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Conservation Conference

May 31, 2014 / John D.

Green Shinto is delighted to have been invited to report on a major conference happening over the next few days at Ise Jingu, which involves the UK-based Alliance of Religions and Conservation together with the National Association of Shrines (Jinja Honcho). The discussions will feed into policy making at the UN through consideration of its Strategic Development Goals.

This is in every way a first of its kind, and marks a breakthrough in terms of the open, international and environmental values to which Green Shinto is dedicated. We are very much looking forward to participating in this exciting event and reporting in the coming week on the exchange of opinions and possible outcomes. One key focus of attention will be the issue of ‘green pilgrimages’, in which Japan of course has enormous if sometimes unfulfilled potential.

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Historic meeting of Shinto priests and international environmental and religious figures to take place at Ise
May 19, 2014: Arc website posting

A unique meeting of 700 Shinto priests and leading international environmental and religious figures at the major Japanese shrine next month will help carve the future of how the world develops.

Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto Shrines in Japan, is holding its first ever international meeting, taking place in the sacred pilgrimage shrine of Ise from 2-4 June. This historic event is part of the commemorative events to celebrate the 62nd Shikinen Sengu of Jingu, also known as the 62nd rebuilding of the Grand Shrine.

Procession at the shikinen sengu renewal ceremony at Ise in 2013 (courtesy ARC)

With a dramatic opening ceremony and procession across the main ceremonial bridge to the Toba shrine (on June 2), “Traditions for the Future: Culture, Faith and Values for a Sustainable Planet” will be both a thoroughly modern and a thoroughly ancient approach to coming together to work out how to protect this planet, a planet on which, Shintoism believes, every rock and every tree – indeed all life – is sacred.

ARC Secretary General, Martin Palmer: “ARC is honoured to not only be invited to be Jinja Honcho’s main partner in this historic event, but also, for the first time ever, to bring the UN to engage with this ancient tradition – and with all the traditions and faiths coming to Ise. Together we are shaping a better future!”

The discussions will feed directly into the Strategic Development Goals of the United Nations (which follow on from the Millennium Development Goals 2000-2015 and will start in 2015), but they will also lead to a host of practical environmental actions from religions around the world.

(courtesy ARC)

In addition to key discussions and planning of values helping draw in insights, not just from faiths, but also the Arts and Media; subjects include how religious groups can protect endangered wildlife and how pilgrimage (which involves more than 200 million separate visits to holy places around the world every year) can become more of a blessing to the earth, and less of an ecological threat. Some 8 million pilgrims visit Ise alone every year, for example, which has the benefit of opening many people to a spiritual, natural experience they will carry into their everyday lives, but at the same time it stretches resources, and leaves pollution.

The conference at Ise will also hear a keynote address from Olav Kjorven, Assistant Secretary General at the UN, who has been responsible for pushing the SDG process forward. Delegates will be able to make direct contributions to this discussion and to the SDGs as part of the event programme.

Held in collaboration with the UK-based Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), this is the first time Shintoism has organized such an event and it represents a historic opening of the Shinto religion towards other faiths and cultures.

“The Japanese spirituality inherited from the ancient ancestors has been gradually lost or hidden somewhere deep in our consciousness. It might not be an exaggeration if we said that not only environmental problems but also all problems of modern society have been caused by lack of the awe, reverence, and appreciation for nature that ancient people used to have and taught us.” – the Shinto Statement on the Environment, 1995

OCEANS OF THE FUTURE

At the same time as the Ise event, the great historic city and Shinto shrine of Munakata in Kyushu, Japan is showing how Shintoism is taking seriously the challenges of the environment.

With its theme “Oceans of the Future” (30th May to 2nd June 2014) the shrine and the city in partnership with UBrainTV, one of ARC’s media partners are bringing together religious, political, economic and scientific leaders to debate the future of the oceans.

ARC has been honoured to have been part of the initial planning group and welcomes this new development of engaged Shintoism. This year’s event is planned to be the first of a long term series of annual environmental events.

Key speakers include José Ramos-Horta, Former president of East Timor and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Chairman, of the International Panel on Climate Change.

As part of this innovative programme there is a major focus on youth leadership and reaching out to young people.

Highlights of the meetings will be available on UBrainTV in the next few weeks.

Harmony with surrounds, here exempified at Ise, was once a core Shinto value, lost in an age of materialism when shrine grounds are often turned into car parks. It's high time to restore the traditions of the past and promote conservation for the future.

