Page 121 of 203

Home of football (Shiramine Jingu)

January 18, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

On a research outing to north Kyoto the other day, I happened to pass Shiramine Jingu which I hadn’t visited for some years. In the meantime it has been building up its status as the home of football, with several articles in English posted on its grounds. These tell how the shrine was established on the site of the Asukai clan, which fostered kemari – a game whose object is to keep the ball from touching the ground by kicking it in the air to each other. To ensure success in the game, the clan fostered the cult of Sei Daimyojin, guardian deity of the ball.

The divine game - football for the gods

It’s thought that kemari came to Japan from China, and the earliest mention of it being played at court is in the mid-seventh century. The playing area was six meters square, and in each corner a different tree was planted – a willow, a cherry, a pine and a maple. Players in leather shoes kicked a deerskin ball, and as with all court pursuits maintaining elegance was of the essence.

In 1863, as part of the imperial revival, the future Emperor Meiji had the present shrine built to honour Emperor Sutoku, who in the twelfth century had been exiled to Shikoku after fighting Emperor Goshirakawa in the Hogen War. Later, in 1873, he had Emperor Junnin deified too, who had been exiled to Awaji Island in the eighth century during fighting. The two emperors, who had both died in exile, were thus given a posthumous home in the ancient capital.

The shrine in its present guise is not one of Kyoto’s finest, nor does it represent much of a bond with nature. (I was shocked to find taxis driving through the torii at the entrance and into the main compound.) Nonetheless it’s of interest for its football associations, and for anyone who follows Japanese soccer this is very much the place to visit. Who knows, you may even find your heroes here offering a prayer for success in the coming World Cup!

************************************************************
For more about kemari, and the first kickaround of the New Year, click here.

************************************************************

Items put up in front of the sanctuary, including a fan's picture of A.C. Milan player, Keisuke Honda

The six-meter square ground in which kemari is played

Poster for the shrine festival held on April 14th

Toka Ebisu

January 12, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Ebisu with rod and fish sitting next to his 'father' Daikoku

Tōka Ebisu is one of the big festivals held at the beginning of the new year, around the 10th of the month when you’ll often often people with small businesses clutching good luck charms for the business year head, particularly sasu bamboo leaves adorned with lucky fortune boats bearing the Shichifukujin (Seven Lucky Gods). Here’s a description from the Kokugakuin Encyclopedia of Shinto, written by Iwai Hiroshi…

*************************************************************
“Tenth Day Festival of Ebisu.” Held on January 10, this is the first of several ritual celebrations of the year held to honor the god Ebisu, and is also therefore referred to as hatsu Ebisu (“the First Ebisu”). Well-known local celebrations are those at the Ebisu shrines at Osaka’s Imamiya, Hyogo Prefecture’s Nishinomiya, and Kyoto’s Ebisu Jinja near Kennin-ji.

Lucky charms at Nishinomiya Toka Ebisu (courtesy Yoshinobu Takemura)

Because Ebisu is one of the “seven gods of good fortune” and associated with monetary success, the festival is particularly popular among those involved in commerce. In Osaka, the custom is for each family to go and make a votive offering of daikon radish, taro, and sacred paper strips (go-hei) in the five colors in order to obtain good fortune. It is said that any man who partakes of these offerings will lose his memory.

Tales of Ebisu being the god of forgetfulness or hard of hearing are widespread. At Osaka’s Imamiya Ebisu Jinja, the custom is for worshippers to repeatedly shout, “We’ve come! We’ve come!” and bang on the sidings at the back of the shrine with their fists or small mallets they have purchased as they make their visit. [A similar practice is done at Ebisu Jinja, here in Kyoto.]

********************************************************************

To see just what ‘a rush’ the Toka Ebisu festival can be, you have to watch this video taken at Nishinomiya Shrine near Kobe. Only just over a minute long, but it’s pretty astonishing….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2UeudfQJYQ

Choosing the “luckiest man”! Every Jan 10th, there is a race at the Nishinomiya Jinja Shrine (in Hyogo Prefecture)…a mad dash of 230m from the gate to the main hall. The first 3 people to arrive are called the “Lucky Men”…and of course the winner is the “Luckiest Man”!

