A 17th century set of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta

The special dishes and decorations, the visits to shrines or temples, the family gatherings, the greetings, even the pre-holiday cleanings, make O-Shogatsu ( the Japanese New Year Celebration) fascinating for me. They reveal how the Japanese  make a clean break with the past and then make a fresh, new start- with the strong desire for the health, prosperity and happiness of the family, the community and the nation, manifesting itself in the amassing of  ENGI-MONO (縁起物)- objects, words, colors, etc, which are believed to have a POSITIVE impact on the world. In addition, there are also objects, words, colors etc, which are compiled to keep all forms of misfortune away. What is fascinating, is what it is that determines the making of GOOD ENGI- symbolism and connection expressed through shape, name,color, etc. I have given numerous examples of this in my past  few Tsukublog articles.Here are some things which are symbolically auspicious:

 Oranges (DAIDAI), because their Japanese name DAIDAI also means GENERATION BY GENERATION- thus representing the wish for the continuation of the family line.

Shrimp- because their bent backs resemble the bodies of extremely old people- expressing the hope to live a long life.

Buckwheat noodles (soba): are eaten on New Year`s Eve  because ( among other reasons) they break easilly, representing a clean break with the past year.

As my articles show, the list of these ENGI MONO goes on and on.

The presence of this type of symbolism extends even, or should I say extends naturally, to traditional New Year`s games. For example, there is HANE TSUKI , a game in which decorative paddles ( HAGOITA, which are ENGI MONO in themselves) are used to battle a shuttle cock back and forth. This batting away of the birdy symbolizes batting away mosquitos, and illness.

Very clever.Like all the other ideas for ENGI MONO which have been popularized over the years.

There is another very popular traditional New Year`s game, however, which rather than having a significantly auspicious symbolism ( though I would suggest that it might), is a surprising celebration of Japan`s  classical culture- specifically, its poetry- in which the players must familiarize themselves ( and in many cases memorize) one hundred poems of varying degrees of complexity and difficulty. 

The name of the game is Hyakunin Isshu Karuta ( The One hundred Poets, One Hundred Poems Card Game), and I first encountered it years ago while spending an O-Shogatsu with a Japanese Family. After a long leasurely afternoon of eating and drinking, the everyone in the house, young and old suddenly got down on the TATAMI floor to play a card game. One hundred cards were spread on the floor. Each, I was told contained the last segment ( SHIMO KU) of a poem. What we were to do was to try to grab up these cards as their first portions (KAMI KU) were chanted.

Playing hyakunin Isshu Karuta with a wooden tablets insted of cards (Tsukuba 2011)

As you might have guessed, since I was a complete beginner in Japanese at that time ( and was unfamiliar with these poems), I ended up with not a single card when the game was over.

Still, I never forgot that game. Being the stubborn obssesive personiltiy that I am, in the subsequent years I studied and studied, until what was once an exotic hum to me ( as the peoms are recited), are now clearly understandable pieces, which evoke all their possible interpretations in my mind when I hear them.

Yes, it was that one game of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta, which started me off on my ongoing relationship with Japanese poetry.

The cards ( in this case wooden tablets) are usually arranged in alphabetical (A, I,U,E) order to make finding them easier

Let me tell you a little bit more about what the Hyakunin Isshu is- and maybe you too will catch the addiction.

The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of WAKA (和歌)- Japanese poems of the TANKA variety.. Unlike English poetry which often invovles RHYME,  these poems are created by fitting ideas into a set number of sylables- specifically 31 (MISOHITOMOJI, 三十一文字), broken up into phrases of 5-7-5-7-7 ( longer than the mere 5-7-5 pattern which was popularized later with HAIKU poems).

The reason that this unusual syllabic rhythm was set upon as the standard form for WAKA poetry was that  it was in this particular pattern (5-7-5-7-7) that the God SUSANOO NO MIKOTO anounced his marriage. This form was thus deemed to be the WAY THE GODS SPEAK. Thus waka were used to express thoughts and feelings which could not be expressed in normal everyday speech.

