i> from the sixteenth century onward. They are generally featured on the front side, in the center of the roof. Below them is often found a curved-bargeboard roof feature called a <i>karahafu</i>. It is usually on the edge of the roof directly over the entrance, or on an extended roof canopy overhanging the stairs (<i>kohai</i>). It is also a key feature of elaborate gates and the extensive use of both types give Japanese castles their distinctive appearance. Other key features include pent roofs, verandas, and bracket sets supporting the roof eaves and veranda.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chigi and katsuogi</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Chigi </i></b>and <b><i>katsuogi</i></b>: These are the most distinctive markings of Shinto shrines, though they only appear on some building types. <i>Chigi</i> are forked finials supporting the ridge board and extending past the ridge to form a V shape above the roofline, or sitting on the ridge to form an X shape. They are thought to be the remnants of the roof brace poles that were lashed together with rope in ancient construction styles. Today they are usually symbolic additions that sit on top of the roof ridge at each end. The direction of the cut at the end of the <i>chigi</i> may indicate the presence of a male or female <i>kami</i>-a vertical cut indicating a male, and a horizontal cut indicating a female. <i>Katsuogi</i> are log-like forms that sit on top of the roof ridge, perpendicular to it; they usually number five or six, but there may be as few as two or as many as twelve. The <i>katsuogi</i> (so named because they resemble dried <i>katsuo</i> bonito) once served to help weigh down the ridge and hold the straw roof in place. But at least by the fifth century, they also became decorative elements adorning the emperor's palace, according to an entry in the <i>Kojiki</i> relating to Emperor Yuryaku (r. 456-79). As early as the sixth century, the right to erect <i>chigi</i> and <i>katsuogi</i> was extended to include the homes of powerful families. Today both <i>katsuogi</i> and <i>chigi</i> are used to adorn certain types of shrine buildings, especially those in the <i>shinmei</i>, <i>taisha</i>, Sumiyoshi, and Kasuga styles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tomoe</i></td></tr>
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<b>Emblems:</b> Most shrines sport a crest that is a representation of either the enshrined <i>kami</i>, the clan that founded the shrine, or the shrine's status. They are generally round marks with some type of pattern within, such as the hollyhock of the Kamo shrines, the <i>yatagarasu</i> three-legged crow of the Kumano shrines, or the chrysanthemum of shrines associated with the imperial court. An emblem common to many shrines is the <i>mitsu tomoe </i>representing the division of heaven, earth and man.
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-23131750032936974842013-09-15T15:55:00.000+09:002014-03-20T19:33:58.432+09:00Susano-o<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The "Dark Brother" of Amatarasu; Susano-o no mikoto</b> </span><br />
<b>and the traditions of Izumo Taisha</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susano-o by Kuniyoshi<br />
(courtesy of Wikipedia)</td></tr>
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While 2013 is most significant in the world of Shinto for the twenty-year rebuilding (<i>shikinen sengu</i>) of Ise Jingu, the second most significant event may be the sixty-year refurbishing of Izumo Taisha in Shimane Prefecture. I have gone into some detail about this impressive shrine in <i><b>Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion.</b></i> Here I will summarize some of the research that relates to the shrine and its deities. As readers of the book and this blog are probably aware, Izumo Taisha enshrines Okuninushi no okami who is the son (or sixth-generation ancestor depending on the source) of Susano-o. The latter deity is said to be the brother of Amaterasu omikami of Ise Jingu, and is portrayed as the "dark force" to Amaterasu's "light force" in the <i>Kojiki</i> and <i>Nihon shoki</i>. Though never couched in quite those terms, the story is the quintessential "good guys vs. bad guys" scenario. As you might expect, the "bad guy" is in many ways the more complex and more interesting of the two. His ancestor, Okuninushi, is also a very interesting and significant <i>kami </i>and may even represent the influence and contribution to Japanese culture made by peoples form the Asian mainland—especially those from the ancient kingdoms of Korea. Hopefully I will have a chance to recount some of the more interesting research related to Okuninushi in future entries. For this entry, however, I want to concentrate on Susano-o. Though he is not the deity of Izumo Taisha as I mentioned above, he embodies the spirit of independence of the region as well as reveling some of the character of the early Yamato polity by the way it represented its opposition.<br />
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<b><i>Izumo as the 'Other Japan': Construction vs. Reality</i></b><br />
by Klaus Antoni<br />
This first piece is a sort of overview of the issues related to Izumo and its position in the history and mythology of Japan. The paper focuses on the ancient and the Meiji era history and how these became intertwined to create the image of Izumo as an "exotic other" which tries to both be and not be a part of the Emperor-centric shinto mythology. The secondary focus of this article, as with so much of the discussion of Shinto (or of any faith) is how much effort—if any—should be put into trying to relate myth to actual history. The author discusses this issue in relation to the actual historical ties between the Izumo region and the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla (jp. <i>shiragi</i>) vs. the mythology in the <i>Izumo fudoki</i>, as well as the romantic writings of Lafcadio Hern who introduced a "dreamlike" Izumo to the world in his recounting of myths and fables vs the reality of late ninteenth century JapanY.</div>
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Antoni begins with a look back at the history of Izumo from the death of the 83rd <i>guji</i> of Izumo Taisha and <i>kuni no miyatsuko</i> of Izumo, Senge Takatoshi. In recounting the traditional independence of Izumo, he explains the position of <i>kuni no miyatsko</i> and its pre-Taika reform status and how the Senge clung to this now purely ceremonial status into the modern age. He then introduces the ninth-century <i>Izumo Fudoki</i> which recounts the mythology of the region from the point of view of the people who lived there. It may be recalled that the f<i>udoki</i> was a report made to the Yamato government by individual regions, recording their myths and deities and significant events. These were in-turn used to augment the official mythology that was compiled into the <i>Nihon shoki</i>. Antoni makes clear some of the differences between the official mythology and the original. In the original Izumo mythology, the most important myth is the "land-pulling" myth (<i>kunihiki</i>) which recounts how the main deity of Izumo, Yatsukamizu omitsuno no mikoto pulls several chunks of land from the kingdom of Silla and adds them on to the land of Izumo to enlarge it. Both this deity and this story are missing from the official mythology. On the other hand, Susano-o, a benign agricultural deity of the region, is given central position as the errant brother of the sun goddess, who tries to overturn the rule of heaven and gets his comeuppance in the end. But the real influence of this tail on later—and especially the Meiji—generations, is in the position of Susano-o's son, Okuninushi. Okuninushi is portrayed in the official mythology as the deity who surrendered the land to the rule of the heavenly grandson in return for being worshipped at Izumo Taisha and for being given domain over the invisible world which includes the soul after death. Much of the development of this idea is credited to late-Edo period scholar Hirata Atsutane. It is in this capacity, it was argued in early-Meiji, that Okuninushi and Izumo should be ranked equal to Amaterasu and Ise Jingu. Lafcadio Hearn who lived in Izumo during this time, did much to spread the image of the region as a "cultural heartland" of the very ancient and pure Japan that the Meiji oligarchs tried so hard to promote—but in relation to the Emperor and Ise. This conflict between history and myth, especially as it plays out in the ancient conflict between Izumo vs Yamato, Korea vs Japan, archaeological and textural evidence vs modern constructs, sets the background for the ongoing discussion of the significance of the Izumo region and its mythology.</div>
