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Spring celebration

March 29, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Incipient cherry blossom along the Kamogawa in Kyoto

Here in Kyoto all the promise of early spring has been evident in the sunny warm 20 degrees we’ve enjoyed today. From my kitchen window I can see the cherry blossom trees lining the river are on the brink of bursting out into full bloom.

Spring in Shinto terms is a time when the mountain kami (yama no kami) descends to bring new growth to the rice fields, becoming the ta no kami. It’s a time of fertility and planting festivals, filled with hope for a good growing season. Over the next few weeks a whole host of shrines will be holding events of various kinds in celebration of the turning season.

Resurgent nature with the promise of spring

Early Japanese poetry had a close connection with kami and the seasons. Indeed, there may well be divine origins to the poetry, as earlier postings have suggested (see here or here). Ronald Blyth in a section of his magnum opus entitled *The Spiritual Origins of Haiku’ had this to say…

The relation of Shinto to haiku is a vital one, but owing to the obscurity of the nature of Shinto it is difficult to write clearly on the subject… primitive, or crude Shinto, which still persists throughout Japan, both expresses the national character and affects it. As far as it concerns haiku, there are two aspects of this Shinto which we must describe, animism and simplicity.

The oldest collection of poetry, Manyoshu, was compiled in the eighth century and showed seasonal awareness along with Shinto themes of kami worship, sincerity and manly purity of heart. Like Elizabethan poetry, there’s a freshness redolent of spring and new beginnings, as captured here by Otomo no Yakamochi (718-785):

In the spring garden
The glow of deep pink peach blossoms-
Onto the radiant path beneath
A young girl comes out.

Japan’s most famous poet, Matsuo Basho (1644-94), wrote a haiku after visiting Ise Shrine suggestive of the heady perfume of spring yet with strong animist overtones for it was written in imitation of an earlier poet-wanderer, the monk Saigyo, whom Basho greatly admired and who had written ‘What divine being/graces this place/ I know not.’

from what tree’s
blossoms I know not:
such fragrance

Finally, a poem by my favourite haiku writer, Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828), which captures something of the wonder of the season and that awe at life that underwrites Shinto in its purest form. Quite delightful, I think….

How very strange!
To be alive
Beneath cherry blossom

Inari Okami in the US

March 29, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

There are several reasons for thinking that Inari may be the most suitable kami for spreading to the West. Of the three most common kami in Japan – Hachiman, Tenjin and Inari – Inari okami is most clearly animist in nature. The kami’s association with fertility has a universal orientation, moreover the male-female ambivalence fits in nicely with neo-pagan strivings for gender balance (Inari traditionally manifests either as a young woman or an old man).

At the head of the Inari shrines stands Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. It is not a member of Jinja Honcho for reasons that are unclear, though according to some sources it’s because the shrine does not recognise the primacy placed by the organisation on Ise Jingu. (As Teeuwen and Breen pointed out in their New History of Shinto, the financial emphasis on Ise is to the detriment of other shrines.)

The Inari information below is adapted from a website entitled “Musings of an Ujiko”. On October 26th, 2013, the website owner formally enshrined a ‘divided spirit’ (wake-mitama) from Fushimi Inari Taisha. The resulting shrine is hoped to be the nucleus of an Inari association and marks an important step in what could prove the spread of Inari worship to the West.

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About Wake-Mitama
There are many Wake-Mitama (“branch spirits”) of Inari Ōkami enshrined not only in Japan, but also overseas in locations where many Japanese live such as Hawaii and Brazil.

Accepting a Wake-Mitama is similar to the way the flame of a sacred lantern is taken to the kamidana of individual homes. Its sacred virtues are identical to those of the “parent kami* enshrined at the main shrine. Unlike an ofuda (talisman), the Wake-Mitama is a goshintai [sacred body of the kami], so it must be enshrined with the utmost care. Furthermore, it is always accompanied by a certificate (proving that it was accepted from the head shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha).