As its title , ONE HUNDRED POETS. ONE HUNDRED POETS suggests, the Hyakunin Isshu is a selection of 1oo WAKA by 100 different poets - 79 men ( including 8 Emperors, and 13 Buddhist monks) and 21 women ( including 1 Emperess. The first poem of the collection is  attributed to the Emperor Tenji (626-671), and the last to retired Emperor Juntokuin (1197-1242), and thus the anthology spans the works from a period of 500 years.

Among these works are some (one each of course) by Japan`s  greatest NAMES in classical poetry and literature: Otomo no Yakamochi, Ono no Komachi, Ki no Tsurayuki, Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon.

All the poems in the Hyakunin Isshu strongly reflect the tastes and sensibilites of its compiler, FUJIWARA NO TEIKA (1162-1241), a highly respected poet in his own right and an advocate of  aesthetic principles which he developed emphasizing the expression of the SPIRIT OF THINGS ( mono no kokoro) over realism ( Teika`s ideas would have a MAJOR impact on the Japanese culture of the Muromachi Period- especially on The Noh Theater, and The Tea Ceremony).

The subject matter dominating the collection also reflects Teika`s own particular preferences, with  LOVE poems (43 out of 100)making up a large portion, followed by SEASONAL POEMS ( 32 out of 100), with works on what serely must have been Teika`s favorite season- autumn, predominating these.

With only 100 poems, the Hyakunin Isshu is the slimmest volume among Japan` great anthologies of classical poetry. But that`s what makes it so great ( for me, at least). Japan`s poetic traditional boiled down to its essence. It a most convenient medium through which to work your way into the world of traditional Japanese aesthetics.

And not only this. Working to understand these poems will lead you on the road to exploring many other aspect of Japanese culture nature and history.

It is interesting how this influential collection came into being ( whether the story is true or not, no one is sure). It is said that Teika was asked to select one hundred poems, which would be written on sheets of paper to decorate the sliding doors of a mountain villa in a place called Ogura ( this is why, though there have been many subsequent alternative Hyakunin Isshu, i.e. one hundred warrior poets, one hundred women poets, etc.) Teika`s collection, the standard, is referred to as the OGURA HYAKUNIN ISSHU).

This ( and more) is all detailed in Teika`s extant diary- the MEIGETSU KI (明月記).

An old set of hyakunin Isshu karuta

The fact that the poems Teika selected were originally written on sheets of paper ( at the even number of one hundred), made it conducive for them to be made into a card game- with distinctive illustrations of the poets and in an even more distinctive script( supposedly based on Teika`s idiosyncratic calligraphy).

The idea of this card game, by the way, most probably would not have arisen without the arrival in Japan of the Portuguese, who introduced playing card ( among other things) to this country. This is reflected in the use of the Portuguese based word KARUTA  (carta) for the game.

For those who are not ready to tackle the poems Teika selected in their original language, there are MANY translations. In fact, some say that the first work in Japanese ever rendered into English was the Hyakunin Isshu.

You can find numerous translations online, including this 1909 version by William Porter:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/hvj/index.htm

Tsukuba`s very own Shaney Crawford (founding member, editor and frequent contributor to TsukuBlog), has also been working on a translation of the anthology, and she has already completed English renditions of the first 30 poems:

http://www.shaneycrawford.com/2002/03/hyakunin-isshu-my-interpretations/

These should help you get started off on your own road into the world of Hyakunin Isshu - which naturally should at some point get you into reading into the poems for yourself . It is only by close examination of each poem in its original that REAL appreciation can be achieved. 

The reason for this is not only the fact that the poems are written a specialized form of classical Japanese ( if that were the case, looking up each word in the dictionary would  be enough to achieve understanding), but these works abound in puns and allusions which are completely lost in translation. There is even a poem ( number 22), whose beauty lies in its play on the construction of the Chinese character for the word storm( 嵐), which is made of  a mountain (山）on top of wind (wind)!- this makes for a mighty difficult challenge for tranlators.