Ancient ties (imperial wedding)

May 29, 2014 / John D. / 2 Comments

Izumo Shrine's reputation as the most famous 'enmusubi' (love connection) spot in Japan is likely to be cemented by news that the son of its chief priest met his imperial fiancée at the shrine

In Japanese mythology – ancient history perhaps – Izumo was a leading kingdom which was absorbed into the Yamato state after several emissaries (armies) were dispatched. Izumo agreed to cede worldly power in return for spiritual autonomy, and a huge shrine was erected for worship of the clan founder, Okuninushi.

A millennium and a half later the ties between the ancient kingdoms are being renewed. In a stunning affirmation of tradition, an imperial princess of the Yamato lineage has become engaged to the son of the chief priest of Izumo. The latter holds a hereditary position allegedly stretching back to a time when a descendant of the Sun Goddess took charge at the Izumo shrine (see below).

It speaks to the hold that the Yamato dynasty still has over the nation, to the power of tradition in Japan, and to the vital role of the heredity principle in the country’s affairs, even now in a supposedly ‘democratic age’.

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Princess Noriko to wed son of Izumo-Taisha chief priest
KYODO MAY 27, 2014

Press interview to announce the wedding of Princess Noriko and Senge Kunimaro (Wikicommons)

Princess Noriko, second daughter of Princess Hisako and the late Prince Takamado, has become engaged to the eldest son of the chief priest of Izumo-Taisha, the grand shrine in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, the Imperial Household Agency said on Tuesday.

Princess Noriko, 25, and Kunimaro Senge, 40, will wed this autumn, according to the agency.

It will be the first marriage involving an Imperial family member since Princess Sayako, now Sayako Kuroda, married an official of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2005.

The Senge family has been in charge of shrine rituals at Izumo-Taisha for generations, and had been friendly with Prince Takamado and Princess Hisako before the prince passed away in 2002.

Princess Noriko first met her fiance in April 2007, while she was on a visit to the shrine with her mother.

A graduate of Gakushuin University, she has two sisters; her elder sister Princess Tsuguko and younger sister Princess Ayako.

Kunimaro Senge served as priest at shrines in Tokyo and Kyoto after graduating from Kokugakuin University, and has assisted his father, Takamasa Senge, 71, since March 2005. He has two younger brothers.

Prince Takamado was the third son of Prince Mikasa, the youngest brother of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

Princess Hisako said of the engagement, “I hope Noriko will raise a loving and happy family and will adapt to a new life.”

“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001311030

Princess Noriko (copyright Yomiuri)

The engagement between Princess Noriko and Kunimaro Senge, 40, will become formal after “Nosai no gi,” a traditional rite of betrothal, scheduled for July. The wedding will be held in Izumo Taisha around October, according to the agency.

Senge was born on Sept. 2, 1973, the eldest son of Takamasa Senge, the 71-year-old chief priest of Izumo Taisha, and his wife Ayako, 64.

The Senge family has been in charge of rituals at the shrine for generations. Senge studied Shinto at Kokugakuin University and has served as a priest at multiple shrines, including Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine in Kyoto, after graduating from university.

He is currently holds the position of “negi” senior priest at Izumo Taisha. He takes photographs as a hobby.

“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/05/27/wedding-bells-to-ring-for-japanese-princess/

As required by Imperial House Law, Princess Noriko will exit the Imperial House upon marrying. With only three princes in line to succeed the current Emperor, and the seven princesses possibly marrying outside of the Imperial Family, Princess Noriko’s marriage could reignite the discussion on amending this law to ensure the stable continuation of the Imperial Family.

The administration under the previous Democratic Party of Japan considered amending the law to allow the Emperor’s daughters and granddaughters to remain in the Imperial House after marriage. But the discussion has stalled under current administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Kunimaro Senge’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kunimaro-Senge/100005746385569

Senge Kunimaro (Yomiuri)

Administrator’s Family (Senge family) Wikipedia…
The descendants of Amenohohi-no-mikoto, the second son of Amaterasu-oh-mi-kami, the sun goddess whose first son is the ancestor of the imperial family, have been, in the name of Izumo Kokuso, or governor of Izumo, taking over rituals because when Izumo-taisha was founded Amenohohi-no-mikoto rendered service to Okuninushi-no-kami.

