The Summer Hanabi (fireworks) Season in Tokyo Swings Into Full Gear Tonight with the Great Sumida River Hanabi Festival
Today is the 4th Saturday of July, and as all Edo-Ko ( natives of Tokyo`s Shita-Machi district) know, that means tonight there will be FIREWORKS ( hanabi) over the Sumida River near Asakusa Station. Not only is this Tokyo`s largest and most famous annual pyrotechnical event, it is also the oldest, with the tradition having started way back in 1733 ( with only brief interruptions during the war years 1940-1947, and later, because of traffic and crowd related logistical problems, between 1962 and 1977 ).
Considering how close Tsukuba is to that part of Tokyo ( its only about 40 minutes away by the Tsukuba Express), it has always surprised me how few Tsukubans, either native or new resident have ever attended this great event. When I ask friends and aquaintances if they HAVE ever done so the response I get is almost always a strong NO, which seems to imply that I was crazy for even asking.
The reason for this is not simply because The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is always incredibly crowded ( with nearly a million people packed into the area), or that it is too hot ( most Japanese usually DO associate fireworks with summer anyway). It is because the people who live in Southern Ibaraki Prefecture ( where Tsukuba is located), have a special pride in our own great regional fireworks event- The Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition- which is held in the cool of October and can be seen in comfort from the nearby rice fields ( after harvesting of course!) and even from the windows of many homes in Tsukuba.
Still, with the TX`s direct service to Asakusa Station it IS tempting to go check out one of THE great Edo ( Tokyo) traditions that still lives on. I could even say, that for those of us who love the Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition, going to the Sumida River Fireworks Festival could be said to be an act of paying tribute to what in fact is the MODEL for Tsuchiura`s event, which has place over the Sakura River since 1925.
Let me explain how this is so.
The Sumida River fireworks started out ( in 1733) as part of a ceremony to console the spirits of those who died the previous years in a famine ( and subsequent epidemics) which had ravaged the city. The Shogunate planned supplications to SUIJIN, the Water, or River God. Permission was given to a pyrotechnic firm, Kagiya, to launch fireworks, which, like incense, vanished into thin air, as if taken up by the souls of the dead.
The Sumida River Fireworks were a great hit, and were in fact not just a one night event- they were launched nearly EVERY NIGHT over the the course of two summer months each year ( until the Meiji Period when it was scaled down to once a year), set off on demand as ordered by paying patrons who came to the riverside tea houses and restaurants to enjoy the cooler air by the river. The fireworks became an important part of a complex and booming SHITA-MACHI summer economy, and became symbolic of Edo in that season.
In the same way, in Tsuchiura,the Buddhist monk Baiho of the Zenryu-Ji Temple, suggested a fireworks event as a way of consoling the spirits of pilots who had died training over Lake kasumigaura ( this is long before WWII), and of course as way of reviving the local economy ( ala Shita Machi). The reason that the event is held over the Sakura River and not the lake, is that because of the Tokyo event, fireworks were connected in peoples minds with RIVERS.
For more on the history of the Tsuchiura Fireworks event read my article:
And more info ( and logistics) regarding tonight`s event in Tokyo:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a39_fes_hanabi.html
and some history:
http://sumidagawa-hanabi.com/index_eg.html
With the sultry summer heat, the huge Yukata-clad crowds, the beautiful fire FLOWERS ( the direct translation of the Japanese characters for fireworks) and the lingering smell of the gun-powder wafting in the air- tonight should provide an UNFORGETTABLE Edo experience. You can even join in shouting praise for the fireworks makers- KAGIYA!! TAMAYA!!! along with the locals ( much in the same way that the names of Kabuki actors are shouted out in appreciation!)
I will probably pass, however, and wait for October!
WARNING!
The Sumida Fireworks event will be horribly crowded even by Japanese standards. Also, with all the tall buildings, it is difficult to get a good position for viewing the fireworks. People with money to burnm reserve hotel rooms with a view, or seats on a special fireworks viewing river cruises. For those who dont stake a claim on a good spot early in the day ( a ridiculous thing to do in this heat anyway) it must be remembered that there is NO STANDING in the places from which the HANABI can be seen. The police DO NOT LET YOU STOP, and like sharks, you just have to keep moving! If you have little kids, I would strongly recommend that you DO NOT go to this event with them!