Let me give you one more example. Since this is Tsukublog, I will present the case of poem number 13 of the collection, which just happens to be set in Tsukuba.

The second half ( shimo ku) of poem number 13- which is set in Tsukuba- it reads: KOI ZO TSUMORITE FUCHI TO NARI NURU

The poem is attributed to the Retired Emperor Yozei-In(868-949) and goes like this:

筑波嶺の峰より落つるみなの川
恋ぞつもりて淵となりぬる
Tsukuba ne no mine yori otsuru minano-gawa
Koi zo tsumorite fuchi to nari nuru

Which I will DIRECTLY translate, or rather explain the general meaning as:

From the peaks of Mt. Tsukuba flows the Minanogawa River which forms deep pools ( at the foot of the mountain) . In the same way my love for you has grown (strong and) deep.

What has to be dealt with by the translator in the case of this poem is conveying the significance of Mt. Tsukuba for the aristocrats at that time, as well as the meaning of the characters used to write the name of the river MINANOGAWA.

For the educated Japanese of Yozei-In`s time, Mt Tsukuba represented COUPLES, ROMANCE, and SEX.

This is because  the oldest collection of Japanese poems the Manyoshu, as well as the Chronicles of the land of Hitachi ( Hitachi no Kuni no Fu-doki  , refer to Mt Tsukuba as having been the most famous location for special COUPLING festivals, at which men and women, most of whom had never met before, would GET TOGETHER. These ceremonies which were held twice a year in spring and autumn were called KAGAI. The reason that Mt Tsukuba would have become an important place for such rites was because of its TWIN PEAKS, which for the Japanese naturally represented the male and the female.

According to poems in the Manyoshu, the men and women who wanted to participate in the KAGAI would gather on Mt Tsukuba at a river called the MINANOGAWA. The name of this river is spelled with the Kanji characters 男女川, which directly translated mean the MAN-WOMAN RIVER.

Thus we can see that the place at which the poem is set Mt Tsukuba, as well the MINANOGAWA river, were terms pregnant with meaning for educated Japanese, and this makes understanding the poem extremely difficult without delving deeper.

(It is obvious that Yozei-In did not ever actually visit Mt. Tsukuba ( there are no deep pools which form at its base), but rather selected the setting of his love poem for its symbolic significance).

(It is interesting that Tsukuba`s most most famous Sake Brewery, located at the foot of Mt Tsukuba calls its brand-　Minanogawa (男女川).One reason its products are so delicious is that it uses the water that flows from the peaks of Mt. Tsukuba.)

Anyway, I`d better stop now. VOLUMES could be written about the complexities  these poems and their backgrounds ( and many volumes HAVE in fact been written about them!).

I hope that you too take the leap into this special poetic world-  maybe by O-Shogatsu ( New Year`s) next year you will be ready to take on your Japanese friends in a game of Hyakunin-Isshu Karuta!

1 Comments

• At January 11, 2011, Keiko wrote:

  Your article reminded me of chlidhood when I played hyakunin ishu card game with my family and guests.You gave me inspitation to practice playing again. I forgot many of the poems but now I am playing everyday with my daughter. Thank you for helping even Japanese to enjoy Japanese culture.

Clear skies and plenty of boats ready to be taken out (Jan. 9th, 2011)

Traditionally, the Japanese have always made a fresh start in EVERYTHING after  New Year`s. In fact, this went so far, that on the the first day of the first month of the year everyone was considered to have aged together by one year ( even a baby which had been born a week earlier!).

And though now there are INDIVIDUAL BIRTHDAYS ( though interestingly 20 year-olds still celebrate their coming-of age together in January). as well as additional new beginnings such as the SCHOOL YEAR and FISCAL YEAR ( which start in April in Japan), all sorts of NEW BEGINNINGS are still commonly recognized and celebrated.