The family’s conflict around 1340 made them separated into two linage, Senge(千家) and Kitajima. After the separation those two families took the position of Izumo Kokuso by turns until late 19th century.

Shintoism was reconstructed as modernized Japan’s national religion in late 19th century . In 1871 Izumo-taisha was designated as an Imperial-associated shrine and the government sent a new administrator so Izumo kokuso families were no more the administrators of Izumo-taisha. Senge and Kitajima established their own religious corporations respectively, Izumo-taisha-kyo by Senge, and Izumo-kyo by Kitajima.

Under the allied occupation after World War Two, Shintoism was separated from the government control and Izumo-taisha was reformed into a private shrine, then Senge and its Izumo-taisha-kyo took back the position of the administrator of Izumo-taisha.

Takatoshi Senge, the 83rd-generation head of Senge linage, was chosen to be the chief priest of Izumo-taisha in 1947. He died in February 2002 at the age of 89. Now the position of the administrator of Izumo-taisha is succeeded by Senge linage.

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Asked at the May 27 news conference how she felt about having to leave the imperial family, Princess Noriko said she is not in a position to comment on the issue.

“I feel a certain sadness in leaving the imperial family and anxieties about a new life in Izumo, but it seems not different from what many women feel when they get married,” she said.

(http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201405280042 by Yasuhiko Shima and Ayako Nakada.)

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Bird-watching acts as cupid by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Bird-watching served as cupid for Princess Noriko and Izumo Taisha shrine priest Kunimaro Senge, whose engagement was decided informally Tuesday.

They came to know each other through bird-watching, a common hobby of their families. The two families have been on familiar terms since before Princess Noriko’s father, Prince Takamado, died suddenly in November 2002.
Princess Noriko, 25, and Senge, 40, have fostered their love through the close friendly relationship of the two families.

Princess Hisako and Princess Noriko, her second daughter, entered the Imperial Palace before 10 a.m. Tuesday and reported the informal engagement with Senge to the Emperor and Empress. Their marriage plans have rapidly accelerated since the turn of the year, said sources close to their families. They first met when Princess Noriko and her mother visited Izumo Taisha in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, in April 2007 after Princess Noriko, then 18, entered Gakushuin University in Tokyo.

Tying the knot in a big way

International Inari

May 27, 2014 / John D. / 5 Comments

One of the exciting developments that Green Shinto is able to participate in is the spread of Shinto overseas. Such is the age we live in that this is happening step by step before our very eyes, as it were, and recent months have seen the establishment of an International Association for Inari Faith with a Facebook page, together with what is probably the first ‘private’ maintenance by a non-Japanese overseas of a wakemitama (divided spirit) of Inari Okami. In the interview below, the person behind all this, Gary Cox, explains the nature and purpose of the new association.

Gary Cox at the entrance to Japan's premier place of Inari worship, Fushimi Inari Taisha in the south of Kyoto

1) When and why was the International Association for Inari Faith set up?

I have always felt deeply drawn to the ancient, natural spirituality in Shinto, ever since I first learned of it. I had always been drawn, especially, to Inari Ōkami, as well as to foxes and snakes ever since I was little, which happen to be Inari’s shinshi (messengers of the kami). But after about ten years of study in various religions, I came to realize that Shinto, especially Inari shinkō (Inari faith), really were my personal calling among all others. And so last year I was able to be entrusted with a wakemitama (divided spirit) of Inari Ōkami from Fushimi Inari Taisha, which I now enshrine at my home in California.

And around that same time, I began meeting many other people, online and off, who were also close devotees of Inari Ōkami. I wanted to form an organization where we could come together, sharing and learning from each other. There was also not a great deal of English materials available on Inari (especially online) — so this was something I wanted to try and address as well.

So, with the assistance of a number of friends, but especially my close friend Olivia Furukawa as well as Morgan Rose, the association was founded as a Facebook group on April 1, 2014. We hope to provide greater access, resources, and a strong community for individuals interested in Inari Ōkami.

2) What does the Association consist of exactly, and what are its activities?

Currently, the association exists only as a Facebook group, though we will be forming a website and incorporating as a California non-profit organization later this year. The Facebook group, at present, consists of devotees and interested people from North and South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia, including kannushi (priests) from Japan and the United States.