Oomoto report

January 12, 2014 / John D. / 1 Comment

The Bansho-den shrine, built in 1958, where twice-daily services and festivals are held at the Oomoto Headquarters, Kameoka (this photo and others below by Jann Williams)

Oomoto Summer Workshop, August 2013
Report by Dr Jann Williams, Tasmania, Australia

In August 2013 I had the privilege to attend the Oomoto International Summer Workshop in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture. Oomoto (also known as Omoto or Omoto Kyo) is a Shinto Sect founded in 1892 during the Meiji era, a time of great change in Japan.

Oomoto is classified as a new religion and was co-founded by Nao Deguchi and her son-in-law Onisaburo Deguchi. They were both shamans and charismatic individuals who have been likened to fire and water, or the warp and weft of weaving – their writings form the basis of the Oomoto doctrines and practices. The sect has a fascinating and turbulent history and in many ways was ahead of its time. Currently there are around 170,000 members, two main shrine complexes (in Kameoka and Ayabe) and numerous branches in Japan. Oomoto has many overseas connections through its inter-religious and humanitarian work. Its biggest branch outside of Japan is in Brazil.

Breakfast of rice, miso soup, fish, pickles, sea vegetable and green tea. Oishii (delicious). Oomoto Headquarters canteen, Kameoka.

What attracted me to the workshop? Oomoto has a strong commitment to the environment, traditional Japanese arts, sustainable agriculture, world peace and inter-religious activities. These themes, and the links to Shinto, resonated with my interests in the environment, the arts, spirituality, and the future of our planet. Another key factor was that the workshop was in English. It was also appealing that the Spiritual Leader at Oomoto is always a woman. Added to this was the rare opportunity to spend a week participating in and learning about some of the spiritual beliefs, rituals and festivals practiced by Oomoto.

When I arrived in Japan, my knowledge of Oomoto (which translates as the “Great Source” or “Great Origin”) was limited to information on their website and the workshop program. In many ways attending the workshop was a leap of faith, one that I’m pleased to have taken. It turned out that I was the only participant – which was a little daunting at first – usually several people attend. Perhaps it was the heat and humidity that deterred more people attending in August. The fact that the workshop was still held speaks volumes about the generosity and commitment of the Oomoto staff.

What a week the workshop turned out to be. Katsuya Kimura from the Oomoto Foundation was my contact and guide for the workshop and was an excellent sensei. The days were long and intense, starting with a morning service at 6 am and ending most days with traditional folk dancing well into the evening. In-between there were lectures on some of the main activities and teachings of Oomoto. Attending the Poem Festival and Summer Grand Festival added substantially to the program. There were also visits to Ayabe (the Spiritual Centre of Oomoto), Ama-no-hashidate (one of Japan’s three most celebrated scenic sites which is close to two islands sacred to Oomoto) and the Silver Temple in Kyoto (a sight-seeing break!).

Kameyama Botanical Garden, Oomoto Headquarters, Kameoka. The garden showcases plants collected across Japan. It was designed by the Fourth Spiritual Leader, Madame Kiyoko Deguchi.

The workshop was designed to provide an overview of the teachings and activities of Oomoto. It covered a lot of material. There are two main teachings – firstly that there is one God (the creation spirit) who is infinite and fills the entire universe. The belief that all religions spring from the same source underpins more than 85 years of inter-religious activity at Oomoto. Esperanto was adopted in 1923 with the expectation that it would become a universal language that would break down communication barriers.

The second principal teaching is that unifying the spirits of man and God leads to divine virtue and that together God and man can create heaven on earth. Four principles and four secondary teachings provide more guidance for followers. Participating in traditional Japanese arts is an important aspect of spiritual practice at Oomoto – Onisaburo Deguchi is famously quoted as saying ‘Art is the mother of religion’.