The is the first sunrise of the year ( HATSU HINODE, 初日の出), on the morning of January first, the first CALLIGRAPHY of the year (KAKI ZOME, 書初め) on January second, and the first tea ceremony of the year- HATSU GAMA.

There are special expressions for FIRSTS OF THE YEAR of almost every kind.　There is even a special term for omes the first sexual act of the year- HIME-HAJIME!

For the occassion rice was pounded into MOCHI- rice cakes!

One FIRST-OF-THE-YEAR EVENT which has become a tourist attraction throughout Japan is the DEZOME SHIKI (出初式)- the first coming- out- of- the- year of Japan`s firemen- which can often be as spectacular as a circus, with traditional acrobatics performed atop bamboo poles, exhibitions of firefighting techniques ( including fire-hose spray shows), and  displays of new fire-trucks and equipment. Just about every city in Japan has a DEZOME, and as you can imagine they are especially attractive to families with small kids.

Well this year, I wanted to go check out the fire-fighters festival in Tsuchiura, which I heard usually culminated in a spectacular fire-hose show down by the Yacht Harbour on Lake Kasumigaura ( just in front of Tsuchiura Stations East Entrance). I had looked at a web-site that I usually use to get information about traditional events in and around Tsukuba, and found that the DEZOME in Tsuchiura would be held on the morning of January ninth.

We  hurried down to Tsuchiura with great anticipation.

When we got to where I thought the event would be held, however, instead of shiny fire engines and excited crowds we found only a few people lazilly fishing off the pier.

Naturally we were disappointed, and I kicked myself in the pants for not having CONFIRMED the time and place  by phone with Tsuchiura`s City office. It turns out we had arrived a day too late.

But sometimes stupid mistakes can end in great discoveries. 

So while we had missed out on one FIRST-OF-THE-YEAR CEREMONY, we accidentally found ourselves at another one!

Each table at the marina was layed out with a fine spread

Driving a few hundred meters further down the waterside, we came to a fenced off area within which all sorts of small and medium watercraft were PARKED on land. At the gate there was a sign which read something like: LACUS MARINA ハーバー開き　寒風大会　誰でも楽しもう- meaning The Lacus Marina`s Harbour Opening- the Cold Wind Festival- Anyone Can Come and Enjoy!

Since fate seemed to have brought us to this place and also because the weather happened to be just perfect, we decided to take up the invitation offered on the sign and headed on into the marina.

For a thousand yen per person ( 500 for children) we were offered freshly pounded rice cakes ( omochi), and lots of other food and drink which was laid out on tables outside, free rides on all sorts of water craft ( motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and sailboats), and most importantly for me a taste of what it was like in the old days when WATER TRANSPORT had been such a vital part of like in this and other parts of Japan.

In this country,before the rise to dominance of railroads, and then later roads for automobiles, most goods were transported ( whenever possible) via waterways! In the Edo Period ( 1600-1868) , goods produced in the Tsuchiura area, most prominantly soy sauce, firewood, rice, and straw sacks, would be taken to Edo  by wind driven boats called TAKASE BUNE (高瀬船). On the return trip these same ships would bring back salt, sake, textiles, etc. This trip would take take anywhere from 3 days to a couple of weeks ( depending on wind and other conditions), and took the craft from Lake Kasumigaura to the Tone River, and then to the Edo River, before reaching its final destination. A different route would take the boats to the important seaport of Choshi (銚子), now in Chiba Perefecture, from where fresh salt-water fish and salt were brought to Tsuchiura.

(It might be surprising to you, but even goods from Mito ( even today about an hour by highway from Tsuchiura) were transported to Edo by water craft. They would travel down a series of canals (built during the Edo Period) until they can to Lake Kasumigaura. They would then take the usual rout to Edo until they could drop their goods off at the Mito Clans store-houses which were in Asakusa.)

