Page 152 of 203

Kumano: shrines and springs

January 19, 2013 / John D. / 2 Comments

The Kumano stairway to heaven

Stairway to Heaven by Natalie Emmons
Kansai Scene (Dec. issue)

The serene beauty of the Kumano Kodo is as legendary as its history. For centuries, this network of mountainous pilgrimage routes has granted each traveller a stimulating physical and spiritual journey. The divine panoramas, the moss-covered shrines, and the ethereal stillness of the forest create an atmosphere of otherworldly transcendence. Regrettably, there is nothing like sore calves to yank you back to reality.

For Kumano Kodo novices, the Nakahechi section of the pilgrimage is a great place to start. Stretching across the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula, this popular trail connects three renowned Shinto shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan. Originally used by the Japanese aristocracy, the Nakahechi route has existed for over 1,000 years. Judging by the trail’s terrain, the imperial family must have been in great shape. Don’t let nomenclature fool you.

From towering cobblestone steps to slippery muddy slopes, it’s hard to imagine how the ancestors did the entire pilgrimage in straw sandals. No wonder the ancient resting places called out “We have tofu and hot baths!” to passing travellers. Even in the midst of idyllic landscapes, you will soon be yearning for a different sort of paradise, the kind that involves a long, hot soak and a hearty meal.

Luckily, there are magnificent onsen along the trail, several of which are clustered around Hongu Grand Shrine. Located roughly at the center of the Nakahechi trail, Hongu Shrine is the head of over 3,000 affiliated shrines and the ultimate goal of the Kumano Kodo. No trophy awaits you at the finish line, but a visit to the nearby hot springs is an excellent way to reward your efforts and revive your strength.

Hongu, one of the three famous Kumano Shrines to which pilgrim trails lead

A few kilometers uphill from Hongu Shrine is the charming village of Yunomine Onsen. Discovered approximately 1,800 years ago, Yunomine is one of the oldest onsens in Western Japan. In the past, pilgrims carried out purification rituals with water from the town’s bubbling springs. According to legend, the waters of this spiritual onsen have strong healing properties.

Yunomine is also the home of Tsuboyu, the only onsen that appears on UNESCO’s prestigious list of World Heritage Sites. [Green Shinto: there is also a hot spring at Yunotsu, part of the World Heritage listed Iwami Silver Mine, but for an explanation about this please see the Comment below.]

Located in the middle of the village, this tiny bath is housed in a cabin and available for private use. A nearby stall sells tickets for 30-minutes access to the shack. Tsuboyu is more like a rocky pit than a spacious tub and has barely enough space for two bathers. (Don’t be surprised if the water is scalding; just mix in cold water from the tap to adjust the temperature. The ancestors won’t judge you for it.) After you finish your turn, there is a 90-degree hot spring where you can cook eggs and vegetables.

A short hike south from Yunomine is Wataze Onsen, another rural hot spring village worth noting. Also referred to as Watarase Onsen, this town is known for having the largest open-air bath in Western Japan. Paved with stone and surrounded by mountains, this giant onsen is a magical place to recuperate. If you prefer something more isolated, the private open-air baths are perfect for couples or small groups.

Kawayu hot spring (courtesy of Wakayama tourist board)

Each Kumano onsen has something unique to offer, but Kawayu Onsen is the most magical. Its bubbling springs run parallel with the Oto River allowing the two water temperatures to mingle. By digging into the riverbanks and letting hot spring water seep through the rocks, you can create your own personal hot tub. Even the ducks appreciate this natural wonder by darting back and forth between the two temperatures, their feathers quivering at the sensation.

In the winter season, a giant bath is sculpted to accommodate more people and eliminate the task of digging. This Sennin-buro, (literally, “1,000-person bath”), is free of charge and open 16 hours per day. On special occasions the bath is lit with bamboo lamps. Once you step into the soothing water and watch the steam rising into the night sky, you won’t ever want to leave.

The ultimate water experience: Kumano's Nachi Shrine

Shrine types

January 18, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

A horse statue, characteristic of Hachiman shrines

japan-guide.com is an excellent resource, which I often use when making travelling plans. I happened to come across a useful page while looking through the site, which gives a simple overview of some shrine types for visitors to Japan. There are several others that could be added to the list, such as Konpira, but this is a good introduction to the subject.

