Ibaraki`s Rolling Fields of Buckwheat ( 蕎麦畑) Almost Ready For Harvesting ( and a bit on the history of SOBA in Japan)
“Snow”, I thought amazedly, as still half-asleep and bleary eyed, I gazed out the window of the farmhouse to which I had arrived late the night before in Ibaraki Prefecture`s hilly North-West. Squinting with disbelief ( it was mid-autumn!), my eyes slowly began to find their focus, and my mind snapped into a slightly higher state of alertness. I then realized that the WHITE which stretched out before me was not an extremely early winterscape, but a carpet of flowers, rolling with the wind, all the way to the horizon. It was the prefectures now highly regarded ( ranked no.1 by some) autumn buckwheat ( Hitachi aki soba, 常陸秋蕎麦 ), a variety first developed only in 1978, which would be ready for harvest within a couple of weeks. In Tsukuba, I had seen plenty of little SOBA (buckwheat) fields, here and there, but certainly nothing on this scale. I quickly washed up and went out for a closer inspection.
Before reaching the edge of the fields, I was quite overwhelmed by the powerful musk which these flowers gave off ( in fact, I first thought it was manure), and I was actually feeling dizzy. Crouching down to get a good look at the plants, I saw heart-shaped leaves and dozens of flowers on each stalk ( in fact hundreds bloom on each stalk over the growing season). When most of these blossoms s start to give way to seeds ( which contain the part of buckwheat which we eat), it is time for harvesting. This is about 75 days after planting.
Because of this short time it takes to produce yields and its amazingly high nutritional content ( its packed with protein, amino acids, rutin and vitamins, especially E), buckwheat has long been considered an important emergency food in Japan. In fact, when SOBA was first mentioned in written records ( in the year 722), it was by the Empress Gensho commanding that buckwheat and barley be quickly planted for relief, as that time a famine seemed imminent.
This understanding of buckwheat`s health promoting powers might very well have been brought over to Japan from China or India. The reason I say this, is that the the Buddhist monks of the Tendai Sect (天台宗) , the founder of which, Saicho (最澄), had studied on the continent, had to undergo incredibly gruelling asceticisms. One of these is the GOKOKU-DACHI, a one-hundred day fast during which the monks could eat virtually nothing but buckwheat ! This makes it clear that Buddhists ( who had obtained so much wisdom from China and India) had a deep knowledge of buckwheat`s nutritional value and its ablilty to keep a man alive on IT alone ( even if just barely!).
Japanese warriors or travellers too, would carry buckwheat flour with them in case of emergency. This is because simply mixing it with cold water and drinking would provide anyone, even those without equipment for cooking, with adequate temporary nutrients.
So, while rice was THE most important crop, around which Japanese civlization ( culture, economy, politics) revolved, soba grew to be an important supplementary crop, not only for times of emergency, but for everyday nutritional balance as well. The fact is that the white rice which the ruling classes were so fond of, simply did not provide enough vitamins and soba helped them acquire what they lacked.
Nowadays, when we think of soba, we first imagine noodles, and in fact the word soba can actually mean noodles (as an alternate meaning- for example shina soba 、椎名そば, literally Chinese noodles, means RAMEN、while at festivals you can eat YAKI SOBA, literally grilled noodles, which are not made of buckwheat at all!). However, buckwheat was not served in noodle form until probably, the late 16th or early 17th centuries. Before that it was cooked using the whole grains to make porridge, or ground into flour and made into dumplings ( soba gaki- which were served to me once near Mt Tsukuba).
When soba noodles were developed, it was probably at a temple, which were repositories of many things Chinese, and China certainly had long been the noodle capital of the world.
The fact that buckwheat noodles later came to be identified with SHINSHU ( Nagano Prefecture), and especially the Togakushi ( 戸隠) Area is also perfectly logical, as higher elevations, and areas with poorer soil, are perfect for growing soba. It was probably the great Feudal Lords and their retainers who passed through this area on their way to Edo ( Tokyo) for their mandatory stays in the capital, who developed a taste for these noodles and led to the demand for the soba noodle restaurants which sprang up throughout the city.