Besides the ships used for transport there were all the various types of fishing craft ( from the days before the lake was closed off from the sea and fish and shellfish still abounded) , and the house boats in which people lived on all year round.

Also, after the fall of the Shogunate and the liberalization of travel, and before the completion of the Joban Railway Line, usual Tsuchiurans would travel to and from Tokyo by ship. Naturally, travel between the villages located around the lake was also done almost exclusively by boat. Almost all the boats on the lake remained those either powered by wind or oars until the Taisho Period (1912-1926) even though a few steam-powered ships were introduced as far back as 1891. The Choshi Maru steam liner could shuttle passengers between Choshi and Tsuchiura in 8 hours. 

This vanished world, so centered around the lake and so full of boats, is evoked tenderly in Dr Junichi Saga`s book Memories and Silk and Straw ( a book which I strongly recommend to anyone living in the Tsukuba area), and images from the stories told in his book floated across my mind`s eye that morning as I sailed off out into the lake and watched the modern city of Tsuchiura fade away in the distance.

From the boat I could see the newly renovated YOKAREN (予科練) Museum, which is a moving memorial to the young ( some, VERY young) men, who went off to die in SPECIAL ATTACK MISSIONS as so-called KAMIKAZE pilots. The reason that this museum is located on the shores of Lake Kasumigaura  is that it was on this lake that the many of the young pilots trained ( as did those who participated in the attack on Pearl harbour) because there was once a huge Navy Base in Ami Town, as well as a big naval presence in Tsuchiura. Though there still is ( a greatly reduced) SDF base near the lake in Ami, this strong military presence has also become  a thing of the past.( See my Tsukublog article on the YOKAREN MUSEUM here:

  http://blog.alientimes.org/2010/08/pearl-harbor-and-kamikaze-pilots-have-strong-connection-to-lake-kasumigaura-visiting-the-yokaren-museum-again/ )

All the watercraft teeming with people and goods, the lake itself teemiing with fish and shellfish, the streets packed  shoppers and sailors, the hustle and bustle. All that lives on only in Saga Sensei`s books.  Drifting peacefully on the lakes still waters with only a handful of other boats in sight, all recreational, really drove home the sense of MUJOー　（ 無常）, the fleeting nature of all things.

The city of Tsuchiura, as seen from far out on the lake. Mt. Tsukuba looms in the background

The marina staff was extremely kind and they patiently helped out anyone who wanted to try out the canoes, kayaks or sailboats.

 They will hold similar events 3 more times this year:

On Children`s Day- may 5th

Sea Day ( Umi no Hi)- July 17th

and  Sports Day ( Tai iku no Hi)- Oct. 9th

If you would like to get a feel of what its like to get on the lake-  these days will provide the perfect chance.

The marina itself is also interesting in itself, as it is used by various groups to store their boats- the Kasumigaura High School Yachting Club, for example, which has developed many of Japan`s Olympic sailors, trains there.

One very strange thing for me at the marina, was the rarity having  a pleasant Lake Kasumigaura experience. It was nice to see so much bird-life freely enjoying the lake- since I have spent many hours freeing these same species from the nets which make the shores of Kasumigaura, at the villages of Okijuku and Tamura a veritable execution grounds for birds.  

Oh- lets not forget about the DEZOME ( fire-fighter`s events)! Apparently there will be one held in Yatabe, Tsukuba,  on January 15th.

Here are some photos of past DEZOME in Tsukuba:

http://www.city.tsuchiura.lg.jp/index.php?code=2546

The Lacus Marina`s Website is here:

www.lacusmarina.com

2 Comments

• At January 10, 2011, alice wrote:

  Is omochi nage a New Year event in Tsukuba? I've yet to see dezome. It must have drawn a large crowd every year.

• At January 11, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Avi-san

  You are lucky to find Harbor-Biraki at Tsuchiura, nice review about water-root Edo-Tokyo until recently, I hope someone will think about cruise from Tsuchiura through Kasumigaura to Nihonbashi, even somewhere we should use bus or other transportation. It might be cruise for intelligent adults with knowledge and time.