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

There are tens of thousands of shrines across Japan, some of which can be categorized into a few major groups of shrines. Some of these groups are:

Inari Shrine within Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple

Imperial Shrines
These are the shrines which were directly funded and administered by the government during the era of State Shinto. They include many of Shinto’s most important shrines such as the Ise Shrines, Izumo Shrine and Atsuta Shrine, and a number of shrines newly built during the Meiji Period, such as Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine and Kyoto’s Heian Shrine. Imperial shrines can be recognized by the imperial family’s chrysanthemum crest and by the fact that they are often called “jingu” rather than “jinja”.

Inari Shrines
Inari Shrines are dedicated to Inari, the kami of rice. They can be recognized by fox statues, as the fox is considered the messenger of Inari. There are thousands of Inari Shrines across Japan, among which Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine is most famous.

Hachiman Shrines
Hachiman Shrines are dedicated to Hachiman, the kami of war, which used to be particularly popular among the leading military clans of the past. Of Japan’s thousands of Hachiman Shrines, the most famous is probably Kamakura’s Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

Tenjin Shrines
Tenjin Shrines are dedicated to the kami of Sugawara Michizane, a Heian Period scholar and politician. They are particularly popular among students preparing for entrance exams. Tenjin Shrines can be recognized by ox statues and plum trees, Michizane’s favorite trees. The first and most famous Tenjin Shrine is Dazaifu Tenmangu near Fukuoka.

Horse archery at Kamigamo Shrine, dedicated to the founding father of the Kamo clan

Sengen Shrines
Sengen Shrines are dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity of Mount Fuji. More than one thousand Sengen Shrines exist across Japan, with the head shrines standing at the foot and the summit of Mount Fuji itself.

Shrines dedicated to the founders of powerful clans
Some powerful clans in Japanese history established and dedicated shrines to the their clans’ founders. The most famous example are the several dozens of Toshogu Shrines dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, including the famous Toshogu Shrine at Nikko. Another example is Kanazawa’s Oyama Shrine which is dedicated to Maeda Toshiie, the founder of the powerful, local Maeda clan.

Local Shrines
Many shrines are dedicated to local kami without association to other shrines.

If you see this, you can be pretty sure it's a Tenmangu Shrine dedicated to the spirit of Sugawara Michizane aka Tenjin

Ise’s logs for Tohoku

January 18, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

The steps to Naiku, Ise's main shrine building. About as arduous as the modern pilgrimage to Ise gets...

Ise donates cypress logs to fix Tohoku shrines (Japan Times, 1/12)
“Hinoki” cypress from Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture will be used to rebuild Shinto shrines damaged during the deadly March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, whose monster tsunami devastated the Tohoku region.

The shrine conducts the Shikinen Sengu ceremony once every 20 years to transfer enshrined objects to newly constructed buildings.

This year, Ise Shrine will provide cypress logs from trees grown in the area to be used as construction material at shrines in areas affected by the earthquake. In addition, parts of defunct old buildings will also be donated when the 62nd Sengu ceremony ends this fall.

In this 1,300-year-old tradition, 65 wooden buildings, including the Inner Ise Shrine, which houses one of the three sacred treasures, the Yata no Kagami (Sacred Mirror), and the Outer Ise Shrine, are rebuilt and roughly 1,500 sacred treasures, including weapons and furnishings, are moved into the new buildings.
MORE

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

Matsuo Basho (1644-94). The great man got to see the crowds at the 20-year rebuilding ceremonies

Basho wrote of the Ise rebuilding on a previous occasion some three and half centuries ago… (courtesy of Gabi Greve’s Joys of Japan-Poetry)

尊さに皆おしあひぬ御遷宮
tootosa ni mina oshi-ainu gosenguu

For holiness,
Everyone has pushed others in the crowd.
The Shrine Removal !
Tr. Oseko

Written on the 13th day of the 9th lunar month in 1689
元禄2年9月13日

After finishing his travels in Oku, he went to see this ceremony at the Grand Shrine at Ise. One ceremony of the Inner Shrine had already ended on the 10th day of the 9th lunar month, but he was able to see the one of the Outer Shrine on the 13th day.
.
Basho in Ise

Entrance to Geku, Ise's outer shrine: Basho got to see it without the cars and railing...