Besides being considered merely nutritious, the Japanese ( and Chinese) also recognized certain medicinal properties related to buckwheat ( as they did for just about every plant and animal). The effect it seems to have been most famous for was clearing out the bowels. This is actually the reason that the custom arose ( sometime in the Kamakura Period 1185-1333) of eating soba at the end of each year- to cleanse the body of the past year`s accumulated impurities! And though originally this end-of-the-year soba was probably taken in porridge or dumpling form, today it is exclusively soba noodles ( toshi-koshi soba, the eating of which is one of the most popular New Year`s customs making the end of December by far the busiest time of year for soba noodle makers) which are eaten. It is interesting that since the long noodles are now said to represent long-life and long-term good luck, the original purifying significance of the soba has been mostly forgotten.
I could go on and on about the history of this important crop and the many ways it can be enjoyed. But time is running out for the soba flowers in the fields. Id better upload this article RIGHT NOW so you can get out their and have a look at them for yourselves! Once again, I wont tell you exactly where they are, because the search is a big part of the FUN!
If after that ( and after hearing all about soba`s great nutritional value) you want to partake of the noodles themselves, remember- drink the soba water- SOBAYU, that they serve you towards the end of the meal. It contains most of the nutrients!
- Soba field in Saiki, Tsukuba
For more on this season:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/09/tsukubas-gingko-nut-nuts-putting-their-gloves-on/
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One of Japan`s GREATEST Fireworks Events- The Tsuchiura Hanabi Taikai- Will Be Held This Coming Saturday Night- Here is it`s surprising history
Jinryu-Ji (神龍寺), in Tsuchiura, is a Soto Sect Zen Temple which was founded in 1530. Within its precincts stands a memorial stone dedicated to consoling the spirits of pilots who lost their lives training on, over, and around Lake Kasumigaura, along whose shores once lay the Naval-Air Force, and later the YOKAREN (予科練） flight training schools. In the early years of aviation, accidents took a heavy toll on student (and experienced) pilots.
In 1925 (Taisho 14), Jinryu-Ji`s priest Akimoto Baiho’s dream of holding a national fireworks competition became a reality. He had been pushing this idea as a stimulus to revive the sluggish local economy AND as a tribute and consolation to all these fallen pilots (remember, this is LONG before WWII).
Considering this proposed purpose, it is surprising that the competition is held NOT by the lake, but along the Sakura River. This might be because, traditionally, the great fireworks events of Japan have been associated with rivers, especially the great Sumida River event (in Tokyo) which has been held almost every year since 1733.
Except for a pause during the war years, the Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition has been taking place every year(since 1925) and it seems to be getting more and more popular with each coming year. One reason for this is that most fireworks events in Japan are held in summer, while this one is in autumn. Thus there are no similar events(in summer there are thousands!) to compete with. Of course, there is also the quality of the event. Each year, fireworks fans can get a glimpse of each master’s latest creation. It is a two hour state-of-the-art HANABI extravaganza, and the pyrotechnist who takes first place has received the highest honor in his field.
Hanabi, literally means FIRE-FLOWERS, and in Japan that is traditionally what you got: whiiiiiiiiiiiiish- POW -cherry blossom, whiiiiiiiish-POW- chrysanthemum, whiiiiiiiiiish-POW- plum blossom.The connection with blossoms is strong. In fact, fireworks viewing is considered by many Japanese to be a LIFE-CYCLE MARKER, along with cherry blossom viewing. By that I mean that many Japanese, every year of their lives, from childhood through old age experience these seasonal VIEWING EVENTS. In this way they measure the years as they pass by.
Fireworks are also linked to cherry blossoms in that they both burst out in a fleeting moment of beauty which quickly fades away, symbolizing MUJO (the ephemeral nature of all things). In recent years, however, with the popularity of star mines, the competition has started reminding me more of the BIGNESS of an American 4th of July style firework bombardment. A barrage, as opposed to the dainty and delicate HANABI of the past.