How to enshrine a Wake-mitama
There are two ways to enshrine a Wake-Mitama: either in a kamidana inside a building, or in shrine grounds or other property.

The small shrine type (picture from the Ujiko website)

As for the direction the shrine faces, south or east is considered best, but this is not absolutely necessary. The important thing is that the location selected be clean and appropriate for the execution of morning and evening worship and other rites.

In addition, the shrine or hokora should be placed such that it will be above eye level when worship rituals are performed.

The Wake-mitama is to be placed inside a shrine or hokora. The doors should be kept shut, except once or twice a year when they are opened for taisai (major festival) rites. Even at such times, however, a bamboo screen or curtain should be fixed inside the doors so that the Omitama is not directly visible.

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For more details, please visit the website of Musings of an Ujiko. For a personal account of how the website owner came to Inari worship from Wicca paganism, click here.

For more about Fushimi Inari, please see here.

The torii tunnel at Fushimi Inari that leads from the shrine up and around the hill, providing a small pilgrimage route involving rebirth and renewal from the forces of nature

Hawaiian Inari Shrine

March 28, 2014 / John D. / 2 Comments

Wakamiya Inari Shrine on Oahu in Hawaii (courtesy Wikicommons)

From the Musings of an Ujiko site, I learnt that like the recently featured Brooklyn Garden Inari Shrine, there is an Inari Shrine in the Waipahu Cultural Garden in Hawaii. It adds to the list of Shinto structures in the US, with eight of the ten listed on this site being in Hawaii. The information below is taken from the Wikipedia site for the shrine.

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Collection box and altar inside the shrine (courtesy Wikicommons)

Wakamiya Inari Shrine at Waipahu Cultural Garden in Waipahu, Hawaiʻi, is the last surviving example of Inari Shrine architecture on Oʻahu.

Unlike most Shinto shrines, which are unpainted, those dedicated to the fox deity Inari, the god of the harvest, are painted bright red. This shrine thus represents not just the religious heritage of Japanese immigrants to Hawaiʻi, but also their principal early roles as agricultural laborers on sugarcane and pineapple plantations. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 8 January 1980.

The simple wood frame building measures 19 by 26 feet, with wooden steps leading up to a raised floor with a balustraded verandah that wraps around the sanctuary. Long eaves of the irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof extend over both the front steps and the verandah.

The sanctuary is enclosed by sliding doors with latticework tops and contains an inner altar behind a bell rope and a box for offerings. The building has been carefully restored but still lacks the chigi (forked finials) above the ornamental ridgepole.

The shrine was founded by Reverend Yoshio Akizaki, a Shinto priest who had studied in Tokyo in 1912. Originally built in 1914 in Honolulu’s industrial area of Kakaʻako by a Japanese architect known only as Haschun, it was relocated in 1918 to 2132 South King Street in Moʻiliʻili, the heart of the city’s Japanese community. After the death of the founder in 1951, his son Takeo inherited both the property and the priesthood. After Takeo’s death, the property was sold and the shrine was relocated to Waipahu Cultural Garden in 1979 to make way for a sporting goods store.

The relocated shrine is in a rural rather than urban setting and the surrounding garden lacks several of its original elements, including its water purification basin (chōzuya or temizuya), its paired stone images of guardian lions and fox deities, and its original torii, although a new torii has been reconstructed at the new site

Noh harmony (Takasago)

March 27, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Noh stage with pine depicted on the back wall (courtesy noh.manasvi.com)

Noh plays often draw on Shinto themes for their content, and they invariably portray ancestral and ‘hungry spirits’. At the back of the stage is always a picture of a pine tree, the model for which is said to have been at Kasuga Taisha in Nara where plays were put on in medieval times.

One of the most famous plays is Takasago, which concerns a legend about two pine trees. The founding figure of Noh, Zeami, is said to have created this piece based on a phrase in the preface of the Kokinshū through personifying two ancient pine trees. He set as the characters an aged man and woman who lived far apart in Takasago in Harima Province and Sumiyoshi in Settsu Province yet still kept a harmonious marital relationship.