Right now our biggest focus has been providing reliable English-language information and resources. So far we have published two Inari norito (Shinto prayers) both in their original form, as well as in romaji and English forms (to understand meaning) that we commissioned. The norito which we have published in this form are the Inari Norito (Inari Prayer) and Inari Ōkami Himon (Secret Incantation of Inari Ōkami). Inari Daimyōjin no Harai is also in the process of being translated. We are also publishing short articles explaining the basics of Inari theology, symbols, shrines, and other matters.

The kamidana (house altar) containing the wakemitama that Gary maintains, with white fox guardians to either side

3) What are some other immediate goals of the Association?

I am hoping we can facilitate more group discussions online, and possibly, if there are enough local people, have some offline activities in the San Francisco Bay Area, or any other areas where there might be enough interested people.

In addition to more discussions and social activities, and continued publication of materials and articles, we are also looking at ways to make Inari ofuda (talisman) more accessible to people who want one for worship. Right now, there is virtually no way to order one from a reputable source from outside Japan. They are of course quite easy to obtain inside Japan… so this is a gap that we are hoping to bridge.

4) What is the relationship of the Association with Fushimi Inari Taisha (or indeed with other shrines)?

Aside from my indirect association as being on the shrine’s rolls as a goshintai custodian, we currently have no direct official status with Fushimi Inari Taisha. There do exist many kō, or lay worship groups, that are affiliated with Fushimi Inari Taisha; however, the feeling among our members is that it would be best for this group to remain open and not under the jurisdiction of a single shrine and its interpretations or rules.

The ema at Fushimi Inari Taisha, on which visitors draw fox faces on one side and their prayer requests on the other

We are quite close to Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. Rev. Koichi Barrish, the Negi of that shrine, is a mentor, a member of the group, and a number of the group members– such as myself— are also Sukei-kai members of Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. The enshrined kami of Tsubaki America are Sarutahiko Ōkami and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, as well as Uga no Mitama no Ōkami. These kami have a very close relationship to Inari Ōkami.

5) Why is Inari Ōkami, in particular, the focus of your Association rather than other kami?

Well, first, there already exist a relatively great deal of international resources for Shinto more broadly. Now, to any devotee of Inari-sama who worships within a Shinto framework, these are still very important. (For those who revere Inari-sama through the Buddhist framework, there are of course also a tremendous deal of resources for Buddhism more widely).

But these broader resources do not delve much into the specifics of Inari. Whether we are talking about Shinto or Buddhism, the “Inari varieties” of either one do have their own variations and additions in things as wide-ranging from practices and prayers to mythos and architecture. So one reason we formed an organization for this one kami in particular is to specialize, if you will, in the specifics of the Inari shinkō (Inari faith).

It is also worth noting that Inari is often considered to be a composite kami, that is, a kami consisting of or having the essences of multiple other kami. For instance, earlier I noted that the enshrined kami of Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America had a close relationship with Inari Ōkami… this is because Sarutahiko Ōkami and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, along with Uga Mitama no Kami, are all considered to be part of Inari Ōkami (in fact they were the original three deities enshrined on Inari mountain in Kyoto, now the site of Fushimi Inari Taisha which is the head shrine to Inari-sama).

Three mirrors in a subshrine on Inari Hill representing the three original components of Inari Okami

There are other kami that are identified with Inari-sama as well. So while our organization is, in one manner of speaking, devoted to one particular kami, we are in another way devoted to a whole spectrum of Shinto kami that, through their close relationship with one another, are considered to fall under the umbrella of Inari Ōkami.

6) Looking ahead fifty years or so, how do you imagine the Inari faith may have developed outside Japan?

It is our hope that Inari faith may continue to grow and become more recognized around the world. Just as Shinto as a whole is growing steadily internationally, it would be great to see Inari Ōkami sparking interest in individuals even outside of Japan.

It is important to remember, though, that Inari faith is only a part of Shinto. Granted, it is, to many of us personally, a very important part, a part that we devote our hearts to. But I believe it’s important that Shinto as a whole, not just Inari faith, develop around the world together. In this way, the whole, rich and diverse spirituality of Shinto, and the balance of Daishizen (Great Nature) as a whole, can be preserved and shared all over.

So it would be wonderful to see a proliferation of international Inari shrines in 50 years’ time. But truthfully, I think the wider hope should be to see Shinto shrines of all kinds, with healthy communities of believers (shinja), helping each other to develop their faith and to Iive in harmony with nature.