At times I felt like there was information overload at the workshop, there was so much to take in. In contrast, occasionally I felt like more information would be useful – my western and scientifically trained mind raising its head there. ‘Going with the flow’, being present in the moment and the amazement of being part of the workshop quickly over-rode these fleeting concerns. One area I felt the workshop could have expanded on was Oomoto activities in sustainable agriculture and the environment, which were not formally included in the program. The workshop may change to reflect this, as two interviews were arranged to provide feedback to Oomoto.

In addition to learning about Oomoto and the important activities it is engaged in, there were many highlights at the workshop: the beauty and power of the traditional shrines, the rituals performed in them, and their natural settings – chanting with the combined voices at the services were particularly powerful; the pilgrimage to Mt Takakuma; the Botanic Gardens at Kameoka and the 300 year old farm-house at Ayabe; the traditional Japanese meals at the Oomoto canteens and the respect for the food being eaten (I even tried and liked natto, to the surprise of some fellow diners); joining in the traditional folk dancing; meeting the fifth Spiritual Leader, Madame Kurenai Deguchi; and the friendliness, sincerity and generosity of others I met. Special thanks goes to Kimura-san for the time and effort he put into making the workshop a rewarding experience. I can imagine there were moments when my questions and comments mystified him – Australian English, logic and humour can be challenging at times!

Traditional Japanese folk dancing, Summer Grand Festival, Oomoto Headquarters, Kameoka.

Since returning to Australia I have been reflecting and building on what I learnt and experienced at the Oomoto Summer workshop. There were many leads I wanted to explore. My training as a research scientist has helped (I think!) sort through the myriad and dispersed sources of information available on Oomoto and related topics. An excellent starting point was the book on Oomoto by Bill Roberts and two books on Onisaburo Deguchi by Koyotaro Deguchi and Nancy Stalker. Books by William Gleason and Birgit Staemmler have also been illuminating.

This journey of discovery has taken me into the realms of martial arts with strong links to Oomoto (Aikido and Waraku); Japanese traditional arts (including the current ORIGIN arts program which grew out of the Oomoto Traditional Arts seminar for foreigners held between 1976 – 1997); spiritual beliefs and practices (such as kototama, ichirei shikon, norito, purification rituals and chinkon kishen); and groups in the so-called ‘Oomoto lineage’ such as Sekai Kyusei Kyo and the related Shumei religion. Oomoto has spawned diverse groups over many decades and has been described as one of longest standing and influential new religions.

Much appreciation goes to Green Shinto for posting information about the Oomoto workshop in mid-July 2013 and to my husband for encouraging me to travel to Japan to attend in early August. It has been an enriching experience that continues to grow. I have visited Oomoto once since the workshop and plan to do so again when the opportunity arises. In the interim, Kimura-san continues to be a gracious correspondent.

Four international workshops (in English) along these lines are run by Oomoto each year, one in each season. The next workshop is scheduled between January 29th and February 5th, 2014. It coincides with the Setsubun Grand Festival in Ayabe – which by all accounts is quite special.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

For those interested in finding out more about the workshops, please contact Katsuya Kimura at k-kimura@oomoto.or.jp. For general information about Oomoto, including a list of FAQ, visit http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/index-en.html.

Dr Jann Williams, author of the above report, in front of the 300 year old farm-house at Oomoto Headquarters in Ayabe. It was rescued and moved to its current site by the Third Spiritual Leader, Madame Naohi Deguchi.

Sumo beginnings

January 11, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Sake and symbolic foodstuffs are lowered into a hole in the middle of the “dohyo” (ring) on Saturday, ahead of the New Year sumo tournament starting in Tokyo on Sunday. PHOTO BY MARK BUCKTON

*****************************************************
Extract from the Kokugakuin Encyclopedia of Shinto, written by Takayama Shigeru…

In China, there existed from before the Former Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.–8 C.E.) a kind of wrestling resembling sumō that belonged to the miscellaneous arts of sangaku. Some of these arts entered Japan… That competitions were decided through sumō wrestling in ancient Japan can be inferred from the existence of Kofun-period haniwa clay figures representing wrestlers, as well as from myths and legends, such as that of the test of strength between the kami Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata, recorded in the Kojiki (712).