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The Ancient Rite Of Chinowa Kuguri (passing through an upright circle of straw set up at certain shrines) Explained!
A ring of straw (CHINOWA) set up for today`s rites at the Hie Shrine in Tanaka, Tsukuba ( July 30th, 2010)
Has Japan`s summer heat got you beat ( though today IS quite cool, for a change)? Have you got a dose of NATSU-BATEH, the term the Japanese use to describe the lethargy brought on by this season`s Amazon-basin-like temperature and humidity? Well, this week provides Tsukuba residents with at least two TRADITIONAL WAYS of steeling yourselves against the elements until things cool down. First, on Monday the 26th, there was Dohyo no Ushi,the day on which the heat stricken multitudes fortify their bodies with nutritious and succulent eel ( UNAGI). Then, tomorrow evening ( July 30th, 2010) there is the spiritual cleansing and revitalization of CHINOWA KUGURI (茅の輪くぐり) which can be had at Tsukuba`s Hie Shrine. There, under the guidance of Dr Osada, the Kanushi (Shinto Priest), you will be able to experience one of Japan`s oldest living traditions, passing through a magical straw ring, as part of the ancient summer purification rites. I wouldn't pass this chance up if I were you!
Let me tell you a little more about it.
Another straw ring (chinowa), set up at the Mt. Kaba Shrine in Makabe.
Ritual purification has LONG been popular in Japan, and over the centuries, a curious array of occasions has come to be considered appropriate for going to a shrine, or calling a priest to come to you, for harae (祓), or as this character is now more commonly pronounced (O)harai. The birth of a child, the onset of a construction project,the purchase of a car or appliance, turning an unlucky age, or just a plain ol` string of bad luck are among the times at which one might have the kanushi wave his wand and utter incantations (norito) to drive away misfortune and cleanse oneself and one's possessions of impurities, sin, guilt and any unwanted spirits. Ablutions can also be carried out on one's own (without calling a priest), with the proper application of salt or water. In addition to these personalized, purification-on-demand ceremonies, there are two great national oharae, one in the winter (toshikoshi no harae) and one in summer (nagoshi no harae) which were decreed by the imperial court in the Nara Period (710-794), in an effort to standardize rituals within the Yamato realm, and have the populace spiritually cleansed every six months. These have been taking place for more than 1000 years, at the end of December and the end of either June or July.
As I have already pointed out (and as you know all too well) summers in Japan tend to sap people's energy and were also historically a likely time for epidemics to run rampant. For extra purifying and energizing power at the summer harae rites, many shrines around Japan adopted the practice of placing a large ring of reeds (chinowa)across the path leading the the main worship hall, through which those who desired to, could step through, in a ceremony that has come to be called chinowa kuguri. The belief in the efficacy of these rings originates in the ancient Chronicles of Bingo Province (now Okayama Prefecture) in which the simple hero, Somin Shorai, was advised by one of the gods (Susano no mikoto, who somin had been kind to) to protect himself from an epidemic that had been raging, by fashioning a hoop out of reeds and wearing it around his waist. Since this recommendation had come from the mouth of a great god, it was taken for granted that such straw rings had some protective and purifying powers. You might see such rings around the waist of a sumo Grand Champion or see its horizontal reflection in the sumo ring itself.
In Ibaraki Prefecture, there are several shrines at which one can perform chinowa kuguri, though only one of these is in Tsukuba. Hie Shrine (日枝神社）in Tsukuba`s Tanaka district offers a chance to encounter this old custom (called wakuguri by the locals) on July 30th of each year. As a bonus, you will aslo be able to hear a live performance of the local traditional festival music, Tanaka Bayashi, which has been designated by the prefecture as an important intangible property. After the music and the masked dancing which it later accompanies, rice-cakes will be thrown out to the crowd. Be carefull not to get hit in the face.
the Tanaka Bayashi drumming (July 30th 2010)
With the heavy, sultry air, the whirring of the cicadas and the colorfull yukata clad crowd (almost 100 percent local), this small village festival can give you a glimpse of what a festival was like more than a century ago. When it gets completely dark its like entering a time slip.