Online at http://japanese-religions.jp/publications/assets/JR30_a_Antoni.pdf<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of Yamata no Orochi <br />
by Toyohara Chikanobu</td></tr>
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<b><i>Susanoo: One of the Central Gods in Japanese Mythology </i></b>(21 September 2013)<br />
by Emilia Gadeleva<br />
This paper focuses on Susano-o and its premise is that the deity was one of rain/water/agriculture which by its very nature contained both positive and negative aspects. The concept is also put forth that the imperial myths which were transformed and codified in the eighth century were based on much older beliefs. In other words, the author disputes the idea that assignment of negative characteristics to this deity was purely politically motivated and instead sees the primary pairing of a rain and sun god (Susano-o and Amaterasu) as a natural consequence of an agriculturally based society (near the conclusion of the paper, the author points out how this important pair could also be characterized as a benign and predictable sun vs an unpredictable and sometimes destructive rain). Her conclusions are the result of textural studies of the five remaining f<i>udoki </i>as well as the <i>Kojiki</i> and <i>Nihon shoki</i>. She also reviews the opinions of a number of Japanese scholars who see Susano-o as everything from a deity of the underworld, to a political foil for the consolidation of the Amaterasu-centric Yamato state, to a benign agricultural deity, to a deity of forests and shipbuilders, to a deity worshipped by Korean immigrants.<br />
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Susano-o mythology is looked at from the point of view of four phases: beginning with the character of Susano-o as a young boy, his constant crying and causing of disasters in his desire to go to "the land of his mother" (<i>ne no kuni</i>) is highlighted. Then, as a young man, his exuberance and violence is highlighted and a parallel is drawn with Yamato Takeru—that other violent hero of Japanese mythology. Next comes his transformation from bad actor to hero and benefactor when he slays the goddess of grains (an act of destruction which results in the positive birth of the five-grains), slays a dragon and saves a maiden. Finally, the paper takes a look at his role as lord of the neither world and father of Okuninushi. Along the way his negative image is highlighted as the result of two atributes; his reckless exuberance (unintentional "badness") and his rivalry with his sister, Amaterasu (more intentionally bad). While his positive image is related to his slaying of the dragon in Izumo (water and the image of dragons is closely related in ancient custom) and either his slaying of the food goddess (<i>Kojiki</i>) or his planting of trees (<i>Nihon shoki</i>). As to Susano-o's depiction in the <i>fudoki</i>, the author first refers to the <i>fudoki</i> of Bungo (present day Oita prefecture in Kyushu) where Susano-o is identified with the deity of the northern seas called Muto. He is depicted in a story where he is considered a god of the sea who brings calamities upon those who do not respect him, and he is considered a foreign god (<i>banshin</i>). However, in relation to Susano-o it is the Izumo <i>fudoki</i> which is of prime importance. Here the author looks for the roots of the name itself and its connection to rice and agriculture. In reference to one myth recorded here the author points out the mention of the deity of Kumano Shrine, a prominent shrine in both Izumo and Kumano in the Kii Peninsula. The importance of this god was said to have determined the roles of the hereditary worker groups (<i>be</i>) in relation to their religious duties, and that one of these was responsibility for offering clean food and water to the gods. The deity worshipped at both Kumano shrines is Susano-o—again tying this deity to agriculture, water and the cleanliness of food (Susano-o's reason for killing the food goddess is the unclean way in which she offered him food). Later on, the author relates the name Kumano to the ancient word <i>kuma</i> meaning "rice offered to the gods." Through the connection with Kumano Shrines as well as with numerous references to Korea (including the possibility that the name Susano-o is related to the Korean word <i>susung</i> meaning "shamen") in the myths relating to Susano-o, the author concludes that Susano-o was originally modeled on the priesthood which was responsible for food offerings and for predicting the amount and timing of rainfall. The latter responsibility exposed the shamen to criticism and blame when too little or too much rainfall was forthcoming—hence the image of the god as destructive. Perhaps also because of the relation of the location of the Kumano Shrines at what was believed to be the entrance and exit to <i>ne no kuni</i> (the neither world or more literally "land of roots"), Susano-o came to be seen as the ruler of the <i>ne no kuni</i>. Though not originally considered a negative place but one of rebirth and revitalization, <i>ne no kuni</i> eventually became associated with <i>yomi no kuni</i>, the place of death and pollution. This too contributed to the negative image of this important and complex deity. Interesting and detailed research.</div>
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Online at http://shikon.nichibun.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/123456789/1446/1/IJ1209.pdf<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susano-o slaying the dragon<br />
by Kuniteru</td></tr>
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<b><i>The Land-Pulling Myth and Some Aspects of Historic Reality </i></b>(22 September 2013)<br />
by Anders Carlquvist</div>
This paper focuses on an important aspect of Izumo mythology as mentioned in the previous paper: The Land-Pulling Myth. The author seeks the true significance of this important myth, from the Izumo Fudoki, in aspects of recorded history. The author begins by recounting the myth while annotating its four chapters which refer to four different pieces of land that were "pulled" and "attached" to the Land of Izumo by the deity called Yatsukamizu Omitsuno. That land includes; Kidzuki Cape, pulled from Silla in Korea; Sada. pulled from Sakai Country; Kurami, pulled from Yonami Country; and Miho, pulled from Tsutsu Cape in Koshi. The exploration for meaning begins with looking at similar myths from other counttries. The author finds numerous references in Asia to new land being dredged up from the sea but finds nothing like the "cutting" of land that appears in this myth. The author looks as far afield as Scandinavia and finds some compelling similarities but concludes that the connection is tenuous. In support of the theory that the land-pulling myth represents the "countries" allied to form the socio-political-economic Izumo Alliance, the author extensively outlines the number and size of <i>kofun</i> (burial mounds of the late Yayoi period) in the area and their possible relation to the relative strength of the areas mentioned in the myth. Though the <i>fudok</i>i was compiled at a much later period, the author argues that elements of the ancient power centers survived. While recounting the writers of the Izumo Fudoki and their position—especially that of <i>kuni no miyatsuko</i>—the author goes on to explain some of the key differences in the interpretation of the <i>fudoki</i> and the <i>kiki*</i> of deities who were central to the Land-ceding myth. The Land-ceding myth explains how the heavenly ancestor of the imperial house, came to be the ruler of the land of Japan by gaining suzerainty over the land of Izumo. These differences reflect the way hat Izumo and Yamato viewed their positions. Finally, the author recounts a second prominent myth from Izumo fudoki that of the <i>wani</i>—and uses this as part of his argument that the real purpose of the Izumo fudoki was to assert the rights of the <i>kuni no miyatsuko</i> and emphasize the willingness of the region to protect itself from encroachment by the Yamato state. The inclusion of a strong relation to the Korean kingdom of Silla and the area of Koshi—both of which which had previously fought and won a major battle with the Yamato state—serves also as a warning to treat Izumo as a docile, yet dangerous, ally. Thus the author concludes that the significance of the land-pulling myth is defensive and political.