Children's Sumo event is held every September at Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto

Sumō wrestling bouts were also held as divination rites at New Year’s to predict the outcome of the coming agricultural season. Vestiges of sumō bouts held as a ritual shrine offering survive in various parts of Japan.

The Nihon shoki (720) records that in the seventh month of 642, “strongman wrestling” was held in the presence of Prince Gyōki of the Korean kingdom of Paekche — who was in Japan at the time — on the occasion of a visit to Japan by an envoy from the kingdom. This is the first piece of historical evidence available for sumō.

During the Nara period (710-784), sumō established itself as a court event. According to the Shoku Nihongi, a court position was created to oversee sumō wrestling in 719, and on the seventh day of the seventh month in 734 ceremonial sumō was held for the emperor. In the Heian period (794-1192) the sumō banquet became a customary court event. Messengers for the officials in charge of sumō were dispatched by the the imperial guard throughout the provinces to recruit sumō wrestlers.

One-man sumo performed at Oyamatsu Shrine in Shikoku (courtesy Japan Festival Guide)

Sumo bouts, called meshiawase, were held on the day of the banquet in the presence of the emperor. The wrestlers were divided into two sides (left and right) and paired off to produce as many as 20 bouts.

Accompanied by bugaku music, the banquet was a large-scale, spectacular event, but it also functioned as a prayer for bountiful harvests meant to divine agricultural production in the provinces. Though the banquet enjoyed great popularity from the early Heian period on, it was ultimately discontinued toward the end of the period in 1174.

During the Kamakura period (1193-1336), sumō seems to have been held only as a form of training for the samurai. In the Muromachi period, however, as the cities and towns stabilized their economic bases and became prosperous, sumō became popular among the common people and professional sumō appeared. Fund-raising sumō began at this time and flourished throughout the Edo period in both the Kamigata (Kyoto and Osaka) and Edo (modern Tokyo) regions.

Sumō reached its prime during this era, a time that saw such events as the awarding for the first time of the newly created top rank of yokozuna to wrestlers Tanikaze and Onogawa in 1789. The direct historical basis for today’s sumō lies in these fund-raising events.

As for shrine ritual sumō, one of the most well-known examples is the one-man sumō presented at the rice-planting festival of Ōyamazumi Shine, Ōmishima, Ehime Prefecture. Following the shrine ceremony, three bouts of sumō are held between a wrestler and the rice spirit, with the human contestant losing the first and third matches. These bouts function as a prayer for a rich harvest.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

For a youtube video of the one-man sumo, click here (1 min video of a bout. The contest is the best of 3.)

For a youtube video of the New Year ritual performed at Meiji Jingu by this year’s two grand champions, click here (I min 30 secs long),

Former champion, the Mongolian Asashoryu, shows off the Shinto trappings of sumo (photo courtesy REUTERS/TORU HANAI)

Hatsumode (Nishiki Tenmangu)

January 8, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

The large ema picture at Shimogamo to welcome in the Year of the Horse

This year I made two ‘hatsumode’ shrine visits. Hatsu means first, and mode is a formal word for visit, so it’s the first shrine visit of the year when traditionally one renews amulets and protective charms. People flock to the place of worship, toss in their coins, ring the bell, pay their respects, and find out what their fortune will be for the year. Some shrines get huge numbers: Meiji Jingu in Tokyo is usually top of the list with over 3 million visitors.

All dressed up for the first shrine visit of the year

My visits this year included my local shrine, Shimogamo Jinja (which just happens to be a World Heritage). I’ve been fourteen times in a row, and always enjoy the occasion, especially the sweet saké! There’s a brisk and happy atmosphere as visitors pour through the woods in droves, some dressed up in kimono and many clutching good-luck arrows or inspecting their fortune slips.