  This time I read your very impressive article last August about Yokaren-and WWⅡ, it was not an simple articles of usual Americans but a deep analysis from the high view point of Historian of man kind. May be many American people did not accept your view about the use of Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The big changes have occurred in Asia after WWⅡ,from colonies to independent countries. As you suggested almost all young Japanese scarcely know Japanese History from Meiji-era to WWⅡ,luck of time? not knowing how to teach? So they should learn by themselves, I think NHK-Taiga Drama “Sakanoue No Kumo” is very important Drama for many Japanese.

  History can teach us many reasons of Historical occurrences, and to stimulate to consider for future.

  My teacher in primary school 4-6 grade was graduate of Yokaren may be around 28 years old , he was somehow rough like threw chalks to boys who was chatting, using Soroban to strike naughty one’s heads. Even so he was liked because he liked swimming, hiking, skiing and took pupil to such outdoor activities, he is around 80 now, so he can not attend class-meeting. We always hope his good health.

  There was Navy-Air-squadron training field in Yatabe-area, now there are National-Agricultural Institutes. Yokaren were trainee-students, Those who were trained in Yatabe were Real Pilots of “OUKA＝桜花"：a bonb stile aircraft go down from the big airplane.

  I remember there was high attitude photo taken from US-B29 just after the War, it was hang on the wall of Soya-shop near Arakawaoki station. I would like to visit that Shop near future whether the photo is still there or not.

Amazon Japan is amazing. Domestic shipping here is rapid and cheap. Orders over 1500 yen all get free standard shipping. There's no express shipping outside of the greater-Tokyo area, but standard shipping delivers to most places within two days. I regularly order things on Sunday and have them show up in Nishiaizu on Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday.

There are also various payment options. Credit card is accepted, of course, and is the fastest way to get your order shipped. You can also pay via different convenient stores. After you've punched in your order, they will email you when your order is ready to ship. There will be a link in the email. The link will let you choose different convenience stores and then will take you to a bill which you can print out and have the konbini folk scan in for you. (Alternatively, you can just copy down the number on that form, tell the konbini people you have an internet order, and they can punch it in the register for you.) After you've paid, you should receive a payment confirmation email within an hour or so. The final payment method is cash-on-delivery. The shipping service will collect the cash directly from you in exchange for your order. (I believe there is a small fee to do this.)

When you load up the Amazon front page, the tabs along the top are in the following order left to right: Welcome, My Store, Books, Western Books, Electronics, Home and Kitchen, Music, DVD, Software, Games, Toys and Hobby, Sports and Outdoor, Health and Beauty, Watches/Clocks, Baby and Maternity. The searching for most everything is in Japanese, but titles for Western books are in English.

Once you have your order ready, all of the payment menus and account menus can be changed to English, including your "Cart." Hooray.

If your order is more than one book or one CD, you will have to be at home to receive the package. If they try to deliver and you aren't home, the company (usually Pelican Shipping) will leave a slip in your door/mailbox. The slip has the driver's cellphone number. You can call the dude and try and converse with him. My suggestion is to leave a note taped to your front door saying what time you will be home. You can try to write something like: "Gogo 4-ji-han kara 8-ji made imasu no de, sono aida ni kite itadakereba tasukarimasu. Oneigaishimasu." Ideally that would be in at least hiragana. (On a side note, one of the shipping dudes thanked me profusely for leaving the note.)

The greatest part about Amazon Japan is that they sell almost everything. If you are in the middle of nowhere and need appliances, Amazon. The prices are compartive to most electronics stores, and Amazon has its own point system now. You'll have to wade through some Japanese to ensure that you're getting what you want, but you'll have it right at your door by the end of the week.