A close-up of the freshly made CHINOWA at the Hie Shrine in Tanaka, Tsukuba ( July 30th, 2010)
The straw ring at Hie Shrine will be open for worshipers to pass through from 5:30-8:30 and the music will begin at 7:00. For the ceremony to have full effect, it is the custom at this shrine to walk through and around the ring to the left and then around and through again to trace a figure-eight with your path. Tossing a coin in the votive box would also be appreciated!
Dr. Osada, the priest of the Hie Shrine in Tanaka, Tsukuba
Pulling off Nishi-Odori just past the Hokubu Kogyo Danchi, into Tanaka, you enter into another world, with huge old houses with imposing gates and majestic trees all around. Upon passing through Hie Shrine's torii gate, please note the small shrine (Mikazuki Jinja) to your left. Priest Osada, who usually goes under the guise of a dentist, explained to me that inside the tiny sanctuary there are some small stones which can be borrowed, taken home and applied to the body to get rid of bruises, warts and moles. There is a small roughly hewn stone tablet commemorating the time a crew from Fuji TV came to do a story about the stones. Dr. Osada added with a straight face, that the stones were not 100 percent effective.
The village elders pour O-Miki (sake) for those who pass through the ring.
A stroll around the shrine`s precincts will reveal a fascinating variety of stone Buddhas (sekibutsu). Dr Osada informed me that except for a memorial tablet for the war dead, just to the right of the main hall, the stones are not worshiped anymore. However, I would recommend you have a look, especially at the tablet just to the right of the war memorial. It is one of the approximately 50 so-called HANA NO OKII NO DAINICHI-SAMA ( large-nosed Dainichi-Nyorai), which can be found throughtout this region. They are distinctive in that the figures carved on them look unusually foreign, with some of them looking not unlike Central American carvings. It is not known who made them. I will be writing in more detail about these sacred stones in the near future.
One of this regions mysterious LARGE-NOSED DAI-NICHI SAMAs, on the grounds of the Hie Shrine in Tanaka, Tsukuba
Another of the mysterious LARGE-NOSED DAINICHI SAMAs- this one not at the Hie Shrine
And yet another LARGE-NOSED DAINICHI- this one deep in the woods just near my house.
With summers getting hotter and hotter these traditional midyear customs will probably undergo a revival, as even air-conditioning cannot keep NATSU-BATEH effectively at bay. Maybe I`ll see you at Hie Shrine on the evening of the 30th. Remember, opportunities like this dont usually ring twice!
( This is a reworking of an article I wrote for The Alien Times- Avi Landau)
I have written more on this topic- specifically the same ritual as performed at the Mt. Kaba Shrine (加波山神社- Kaba-San Jinja), here:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/06/time-to-go-through-the-wringer-again/
Here are some pictures I took of the scenery around the Hie Shrine in Tanaka:
Rice fields (tambo) as seen from the edge of the village ( July 30th 2010)
The gate to one of the traditional houses in Tanaka. In this area, large houses with such gates are called MON DACHI NO IE
Another grand MON-DACHI house in Tanaka, Tsukuba
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What`s the Buzz About ( yet again!)?- The Cicadas (semi) of Japanese Summer
Newcomers to Tsukuba are usually taken aback by the intense and inescapable chirping of cicadas (semi) in late summer. Though some find it thrilling and ALIVE, for many, the pulsating whir these insects whip up can be mind-numbing, or at the other extreme nerve-wracking. For many Japanese, however, who can often differentiate the particular sounds created by the most common varieties, the cicada is a cherished symbol of summer, which not only indicates the season, but also, depending on which type is singing or at what volume, the time of day. Also, along with the cherry blossom, these creatures, who spend but a few above-ground days LIVING THEIR LIVES AT FULL THROTTLE before quickly falling away, represent that most quintessential Japanese concept, MUJO (無常), the passing nature of all things.