For a change, however, I decided to visit a shrine which hasn’t appeared yet on Green Shinto – Nishiki Tenmangu. It stands in a covered arcade, at the end of the wonderful Nishiki food market which is a must-see (and do) for anyone visiting Kyoto. The shrine too is small but bustling and packed with odd items of interest.

According to the shrine brochure, it originated in the early tenth century as a temple within the palace of Sugawara no Michizane’s father. Later it was moved around, before becoming dedicated to Tenjin (the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane) and taking its present position under the reorganisation of Kyoto by Hideyoshi in the 1590s. It was separated from its mother-temple in 1872 by the Meiji reformers, and much reduced in size by the building of a shopping arcade shortly afterwards.

The shrine has fresh spring water, pumped up from 37 meters below ground, and a reputation for bringing good luck and rewarding prayers. There are three mechanical machines which dispense fortune slips in unusual manner, and an original form of prayer by which you write your request to the kami on a slip of paper which is inserted into a round wooden ball.

There’s a happy bustling atmosphere to the shrine, much in keeping with its busy shopping arcade surrounds and nearby Nishiki market. There’s a room for private tuition in Japanese dance and music. It’s worth visiting for the atmosphere alone, but as a bonus the shrine literature boasts that “rewards for prayers to the god enshrined include intelligence, wisdom, academic achievements, productivity and a head for business. Prayers are also thought to bring good luck, apotropaic charms, and protection against evil and disaster.”

They say Japanese religion is all about ‘worldly profit’. Here’s a prime example. It’s easy to see why so many people drop in here while out shopping!

The torii and alluring entrance to Nishiki Tenmangu, squeezed into a shopping arcade and surrounded by materialism

The Tenjin cow - you can always find one at Tenmangu shrines because an ox played a key part in the funeral mythology of Sugawara no Michizane, deified as Tenjin

A komainu (lion-dog) guardian, unusually dressed in a red bib

Wooden prayer balls, whereby you slip your paper prayer inside and hang it on the lucky plum tree (the plum is associated with Michizane who wrote a celebrated poem about having to leave his favourite plum tree behind in Kyoto after being sent into exile at Dazaifu in Kyushu)

Put in Y100 and this mechanical priest will choose your fortune - one of three such machines at the shrine (the others feature dragon-snakes rather than a priest).

Pure spring water for purification prior to praying

Burning Man

January 8, 2014 / John D. / 2 Comments

Regrettably I’ve never made it to the Burning Man festival, but I’ve been fascinated by the reports I’ve read. The Huffington Post carries a report that shows the spiritual side of the event, and the pagan commonalities with Shinto are evident in the purifying nature of fire, the written expression of hopes and anxieties (a kind of purgation), and the perishable form of the shrine-temple (reminiscent of early Shinto when worship was performed outdoors in temporary structures of natural materials). Here in this quintessential New Age spirituality is the kind of yearning which inspired the primal religions of early times.

What is Burning Man? A festival at the end of August when according to the official site, “tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever.”

*******************************************************

For a five-minute video of the Burning Man temple, please click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/burning-man-temple_n_4557879.html

*******************************************************

The Huffington Post | By Lydia O’Connor Posted: 01/07/20

Outsiders to the Burning Man community may only know the arts festival as a giant party in the Nevada desert, but a newly released short film from last year’s event celebrates one of the things that makes the gathering so much more than that: the Temple.

Released Tuesday by Already Alive — the studio founded by the film’s director, composer and cinematographer, Michael Marantz — “The Temple” is an homage to the sacred structure that attendees fill with photos, messages, trinkets and thoughts as a symbol of closure. At the end of the week, the Temple is burned to the ground.

“Now that many in our society have moved beyond traditional religion, how do we move past tragedy? How do we mark the exciting events in our lives and how do we deal with life’s inevitable trials?” the filmmakers ask. “Some people who face these questions find the answer in the most unlikely of places, Burning Man.”