It is interesting to note that as part of the mysterious way culture flows through the world over the ages, fireworks, now linked so stongly with traditional Japanese culture were actually introduced to Japan by Europeans. The Portuguese brought them here in the 1500s along with Western firearms. The first recorded instance of a HANABI event took place in 1613 and was sponsored by Tokugawa Ieyasu himself.
Today I went to check out the preparations for this weekend’s festivities. Laborers (including women and children!!!!) were hard at work putting up unsightly plywood boards to prevent viewers from crowding the bridge or occupying any roadside knolls. Things look very bad indeed, but they say it’s safer this way. The reserved seats (sajiki) have been set up, but alas, the weather forecast is not very favorable ( the festivities could very well be postponed for a week).
If extremely crowded and noisy conditions are not your thing, you might want to enjoy the event from afar (as so many Tsukubans do). One place I would recommend for that is the Kamitakatsu Shell Mound Park. There on the expansive lawn you can spread your legs, picnic, and enjoy the occasional firework that emerges from behind the trees. There is usually some good music to be heard there too.
Of course if you dont get up close you cant experience the pungent smell of the powder and the tumbling ash,
See you there!
Here is a report on last years Hanabi Taikai:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/10/best-tsuchiura-fireworks-ever/
and some more things Ive written about this season in Tsukuba:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/09/in-autumn-dont-forget-web-search-as-you-head-for-your-front-door/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/10/still-more-fall-foraging-in-tsukuba-akebi/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/09/tsukubas-gingko-nut-nuts-putting-their-gloves-on/
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Ryogoku is Sumo- and so much more!
Colorfull banners fly outside the National Sumo Stadium ( Kokugikan) in Ryogoku, Tokyo
For most Japanese, Ryogoku (両国), a neighborhood situated on the eastern bank of the Sumida River in Tokyo, is synonymous with sumo wrestling. Not only is the green-roofed National Sumo Stadium located there, where three two-week long, nationally televised tournaments (basho) are held each year, but so are the major stables (sumo beya), at which the wrestlers live and train. That means that Japan`s national sport can be found NOT ONLY in the stadium itself during tournaments- the streets of that area are literally ALIVE with sumo.! Young wrestlers can be seen walking through the streets at any time of year, strutting their stuff, always extremely photogenic in their colorful YUKATA robes and special hair-dos, and hefty physiques.
An anonymous Sumo wrestler approaches the National Sumo Stadium in Ryogoku
And despite all the recent scandals: match- fixing, drugs, abusive training methods, and the fact that the sport is now dominated by foreign wrestlers- all which have combined to bring about a major decrease in sumo`s popularity among Japanese - during each of the two-week tournaments held in Tokyo ( in January, March, and September), Ryogoku is an exciting place to be. Even if you dont want ( or cant afford) to get into the stadium itself and watch the matches.
Its fun just to arrive in the early afternoon and hang out around the the stadium`s entrance. The atmoshere grows quite festive as the crowd of people ( tourists from around Japan and local sumo fanatics) waiting to cheer on the wrestlers as they arrive for work grows bigger and bigger. As each RIKISHI ( as sumo wrestlers are known in Japanese) appears, he is cheered on ( with the more famous wrestlers getting much bigger reactions of course!) There is usually one older man ( who I have seen every time Ive been there) who has memorized many of the RIKISHI`s birthplaces, weights, and other vital information, which he proceeds to shout out, fuelled on by lots of enthusiasm and plenty of alcohol, as each one approaches!
A crowd gathers to greet (and gawk at) the wrestlers as they arrive
There is usually lots more to see as well among the crowd- political activists asking for signatures on petitions ( today there were people working for Taiwanese independance from China, and some girls who wanted one wrestler, recently banned for match-fixing, reinstated), foreign tourists from around the world, and the usual assortment of lunatics and madmen ( today there was a women of a certain age, flamboyantly dressed, twirling around with outstretched arms, singing old songs!)