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* the <i>Kojiki</i> and <i>Nihon shoki</i><br />
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Online at http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/3016<br />
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<b><i>The Kusanagi Sword </i></b>(October 26, 2013)<br />
by Nelly Naumann<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">This paper focuses on one of the three symbols of power, known as the "Three Regalia" (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>sanshu no jingi</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">), associated with the accession of the emperor. The three are the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>Yata no kagami</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> (mirror), </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>Yasakani no magatama</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> (jewel) and the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>Kusanagi no tsurugi</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> (sword). Although a symbol of power of the emperor, the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>Kojiki</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><i>Nihon shoki</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> relate that the sword had its origins in Izumo. The sword is kept at Atsuta Jingu in Nagaoya and this paper follows the origins and mythology attached to it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">Much uncertainty surrounds all the regalia including whether or not the current objects are copies of the originals or copies of copies, and of what provenience. The Nihon shoki recounts that when Emperor Sujin became fearful of the power of the two <i>kami</i> (Yamato no okunitama and Amaterasu) as embodied in the sword and mirror, he sent them out of the palace. The mirror went to Ise and the sword was enshrined at "Anashi in Yamato" and later put under the care of the Yamato no Atae and finally sent to Ise. How it is that the sword resides at Atsuta Jingu is part of one of several lines of mythology which this paper attempts to follow. The first line, which Naumann describes as essentially political in nature, has us follow the discovery of the sword by Susano-o in the tail of the eight-headed serpent which he kills on his arrival in Izumo. He then sends it to his sister Amaterasu as a token of sincere apology (servitude?) and she bestows it upon her nephew Ninigi when he descends to rule the land (hence its role in imperial succession). Many generations later the sword is given for protection to Yamato-takeru by his aunt the <i>saigu</i> of Ise Jingu, while he is on his way to subdue the tribes of the East. Before his last mission, he leaves the sword with his wife, a daughter of the Wohari clan, and she enshrines it at Atsuta Jingu after he is killed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> The second important line is the more natural one; the sword stays in the family of Susano-o and resides in Izumo. This line is supported by the sojourn of Susano-o's son Okuninushi to the underworld to visit his father. He is assisted in overcoming the trails through which his father puts him by Suseri-bime with who he flees, taking with him the sword of life, the bow-and-arrows of life, and the talking zither, with which he will rule the land. In this line, Susano-o naturally bestows three regalia on his own son who is to be the new ruler of the land and the serpent symbolism is seen as one of new life generated from death. </span></span></div>
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But there is a third line which posits that the sword always belonged to the Wohari clan and may only have been lent to Tenmu, who saw to it that it figured prominently in the royal succession. This theory takes its support from two directions. First, the implausibility and convoluted stories relating to how the sword was visited upon the emperor and how it came to reside at Atsuta. Second, is the historical relationship between the house of Wohari and that of the imperial family. Beside the fact that the Wohari saved Tenmu's bacon so-to-speak in his war against his brother's son to gain the throne, the author points out that the Wohari traced their family back to the third son of Ninigi and were therefore of the same lineage as the emperor. A Wohari consort of Emperor Keitai bore two sons who became Emperor Ankan and Emperor Senka. Only the entries for Keitai and Senka in the Nihon Shoki record accession rites involving the Kusanagi sword. There is also the curious recorded incident of the monk Dogyo stealing the sword in the year 688 and making for Korea. Inclement weather forced the monk to return and the sword was kept in the palace for eighteen years before being sent (returned?) to Atsuta after it was deemed to be the cause of Emperor Tenmu's illness. Naumann concludes that the third line is the most plausible with the qualification that the sword most likely did originate in Izumo and may have been a sign of that countries subordination to Yamato and of Yamato's early reliance on the clans of its eastern-most territories.</span><br />
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Online at http://www.freidok.unifreiburg.de/volltexte/4635/pdf/Naumann_The_kusanagi_sword.pd<b><i> </i></b><br />
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<b><i>Sakahagi: The "Reverse Flaying" of the Heavenly Piebald Horse </i></b>(20 March 2014)<br />
by Nelly Nauman<br />
I am finally getting around to the last of these papers dealing with the "dark brother" of Amaterasu, Susano-o. It is another paper by the great German ethnologist and folklorist, Nelly Nauman. Here she focuses on an aspect of the mythology of the wild and rude behavior of Susano-o; the "Reverse Flaying" of a piebald horse. Briefly, after Susano-o and Amaterasu have a contest to see who can produce the best children, Susano-o declares himself the winner and proceeds to revel in his victory resulting in all manner of "sins" such as defiling the heavenly rice fields and the hall of the tasting of first fruits. All this is forgiven but when he "reverse flays" a piebald horse and dumps it through a hole in the ceiling of the sacred weaving hall, he frightens the weaving maiden (or Amaterasu herself) who strikes herself in the genitals with the shuttle and dies. This causes Amaterasu to hide herself away which causes the world to go dark. Nauman says that most studies of the myth gloss over this event as just one more in a series of misdeeds by Susano-o. But Nauman delves further to try to uncover the deeper meaning behind this "final straw". She begins with the concept of "reverse flaying" which she associates with other types of reverse actions such as reverse clapping and reverse drinking which are mentioned elsewhere in Japanese mythology. It seems that the very action of reversing what are normally life affirming actions are considered a cause of death. In this case, we have the death of the weaving maiden or indeed of Amaterasu herself who then "hides away" in a cave sealed with a huge stone in the same way that kofun tombs were used to bury the dead. She also goes into a detailed explanation of how the opposite action (the putting on of a new skin) can symbolize the attainment of new life. Through another series of myths, especially Chinese, she relates the piebald horse to the moon and also explains how it was probably a cultic figure in Japan. She then interprets the dropping of the reverse-flayed piebold skin into the weaving house as the death of the moon (represented by the horse) and the killing of the light (represented by the weaving maiden). His punishment, besides banishment from heaven, is to have his nails and his hair pulled out. This is seen as a kind of exorcism and purification allowing him to transform into a giver of and protector of life as is seen by his subsequent actions on earth. As this disappearance of the light is followed by another disappearance (that of Amaterasu into the cave) Nauman fells that these are similar myths from two different cultures (Izumo and Yamato) mixed together because of their similarities. Such mixing of myths and the grafting of contemporary (i.e eighth century myths) onto late Jomon and Yayoi myths (weaving was likely introduced in the very late Jomon or early Yayoi) is what makes Japanese mythology so difficult to decipher. Nauman shows us again how the coincidence of imagery can lead us astray while a broader and deeper search for meaning enriches our understanding.<br />
Online at http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/1155</div>
Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-52583481869532367302013-06-26T19:29:00.003+09:002019-08-07T10:38:04.317+09:00Mount Fuji<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Mount Fuji and its Religious Traditions</b></span><br />
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In honor of the inclusion of Mt. Fuji in the list of World Heritage properties, I am posting summaries of some scholarly papers related to its religious traditions. This will be along the lines of the posting on Amaterasu omikami and the origins of Ise Jingu.</div>
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In <i><b>Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</b></i>, I have included an eight-page entry on Fujisan Hongen Sengen Taisha, which literally owns the top of Mt. Fuji, as well as a number of shrines around the base of the mountain that figure in its history. While guide books and advice on climbing the mountain or lodging nearby abound, here I will review some English-language sources relating to the sacred history of the mountain. Of course, everyone in Japan knows Mt. Fuji and perhaps even a majority of the people consider it the preeminent symbol of the country, yet few are familiar with even the broadest outlines of its sacred history.<br />
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Finally, for those who would rather climb Mt. Fuji than read about it, I am happy to present this piece by American Shinto priest, Pat Ormsby, which comes to us via good friend John Dougill's <i>Green Shinto</i> blog. The original piece is here: http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2013/03/31/fuji-seven-sacred-trails/ and I highly recommend the blog for anyone interested in Shinto or in various aspects of Japanese culture. Several other pieces by Pat Ormsby are posted there as well.<br />
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While you're here, any readers who are interested in having a <i>kamidana</i> of their own, or would like to send one to a friend or family member, please check out this post: <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html">https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html</a><br />
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<b><i>Fuji: Seven Sacred Trails </i></b> (11 July 2013)
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<b><i>Reconnecting with the sacred paths of Mt. Fuji</i></b>
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by Patricia Ormsby
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Mt. Fuji has been worshiped as a divine entity from as far back as anyone was keeping record, with pilgrimages undertaken to the summit in ancient times. These days paved roads can take you half way up the steep slopes, and the climb from there is more popular than ever, but the old pilgrimage routes around the base and up the lower slopes have been all but forgotten. There is not much of a view from the dense forests, and it takes real devotion to put in the long, hot climb required. The ancient routes are nonetheless notable.
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<b>The Yoshida Trail</b>
According to the City of Fuji-Yoshida, “The original Yoshida Climbing Route starts from the Fuji Sengen Shrine, where the pilgrims of over 500 years ago came to pray before they started their climb up the sacred mountain. Today, traditionalists still claim that the only way to climb Mt. Fuji is from the Fuji Sengen Shrine.”
This was the most easily accessed route from Edo, where the devotional Fuji confraternities (more on them later) were very popular during the Tokugawa rule. Since it is the route of a marathon to the summit each July, it is the best maintained of all the hiking trails below the 5th Station.