The longevity and harmonious relationship of the old couple representing the auspicious pine tree is equated also to the flourishing state of Japanese poetry. Through song (uta i.e. poetry) comes harmony of man and nature. It’s a beautiful idea beautifully presented.

The following synopsis is taken from the wonderful Noh database which tells you more than you could ever possibly want to know about the plays and their background. (With thanks to Michael Lambe)

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stock-photo-solitary-pine-tree-in-japanese-garden-34255567

During the Engi period (901-923) Tomonari, a Shinto priest of Aso Shrine in Kyushu, stops at a scenic beach, Takasago-no-ura, in Harima Province (present Hyogo Prefecture) on his way to sightseeing in Kyoto with his retinue. While Tomonari is waiting for a villager, an immaculate old couple appears. Tomonari asks the couple who are sweeping up the needles under a pine tree to tell him the tale associated with the pine.

The couple explains that the pine is the renowned Takasago Pine, which is paired with the Suminoe Pine growing in distant Sumiyoshi; together they are called Aioi-no-matsu (Paired Pines). They appreciate that Japanese poetry (waka) is flourishing in the reign of the current emperor, as it flourished in the ancient age of the Manyōshu (the Anthology of Myriad Leaves), and compare the present and past with the Takasago Pine and Suminoe Pine.

The old man continues that poetry flourishes because everything in this world, including trees and grasses, embraces the heart of poetry. He then explains that pine trees, evergreens which grow for one thousand years, are especially blessed and tells the historical story of the pine.

Takasago couple representing harmony and longevity (source unknown)

Finally, the old couple reveals that they are the incarnation of Takasago Pine and Sumiyoshi Pine, which are the paired trees called Aioi-no-matsu. They promise to see Tomonari at Sumiyoshi again and board a boat from the shore washed by the evening tide. The boat follows the wind and eventually disappears beyond the horizon.

Tomonari and his retinue depart Takasago Bay determined to follow the old couple and embark for Sumiyoshi when the moon rises. When they arrive at the beach in Sumiyoshi, the masculine Sumiyoshi Deity appears before the group. Under the moonlight, Sumiyoshi Deity dances airily and divinely to expel demons, celebrate the longevity of the emperor and people and the peace of this world.

“Takasago,” one of the masterpieces of Shūgen-noh (Noh for celebration), has been widely appreciated since the Muromachi era. Even a person who has never seen Noh dramas might have heard the name at least on occasion. For example at a wedding reception in Japan, you may hear phrases of a Noh chant originating from this Noh drama, such as “Takasago ya…… (Oh Takasago……)” or “Senshūraku wa…… (Dance Senshūraku to ease people’s minds……).”

In this piece, the pine occupies an important role. From ancient times in Japan, people have believed that deities dwell in the pine tree and often called it “Chitose (thousand yeaｓ)” in Japanese poetry because of its evergreen nature. The pine represents the celebration of longevity. It also has different sexes, which reminds people of husband and wife.

This play is one of the best of the masterpieces, persisting in the idea of blessing and celebration, extremely bright, and full of the atmosphere of nobility, dignity, and purity. The audience can enjoy this piece by simply seeing, listening, and feeling it. Those in the audience are able to experience purification through seeing Takasago.

Yamatoism

March 26, 2014 / John D.

Prime minister Abe, at the left of the picture, raises his arms while shouting Tenno heika banzai (courtesy Japan Daily Press)

A commentary in today’s Japan Times by Takamitsu Sawa highlights how once more, as in pre-war times, Shinto is being exploited by nationalist forces in Japan keen to strengthen the country’s military. As with State Shinto, the neo-nationalism is underpinned by an ideology of a divinely blessed emperor-centred nation. It’s an ideology with roots in Yamato times when it was first committed to print in Kojiki (712) and Nihon shoki (720).