Real-life Burning Man (courtesy Wikicommons), eerily reminiscent of the 1973 Wicker Man film (ironically written as an anti-pagan story which however became a cult classic)

New Year food (osechi ryori)

January 6, 2014 / John D. / 0 Comments

Black beans, prawns, sweet chestnut, herring roe, rolled kelp and other goodies

Recently Green Shinto carried a post about the significance of New Year decorations. Now it’s the turn of the special New Year food known as osechi ryori. An article yesterday in The Japan Times considered the food’s symbolism, which derives from its association with the toshigami, or kami of the changing year.

**************************************************************************************************************************

Impress your hosts with osechi meanings BY MINORU MATSUTANI, STAFF WRITER, Japan Times
JAN 5, 2014

Shōgatsu is the time when most Japanese carry out certain religious rituals, though many of them may not realize what they do has religious significance.

The ancient Japanese believed that toshigami-sama (the year god) visited them in the shōgatsu period and pretty much every ritual they did in shōgatsu, such as nenmatsu no ōsōji (yearend cleanup) and making osechi ryōri (お節料理, a special variety of foods eaten during the New Year period), was about welcoming toshigami to their houses to bring them happiness.

The cleanup and making osechi food prior to Dec. 31 also have a practical reason that housewives do not want to work during New Year when every family member is at home on holiday.

From midnight of Dec. 31, people line up at their local shrines for hatsu-mōde (the first visit to shrine of a year) to pray to ujigami-sama (local deity) for health, success and happiness for the year. Hatsu-mōde is usually done during the first three days, but some do it on Jan. 4 or after to avoid crowds.

Mouth-watering New Year fare

Before the train system was developed, people simply visited their ujigamisama, but nowadays many of them go to large famous shrines and temples. The most famous is Meiji-Jingū, which attracts millions of visitors every year.

At home, family members get together to eat osechi ryōri (often shortened to osechi), on New Year’s day and the following days. Foods in osechi are cooked in such a way that they can last many days, and many of the foods have meanings. For example, kuromame (black beans) means you will mame-ni hataraku (work hard). Yes, being able to work hard is a good thing in Japan. It also connotes being healthy enough to work hard.

People eat kazunoko (herring roe) to be blessed with many children, and kurikinton (sweet chestnuts stewed with sugar) are a bright yellow gold, connoting wealth.

Buri (adult yellowtail fish) is considered lucky for promotion at work because it is a fish that is called different names as they grow. While tai (red seabream) is lucky because it rhymes with medetai (congratulatory). Tai is also eaten in other “medetai” occasions such as weddings.

Kobumaki (rolled kelp with fish in it) rhymes with yorokobu (be happy). Renkon (lotus root) will enable you to look through to the future because it has holes in it. Ebi ( shrimp) signify old people because they have moustaches and are hunchbacked, so eating them is believed to impart a long life. Ise ebi (Japanese spiny lobster) may give you a luxurious beginning to the year, but kuruma ebi (tiger shrimp) suffice for regular households.

Kagami mochi, seat for the toshigami deity, with daidai bitter orange and urajiro leaves

Putting kagami mochi (a stack of two pieces of round rice cake) in various places of the house is also meant to welcome toshigami. It is so named as it looks like a round copper kagami (mirror) that was used in ancient Japan. The round shape is said to represent the heart, and kagami mochi is said to offer accommodation to toshigami when it visits a house. They can be placed anywhere you want toshigami to come, such as the living room, inside a car and even in the toilet.

Kagami mochi are often topped with daidai (Japanese bitter orange), which is lucky because the name sounds the same as ‘many generations’ and connotes something will last a long time. The phrase senzo daidai tsutawaru (passed on for many generations) is used in describing rare treasures or highly respected craftsmanship.

Otoshidama (money given to children at New Year) is a ritual derived from kagami mochi. Parents and adult relatives give children otoshidama, usually several thousand yen. The origin of otoshidama is a Shinto event in which priests gave kagami mochi to shrine visitors.