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Gary Cox can be contacted by email at this address; gary[at mark]inarifaith.org

The Facebook page for the Association is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/inarifaith/?fref=ts
(A website will be constructed soon at the following link: http://inarifaith.org)

Inari Hill, behind Inari Fushimi Taisha, is a teeming mass of torii, statues and rock shrines, testimony to the thriving folk faith of generations of believers

The famous torii tunnel at Fushimi beckons the visitor ever further and deeper into the mysterious hinterland

Chidorigafuchi

May 27, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Prime Minister Abe pays respects at the Chidorigafuchi war cemetery (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

No big outcry and no controversy, yet yesterday prime minister Abe paid respects to Japan’s war dead in WW2. Why did it not capture the headlines? Simply because unlike Yasukuni, the Chidorigafuchi war memorial does not glorify Japan’s military role in the war, has not secretly enshrined Class-A war criminals, and is not a rallying point for right-wing extremists and natinionalists. Nor does it have a museum which distorts history by portraying Japanese as victims, omitting all mention of atrocities and war crimes, and claiming Japan acted as ‘liberator’ in WW2. In short, Chidorigafuchi is a cemetery like that of Arlington in the US and countless others around the world where relatives and descendants can pay respects to those who gave their lives in wartime fighting for their country.

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MAY. 27, 2014 -Japan Today

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows at Chidorigafuchi cemetery where the unidentified remains of thousands of Japanese soldiers are interred together in Tokyo, Monday.

TOKYO —
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday attended a ceremony to honor the nation’s war dead at Chidorigafuchi cemetery where the unidentified remains of thousands of Japanese soldiers are interred.

Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery was built 1959 to house the remains of unidentified Japanese who died overseas during World War II.

The Tokyo memorial, maintained by the environment ministry, honors 358,260 dead, mainly soldiers, whose remains have been returned to Japan, but also some civilians who died overseas.

Abe laid a wreath at the cemetery ahead of a formal service of remembrance held at a large hall in Tokyo.

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Japan Today comments

Moderator MAY. 27, 2014
Readers, please note that the prime minister attends this event every year.

Nightshade 2014 MAY. 27, 2014
The article says: “…built 1959 to house the remains of unidentified Japanese who died overseas during World War II.” War ended 1945; cemetery opened 1959. That’s 14 years. Where were the remains before then?

Soulknyt MAY. 27, 2014
To answer your question on why it/s taken 14 years. The answer is that many soldiers remains have been taken from war sites from China, Korea and even other Japanese islands. Sometimes the remains cannot be identified and are instead buried there.
I think its a great move for Japan to remember their dead like this, anyone who complains would have to complain about Arlington, or the other cemeteries around the world.

Upgrayedd MAY. 27, 2014
Chidorigafuchi only honors the unidentified war dead. The identified dead are honored at Yasukuni. One of the criteria of being interred at Yasukuni is that they must know your name.
Personally, I think the government should build or sponsor a secular memorial at Chidorigafuchi which honors both unidentified and identified dead without the racist undertones that come through across the street at Yasukuni.

EthanWilber MAY. 27, 2014
Abe should visit Chidorigafuchi cemetery to give his deep and sincere prayer for peace instead of going to war-criminals riddled Yasukuni Shrine. That would have saved him tons of headaches and stinging criticism including that from long-term allies such as the US and Australia.

Deep Kyoto Walks

May 24, 2014 / John D. / 3 Comments

A new e-book, available on all Kindle devices or through the Kindle app, featuring 16 authors as well as the co-editors

Kyoto is known as a city of Buddhism. Most of the head temples of the major sects are based here, and the most important events in Japanese Buddhist history took place here. Indeed, Mt Hiei is known as ‘the mother of Japanese Buddhism’.

However, it’s also a city of shrines (500 or more), some well-known but many, many more of minor importance yet bearing long and fascinating histories. This is, of course, because the city was long home to the imperial family, whose ancestors were regarded as kami. Shrines dedicated to them, or to those who served them, can be found dotted all around, many dating back a millennium or more.

The alluring entrance of Himukai Daijingu, once a bustling shrine of walkers from the nearby Tokaido pathway to Edo

Some of Kyoto’s wealth of shrines are covered in an exciting new e-book containing personal rambles through the city by 18 different authors. There’s a piece about walking the Kyoto Trail around the city. There’s also an account by myself of walking along the Kamo River, which features Shimogamo Jinja and former priest Kamo no Chomei, author of the wonderful Ten-Foot Square Hut (1212).