A limping wrestler get some help from a friend
But I guess there is nothing more interesting than seeing the wrestlers themselves, some of them household names, and most forever to be unknown- but each looking great in their traditional get-ups.
Arriving at the Stadium by taxi
Oh, and you could also get a ticket and go see the matches. With all the trouble the sport has been encountering they have been doing alot of PR work and seem to be especially focussing on drawing in foreign tourists. Language should be no problem when buying tickets.
For Japanese who might be wary of recent stories of sumo-yakuza connections, a voice on a loudspeaker continuously assures us that members of VIOLENT ORGANIZATIONS ( boryoku-dan, as the yakuza of often referred to as) are not welcome at the stadium.
On the escalator at Ryogoku Station
Despite all these efforts, there are still always lots of empty seats. So if you have the notion, head down to Ryogoku tomorrow ( Sptember 25, 2011- the last day of the autumn tournament). The box office is open fron 10 AM to 4 PM.
Check out this website for more info:
A lucky woman gets an autograph
If you havent got a piece of paper handy for an autograph, have them sign your baby!
And though it is probably best to visit Ryogoku while a sumo tournament is on, there are enough interesting sights within the immediate vicinity of the station to make a vist to that neighborhood worthwhile at any time of year.
First and most famously for foreigners is the Edo-Tokyo Museum, in which the visitor can get a glimpse, with the help of various exhibits, of what life was like in the great city while Japan was still ruled by the Shogun.
They also put on several excellent special exhibitions every year ( I have written about some of them on Tsukublog, for instance this article:http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/01/rankin-by-palanquin/).
The book store and gift shop at the museum are also excellent ( especially for those who read Japanese), and sometimes I make a special visit to Tokyo just to do some shopping there.
You can find out what`s going on at the museum here ( in English):
http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english/special/now/index.html
The Former Yasuda Garden- right next to the National Sumo Stadium ( which can be seen in the back)
On a fine day, it is nice to take a little stroll throught the Former Yasuda Gardens (旧安田庭園, Kyu-Yasuda Teien), which is located just past the sumo stadium if you are coming from the station. Now owned and managed by the Sumida Ward, this garden was first established by a feudal lord who had been granted land on the spot in the late 17th century. Using the Sumida to fill a pond shaped to form the character for KOKORO (心）, meaning heart or spirit, the water levels rose with the ebb and flow of the river. The spot was later bought by the founder of the Yasuda Zaibatsu, after the fall of the Shogunate, during the years the Meiji Emperor`s reign. Entrance is free.
Dont expect very much, but it is a nice place to take a break and there are some interesting elements to look for in this typical Meiji-Period style garden. You might even spot an egret wading about in the pond.
Beyond the Yasuda Garden you can see the Skytree Tower (on the left), and the Memorial Temple for the area`s two great disasters- the earthquake of 1923 and the air-raid of 1945 ( the steeple on the right)
The Tokyo-To Irei Do ( 東京都慰霊堂), a memorial temple and museum dedicated to the victims of Tokyo`s two most terrible disasters
Continuing up further away from the station, you will find a large temple which commemorates Tokyo`s two most terrible disasters, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and the Great Air-Raid of March 10th, 1945( which both hit this neighborhood especially hard). There is an interesting museum in a separate building which I have written about before:
The main entrance to the Ekoin Temple, which is used to tend for the sprits of both humans and animals
This stands on the grounds of the Ekoin Temple (回向院), and commerates the fact that sumo tournament were long held on this temples grounds
Dont let the Irei-Do Memorial Temple give you the wrong impression. Though the two disasters commemorated there were horrific, they were not the only two catastrophes of that scale to hit this area. There were quite a few others. These, however, occurred while the city was still Edo, and not yet Tokyo ( and thus not commemorated at the Irei-Do).
If you backtrack a bit back to the station, and then continue on to the end of the road, you will come to a temple , Eko-In, which is deeply connected with these earlier tragedies, as well as with the history of Sumo.