Iwami Silver Mine (3)

January 16, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

The delightful Ebisu Jinja at Okidomari, now boarded up

The third component of the World Heritage site at Iwami consists of two trading routes that led from the silver mines to small harbours on the Japan Sea coast. The track to Okidomari is 7 kilometers long; the track to Tomogaura which superseded it in the seventeenth century is 12 kilometers.

Along the tracks are memorials and protective shrines. The harbour at Okidomari turned out to be much smaller and modest than I had imagined, with a terribly run-down village nearby. The houses resembled abandoned shacks and many were boarded up, with only the elderly left. There’s a desolate and deserted air about the area, and the water was clogged up with rubbish. If you want to see how depressed some remote rural regions have become in Japan, this is the place to head. Not quite what you’d expect of a World Heritage site!

The little shrine at Okidomari looks quite a gem (see pic above), but is also sadly boarded up. Inside it is empty. Dedicated to Ebisu, guardian of fishermen and sailors, it once served to protect the vessels departing with their loads of silver. Now it stands abandoned but under World Heritage protection – an ironic paradox, for a protective shrine is itself being protected.

The small harbour at Okidomari

The run-down settlement at Okidomari

At Tomogaura further up the coast the guardian shrine is dedicated to Benten, and it stands on a small island beloved of the watery muse. The harbour here is more substantial, and the ‘nose-ring rocks’ to which the trading vessels once moored are still clearly visible. The village here is in much better shape than at Okidomari, and there is even a new tourist facility which in season presents information and advice. And around the corner is a wonderful stretch of sandy beach at Maji that looked like it would be full of surfers and sea-lovers in summer.

Because of the silver trade passing through the port of Tomogaura, the nearby hot spring resort of Yunotsu flourished as a place to ease the aching muscles. The waters there are still enjoyed today by tourists in a single street of preserved hot spring buildings which contain a ‘retro feel’. There are shrines too, including the Tatsu-no-gozen Shrine (Dragon Shrine) which stands in a cave looking out over the sea where sailors ask for protection.

Tomogaura harbour with the Benten island guarding the entrance

Nose-ring rock at Tomogaura to which the trading vessels carrying silver once used to moor

The hot spring resort of Yunotsu which once provided relief for the aching muscles of the silver mine workers

The main shrine at Yunotsu with the 'okunomiya' up on the hill behind

The wonderful beach at Maji – not part of the World Heritage site at all !

Iwami Silver Mine (2)

January 15, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

The district of Omori in Oda City, once the head town of the Silver Mine

Part of the World Heritage site at Iwami is the small district of Omori, once the main town of the mineworks. It is here that the administrators, merchants and craftsmen lived, and it still retains an Edo-era atmosphere. Some of the houses have been tastefully converted into cafes and souvenir shops. There’s a well-preserved samurai house, but its modest proportions are dwarfed by the thirty-room Kumagai merchant house, which shows just how profitable the mining was for some.

Ido Shrine, dedicated to the benefactor Ido Heizaemon

There are a couple of interesting shrines in Omori, one being the Ido Jinja which was built to honour a great benefactor of the region. Ido Heiazemon (1672-1733) was appointed Intendant of the mine in 1731, at a time when famine was plaguing the region. He had arrived from Edo to run the mine, but was so shocked by conditions that he used up his personal fortune in trying to help local people.

Heiazemon also opened up the rice stores to distribute to the populace, at personal risk since he did not have permission of the Tokugawa, and subsequently promoted the growing of sweet potato as an alternative source of food more suited to the terrain.

Because he had acted unilaterally, the Tokugawa shogunate arrested him but could not execute him because of his popularity. Conveniently for the shogunate, Heizaemon died at this time – the shogunate said he died of a disease, but some think he committed hara-kiri.