Editor Michael Lambe includes Himukai Daijingu on his walk, one of several shrines with competing claims to be the city’s oldest (along with Shimogamo, Kamigamo and Matsuo). Such is the antiquity of the shrines, dating back long before Kyoto was founded in 794, that no one knows for sure which was first.

In Edo times travellers on the Tokaido route stopped off at Himukai, which would have made it a bustling shrine for the route to the shogunate capital was one of the busiest thoroughfares in the world. Those leaving Kyoto would pray for a safe journey, and those arriving would say a prayer of thanks.

Michael takes in the Heian Jingu too, awed by the vastness of the grounds, and it prompts memories of his sister and of how he longed to be in Kyoto because of ‘a kind of peace in the air and a mysterious sense of promise’. He reveals too the unlikely fact that the thickly wooded Yoshida Hill, where the Yoshida Shrine stands, was covered in tea bushes some 100 years ago.

Yasaka Shrine in Gion, like a giant ship with lanterns

Bridget Scott takes in the Sagi no Mori Shrine, where she shelters from the rain on a wooden stage and overhears a priest chanting a dedication to a young couple. Here she feels that ‘the soul of ancient Japan whispers to me’.

In an account of how he first came to Kyoto, Pico Iyer imagines Yasaka Jinja as a giant ship with lanterns, noting that you can see women from the ‘water world’ at prayer and that at New Year mothers carry auspicious flames back to their homes. He comments too on the typical Kyoto juxtaposition of sacredness and peace beside noisy junction and busy shopping street.

The front of Toyokuni Shrine, along which runs a stone wall of giant rocks, impresses Jennifer Louise Teeter with its size and neat arrangement. She notes that the shrine’s ema (votive plaques) are shaped like gourds and that one bears a wish to be ‘as handsome as the characters in my favorite video game.’ But why gourd-shaped ema? It seems that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to whom the shrine is dedicated, was known as Lord of the Gourds, and samurai under his command used them as emblems on the battle-field. In the shrine’s treasury, along with elaborate golden screens, are other items emblazoned with the gourd motif, and the shrine’s office even sells a gourd-shaped mobile strap.

Benzaiten, muse for artists, also has a commercial interest

John Ashburne heads for the Nishiki Tenmangu, suitably enough for the shrine stands at the end of the food market and John specialises in writing about food. On the way he drops in to offer a prayer at Kandajin Shrine, built in 845, a quiet local shrine boasting ‘exquisite statues’ and ‘gorgeous shimenawa rope’. There’s also a municipally recognized Gingko Bilboa tree, the ancestors of which date back 270 million years. Being of culinary mind, he praises the nut for its essential role in the chawanmushi savoury custard. He informs us too that remarkably the tree type was one of the few living things to survive Hiroshima.

The small Hanjo Jinja, he notes, ‘like many of Kyoto’s sacred sites has a colourful history’. It was once syncretic and Buddhist, it honours Benzaiten, and it may have been originally built on a site known as ‘The Hill of Assembled Women.’

Benzaiten is usually associated with the arts but looks after commercial enterprises too, so John buys an ofuda with the shrine’s name in handwritten kanji for his wife’s café. At his end-goal of Nishiki Tenmangu, he also buys a fortune slip which tells him not to get lost in wild fancies. Food for thought, one might say…

Sanborn Brown gives a detailed account of the pilgrimage up Mt Atago on July 31, part of the annual Sennichi Tsuyasai festival when thousands climb the steep mountain at nighttime. He arrives back down from the top at 3.45 am to find that others are just about to set off. (The 8km round trip takes about four hours.) Distances up the mountain are measured by Jizo statues in red bibs and by forty placards set up by the fire department. Atago is Kyoto’s highest mountain, slightly taller than Mt Hiei at 924 meters.

At the top there used to be a Buddhist-Shinto complex, but after the separation of Buddhism from Shinto following 1868 the temple was converted to create Atago Shrine (the head of 1500 shrines nationwide). It is dedicated to Izanami and her child Kagutsuchi, god of fire (whose birth caused the death of Izanami). The shrine’s festival, created in the 1860s, therefore centres around protection from fire – a vital matter for a city of wooden houses.