First established as the mass burial site for the victims (100,000 of them) of the Great Fire of 1657, and then used as a place to inter many of those who died in the Great Ansei Earthquake of 1855 ( among other disasters), this always crowded temple is interesting for the fact that it serves as a place to care for the spirits of both humans AND pets ( in separate buildings, though).
It was on the grounds of this temple that before a proper stadium was built the sumo tournaments were held.
A wild boar hangs from a hook outside of Momojia- a restaurant which has been serving game ( boar, venison, raccoon) for more than 200 years
The entrance to Momonjia, facing the Sumida River
If you find yourself getting hungry after all this exploring ( and if you are not a vegetarian) walk back out the temple`s main gate and turn left towards the river. A large wild boar carcass hanging in the window will tell you that you have reached Momonjia- one of Tokyo`s oldest restaurants. There you can dine on fresh game- boar, venison and even raccoon.
Mmmm. Thems eats.
More popular for visitors to Ryogoku are the Chanko-Nabe Restaurants near the station. Since chanko nabe stews what sumo wrestlers regularly eat, you know they must be nutritious and FILLING!
After eating (or before!), those familiar with Japan`s most famous (true) story of samurai loyalty and revengeーthe Chushingura- will want to see whats left of the old Kira Kozukenosuke Manor ( 吉良上野介義央の邸跡). It was there that the insult to, and subsequent death of the Lord Ako was avenged by his loyal retainers. Kira was killed here, and his head washed in the well that you can still see on the grounds today ( it might be better to see this before lunch!)
You can find the manor remains just to the east of the Eko-In Temple ( that means heading to the right if you leave the temple`s main gate).
And oh! I forgot to mention. On most days of the year ( though not on the last weekends of Tokyo tournaments), the Sumo Museum, located within the precincts of the National Sumo Stadium, is open for -FREE. There, in a single room, are exhibited some sumo memorabilia and photos of ALL past yokozuna ( grand champions). What should be interesting for residents of Tsukuba is the fact that one great wrestler of the past was born and raised in what in Tsukuba ( at the foot of Mt Tsukuba)- and had the sumo name Minanogawa (男女ノ川), after the river which flows down from between Mt Tsukuba`s two peaks ( the river made famous by a poem in the Hyakunin-Isshu collection of poems).
Read more about Minanogawa Tozo, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minanogawa_T%C5%8Dz%C5%8D
Tsukuba`s very own Yokozuna ( Grand Champion) MINANOGAWA, promoted in 1936
This photo of Grand champion Minanogawa hangs at the Shakai Fukushi Senta Community Center near the Oike Pond in Hojo, Tsukuba
To get to Ryogoku from Tsukuba, take the TX to Akihabara. Get out and take the Sobu line for two stops and get out.
Enjoy
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An Icon of Autumn- Hagi (萩, bush clover) Often Goes Unnoticed- look for it !
Hagi (bush clover) swaying in the breeze by the side of the road in Tsukuba (2011)
A fundamental element of traditional Japanese culture is seasonality. By this I mean having an awareness of and CELEBRATING each particular time of year. This is practiced by eating IN SEASON foods, taking notice of and appreciating various natural phenomena ( blossoming flowers, the activities of animals, particular types of clouds or rain, etc.), and by including or displaying standardized seasonal motifs, appropriate to the season, on ones clothing, in hanging scrolls (which are changed accordingly throughout the year) and other decorative objects. Seasonal key-words ( KIGO) are also used in poems ( and letters).
Over the centuries there have accumulated hundreds of such representive symbols of the season, many of them instantly understood by the average Japanese person.
For example, the chirping of cicadas (in poems, movies, etc.) tells you that the season being evoked is summer. And naturally, when it IS summer, many Japanese consciously take notice of this moving chorus ( while for many foreigners new to Japan, it is merely a disturbing or annoying cacophany!).
For spring there is of course the cherry blossoms, or the call of the bush warbler ( uguisu).