Prime minister Abe has sought to use the garb of Shinto to further his nationalist agenda. Despite fierce opposition, he insisted on the highly symbolic visit to Yasukuni Shrine. He attended the shikinen sengu ceremony at Ise with his full cabinet (the first time since 1929), thereby promoting ties of state and Shinto which had been cut by GHQ in 1945. And in a provocative act, he raised his arms to shout out ‘Tenno heika banzai’ in the manner of WW2 soldiers, an act rarely seen by elected officials since the war.

There are those amongst Western sympathisers with Shinto who support Abe in all this. They are usually right-wing themselves, and make the argument that Yasukuni is a purely religious issue. It makes them complicit in a political agenda which seeks step-by-step to absolve Japan of guilt for WW2. These fellow-travellers should examine their consciences, for unless Abe is opposed by gaiatsu (foreign pressure) worse will surely follow. The lessons of the 1930s need to be taken to heart.

Kudos to Takamitsu Sawa, president of Shiga University, for daring to speak out.

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Yamatoism is coming back
BY TAKAMITSU SAWA MAR 25, 2014 Japan Times

Shortly after the start of the second half of 1985, there came a burst of criticism from European and American intellectuals against “Yamatoism,” the word “Yamato” being Japan’s ancient name.

What touched them off was a thesis written by Dutch journalist Karel van Wolferen, which appeared in the winter 1986-87 issue of Foreign Affairs, a prestigious magazine published by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prime minister Abe on his controversial visit to Yasukuni (courtesy Japan Times)

Van Wolferen’s thesis was followed by an article written by Ian Buruma, another Dutch journalist, for the April 12, 1987, issue of The New York Times Magazine, in which the newly coined word of “Yamatoism” made its debut.

His line of argument — directly connecting, in a somewhat short-circuited manner, moves of Japan’s rightist forces with an unconditional praise of Japan by European and American intellectuals — may be criticized as being a bit cursory. Nevertheless, his arguments were valuable as a criticism of Yamatoistic tendencies then prevailing in journalism of blindly applauding Japan’s culture, systems and customs.

However, since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power on Dec. 26, 2012, what Buruma called Yamatoism seems to have regained power and the proposition that Japan is a “sovereign state” and a “capitalist free-market economy” seems to have turned again into the fiction identified by van Wolferen.

Even though Buruma and van Wolferen made those observations more than a quarter century ago, they can be interpreted rightly as a correct warning against nationalistic policies being pushed by the Abe administration.

Abe is at the extreme right end of the Liberal Democratic Party’s political spectrum, and I expected that he would begin his nationalistic agenda — such as amending the Constitution — after the “three arrows” of his “Abenomics” economic policy had succeeded in pulling the Japanese economy out of its long period of deflation. But these expectations have proved to be off the mark.

Abenomics initially appeared to be moving ahead with an irresistible force. Now it is at a standstill, making its success or failure unpredictable. Yet, Abe rushes to push a right-leaning agenda despite advice to the contrary from close associates.

Although he undoubtedly assumed that his visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Dec. 26, 2013, would lead to the deterioration of Japan’s relations with China and South Korea, he apparently did not imagine that the visit would invite “disappointment” from the U.S. government.

After all, Abe is nothing but an ultra-rightist fundamentalist — judging from the fact that he gives priority to his “creed” over the country’s strategic interests in total disregard of advice from members of his inner circle who, from realistic perspectives, attach importance to the nation’s strategic benefits and worry about the deterioration of Japan-U.S. relations.

Imperial regalia mystery

March 26, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Representation of Japan's imperial regalia, known as the Three Sacred Treasures (courtesy tokyotako.com)

The Three Sacred Treasures of the imperial family were allegedly handed by the sun goddess Amaterasu to her grandson Ninigi no mikoto, passing down to the imperial family.

They consist of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the mirror Yata no Kagami, and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. They were long kept in the imperial palace, but the mirror was eventually removed to become the goshintai or sacred body at Ise.