Japan’s greatest poets have used these fast-living, short (above-ground)-lived summer icons to evoke the season, as well as sadness or loneliness. A poem that most Japanese know by heart is the haiku by Basho which goes： 閑かさや岩にしみ入る蝉の声 (shizukasa ya iwa ni shimi iru semi no koe), which I translate as “In the stillness, the cry of cicadas permeates the stones”. Besides this classic, there are dozens of other well-known poems which use the cicada or the empty shells of molted nymphs (out of which cicadas emerge) as key words. The empty shells are especially powerful symbols of transformation and rebirth.
There is a charming etiological myth explaining the semi’s incessant crying which is related to the great Buddhist priest Kukai (Kobo Daishi 774-835). It is the story of Hime Haru Zemi, a princess who falls in love with the brilliant monk and wants to be by his side. Since it was impossible for them to stay together, he fashioned an image of himself out of a tree trunk. As he departed, she climbed to the top of this wood carving, clinging to it and straining to see him, crying all the while. She has been clinging to the tree trunks and crying every summer since.
Fascination with semi starts early and strikes deep roots. Japanese children love catching insects. A daytime stroll in any of Tsukuba’s parks or along any of its pedestrian paths during summer vacation will give evidence to that fact. Armed with nets and green insect cages they excitedly search for beetles, dragonflies, or cicadas. Today I watched a security guard leave his post to help some kids snare some semi which were just out of reach.
Because cicada symbolism has become so natural for the Japanese, fans of Japanese film and animation should take special note, as often summer is evoked by inserting cicada sound effects into the sound-track. I have heard that when these films are dubbed into other languages, these sounds are cut, as they have no meaning for foreign viewers and can be misconstrued as static or white noise. Off hand I can name the film Ijintachi to no Natsu (a summer ghost story) or the recent Semi Shigure as examples of films which effectively employ the sound effect.
Today I asked some friends if they could tell the difference between the different cicada calls. All of them said that they could and enthusiastically talked of what cicadas meant to them. These are the types which I found out are most familiar:
MIN MIN ZEMI that go MIN MIN in the daytime and like to cling high up in the trees;
HIGURASHI that go KANA KANA KANA, evoking a sad feeling in the early morning or evening;
ABURA ZEMI that go JI JI JI JI in the daytime;
TSUKUTSUKU BOSHI that go TSUKUTSUKUBOSHI;
and
NI NI ZEMI that go chi CHI chi CHI in the daytime.
If like me , these explanation do nothing to help you identify the different types of cicadas , you can probably make more progress if you check this site.
There is no avoiding the cries of the cicadas, but if you want to have a full SEMI experience, why don’t you start from Doho Park and walk down to Tsukuba University using the pedestrian path.
Avi Landau
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Whats The Deal With All This Eating Of Eel (UNAGI)- A More Comprehensive Look at Japan`s DOYO NO USHI (土用の丑) -again
An Unaju: unagi (eel), steamed, grilled, and basted in a special sauce. Served on rice in a laquer box.
A NOBORI advertizing UNAGI (eel)
You may ask what this is all about? Your Japanese friends or acquaintances will probably give you the SIMPLE , STANDARD explanation- that eating nutritious eel helps you beat Japan`s notorious summer heat, and keeps NATSU-BATTE (summer lethargy) at bay. They will also tell you that it is customary to have UNAGI ( usually served on rice and in a distinctive sauce) on a specific day, traditionally said to be the hottest of the year, which is called DOYO NO USHI NO HI (土用の丑の日), and which literally means the Day of The Ox During DOYO.
Buying Unagi for DOYO NO USHI NO HI in Tsukuba
Now all of this is clearly understandable and perfectly correct. But for those you who would like to delve deeper into the roots and significance this extremely popular custom ( you can bet that I had MY eel today), I would like to explain just what DOYO (土用) means, why the Day of The Ox (丑の日) during the DOYO is significant, and then, why it is EEL that has become the most popular TONIC for that day. I will also show you that there are alternative foods for those who have not developed a taste for UNAGI (or its distinctive shape).