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<b>The Murayama Route</b>
The Murayama Route is the oldest trail up Mt. Fuji, followed by the nearby Suyama Route. It was developed about 1000 years ago together with a temple complex in the village of Murayama, just south of the volcano, which became a lively center of ascetic Shugendo practice. The trail fell into disuse in 1903, but has been revived in recent years.
Several years ago, I attempted to follow the Murayama Route, but got lost when it entered a summer home community which had well developed recreational paths heading off in all directions, obscuring the ancient route. Since then, however, more efforts to reestablish the trail have been made, and two years ago, accompanied by two Shugendo practitioners, I was able follow the entire route from the Murayama Sengen Shrine.
The route was well marked, with a few obstacles. At the 5th Station parking lot, it joins the crowded Fujinomiya Trail to the summit. My companions, in full <i>yamabushi</i> (mountain ascetic) regalia, were delayed several hours on the latter by hikers wanting them to pose for pictures.
Dedicated practitioners start their pilgrimage from the port of Tagonoura in Fuji City. Their journey has three sections, the first of which is the urban-suburban roadways of what once was a grassy plain, and represented “this world.” The forests of the Murayama Route represented a transition, and the bare slopes higher up, the world of the dead, to which the pilgrim could go and return.
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<b>The Suyama Route</b>
Similar to the Murayama Route, the Suyama Route has recently been rescued from oblivion. It starts from the Suyama Sengen Shrine near Ashitakyama, an eroded volcanic remnant southeast of Mt. Fuji. Its lower reaches pass adjacent to a golf course and other tourist facilities that lend it a certain quantity of litter and noise, but it is geologically interesting.
Mizutsuka, one of several old cinder cones along the way, is one of the few places on the mountain with reliable surface water. The trail gives views of all three of the Hoei-zan craters, site of Mt. Fuji’s most recent eruption in 1707, before reaching the Ochuudoh and Fujinomiya Trails at the 6th Station.The Gotemba Route, which parallels it nearby, is the most difficult and picturesque route up Mt. Fuji, climbing through cinders from the Hoei eruption, but the trail appears to have no deep history.<br />
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<b>The Subashiri Trail</b>
From the vicinity of the Niihashi Sengen Shrine, established about 800 years ago in Gotemba, east of Mt. Fuji, there is a trail going up to the small secondary peak of Kofuji near the Subashiri 5th Station. I can find nothing on the history of that trail, but have heard that in old times women were allowed access to a smaller peak on pilgrimages, and I have long thought that peak might be it.
The main Subashiri Trail currently rises from the 5th Station and meets the Yoshida Trail at the 8th Station. This causes confusion among hikers attempting to descend on the latter. If the Ochuudoh route were better known, it would be a cinch for lost hikers to return to the proper trail at the 6th Station, taking about twenty minutes along a level course.
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<b>The Shoji Trail</b>
The Shoji Trail is one of the most interesting routes, leading from Lake Shoji to the northwest of the mountain to the 5th Station, where it joins the Ochuudoh and Yoshida Trails. There is no shrine associated with it, and it bisects the haunted forest of Aokigahara, where families once abandoned their elderly to die, currently a destination for suicides.
Compasses often do not work in the forest due to geomagnetic anomalies. This is a shame, because otherwise, it is a most impressive route. Devotees piled up basalt rocks to make the route smooth and straight, and the dense forest has largely protected their work from erosion.
The road was broad enough to accommodate royalty and is still easily passable, despite fallen trees, and unmistakable for its entire course. The minimal signs are more than adequate. The two <i>yamabushi</i> and I hiked down it at night. This trail and the Ochuudoh provide a sense of the degree of devotion once shown by pilgrims, ascetic practitioners and lay followers alike.
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<b>The Ochuudoh</b>
Literally, “the middle road,” this route circumscribes Mt. Fuji at the 5th to 6th Stations and was particularly beloved by the Fuji confraternity, who maintained at least one shrine along it which also provided lodging. Representing the Buddhist injunction to avoid extremes, it was nonetheless the most difficult pilgrimage route, with a hazardous crossing of the Ohsawa Kuzure, an erosional gully on the west slope.
The route fell out of use several decades ago when the gully became simply too dangerous to cross, but I have traveled nearly all of it and was able to ascertain its current status last October. The entire route on the Yamanashi (i.e., north) side is in good condition, passing through forests which protect it from rock slides. Parts of it near the Yoshida 5th Station parking lot have been paved with hand-hewn stones, presenting a broad, currently popular route. Like the Yellow-Brick Road, however, things get wild further on and care must be taken to stay on course.
The Fuji confraternity shrine is just short of the constantly rumbling chasm of the Ohsawa Kuzure in a dense foggy forest about 1.5 hours walk westward from the Yoshida 5th Station parking lot. Eastward, just short of where it intersects the Subashiri Trail, there are the remains of another shrine. Crossing over to the Shizuoka (i.e., south) side from there, however, the trail emerges onto bare slopes, where it was annually obliterated even when it had large numbers of travelers.
A sandy slog of about an hour, angling slightly upward takes you into view of the Hoei-zan crater, where the Ochuudoh is clearly marked and well traveled, running along the shoulder of the cinder cone, then descending into the crater, emerging at the Fujinomiya Trail 6th Station. Westward from there, however, it has been entirely obliterated by bulldozer roads, and its point of reentry into the forests beyond can be hard to locate. There is at least one brave soul, however, who makes the complete circuit regularly, descending to the base of Mt. Fuji to cross the Ohsawa Kuzure, and climbing again on the other side as a summertime exercise when his real passion of cross-country skiing is not possible.
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<b>Eight Inner and Eight Outer Lakes</b>
The Fuji confraternity was a sect founded in the early 16th century by Hasegawa Kakugyo, an ascetic who bypassed the thriving Shugendo community at Murayama and undertook his own ascetic practice in the Hitoana lava cave to the west of Mt. Fuji. Highly popular as a lay organization promoting Fuji pilgrimages during the Edo period, it seems to have been bypassed by modernity, the most recent Hasegawa heir shunning the leadership. The remaining members are mostly old enough to remember the deprivations of World War II or its aftermath.
Their liturgy mentions “<i>uchisoto hakko no ryuujin</i>,” meaning the dragon gods of the eight inner and eight outer lakes. The inner lakes include the famous five lakes of Mt. Fuji and three other smaller lakes that are not famous. The first of these is Lake Osensui, where the Dragon King of hand washing is said to reside. That is the ritual of purification undertaken before entering sacred ground. The second is Lake Yamanaka, where dwells the Dragon King of medicine. The third is Lake Asumi, with the Dragon King of prophecies. The fourth is Lake Kawaguchi, with the Dragon King of irrigation. The fifth is Lake Saiko, with the Dragon King of green trees (that is to say, the haunted forest of Aokigahara), from where arise the seeds of our food. The sixth is Lake Shoji, with the Dragon King of success. The seventh is Lake Motosu, with the Dragon King of ancient origins from the mists of mythology. The eighth is Lake Shibire, with the Dragon King of future outcomes.
The Fuji sect followers still undertake pilgrimages to these, but travel by car. The Tokai Shizen Hodo, established in recent decades from Tokyo to Osaka, passes fairly close to most of the lakes, making a pleasant trip on foot possible. It would be less strenuous than climbing Mt. Fuji—unless one undertook the traditional ritual bathing at each lake. Fed by Mt. Fuji spring water arising from deep below the surface, they are icy cold.
The eight outer lakes include Biwako, Ashinoko, Futamigaura, Suwako, Chuzenjiko, Harunako, Sakuragaike, and Kasumigaura. Of these, Futamigaura is not actually a lake but a sea coast in Ise. However, it shares with the others the distant visibility of Mt. Fuji, if not directly, then from a mountain nearby.
At Futamigaura, which has the famous married rocks joined by a rope of rice straw, the sun rises from directly behind Mt. Fuji at the summer solstice. Visiting all of these would have been a labor of great devotion in times prior to modern transport.