The regalia served as symbols of authority, and various theories have been put forward about the significance. Traditionally they were said to represent valour, benevolence and wisdom. However, I rather like Tofler’s idea that sees them in terms of power, wealth and knowledge.

It’s considered auspicious to visit Ise in the year after the shikinen sengu renewal of the shrine, and the imperial couple (who did not attend the ceremonies) have now travelled to pay respects there. Confusingly, newspaper reports of the event claim that they have taken two of the imperial regalia with them (the third being the mirror at Ise). I say ‘confusingly’ because it’s commonly assumed the sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, is kept by Atsuta Jinja. Here for instance is what Wikipedia has to say:

Kusanagi is allegedly kept at Atsuta Shrine but is not available for public display, and its existence cannot be confirmed. During the Edo period, a Shinto priest, claimed to have seen the sword. According to him, the sword was about 84 cm long, shaped like calamus, fashioned in a white metallic color, and well maintained. Recently, Japan’s nationally run broadcasting station, NHK, went to Atsuta Shrine to videotape the sword but were turned away.

So what are we to make of reports such as that below? My supposition is that the sword is a copy, similar to the copy of Amaterasu’s mirror which is housed in the imperial palace. That’s speculation on my part, however, and I’m uncertain of the official line (if indeed there is one).

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Imperial sword, jewel taken to Ise Shrines

Japan News March 25, 2014 (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

One of Japan's Three Sacred Treasures seen here in a box behind the emperor and empress (courtesy Yomiuri Shimbun)

The Emperor and Empress arrived at the Ise Grand Shrines in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Tuesday afternoon with the sacred sword and jewel of the Imperial family.

The Imperial couple is making a private visit to the shrines where the Shikinen Sengu renewal ceremony was held last year. The Shikinen Sengu is a series of events held once every 20 years to transfer deities to newly constructed shrine buildings.

It was the first time that the sacred sword and jewel have been brought out of the Imperial Palace since the couple visited the shrines after the previous Shikinen Sengu 20 years ago.

The sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the comma-shaped jewel, Yasakani no Magatama and the mirror, Yata no Kagami constitute the three sacred treasures of the Imperial family. The first two treasures taken together are referred to as Kenji, meaning sword and jewel.

The Emperor and Empress are scheduled to visit Geku, the outer shrine, and Naiku, the inner shrine, at the Ise Grand Shrines on Wednesday, and to return to Tokyo on Friday.

Megalith mystique

March 25, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Following on from the posting about the Sounds of Shinto, a piece in the Huffington Post suggests that sound may also have played a part in the spirituality of Stonehenge. The article is of interest because rocks and megaliths are such a prominent part of Shinto. They are prominent too in Japan’s ‘power spots’, as demonstrated by Kara Yamaguchi in her writing.

The relationship of Shinto’s rocks to ancestor worship has been explored in earlier Green Shinto postings, such as this one, so it’s of interest that Stonehenge may also have been a place of burial and ancestral rites. The idea of Shinto kami descending to earth in rock-boats may not be so far-fetched when one thinks of life originating from meteors and the way that meteorites fall to earth from distant heavens.

If one puts the potency of rock together with the significance of a circle (recalling the circular mirrors in Shinto shrines), one can begin to understand why Stonehenge had such symbolic force for the ancient humans who spent so much time and energy to construct it. The circle is the most powerful of forms, resonant with meaning, and it is surely no coincidence that the souls of the dead were regarded as spherical discs of light in ancient China.

Erected all those thousands of centuries ago, the stone circle of Stonehenge continues to haunt the imagination and be a focus for spiritual ceremonies. That the stones may have had voices that were listened to by the people of the past is a fascinating concept. May it forever rock on!

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Druid rite at Stonehenge (courtesy Kovasck)

Researchers recently had the rare chance to thwack the giant megaliths at Stonehenge and noted that they each resonated with sounds like those of metallic or wooden bells. They proposed that the strange monument was once either an ancient long-distance communication system, or a Stone Age church bell system.