Unagi on sale at Seibu Depatment Store in Tsukuba
Let me begin with the basics. The traditional Japanese calendar consists of 4 perfectly balanced, 90 day seasons, with the official first day of each season falling between the solistices (the longest and shortest days of the year) and the equinoxes ( the two days in the year in which daytime and night-time are equal). Accordingly, the first day of spring (RISHUN, 立春) is half-way between the winter solistice (TO-JI, 冬至) and the spring equinox (shunbun no hi, 春分の日), the first day of summer (RIKKA, 立夏), is between the spring equinox and the summer solistice ( GESHI, 夏至), the first day of autumn (RISHUー, 立秋) between the summer solistice and the autumnal equinox (shubun no hi, 秋分の日), and, likewise, the first day of winter (RITO-, 立冬) lies between the autumnal equinox and the winter solistice. As I have mentioned above, there are 90 days between each of these official seasonal changes.
Doyo (土用), according to the traditional calendar, is the 18 (or 19) day period before EACH seasonal change day. And though, as you now know, there are actually 4 DOYO periods in a year, most contemporary Japanese now associate this expression ONLY with the summer.
To understand the etymology and significance of the term DOYO (土用), which contains the Chinese character DO (土), meaning earth, or soil, we have to look at traditional Chinese Yin Yan (陰陽) Theory and more specifically the concept of the 5 elements (五行) which has had such a great impact on Japanese thought. According to this way of thinking, most things in the world can be associated with either YIN (the passive) or YANG (the active), OR with one of the five elements. These are: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each season, of course, is also associated with one of these elements- spring with wood, summer with fire, autumn with metal, and winter with water. As you can see, there are only four seasons, so what about the fifth element- earth? Well, traditionally this became connected to EACH period of seasonal change. That is why this 18 day period, which comes four times a year, is the earth period. According to these beliefs, one should not engage in any projects which upset the earth (digging a well, etc) during these DOYO periods.
Now that we understand what DOYO means ( and PLEASE remember that I am only giving the scantest explanation of EXTREMELY complex traditional concepts), lets look at what The Day of The Ox is, and why that day is considered to be of special significance.
If you look at a Japanese calendar (even today) you often find that printed on it each day of the year has, in order, one of the TWELVE ANIMALS OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC ( junishi, 十二支), just as each consecutive year has. These animals are- RAT, OX , TIGER , RABBIT , DRAGON , SNAKE , HORSE , SHEEP , MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG ,and BOAR. The characters used to represent these animals as zodiac sign are DIFFERENT from those we use to represent the actual animals. That is why Day of The Ox, is written 丑の日, with 丑、as cow or ox, and not the more familiar (to basic students of Japanese) character: 牛.
Since Doyo periods are usually 18 days long and there are twelve zodiac signs, it is quite common for a DAY of The Ox (ushi no hi) to occur not only once, but twice within that period (Im not good at math, but you can do the calculations yourself).
The questions remains as to WHY the ox would be of special significance during the summer DOYO. OK. This period has traditionally been the hottest time of the year in Japan. Those of you who have experienced this overwhelming heat and humidity know how it can sap you of all your strength and knock you out of action. The ox is significant in that it can act as a COUNTER-BALANCE to the summer heat ! Here is why. Not only each day and year, but also each month is designated its own zodiac sign. The sixth month of the old calendar ( usually July) is Month of The Sheep (未). Directly on the other side of the year , is the frosty 12th month (usually January). The zodiac animal of this, the coldest of months, is the OX ! In other words, the the cold bearing powers of the ox are called forth for assistance when the year is experiencing its hottest days ! In Ying Yang thinking FINDING THE BALANCE is always important, and the Ox help to level out the sheep!
Now you see why the Ox Days are significant during the summer DOYO. But why has eating eel been so popular on these days? Again, the explanation is not simple.