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Asama Jinja </i>in<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Studies in Shinto and Shrines </i>(6 July 2013)</div>
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by R.A.B. Ponsonby-Fane</div>
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Less well-known than Chamberlin, Sansom, et al., Ponsonby-Fane wrote extensively on the history of Shinto shrines and their deities in the 1920's and 30's. In his entry for Asama Jinja (Fuji Hongu Sengen Taisha) he begins with the story of the deity of the shrine as it was known at that time, Konohanasakuya-hime, as related in the <i>Kojiki</i> and <i>Nihon shoki</i>. He provides some detail about her father, Oyamatsumi, a deity which makes a number of unrelated appearances in the <i>kiki</i> but which seems to be simply a mountain deity. He then goes into the problem of how Konohanasakuya became the deity of the mountain, considering only that she was supposed to have been a deity of great beauty and the Fuji was regarded as the same. He then goes into the foundations of the shrine which according to tradition, was founded in Yamamiya and moved to its present site in Omiya (now Fujimiya) in 806, displacing a Fuji Jinja mentioned in the <i>engishiki</i> which is now a <i>sessha</i> of Fuji Sengen. In terms of the shrine building itself, he says that the first mention is in <i>Azuma Kagami</i> under the date 1223. The shrine burned during the Onin Wars and was rebuilt around 1578 but burned down again and the present incarnation was rebuilt by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 1600's. He then goes into great detail about the shrine buildings. In the next section on <i>sessha</i> and <i>massha</i>, he revisits the Fuji Jinja which is thought to be from the reign of Emperor Korei (legendary emperor whose reign is traditionally dated as 290-215 B.C.). He says that the deity of this shrine is Fuji Tayu also identified as Oyamatsumi. He also relates an interesting story of how Mt. Fuji got its snow from the <i>Hitachi fudoki</i>. (Paraphrased) "In the old days, Miyoya no kami made the rounds of the abodes of deities and it was night when he came to Suruga where he wished to stay the night. The Fukuji no kami refused him saying that it was a festival day and the house was fasting. At this the Miyoya no kami became angry and said, You! why do you refuse your father? The mountain on which you dwell shall be covered in snow winter and summer and there will be nothing to eat or drink." He mentions that Asama Jinja owns the top of the mountain above the 8th station but does not go into detail (for more on this, please see my book <i>Shinto Shrines</i>). The entry ends with some details of the priestly family of the shrine and some mention of its Buddhist history (which he refers to as a "contamination") before ending with some notes on the shrine's festivals. Ponsonby-Fane was a royalist and staunch supporter of the Emperor and as such, his research is somewhat tainted. Still, he relates interesting details that speak of the depth of his research.</div>
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Available from booksellers, published by Routledge which is happy to provide it to you, complete with a binding that falls apart inside of six months, for the meager price of USD 199.54 </div>
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<i><b>The Formation of Emperor Worship in the New Religions—The Case of Fujido </b></i>(6 July 2013)</div>
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by Miyazaki Fumiko</div>
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Despite the focus of this paper on the relation between emperor worship and the formation of the new religions of the late-Edo and early-Meiji periods in general, it gives a good understanding of how worship of Mt. Fuji underwent the change from <i>shugendo</i> and combinatory religion, to a "purely" Shinto-based faith. By the early nineteenth century, Fujido had become the largest of the Mt. Fuji fraternities (know as <i>ko</i>), which were derived from the followers of Kakugyo's and Jikigyo Miroku's teachings. These teachings were that everything was derived from the original father and mother which was also considered to be the sun and the moon. Believers were urged to apply their energies to peace and fertility, diligence in the family occupation and matrimonial harmony—in other words, the basic Confucian values of the Tokugawa era. Where they differed from these values was their stress on the equality of the social classes (warriors, farmers, artisans and tradesmen) and the equality of the sexes. In a time of much strife, Fujido was also one of a number of millenist or "world renewal" movements (such as the "<i>ee ja nai ka</i>", this one focused on the coming of the age of Miroku (Maitreya). While the motivation for many of the Japanese new religions is well known (the social upheavals, coming of Westerners, and the Meiji ban on mixing religions), Miyazaki examines the mechanism by which this change took place in the Fujido. In short, the pressure from the Meiji government to conform to its new standards for religion caused most cults to either close down or to totally revise their doctrines and rituals. While Fujido chose the latter, even changing the name of the organization to Jikkokyo and becoming one of the thirteen authorized Shinto cults. The transition was made by the ninth successor, Gyoga, and Shibara Hanamori who was influenced by the theories of Hirata Atsutane. As an example of how Fujido's views became transformed, Miyazaki talks about their view of history. They believed that for the first 6,000 years of human history, the world was governed by the original father and mother. For the next 12,000 years (the "Age of the Gods") rule was in the hands of Amaterasu omikami (as the child of the sun and the moon). The next 30,000 years were (and this had already begun, in their view) the Age of Miroku. In affecting the adoption of a new Shinto based on the divinity of the Emperor, one important point was the emphasis on "pure Japanese" (i.e. untainted by Chinese [Confucian] or Indian [Buddhist] culture) which existed in both Fujido and the new National Learning. This resulted from the prevailing "commoner (Fujido member) vs. the elite (Confucian-intellectual, Buddhist) mentality on which the new Meiji government made every effort to capitalize. Another factor was that the Age of Miroku came to be seen as a return to an earlier age, which fit in with the restoration (<i>fukko</i>) thinking of the Meiji leaders. This was the concept that the Japanese emperor's existed in one unbroken bloodline from the beginning of human time, and that the new government was actually a return to an idyllic ancient order headed by this demigod.</div>
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Available online at http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2430<br />
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<i><b>Mount Fuji and Shugendo </b></i>(6 July 2013)</div>
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by Byron Earhart</div>
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This paper is based on Earhart's research for his subsequent book "Mount Fuji", which was released in 2011. Unfortunately, I have not yet read the book but the present paper gives some idea of it's contents. Although I have previously summarized two papers on Mt. Fuji by Royall Tyler, it would probably be a good idea to read this one first. While it goes over much of the same territory, it gives a very good, overall view of the history of the mountain and its worship through the ages. While the same names appear in all three papers, this one gives a more detailed account of the rise and fall of Murayama Shugendo. It also makes clear how Kakugyo inherited the tradition but without revering the lineage of Matsudai and Raison. Instead, he set himself up as the direct receiver of revelations from Sengen Dainichi, after having been "sent" to Fuji by En no Gyoja, the anointed patriarch of the <i>shugendo</i> faith. Earhart makes clear how Kakugyo viewed the mountain and its deity as the source of all life. He then briefly touches on Jikgyo Miroku and his starvation-martyrdom, which spurs the spread of the religion to the common people of Edo, along with the foundation of Fuji-ko worship groups that survive to this day in a much modified form. While he does not go into the final phase of Fuji worship—where it turns from a <i>shugendo</i> based faith, to a Shinto based one—this paper gives a clear and easily understood overview of the faith practiced on the mountain for over one thousand years.<br />
Available online at http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2406<br />
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<i><b>"The Book of the Great Practice" The Life of the Mt. Fuji Ascetic Kakugyo Tobutsu Ku </b></i><br />
(6 July 2013)</div>
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by Royall Tyler</div>