In winter, there are fugu ( pufferfish) and anko ( monkfish), which many Japanese make sure to enjoy ( in hot savory stews) at least once a year in that season.
A closer look a the bush clover`s little flowers ( along route 408 in Tsukuba)
For autumn, there is the moon, which seems so large and near to us in that season. When the moon is full in September, many Japanese make offerings to the moon ( or I guess we could just call them decorations), which include small moon cakes, and two of Japans iconic plants of fall: SUSUKI ( pampas grass) and HAGI ( bush clover).
HAGI, whose Kanji character - 萩, when broken down to its elements actually means AUTUMN GRASS, has long been a beloved plant in Japan, deeply connected with autumn. ( Interestingly, in China the same character refers to a DIFFERENT plant! A type of mugwort. This means that in the Heian Period, the Japanese took that character ( autumn grass), and adopted it for HAGI, which for them symbolized autumn).
The blooming of Hagi, a shrub whose small, purple or white flowers start appearing in late August, was indeed an important symbol of autumn for the ancient Japanese . In fact, of all the many plants ( about 150) mentioned in the first great collection of Japanese poetry, the Manyoshu ( compiled in the late 8th century, and containing poems written between the years 347 and 759 AD), hagi appears more than any othr (in 140 different poems, in fact)!
Bush clover (hagi) in Tsukuba
I have always found this fact astounding. That of all the plants and flowers in Japan, bush clover is mentioned most often by the ancient poets. I guess the reason for the fact that I find this so surprising is that while the other outstanding flowers of Japanese culture- the plum blossoms, the cherry blossoms, the irises, the maples trees, the violets, etc., are just that- OUTSTANDING, catching the eye of even those who dont know their names, bush clover is much more difficult to spot and often goes unnoticed in todays Japan ( I didnt realize until LAST YEAR that HAGI grew along many of Tsukuba`s main roads!).
So what was it that so endeared this shrub to the Japanese people of yore.
Well first, hagi bloomed with the first cool breezes of late August signifying the end of Japan`s intolerable ( and unhealthy) summer heat and humidity. The upper classes of the old capitals would go out for hagi-viewing excursions and would bring back some to plant in their own gardens , or as gifts for friends. Women would also decorate their hair with its sprigs ( this is evident from several extant poems).
Just as importantly ( or even more so), this plant ( a member of the pea family), seemed to possess very powerful life-energies. Cut down to a stub, it can grow back out very quickly.( There is a story in the Ancient Chronicles of Harima of how the Empress Jingo, after having just arrived back in Japan from her military adventures in Korea, was astounded at how long a Hagi bush grew overnight).
Also, with its long slender branches that sway continuously even in the slightest breeze ( that is why it is so difficult to photograph well with a cell-phone!), the ancients considered this plant to be representative of the ACTIVE or MALE FORCE ( the YANG), in the same way that the willow was.
In fact in the Manyoshu, the Kanji character used to write HAGI was not today`s 萩. There were a few other ways of writing the name of this plant (pronounced in the same way): 生え木, and 芽木, 芽子、or just 芽、 which literally mean growing tree (or life tree) , sprout tree, sprout child and just plain- sprout, respectively, indicating how this plant represented GROWTH and LIFE to the ancients.
It was often used in former ages as fodder for horses and oxen and was also an important fertilizer, making it an important practical part of people`s lives well.
And besides being planted in private gardens and temple grounds ( and in the present age in parks and along roads), hagi was also planted in certain areas to prevent soil erosion.
(Checking a book on traditional remedies I have found that the dried roots of hagi were used to treat dizziness and overheating.)
Hagi by the side of the road in Tsukuba
Over the centuries, with the influence of the ancient poets bearing strong, hagi has remained an important symbol of autumn, featured as a motif on painted scrolls, painted screens, kimonos, etc.
There are also records of several major HAGI-VIEWING receptions which have been hosted by the Imperial Family or wealthy aristocrats. These events usually not only involved enjoying the bush clover, but also appreciating the melancholy chirping of various autumn insects which were purposely released onto the grounds for the occassion.