It seems that there has long been the belief that any food beginning with the syllable U (as in ushi- cow), would bring relief from summers oppressive stranglehold. That is why, to this day, besides Unagi (eel), there are those who eat Udon (wheat noodles), Uri (gourd), or Umeboshi (salted plums), on DOYO NO USHI NO HI. Today, I stopped by at an eel restaurant, and they were serving DOYO UME- plums for DOYO along with their unagi.
DOYO-UME in Niihari, near Tsukuba The man who is credited with having made eel into THE food to be eaten on DOYO NO USHI NO HI is the polymath Hiraga Gennai (1729-1779), one of the more interesting characters of pre-modern Japan. The story goes like this. An acquintance of Gennai who ran an eel restaurant had fallen on slow times. To help whip up business, the well-known and well- loved inventor, writer and artist wrote up a sign for the shop saying that it was the Day of The Ox During Doyo (and a good time to eat unagi, which begins with a U !) The sign was a big hit (as you can now imagine) and thus was begun, along with Valentine chocolates and Christmas cakes and chickens one of the greatest commercial successes linking a particular product with a special day.
Eating eel DOES make sense though, for the Japanese in summer, since it is HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS. In fact, in Japans oldest collection of poems (The Manyoshu) there are two poems on the theme of eating eel to prevent SUMMER WEIGHT-LOSS, by one of the greatest Japanese poets of all time- OTOMO NO YAKAMOCHI.
Something else to consider is that another obvious choice for a nutritious dish on the Day of The Ox would be BEEF. Pre-modern Japanese , however, did not eat animals with legs (mostly) and thus cows were not eaten (eels, on the other hand, are just about as far as you can get from having legs!).
EATING UNAGI
So, there you have it. Today is USHI NO HI, so while you should have no trouble finding eel at supermarkets, you WILL have trouble getting in the better UNAGI RESTAURANTS.
The most popular way to prepare unagi in the Kanto Area ( which includes Tokyo and Tsukuba as well) is called KABA YAKI ( see photo on top), which is steamed and then grilled eel, basted in a special sauce. It it served on rice in a laquer box ( this is called UNAJU) or in a bowl ( UNADON) and most people sprinkle a special condiment called SANSHO ( Japanese pepper, or Shechuan pepper) on top ( somtimes the sanso has a slight numbing effect on the lips and tongue!)
It is interesting to note that in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Nara) the eel is only grilled and NOT steamed. I cannot tell you how it is prepared that way, as I have never eaten unagi in Kansai!
Another way of preparing eel that I would like to try is SHIRAYAKI- which is eel steamed without the sauce. another friend, who is something of a gourmet has told me that UNATORO is delicious. This is pieces of eel mixed into grated yama imo ( a kind of tuber) poured over rice. Sounds deeeeelish!
Avi Landau
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Lightning ! Hide Your Bellybuttons! (Thunder and Lightning in Japanese Culture)- again
We just had a terrific thunderstorm here in Tsukuba. For those of us celebrating the Gion Matsuri Festival in the neighborhood of Konda (金田), and probably for those at the various other local Gion Matsuris in this area, the storm was not only notable for the intensity of its rainfall, its strong winds or its terryfying thunder and lightning.
It was the timing of the storm which made it so dramatic. I should even say UNFORGETABLE . At Konda`s Yasaka Shrine, where in the past important rain supplication ceremonies ( amagoi) had often been held, most notably during the Great Famine of Tenmei, and with the Shimada Ishi ( a stone which according to local legend was successfully used to pray for rain) its narrow precincts, the festival drummers were building up into a crazed frenzy. The portable shine( Mikoshi) had just returned from making its rounds and was passing between the onlookers and the drummers. Just at that moment, a stong gust of wind whipped the placed off the tables which had been set up for the post festival feast- and with a flash of lightning- it started to rain.
We had enough time, before the drizzle turned to a downpour, to get into the car and drive home. But after the 2 minute drive, the rain had become so intense and the lightning so terrifying that we just waited it out IN THE CAR, for about an hour.