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The title of this paper is annotated with the words "Introduction and Translation" but it is more than that. The first half is actually a point-by-point description of the text that is translated in the second half, and of the ascetic author, Kakugyo. In the other paper by the same author, summarized below, Kakugyo is introduced in the context of Fuji's history of worship. Here he is brought to the fore. In the introduction, the author sets about informing us of who Kakugyo was and trying to separate fact from fiction as regards the history and the writings. Kakugyo is credited with the beginning of the doctrines and beliefs that characterized Fuji worship from the Edo period to early Meiji. These were handed down in several writings, of which the most important is known as "The Book of the Great Practice" and in Japanese as the "Kakugyo Tobatsu Ku." It is supposed to be a biography written in 1620 by Kakugyo's successor Engan. However, there are a large number of variations and additions that seem to have been made long after Kakugyo's death in 1646. Briefly, Kakugyo had a dream that En no Gyoja instructed him to go to Mt. Fuji and seek out the <i>hitoana</i> cave. This is where Kakugyo did his severe austerities. This is where the Sengen deity instructed him on the true meaning of the mountain and its deities. The name <i>sengen</i> is an alternative reading of the word <i>asama</i>, a common name for mountains in Japan. Both names were used from early times to refer to the mountain, while the name "Fuji" (also around from ancient times but using various characters) came into common use from Meiji. Kakugyo's teachings centered on the sun, the moon and the stars (called the "three luminaries"). Kakugyo viewed Fuji as the <i>axis mundi</i> and the source of all life. But Kakugyo also retains belief in Dainichi, the basis of the <i>shugendo</i> belief system that dominated the mountain until the sixteenth century. At some point, Sengen Dainichi tells Kakugyo, "I am called Konohananasakuya-hime, the beginning of the world and the origin of the human body." This may be the first time the name of the goddess of Takachiho in southern Kyushu is associated with the mountain. Nevertheless, it is this fully-Shinto deity who is now worshiped at Mt. Fuji.</div>
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Available online at http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/1793<br />
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<i><b>A Glimpse of Mt. Fuji in Legend and Cult </b></i>(29 June 2013)</div>
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by Royall Tyler</div>
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This first paper is a general look at the worship surrounding and inspired by Fuji since legend and belief was first put to paper in Japan. He begins the survey with a poem from the Manyoshu of around A.D.759, which reminds us that "...the lofty peak of Fuji...is a god mysterious." While there are many legends of how the mountain itself came to be, like a number of other sacred mountains in Japan, the sacred history of this one is said to begin with the climb of En no Gyoja around 700. Since that time until the Meiji period, worship of Mt. Fuji was primarily Buddhist of the mountain ascetic, Shugendo variety. However the tradition of Fujisan Hongu is that it was established nearly 700 years earlier than that during the reign of Emperor Suinin. A full scale shrine is reported to have been built in 806, but the action doesn't really heat up until one Matsudai Shonin climbed the mountain several hundred times and built a temple to Dainichi Nyorai on the mountain in 1149. He is credited as the first to "popularize" climbing the mountain and bring Shugendo-style worship. He established the the first real Fuji cult at Maruyama near the southwestern base of the mountain. He was followed in the early-fourteenth century by Raison who established the Fuji-gyo, attracting increasing numbers of laymen to the mountain. By the early seventeenth century, the power had shifted from Kyoto to Edo and with it, an increase in the number of worshipers coming from the east. Enter an ascetic named Kakugyo who spent many hard years in a cave called <i>hitoana</i> on Mt. Fuji, meditating while standing on a small block of wood, climbing up and down the mountain to do cold water ablutions, and writing is special "received" letters. Though he did not create a great following, his legend attracted others who did. One such was Jikigyo, an Edo townsman turned ascetic, whose "Record of Thirty-One Days" (his teachings recorded by a follower in the days before his death), became an essential part of the Fuji cult, which grew in size and popularity even as the population of Edo flocked to the mountain's slopes.<br />
Available on line with a free subscription to http://www.jstor.org/<br />
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-50667432595094066172013-06-21T19:14:00.000+09:002019-08-07T10:29:57.846+09:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 26px;"><b>Tagata Jinja</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 26px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>UC</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell of Tagata Jinja<br />
(this and following two photos from yamasa.org)</td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> A Tagata Jinja is mentioned in the <i>engishiki</i> written in 927.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 152, Tagata-cho, Komaki City, Aichi 485-0004</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 0568-76-2906 Pamphlet in English available for 100 yen.</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> Take the Inuyama line from Meitetsu Shin Nagoya Station to Inuyama Station. Transfer to the Komaki Line and take the train to Tagata Jinja-mae Station, then a few minutes by foot.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>: </b>Tamahime no mikoto, Mitoshi no kami</div>
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<b>Prayers offered:</b> Successful childbirth, anything related to fertility and growth. </div>
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<b>Best time to go:</b> Best to go for the Hounen Matsuri in March.<br />
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While you're here, any readers who are interested in having a <i>kamidana</i> of their own, or would like to send one to a friend or family member, please check out this post: <a href="https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html">https://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/portable-kamidana-jinja.html</a> </div>
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<b>Important physical features:</b> The smallish grounds and the buildings of Tagata Jinja are of less interest than what lies within and around the buildings. Yet it is these objects of veneration that attract worshipers, visitors and gawkers from around Japan and around the world. Simply put, it is the penis, in every shape and size, in both wood and stone, that attracts so much attention. The grand daddy of them all is the 7-foot, 600-pound <i>O-owasegata</i> carved afresh each year from a cedar log, and used in the shrine's famous Hounen-sai festival. Enshrined afresh each year it will be unceremoniously sold off and replaced with a new one when its time is up. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>O-owasegata </i>in procession</td></tr>
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>The primitive root (pardon the first of many puns) of all religions is the concern for the continuation of human life. The main expression of this concern revolves around fertility, and the focus of fertility worship is always both human fertility and that of mother earth which gives man life. Tagata Jinja enshrines Tamahime no mikoto, said to be the daughter of a local lord. This young woman was betrothed (or married) to a young man named Takeinadane who was killed in battle. It is not quite clear how Tamahime thus came to be a <i>kami</i> of fertility. In fact, there are many female <i>kami</i> called Tamahime or Tamayourihime, etc. This is usually a "human" who attracts and cohabits with a <i>kami</i> (<i>tama</i> means "spirit" but also <i>kami</i> and <i>hime</i> is "woman"). For more on <i>kami</i> please see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shinto-Shrines-Sacred-Ancient-Religion/dp/0824837134" target="_blank"><i>Shinto Shrines: The Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion</i></a>. This would imply that her husband was a <i>kami</i> and we would expect to find him enshrined as well. However, we have only to look as far as Atsuta Jingu to find Takeinadane enshrined along with a host of other deities, including Miyasuhime, who is also considered an ancestor deity of the Owari clan that founded the area. Mitoshi no kami on the other hand is said to be a grandchild of Susano-o no mikoto and considered a <i>kami</i> of grain. At one time, a ritual was held on the first and fifteenth of each month in which men holding banners with penis images, lead a procession carrying a huge wooden penis around the shrine grounds. On January 15, the date of the Dosojin festival and the Kinen-sai of the shrine, special horizontal penis banners were waved over the rice fields, thus blessing the harvest. The Dosojin is a group of fertility as well as a protective deities revered all over Japan. Stone tablets of Dosojin—usually depicting a couple, sometimes in a sexual embrace or with other sexual imagery—were erected (oops! there's another one) on roadsides throughout the country. Essentially a folk religion, even when elevated to the level of national/cultural symbolism as in the Kojiki and Nihon shoki, Shinto has always been more concerned with the continuation of life and earthy life-processes than lofty ideas of afterlife, the soul, and the complexities of theology. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>O-owasegata enshrined</i></td></tr>