As I have mentioned in my previous post, the special sweet eaten around the time of the autumnal equinox ( today!), is called O-Hagi, giving it a distinctive autumn flavor ( as oppossed to the same sweet eaten around the spring equinox called Botamochi, named after the famed flower of spring, the botan- peony).
So why not celebrate the season! After youve had some chestnut rice ( kuri-gohan), tea and O-Hagi, why dont you get out and take a little walk on this cool ( post typhoon) autumn day . You will surely have plenty of insect music to accompany your wanderings. And keep an eye out for hagi- Im sure you will find some.
And if you would like a more intense bush clover experience, why not head up to Mito, our prefectural capital? There, at the Kairakuen Garden ( so famous for plum blossoms in March) you can find plenty of amzing hagi growing. In fact, I think that in fall, its better than it is in spring ( when it is so incredibly crowded!).
The hagi grows grand at Mito`s Kairakuen Garden
Hagi at the Kairakuen Garden in Mito
Anyway, no matter what you do, enjoy your holiday!
Another one of the great symbols of autumn, often paired with hagi- SUSUKI ( pampas grass), set up as a decoration in front of the cafe Posten, in Hojo
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In Line with The Far Side- Three days before the equinox days, O-Higan (お彼岸) begins in Japan
It is the week of the autumnal equinox, and you might catch a whiff of incense in the air as you are strolling about the old neighborhoods of Tsukuba. Don’t worry, you are not having olfactory hallucinations. You might also notice that the local graveyards have been adorned with fresh flowers and fruits. This is because the 3 days before and after the equinox days in Japan make up the one week periods called O-Higan (お彼岸), which literally means the Other Shore. This is a Buddhist expression refering to the other world, which contrasts with this one, shikan (此岸).
According to Japanese Buddhist belief, the Pure Land Paradise (極楽浄土,gokuraku jodo) lies in the west, and since the sun rises and sets directly along the east-west axis the west on the equinoxes, around those two days a window of opportunity is opened for contact with departed spirits. That is why this week is a time for the Japanese to continue their ongoing relations and show of affection for their deceased relatives and ancestors.
Many of your friends, colleagues and acquaintances will be visiting their family graves this week, some of them travelling great distances, for this traditional show of fillial piety called Ohaka-mairi (お墓参り). Some Japanese who have moved far from their natal homes have actually had their ancestors remains tranferred to more conveniently located cemeteries in order to be better able to care for them during ohigan, obon (in August), New Years, and memorial days (命日).
Ohaka-mairi is a fairly standardized affair now. The living relatives prepare flowers and candles, incense and maybe some favorite foods of the departed. The area around the graves is then swept (many temples always have brooms available). The gravestones are then cleaned. Flowers are placed and water poured into a special hole in the center of the grave. Incense is lit and water is poured over the headstones. Family members then pay their respects by squatting down, and bowing their heads with hands pressed together.
O-Hagi, this seasons distinctive traditional sweet
Another interesting custom which everyone can enjoy, is the eating of special sweets, large oval shaped lumps of sweet beans which are available at department stores, sweet shops, and convenience stores. Strictly speaking, they should be O-Hagi in this season (because the flowers O-Hagi, bush clover, are symbolic of autumn), and Bota-Mochi in spring ( As Botan, peonies, are representative of that season), though I have noticed that many Japanese people always call these sweets O-Hagi and have I have often found that in spring these sweets are mistakenly labelled ohagi at convenience store and supermarkets..
Keep this in mind when chatting with Japanese friends. You might want to ask them if they did ohaka mairi or enjoyed botamochi. It will probably be highly appreciated!
I have written more about O-Hagi and Bota-Mochi in this post:
Because these amazing flowers bloom each year right around the time of the autumnal equinox (O-Higan), they are called higan-bana in Japanese. They can be seen in this season growing along roads, in parks, at temples, and most appropriately- at cemeteries!
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