I realized that the festival had gone well, celebrated with true spirit- because the God enshrined at all the Yasaka Jinja`s at which the Gion Festivals are held are all dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto- GOD OF THE STORM!
Before of this amazing experience I am reposting an article I have written and posted before:
HIDE YOUR BELLYBUTTONS!
These days electrical storms have been occurring so regularly around Tsukuba that you could almost set your watch by them. The lightning flashes begin just after dark and sometimes continue, with remarkable frequency, for hours. Though these nocturnal pyrotechnics can be beautiful to watch from your window, these storms are also quite SCARY (especially for children and dogs) and dangerous. A few years ago as the thunder roared and the lightning seemed to be singling out my neighborhood for special attention, my house filled with acrid smoke. Certain that a thunderbolt had struck and started a fire, I FRANTICALLY ran from room to room searching for the flames, with my dog barking hysterically at my heels. What I found, however, was that smoke was pouring out of my lightning-surge fried computer, which of course had to be trashed. I now run to unplug my computer and television at the first sign of a storm.
Most Tsukubans these days are quick to attribute the nightly KAMINARI (thunder and lightning) to global warming. In past ages, however, the Japanese would have asserted just as quickly, and with even more confidence, that the thunderclaps and lightning bolts were the work of RAIJIN (the god of thunder and lightning) and his companion RAIJU. You have probably seen some of the famous art works depicting Raijin, an ogre in a tiger-skin loin cloth, holding the sticks to beat his drums, which create the thunderous roar. Raiju on the other hand is usually imagined as a small mammalian hybrid, part tanuki, part cat, part mole. According to folk beliefs, these usually sedate creatures, prefer to sleep within the safe confines of the human bellybutton! When Raijin wants to summon his companion for a storm, he shoots arrows to arouse the little fella and get him out of his warm and snuggly resting place.
That is why, to this day, when a storm starts up anywhere in Japan, you might hear parents warning their small kids: “Cover your bellybuttons! He’s gonna get your bellybutton! O-heso kakushitoki na! Torarechau kara ne!” I’ve certainly been hearing this curious expression a lot these days! I’ve even heard that older people turn over on their stomachs if there is a storm while they are in bed at night, just to be on the safe side.
When I asked parents about this expression, besides telling me about Raijin and Raiju, they also explained the practical sides of this belief. One, that after lightning the air cools down (is this true?), so it is better to cover up, and two, that it’s better to stay low during a storm, and crouching down to conceal your belly is a good precaution to take. The efficacy of this second point was actually confirmed when I checked the established lightning safetey tips here:
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/lst.html
It is also very interesting to look at the Japanese words for thunder and lightning. They reveal a great deal about how these phenomena were traditionally viewed. The word for thunder is kaminari, which literally means Kami (god(s)) nari (resounding). Simple enough. More interesting is the Kanji character for that word (雷). Rain over a rice field. This surely implies the belief in the importance of thunder in its connection to the coming of rain and watering of the fields.
The word for lightning itself is even more interesting. Inazuma (稲妻) literally means ”rice plant’s wife”! The ancient East-Asian rice cultivators must have believed that lightning was a necessary element in the bringing about of rice. As if the gods, like Dr Frankenstein, used electric bolts to instill life into the inanimate!
There are numerous shrines throughout Japan dedicated to Raijin. I have written about one shrine in Tsukuba, the Inaoka Kaminari Jinja, which had been used for generations as a place to make supplications for rain.
Some people might remember how YEARS AGO in Tsukuba, a group of teachers (was it 3 or 5?) had called in sick at school and went off to play golf (in the days when that was a real luxury). When the rain started they took refuge under a tree. When lightning struck they were all killed. That’s why I always get an uneasy feeling when I’m outdoors during this season’s storms. It is then that ISSA`s haiku comes to mind-
稲妻を浴せかけるや死ぎらい
INAZUMA O ABISEKAKERU YO SHINIGIRAI
Lightning flashing all around
I don’t wanna die!
If you’ve got a surge protector, it can also be fun to watch the lightning monitor at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) website.
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