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<b>Description:</b> Tagata Jinja is located in the town of Komaki about 30 minutes from Nagoya. It is well known as the place with the “penis festival” but the Hounen-sai is actually a “bountiful harvest” festival. Fertility festivals are not unusual in Japan though few are as “in your face” as the Hounen-sai. The only real rival is the Kanamara Matsuri (steel penis festival) of Kanamara Jinja in Kawasaki, where a huge pink penis (scrotum included) is paraded around along with an assortment of wooden phalluses and penis and vagina memorabilia. There are also other shrines that display an assortment of carved manhood (the Taga Jinja in Shikoku has a particularly life-like specimen), and the culture of <i>seishin</i> (essentially gods of sex) in Japan is, so to speak, long and deep. Though, as I said previously, fertility themes and images are basic to Shinto, still Tagata Jinja seems to go out of its way to visualize the theme. Take for example the bell which one rings before saying a little prayer for a little one. At Tagata, the shape of the bell is suggestive of how that wish might be fulfilled (hint: not by praying).</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> This is not to say that the other half of the equation has been totally neglected. There are a number of vaginas in evidence and especially among the various mementos (<i>omiage</i>) offered during festivals. But the female role is left, for the most part, to a sort of sister shrine (poor choice of words perhaps) called Oagata Jinja in the nearby town of Inuyama. Here, the female image is ascendant and the Honen-sai is held on the weekend before that of Tagata. At Oagata one can find the <i>hime ishi</i> (princess stone) in the shape of the vagina. This kind of yin/yang (in/yo in Japanese), male/female imagery is fully accepted for what it is, a mildly titillating prayer for fecundity and good health. To some degree it represents the dichotomy of feeling natural and comfortable with sexuality, while at the same time trying to elevate such images to the realm of the divine. Another take on this dichotomy is offered by scholar <a href="https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2443" target="_blank">Allan Grapard </a>who postulates that women in Japan were relegated to the level of biological production while men were producers of culture. In displays of phallic imagery within the context of the sacred, one sees the perpetual search for accommodation between the “higher” and “baser” self. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> In Hindu religion, the <i>lingam</i> (male) and the <i>yoni</i> (female) play a similar role as fertility symbols as well as symbols of human sexuality and of the positive and protective powers of the gods. Here too, the symbolism varies from the hidden and subtle to the overt and extrovert. In India as in Japan there is no moral indignation at the use of these symbols—though there may be some embarrassment. In Japan, embarrassment comes with self-consciousness and self-consciousness became greater with exposure to foreign culture. Thus, with the full-scale entry of the West into Japan during the Meiji era, the authorities became self-conscious of this aspect of native culture and did their best to suppress overt sexual images, especially as regards the Dosojin images that populated the countryside. Today, official condemnation is gone but the personal sense of embarrassment (and joy at the embarrassment of others) is just one more important aspect of the celebration at Tagata Jinja and its famous phallic festival!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maidens of the Hounen-sai<br />
(photo from kikuko-nagoya.com)</td></tr>
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<b>Festival:</b> <a href="http://japanvisitor.blogspot.jp/2012/03/tagata-shrine-phallic-festival-2012.html" target="_blank">Hounen-sai</a>, 15 March. The festival recreates the visit of Takeinadane to Tamahime no mikoto. This is accomplished by carrying a 7-foot wooden penis on the shoulders of men in their <i>yakudoshi</i> “years of danger” (25, 41 or 61). The wooden phallus is enshrined in Tagata Jinja until the following year when a new one is carved and so delivered. Along with the giant, a large number of mini (but only in relation to the aforementioned) phalluses are carried by a procession of shrine maidens. Sake is freely distributed from a cart, before, during and after the procession, thus assuring a well-lubricated journey (I promise that is the last one!). Finally, a “shower” of <i>mochi</i> rice cakes in the form of white and pink balls is rained down on the waiting mass of festival revelers. Receiving a pair is considered an auspicious sign (perhaps of the night to come?).</div>
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<b>Ooagata Jinja</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Honden</i> of Ooagata Jinja<br />
(photo by Yuta Yanagida via Google +)</td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> Founded in the third century<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"> B.C.</span> according to shrine tradition.</div>
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<b>Address:</b> 3 Aza-Miyayama, Inuyama City, Aichi 485-0004</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 0568-67-1017</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> Take the Meitetsu Komaki line to Gakuden station and walk about 10 minutes.</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>:</b> Ooagata okami</div>
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<b>Description:</b> The long approach road rises gradually as you near the stone torii of Ooagata Jinja. The <i>honden</i> was built in the <i>Owari zukuri</i> style in 1661 and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The shrine is located in the foothills east of Nagoya in a lovely setting rich in Japanese apricot (<i>ume</i>) trees. There are several shrines on the grounds, the main one dedicated to Oagata omikami. Other sub shrines are dedicated to Tamahime no mikoto (the same <i>kami</i> as enshrined in Tagata Jinja) and Ebisu. This shrine is considered a pair with Tagata Jinja and they share the same festival, the Honen-sai, with Ooagata holding theirs one week before Tagata. Ooagata is considered the female counterpart and several large stones in the shape of a vagina are venerated. </div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144543578035837392.post-83720772774374021892013-06-16T21:27:00.002+09:002016-03-28T11:25:22.893+09:00Tenkawa Jinja<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 24px;"><b>Tenkawa Jinja (Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Jinja) </b></span>UC</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxS2YMSKTtWM-t5-Hde80MqsDksfbRzShuxkvzFJ0HF4v4WAKAZxiXWpwXyJcFAZk3f8dJgJhpmVeXPBR3d6YcDQcb3DEBqF3aCZoxRh2OnWfGaR2NVgYQx9nXSKgVGaxISG9NYN3XAvv/s1600/Tenkawa+torii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxS2YMSKTtWM-t5-Hde80MqsDksfbRzShuxkvzFJ0HF4v4WAKAZxiXWpwXyJcFAZk3f8dJgJhpmVeXPBR3d6YcDQcb3DEBqF3aCZoxRh2OnWfGaR2NVgYQx9nXSKgVGaxISG9NYN3XAvv/s320/Tenkawa+torii.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Torii</i> of Tenkawa Jinja<br />
(all photos courtesy of the shrine)</td></tr>
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<b>Date founded:</b> Founded by En no Gyoja around 700, according to shrine tradition. Current buildings from 1989.</div>
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<b>Address: </b>107 Tsubonouchi, Tenkawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara
638-0321</div>
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<b>Tel/Information:</b> 0747-63-0558 A simple history of the shrine
is available in English.</div>
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<b>How to get there:</b> Kintetsu Line from Osaka to Shimoichiguchi
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One hour by Nara Kotsu bus to
Tenkawa Jinjamae bus stop (only several busses per day).</div>
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<b>Enshrined <i>kami</i>: </b>Ichikishimahime no mikoto and Benzaiten
(collectively called Tenkawa Benzaiten)</div>
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<b>Prayers offered: </b>Both deities enshrined here are associated
with water. Benzaiten is also considered a deity of “all things that flow” and
as such, she is prayed to by performers, writers and artists.</div>
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<b>Best time to go:</b> Tenkawa has its busiest season in summer
with climbers and <i>shugendo</i> practitioners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Yoshino mountains offer refreshing relief from the sweltering
Japanese summer. Also good to visit in April for the cherry blossoms or November for