A large stone phallus ( sandwiched by two smaller ones) in Yatabe, Tsukuba (2010)

 I have spent years slowly getting to know Tsukuba`s old shrines, temples and sacred stones. I thought that I had seen, or at least read or heard about, everything of interest. Little did I know that while spending a few spare minutes wandering  the side-streets of the city`s Yatabe District, I would stumble upon one of the most surprising discoveries I have ever made, of something that I still have not found mentioned in any of the literature on local history, religion, or folklore.

Passing by what looked like a small meeting hall (of modern design, yet quite old), I spied what looked like a HOKORA, a typical wooden structure with a roof of heavy tiles, used to shelter devotional objects such as sacred stones or statues. From the road I had only a side view of it in the yard behind the meeting hall. I went to have a look. I quickly realized that this was not merely one HOKORA , but three in a row, which meant several sacred objects could be found there. Peering into the first section I approached, I found two Daishi-Sama figures, images of the great priest Kukai ( known as Kobo Daishi), the founder of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism, which has long been popular within what is now Tsukuba City. These are a typical feature of this area, and I cooly took note of them.

In the middle section I found a devotional stone dedicated to the God of the Atago Shrine, which is usually associated with the prevention of fires (also quite common in these parts), behind a fragment of  what seemed to be a very old and interesting Buddhist monument, which I guessed had been brought to that spot from somewhere else for shelter.

It was when I looked into the last compartment ( the one on the far left) that I encountered something I never would have expected- an impressively tall, finely carved stone phallus, sandwiched between two, much small objects of similar design.

Excited by what I had stumbled upon, I spent a few minutes  looking for details and taking photos, Then I scoured the immediate vicinity for anyone that might be able to tell me about what these stones were. The only people I encountered, however, told me that they didnt know anything about them- besides the fact that they were shaped like a man`s private parts ( duh!).

Later at the library, I tried to find anything I could about these stone phalluses in books and journals on Yatabe`s history and culture. I found nothing. Not even in a very detailed book which supposedly documented ALL of Yatabe`s sacred stones. This seemed a bit odd to me and made me even more curious about that spot.

Dont misunderstand. Phallic stones- DANKON (男根, literally MAN-ROOT) in Japanese, are far from rare in Japan. It is not difficult to understand how that shape would come to represent the LIFE FORCE, FERTILITY and IMPREGNATION, and in fact they can often be found at shrines associated with prayers for good harvests, household safety, and  pregnancy. They can also frequently be found at mountain shrines connected with  YAMABUSHI ( mountain ascetics) such as Mt Kaba-San near Tsukuba ( since the mountains sacred to the YAMABUSHI were believed to be inhabited by a FEMALE deity, women were not allowed onto the mountains and wooden phalluses were set up for the Goddess).

What aroused my special interest in the phallic stones that I found in Yatabe, was that they were in the middle of a town. During the Edo Period (1600-1868) that spot was in fact, right near the JINYA  (official rest house), in an area which in those days would not have been considered rural. I had a suspicion that these DANKON had some other significance  than being used to pray for abundant crops or . the conception of a child.

The inscription reads: 万人講中　- Man-nin koh-chuh

A few days later, still having found no written information regarding the stones, or anyone who could tell me anything about them, by incredible coincidence, I stumbled upon two paragraphs in a book which I think probably can clear up the question of what these Yatabe Phallic stones are.

I was reading a work called Songs to Make the Dust Dance: the Ryojin Hisho of 12th century Japan, by Yung-Hee Kim, which is a fascinating and highly readable examination of a collection of Heian Period poems which shed some new light  on the lifestyles and beliefs of the people, both high class and low, of that period. It is a well worth (repeated) reading for anyone interested in traditional Japanese culture, but here I would like to quote one paragraph, which I believe might explain the significance of the phalluses that I found. This is from the section of the text which discusses ASOBI- apparently a caste of women once involved in certain court rituals. When this function was eventually lost to them they had to resort to prostitution, a trade which they apparently plied on boats ( which could be the origin of the term MIZU SHOBAI- the water trade, which can be used to refer to bars,hostess clubs and other such establishments traditionally catering to men).