Another of the shrines in Omori is the Kigami Jinja, the current buildings of which date back to 1812. It’s the largest shrine in the district, housing the guardian deity of Omori which is Oomononushi (aka Okuninushi). You can tell it’s an Izumo deity by the large shimenawa rice rope hung before the worship hall. There’s also a nineteenth-century meditation hall with a multil-layered roof designed to emulate the Kamedo Tenmangu Shrine in Tokyo.

Inside the shrine is unusually colourful, with paintings on the walls and ceiling. The latter features a dragon which is said to roar when you clap your hands, though I couldn’t hear it myself. Perhaps it was sleeping.

The roaring dragon of Kigami Jinja

The main building with its characteristic thick Izumo-style rice rope

Fortune slips tied on the lattice doors of a building to house the mikoshi

Faded paintings on the fusuma inside the Worship Hall

From inside the Worship Hall looking out past the shimenawa rice rope

Globalisation

January 15, 2013 / John D. / 5 Comments

An article in the Japan Times today focusses on Shinto’s attempts to explain itself to the outside world. Note that this is not the same as spreading Shinto to foreigners, but simply a desire to increase international awareness of Shinto.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hands-on Shinto: Diplomats and their families in happi coats carry a portable shrine at Kanda Myojin Shrine during an Oct. 27 seminar for foreign envoys stationed in Japan. KYODO

Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 By TAKESHI NISHIDE (Kyodo)

Shinto trying to stay relevant in global, green era
Priests becoming more proactive in explaining cultural nuances of native religion to foreigners

One morning last fall, a group of around a dozen people of various nationalities and religious faiths visited Kanda Myojin Shrine in central Tokyo.

The diplomats and their families from various countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa, including Luxembourg, Romania and Costa Rica, were participating in an Oct. 26-27 Shinto seminar for foreign envoys stationed in Japan.

The seminar, the first of its kind, was organized by the Association of Shinto Shrines, the umbrella organization for the 80,000 or so shrines scattered across Japan.

On the first day, the participants received lessons on the Shinto elements of life in Japan, such as the practice of visiting a shrine at the beginning of a new year and the traditional “shichi-go-san” rite of passage for children aged 3, 5 and 7.

During the group’s visit to Kanda Myojin on the second day, the participants went through the rituals of worship and then practiced taking part in carrying “mikoshi” (portable shrines) in a procession while wearing traditional happi coats and making the traditional “wasshoi” chant.

One diplomat welcomed the occasion as a hands-on cultural experience, while another said the seminar offered a glimpse into how the Japanese look at life and nature via the influence of Shinto.

The seminar was one of several unrelated initiatives intended to promote the understanding of Shinto outside Japan and use it as a means of cultural exchange in an era of globalization.

Inui Mitsutaka of Kamigamo Shrine, Kyoto

Katsuji Iwahashi, a lecturer at Kokugakuin University in Tokyo, is teaching a course to help would-be Shinto priests develop English communications skills.

Iwahashi is frequently asked by foreigners about the concept of deities in Shinto.

He explained that the people may recognize a god wherever they feel the presence of something supernatural, referring to the ephemeral nature of Shinto gods compared with the distinct identity of the Christian or Muslim God.

Iwahashi believes the vagueness that is the hallmark of Shinto can be effective in dealing with the demands of modern society.

“I am not trying to spread Shinto around the world. I’m hoping to help people understand the Shinto mind that is different from digital thinking,” he said.

In the ancient capital of Kyoto, Mitsutaka Inui, a priest at Kamigamo Shrine, a World Heritage site, is trying to get foreign tourists to become familiar with the religion.

When receiving foreign visitors, Inui explains in English the history of the shrine, as well as some of the rituals and concepts unique to Shinto.

“Shinto is a religion of experiences,” Inui said, stressing the importance of engaging in practical activities. He is considering a plan to launch a sleepover Shinto experience program for foreign visitors that involves such activities as sweeping the shrine precincts early in the morning and hand-copying religious writings.

Inui sensei explaining some points to a group of visitors at Kamigamo Shrine

Inui, who was born in a salaried worker’s family but who has a Shinto priest among his ancestors, decided to become a priest while in junior high school.