the fall color.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCGSgUiXxRiZuFja7Li5aUel_R0uohlCrA74DC45wuiJ29XCe0yLLlCLLQj6VDCx_E0XWbkcT6W82cTPxIJOIg11DP8C7bBG1k7uGNg4C8_aZsnAF-h_YJ_um-zq12vnqbI7hBiHhNGdC/s1600/Tenkawa+haiden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCGSgUiXxRiZuFja7Li5aUel_R0uohlCrA74DC45wuiJ29XCe0yLLlCLLQj6VDCx_E0XWbkcT6W82cTPxIJOIg11DP8C7bBG1k7uGNg4C8_aZsnAF-h_YJ_um-zq12vnqbI7hBiHhNGdC/s320/Tenkawa+haiden.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Haiden</i> with unique <i>isuzu</i> bell</td></tr>
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<b>Important physical features: </b>Located in the Yoshino
mountains south of Kyoto and Nara, Tenkawa Jinja is located along the Ten no kawa
River ("river of heaven") in Tenkawa Village, near the pilgrimage route that leads over
the Omine mountain range to Hongu Taisha in Kumano. Mt. Misen, near the
northern end of the range where a small shrine is located, is considered the inner sanctuary (Okunoin) of Tenkawa Jinja. The Yoshino-Omine mountains and Tenkawa Village are renown for their natural beauty, especially the area around the nearby Mitarai Ravine, featuring massive rock formations, waterfalls and clear streams. Tenkawa Village encompasses valleys and peaks from 440m to as high as 1,915m above sea level.The main shrine is accessed by several stone stairways that rise up between tall
cedars and oaks. The <i>honden</i> of the shrine is in the <i>nagare-zukuri</i> style with
<i>chigi</i> and <i>katsuogi</i>. It is raised well above ground level and accessed by broad and steep wooden stairs. The <i>haiden</i> is open sided with a tall pitched roof and a stage for Noh and other performances built into the space. Lanterns are hung
under the eaves in front of the <i>honden</i> in a sign of one of the many Buddhist influences. In fact the design is a bit reminiscent of Kibitsu Jinja in Okayama where the <i>haiden</i> is a very interesting, semi-interior space.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPjNI7QtTLTGJgFihmSEu9t_sh1H6DxYbvhhqm6pxvj8URjFm9JKHgreQ8_TBmmXdGrMOPMlNLmDXSVgLyuYmyfPKchFBEUkHrlyibKaKHKX32Oq6ui-ZGh6pwsf5uY9zIV42cF1RJmfj/s1600/Tenkawa+Reidaisai+saito%CC%84goma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPjNI7QtTLTGJgFihmSEu9t_sh1H6DxYbvhhqm6pxvj8URjFm9JKHgreQ8_TBmmXdGrMOPMlNLmDXSVgLyuYmyfPKchFBEUkHrlyibKaKHKX32Oq6ui-ZGh6pwsf5uY9zIV42cF1RJmfj/s320/Tenkawa+Reidaisai+saito%CC%84goma.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tenkawa <i>reitaisai saitōgoma</i></td></tr>
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<b>Important spiritual features: </b>This area has been closely
associated with the <i>shugendo</i> religion that incorporates elements and beliefs from Shinto, Buddhism (<i>mikkyo</i>), Taoism, and <i>onmyodo</i> (<i>yin-yang</i>), and <i>shugenja</i> were instrumental in the amalgamation of Shinto and Buddhist faith called <i>shinbutsu shugyo</i>. The aim of the <i>shugenja</i> is to obtain great powers for use in spiritual and physical healing, and to achieve Kobo Daishi's ideal of becoming "a Buddha in this body" or in other words, an enlightened being. Ascetic practice in the mountains is the method of achieving this goal. For a more detailed explanation of the sect, please see my book <i><b>Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion. </b></i>The figure
considered the epitome if not the founder of <i>shugendo</i>, En no Gyoja (also called En no Ozunu), meditated
and had many revelations in the Omine mountains where practitioners continue to
walk in his steps even today. He lived in the seventh century and is
mentioned in the <a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/2013/03/excerpts-from-shinto-shrines-guide-to_9.html" target="_blank"><i>Shoku Nihongi</i></a> as living on Mt. Katsuragi well to the north of
Yoshino. He is described as a practitioner of magic and as one who
controlled demons and had them do his bidding. It is also reported that he was
exiled to Izu under some false charge. Only in later centuries was he connected
with <i>shugendo</i> and Mt. Kinpu in the Yoshino area, which had become an important
center of ascetic training. It is from this later time that the stories of his
meeting with Zao Gongen and the Tenkawa Benzaiten arose. While belief in Benzaiten is imported by way of Buddhism and mentioned in the “Golden Light Sutra”, belief in
Ichikishimahime no mikoto is native to Japan. This is one of the female <i>kami</i> of
Munakata Taisha in Kyushu, children of Susano-o and Amaterasu Omikami, associated with water and
especially the protection of shipping. The three <i>kami</i> are also enshrined at
Itsukshima Jinja, founded in 593, on the island of Miyajima in Hiroshima. That island also contains a famous Mt. Misen where Kobo Daishi did ascetic practices. Both Ichikishimahime and Benzaiten have been
associated with water and this probably led to the deities being identified with each other. However after the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism, Shrines were forced to disassociate from any Buddhist influence so Benzaiten worship was delegated to Buddhist temples (such as Daiganji temple on Miyajima) and shrines were forced to substitute Ichikishimahime or some other deity associated with water. The fact that this Shinto shrine continues to worship Benzaiten alongside of Ichikishimahime, perhaps reflects the fact that the integrated religion, which was such a strong feature in the lives of the people of these mountains from the sixth to the nineteenth centuries, retains some vestige of that strength. The shrines rituals also include <i>shugendo</i> rites which were outlawed by the Meiji government.<br />
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In one respect, it is difficult to speak about the
significance of one shrine or temple in this part of Japan, which is known for pilgrimage to
multiple sights. Along with the Kumano Sanzan in the south of the Kii
Peninsula, Koyasan to the west, and Ise Jingu to the east, this area is now recognized by UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site called the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii
Mountain Range.” Strictly speaking, Tenkawa is not included in this group.
Instead, Ominesan-ji, a <i>shugendo</i> temple also located in Tenkawa Village
on top of Mt. Omine, said to be founded by En no Gyoja and enshrining Zao
Gongen, is included. In recent times, Tenkawa Jinja has been a
focus of the New Age Movement, as well as musicians and performers from around
the world interested in the energy perceived to be emanating from sacred sites such as this.<br />
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<b>Description:</b> Tenkawa Jinja (also known as Tenkawa Dai
Benzaiten Jinja) is located below Mt Misen with its Okunomiya on top of the
mountain. Tenkawa Village is the entrance to Omine range, parts of which are
off limits to women. Some distance to the east of this range lies Ise Jingu—the
spiritual home of Shinto—and to the west lies Mt. Koya, home of the Shingon
sect—one of the principle sects of Japanese Buddhism. Tenkawa lies in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park at the beginning
of the Okugakemichi pilgrimage route that all members of the <i>shugendo</i> sect (also called <i>yamabushi</i>) are required to walk as part of their ascetic
practice. The route begins in Gojo City in Nara and continues to Shingu City in Wakayama. These men continue to walk the mountains in search of enlightenment
and mystical power, as did their famous founder En no Gyoja. Tenkawa (“river of
heaven”) worship is deeply rooted in the waters flowing from Mt. Misen, which is associated in Buddhist cosmology with Mt. Sumeru. From this
heavenly mountain, water flows in the four directions, sustaining life on the
earth below. So too these early mountains have attracted ascetics with the
promise of rebirth and enlightenment. In present times, Itsukushima, Chikubushima, and <a href="http://shintoshrinesofjapanblogguide.blogspot.jp/2014/03/enoshima-jinja-uc-on-bridge-to-enoshima.html" target="_blank">Enoshima</a> are considered the "big three" sites for the worship of Benzaiten, but Tenkawa was long considered to be included in this group. But it does not take a search for enlightenment
to enjoy the environment along the Ten no kawa River. A dramatically long and narrow suspension bridge crosses the river,
offering spectacular views. Or walk along the beautiful Mitarai valley with its
abundant summer greenery, autumn leaves, and lush waterfalls. The current
shrine buildings were rebuilt in 1989 and opened with a concert by New Age
musician Osamu Kitajima and others. Brian Eno and Haruomi Hosono (of Yellow
Magic Orchestra fame) have also given concerts here. Tenkawa has a long
association with Noh and plays are performed on a stage near the front of the inner shrine. A popular movie “Tenkawa Densetsu
Satsujin Jiken” (The Tenkawa Tradition Murder) from 1991, revolves around the killing
of several members of a family of Noh actors, in a struggle over who will
succeed as the new head of the tradition. This movie by well-known director Kon
Ichikawa, is based on one book of a series of mystery novels featuring
detective Asami Mitsuhiko, by author Yasuo Ichida. In this story the Isuzu of
Tenkawa is found next to the body of one of the victims.<br />
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<b>Festivals:</b> Reitaisai, 16 to 17 July.
This festival is famous for its Noh performances and for its Shugendo
ceremonies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Calihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468463735013871498noreply@blogger.com1