Shrines are but one small part of Kyoto’s attraction, but as the Deep Kyoto Walks anthology shows there are few walks in the city that are not enriched by the presence of a small shrine, whether guarding the spirit of place, keeping a sense of history, or providing a focus for communal identity. Invariably they are surrounded by a patch of nature, or host to a sacred tree, protecting the rus in urbe that makes living here so pleasant. Together with the festivals they put on, shrines are a vital element in the lush brocade of Japanese culture. Truly, they are guardians of the national soul.

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Deep Kyoto Walks contains a variety of walks in and around (literally all around) the city. Some delve into the past, some are concerned with the present, and some are highly personal. It is available on amazon at the following link… http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KFM2J0C#sthash.1rnDlgoq.dpuf

Free Kindle apps for any kind of computer and i-pads etc can be downloaded to read the book here.

In a series of rambles that express each writer’s intimate relationship with the city, the authors take readers to more than just the famous shrines and temples, but to the backstreets of memory where personal history and that of the city intersect. Join Pico Iyer, Judith Clancy, Chris Rowthorn, John Dougill, Robert Yellin, John Ashburne and others as they explore markets and mountains, bars and gardens, palaces and pagodas and see Kyoto afresh through the eyes of those who call it “home”.

Included are:

· 17 illustrations

· A specially commissioned woodblock print by Richard Steiner

· 12 detailed maps

· Links to all locations on Google Maps

· Cover Art by internationally acclaimed artist Sarah Brayer

Walks through a magical city, touched by the gods. In shamanic cultures rainbows were seen as a bridge to heaven.

In 'Kamogamo Musing' John Dougill contemplates the ancient history of the river, including its 'power spot' of Shimogamo Shrine nestled in the junction between two rivers which flow down from the northern hills on their inexorable way to the Pacific Sea.

Mountain Day

May 24, 2014 / John D. / 1 Comment

Mt Miwa casts a protective eye over the settlement below it. The mountain is a 'goshintai' (sacred body) for Omiwa Jinja and worshipped directly.

On the afternoon of 25 April, the Lower House of Parliament in Japan passed an amendment to the nation’s Holiday Act to include a new public holiday Mountain Day (Yama no Hi). It was yesterday approved too in the Upper House, making it Japan’s 16th civic holiday. That’s far more than most countries, though Japanese tend not to take annual holidays, or just a week or less. (June is now the only month without a bank holiday.)

It’s rather wonderful to have a whole holiday dedicated to mountains, and testimony of the significant role they play in the cultural identity of the nation. According to the amendment, Mountain Day is intended “to give opportunities to get close to mountains and to appreciate the benefits of mountains.” They have of course played a formative part in Shinto, and mountain worship in various forms continues to play a significant role.

Mt Fuji, now a World Heritage Site, lies at the heart of the national consciousness

In shamanic cultures, the spirits of the dead became identified with local mountains. Fear of death led ancient people to desire that spirits live on after death. Since bodies were left on mountainsides or behind rocks, the spirits would naturally have been thought to become part of them. Think of burial mounds, for instance. This prompted the notion that the ancestral spirits were in fact spirits of place. Or animist. If rocks and the land could have spirit, then so could trees, waterfalls and mountains.

Clans living beneath mountains looked on the spirit in the mountain as a guardian deity. This spirit was personified and often identified with the leader of the clan. In this way the clan belonged to the land; in fact, through death the clan actually became part of the land. It explains why the clan shrine, or ujigami, remains a home base for many Japanese even now, when modernity has led to mobility.

Mountain spirits literally look after those who live in the valleys below them. It explains why there are so many shrines in Japan built at the foot of the local hill. Mountains are our guardians. Mountains are our friends.

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The following piece is taken from Kansai Scene:

Knocking on hiking heaven’s door Text: Tom Fay • May 1, 2014

In days long past, mountains were revered as sacred and mysterious places, and were only climbed by Shinto and Buddhist priests on their spiritual pilgrimages. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that an Englishman called Walter Weston arrived in Japan, founded the Japanese Alpine Club and changed the perception of those high places forever. Climbing mountains became a form of recreation, and has boomed in popularity ever since.