But despite centuries of speculation, scientists aren’t much closer to revealing why the enigmatic monument was raised on the Salisbury plain in England thousands of years ago. Legends ascribe the site to Merlin’s wizardry, and conspiracy theorists have credited aliens and UFOs for the megaliths. Meanwhile, scientists propose more grounded theories about the site. From giant musical instrument to elite burial ground, here are seven of the most popular theories about why Stonehenge was built.

1. Sacred hunting ground

The area around Stonehenge was a hunting ground along an ancient auroch [extinct kind of cattle] migration route thousands of years before the first stones were raised, according to archaeological evidence. A site just a mile away from the megaliths contains evidence of human occupation spanning 3,000 years, including thousands of auroch bones, flint tools and evidence of burning.

The Stonehenge site itself bears evidence of construction as far back as 8,500 to 10,000 years ago, when a few pine posts were raised to create an ancient structure. This archaeological evidence hints that the site was originally an ancient hunting and feasting site, and perhaps the megaliths were raised to memorialize the meaty bounty.

2. Unity monument?

Some believe the British megaliths were erected to celebrate peace and unity. During the monument’s period of intense building, between 3000 B.C. and 2500 B.C., the culture of the British isle was increasingly unified, a fact exemplified by more uniform pottery styles taking hold throughout the region. The massive endeavor would have taken thousands of laborers and employed stones from far-flung Wales. Working on such a big collaborative project would have been a unifying exercise on its own.

Does Shinto's love of rocks stem from the connection with death and ancestral spirits?

3. Astronomical calendar

Many believe the ancients celebrated winter solstice at Stonehenge. The avenue near Stonehenge is aligned with the winter solstice sunset, and nearby archaeological evidence suggests that pigs were slaughtered during December and January — possibly for a mid-winter feast. The site also faces the sunrise during the summer solstice, and thousands of visitors still flock to the site every year to celebrate at that time.

4. Stonehenge sound illusion

Two pipers playing in a field around Stonehenge would have the sounds canceled out at certain spots, a sound illusion that may have inspired Stonehenge builders, according to a presentation given at the 2012 American Association for the Advancement of Sciences meeting. The megaliths might have been raised to augment the area’s natural sound cancellation, with the boulders selectively blocking sound. In fact, the monument is often nicknamed “The Piper’s Stones” in England, and legend holds that magic pipers led maidens to the field, and then turned them into the stones present today. Even those who don’t buy the sound illusion theory don’t deny that Stonehenge had amazing acoustics, with the cavernous echoes typically found in a lecture hall or a cathedral.

5. Elite cemetery

The mysterious monument may have once been a burial ground for the elite, according to one study. Thousands of skeletal fragments from at least 63 individuals have been exhumed from the area, with an equal proportion of men, women and children found there. The burials date to 3000 B.C., as construction of the monument was getting started. Archaeologists have also unearthed a possible incense bowl and a mace head, an object usually associated with the elite in ancient society.

6. Giant bells

The newest theory suggests the dolerites and sarsens at Stonehenge produce unique, subtly different sounds similar to hollow wooden or metallic bells. Because the sounds would have carried over long distances, these sounds could have been a form of primitive communication, or alternatively, they may have been used much as church bells are today. The idea of using rocks to make music isn’t new; many other cultures have employed lithophones — essentially giant xylophones that produce unique sounds.

7. Healing site

Many of the skeletons buried near the site bear marks of illness or injury, leading Geoffrey Wainwright and Timothy Darvill to propose the site was a spot for ancient healing. Lending credence to that theory, many of Stonehenge’s bluestones have been chipped away over the ages, perhaps by long-lost pilgrims seeking protective or healing talismans from the location. Of course, Stonehenge may have built for many, some or none of these reasons, and odds are no one will ever know for sure.

Shamanistic rock worship is common in Korea, where rocks are seen as part of the native mountain worship