Instead of enrolling with a Shinto-affiliated university as prospective priests usually do, Inui studied at Ritsumeikan University, a nonreligious institution. As he wanted to develop a global perspective, Inui devoted himself to studying Esperanto, an artificial language created as a means of international communication, as an extracurricular club activity.

After becoming a priest at Kamigamo Shrine, Inui saw tour guides give foreign tourists misleading information about Shinto by explaining it in terms of monotheism.

He came to the conclusion that the best way to prevent foreign visitors from developing erroneous perceptions is for priests themselves to communicate with them, so he strived to develop his English skills at the Interfaith Center of New York while working there under a temporary transfer program.

Inui believes Shinto can continue to gain people’s interest as something that transcends the everlasting march of science and technology.

“The thinking that we must not pollute water because a god resides in it helps to keep water and nature in pristine condition,” he said.

Kamigamo Shrine shining in the sunshine on New Year's day...

Iwami Silver Mine (1)

January 13, 2013 / John D. / 1 Comment

The steps up to Samehimeyama Jinja, the tutelary shrine of the Iwami Silver Mine

Iwami Ginzan (Silver Mine) is a World Heritage site, situated in Shimane prefecture on the Japan Sea coast. In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Iwami was not only Japan’s leading silver mine but was of global significance. It was even marked on a map of the world produced in Europe. At the time Japanese silver made up a third of the world’s total, half of which was produced at Iwami. Portuguese ships traded it for the Chinese goods they brought to Japan, and the Jesuit mission was able to flourish as a result – until the shoguns turned violently against Christianity for fear of colonialism.

Dotted over the wooded hill are the remains of 600 shaft openings

The mine was first developed in 1526 by a merchant from Hakata, who noticed a glow from one of the area’s hills. Soon afterwards he invited a pair of Koreans to set up an advanced production method known as ‘cupellation‘, by which crushed silver ore is mixed with a solvent to remove impurities. The method soon spread to Japan’s other silver mines, transforming the country from a net importer to a major exporter. At its peak the mine involved ten thousand people and 150 villages. Some 600 shafts were dug during the four centuries of its operation.

Once the surface ore was used up, digging had to go deeper and deeper which meant that drainage became ever more costly. Eventually the business became unprofitable, and in 1923 the mine was forced to close. The area fell into decay until a determined effort at conservation led to national recognition.

World Heritage registration rested on several factors, which included the mine’s global significance, the well-preserved remnants, and the environmental aspect, for extensive replanting was carried out over the centuries to replace trees used for fuel. It means that today the whole area – unexpectedly – is immersed in a pleasant mixed woodland.

View from the Chumon gate of the dilapidated Toyosaka Jinja, in disuse like the mine itself

Mining was carried out manually with a hammer and chisel, the only light being a simple wick in a turtle shell. Conditions were harsh, with poor ventilation, dusty air and back-breaking loads carried along low passages. Few survived very long, and there were celebrations for those who reached their thirtieth birthday.

Walking through the area one often comes across protective shrines and Buddhist memorials. The main shrine was Sahimeyama Jinja (see pic above), where the kami of mines and metallurgy was worshipped – Kanayamahiko no mikoto. The shrine was founded in the mid-fifteenth century, though the current buildings date to 1819. According to a World Heritage publication, it’s one of the biggest mountain shrines in the country.

Not far away is Toyosaka Jinja, built for the Mori clan who at one time owned the mine. After the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Tokugawa took direct ownership of the mine and installed their own administrators. The shrine was neglected and fell into disrepair, only to be repaired in the nineteenth century by the Choshu clan based in nearby Yamaguchi who fought against the Tokugawa in the Meiji Restoration. As the mining wound down, however, so did the fortunes of the shrine and today it has a forlorn and deserted air.

Toyosaka Jinja, which has seen better days

Model of a how a miner would have looked and worked, with a simple wick in a sea shell for light

The Ryugenji mine shaft, which was once worked on by 36 miners, including ten-year old boys who carried out chores and errands

One of several tracks in the area, in this case leading to a hillfort. 'Beware of bears; beware of poisonous snakes,' warn the notices. Beware of falling down mine holes, they could have added...