These days, people of all ages and fitness levels can be found huffing and puffing along the myriad of trails which litter the mountainsides, and although the biggest and most challenging peaks tend to be found in the Japan Alps, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy some beautiful scenery and satisfying treks. Indeed there are countless enjoyable hikes to be had in the Kansai region, most famous of which (and best for beginners) is probably Mount Rokko, with its clearly marked and easy ascent overlooking Kobe. One of the best parts of this particular hike is finishing the day with a nice, hot soak in the hot spring town of Aroma.

Part of the sacred mountains near Omine

Omine-san (Nara)

This is a popular hike on a pilgrimage route, taking in a number of sacred sites. In fact, the peak of Sanjo-ga-take remains off-limits to women, although there are routes which bypass this. With an early start from Dorogawa Onsen, it is possible to reach two of the highest points in Kansai, Mount Misen and the nearby Mount Hakken (although it is probably best to stay the night in a hut). The trail itself is well marked, following the ridge line after a steep climb, and even if your muscles begin to feel the pain, the spiritual nourishment of hiking along a route still used by pilgrims and mountain priests will surely spur you on. If not, then the promise of a hot bath back at the foot of the mountain might do the trick.

Access: Train to Shimoichikuchi station and then a bus.

A mountain ascetic announcing to the world the deep spiritual wisdom inherent in mountains

Otoyo Shrine (Kyoto) 2

May 20, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

One of the magnificent komainu guarding the approach to the shrine

The power animals of shamanism evolved in Shinto into messengers of the kami, able to mediate between the human world and the spiritual. Statues of animals are thus often found at shrines. The kitsune foxes at Inari shrines are well-known. At Hachiman shrines you find dove guardians, at Benten shrines there is inevitably a white snake somewhere, and there’s always an ox statue at Tenmangu shrines. Amaterasu is served by roosters, since they announce her coming at the break of each day.

Rat guardian with his scroll bearing wisdom from the gods

Otoyo Shrine has the richest collection of animal statuary I’ve come across. Though it’s only a small shrine, on the approach there are no fewer than three sets of komainu to guard the shrine and ensure evil spirits don’t enter. Three is of course a favourite number in many spiritual traditions, including shamanism, and it just so happens that the shrine honours three different kami (see Part 1).

Around the main Worship Hall are clustered four smaller subshrines, and each has animal guardians. At the Okuninushi Shrine is Otoyo’s prized item, a pair of guardian rats (described in Part 1). Here is the legend that goes with them…

According to the Kojiki (712), Okuninushi travelled to another world where he met Princess Suseri, daughter of Susanoo. They fell in love with each other at first sight. Then Susanoo set Okuninushi a challenge to test his fortitude by ordering him to sleep in a room filled with snakes, but Princess Suseri gave Okuninushi a snake scarf, said to be one of ten ancient treasures. The scarf helped him to sleep safely in the room. Susanoo then imposed another ordeal on Okuninushi by shooting off an arrow and asking him to go and retrieve it. As Okuninushi was searching for it, Susanoo set fire to the surrounding plain and the flames spread quickly threatening Okuninushi’s life. Suddenly a rat appeared and told him that there was a hole in the ground. While he was hiding in the hole, the fire passed overhead. Then, the rat retrieved the arrow and gave it to him. As a result, Okuninushi passed the challenge Susanoo had set for him and he was able to marry Princess Suseri.

Next to the rat shrine is the Inari Shrine with a fine pair of long-necked fox guardians and a white fox carved into the decorative fringe. (White is a symbol of purity, as it is in Siberian shamanic cultures.) On the other side of the Worship Hall is a snake, recently added to the grounds. Beyond it are two shrines for Kyoto’s twin mountains, Mt Atago in the west (the slightly taller of the two) and Mt Hiei in the east. One is guarded by a kite, or hawk (tonbi), very much a shamanic creature (as in the Steve Miller song, Fly like an eagle). The other is guarded by a monkey, guardian of the Hiei kami, Sanno, recognised by Saicho back in the early ninth century.

The shrine owners are obviously fond of their animal statuary as they have sought to add to it in various ways. There is a conspicuous tanuki statue in the greenery, and there are other animal figures displayed at various places, not always in the best of taste one might add. Furthermore, the shrine uses its rat guardian as a publicity vehicle with a sign facing onto the Philosopher’s Walk on which it features as an attraction, with the shrine taking the opportunity to advertise services for such ceremonies as the ‘jichinsai’ ground-breaking ritual. Curiously though, I didn’t notice pet blessings among the services offered…