page 9

"In addition, asobi sought a further safeguard for their business prosperity in the worship of a deity called Hyakudayu. Hyakudayu was apparently a phallic cult, its object of veneration being representations of the male sexual organ made of wood, paper or stone. The cultic practice stems from the fetishistic belief that praying to and honoring Hyakudayu, the courtesans could ensure continued success in attracting male customers. The powerful appeal of the hyakudayu worship to asobi is evidenced in Yujoki , which notes that asobi kept hundreds and even thousand of these objects". (Yung-Hee Kim)

The author then goes on to quote two IMAYO poems which mention Hyakudayu. I will include one here, the original, as well as Kim`s translation:

Asobi no konomu mono

zogei tsuzumi kohashibune

ogasakazashi tonotorime

otoko no ai inoru Hyakudayu

A courtesans favorite things

Her many arts, the drum, the little boats,

the woman who hold the large parasol

and the woman who rows her skiff

and Hyakudayu, the one she prays to for a man`s love

RH 380

After finding these passages  however, I was unable to dig up any other textual evidence for a connection between phallic shaped devotional objects and Hyakudayu ( which seems to have been most common in western Japan, near Osaka etc.). Not only for the specific case of the Yatabe phallus, but for DANKON in general.

 Still , I had a gut feeling that I was onto something. But maybe it was the thrilling coincidence of finding the passage in Kim`s book just at that particular time.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks had passed and I had found ( besides the poems in the Ryojin Hisho) written evidence only of  a relation between phalluses and FERTILITY in Japan, I decided to go back to Yatabe and try to find someone who lived nearby who could tell me some more.

When I got there, I found an old man coming out of a house nearby. He was a little surprised to see me, but quickly relaxed. When I asked him about the phalluses he told me he didnt know anything. Disappointed, I went to the stones to have another look.

Suddenly, the man came up to me. He told me that when he was young, women used to come and pray at this place.

Excited, I asked him what they prayed for- pregnancy?

"No", he said." They were women of the WATER TRADE"

When I asked if these women would make any particular offerings, he answered that they did not. He said that they would just come to pray.

I could hardly contain a grin of satisfaction! It seemed as though my hunch was correct! These were not the usual DANKON phallic images found in Japan. The types used to  pray for  fertility. These had long been used by geishas, courtesans,prostitutes and later hostesses) who were either praying for success in their trade, or possibly safety from disease or other dangers of the trade.

I will keep you informed of what I find out as I dig deeper. With perseverence I just might get to the ROOT of the matter!

Good night

And if you are interested in the book Songs To Make the Dust Dance- which you well should be, you can order it from amazon, or read it in its entirety ONLINE!

Just google it.

2 Comments

• At December 9, 2010, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Your article arouse my curiosity very much.

  I tried to investigate "Hyakudayu",but at the moment could not find any Japanese articles that explain "Hyakudayu was apparently a phallic cult" as explained by Yung-Hee Kim.

  Some articles explain it is a god, carved simple wood carving,or paper-folded doll. And during festival their faces paonted white.

  Also "Hyakudayu" was a god worshiped not only by "prostitutes" but also by puppeteers too. In ancient Japan they both were usualy wanderers.

  The most famous Jinjya(shrine) of Hakudayu is Nishinomiya-Jinja in Kobe City,which also worships Ebisu-sama,son of first god Izanami and his wife Izanagi,but who was born with bad legs and was thrown away into the sea,finaly arrived sea shore of there, became a god of fishery. Now a days is worshiped as god for trade too. Some connection Ebisu-sama(bud legs), puppets,wandering in water, trade flexible as wandering water,and prostitutes.

  "Hyakudayu" in old Japanese "百太夫" (hundred rich men=plenty of prosperous men".

  My interpretation would be those ladis prayed Many rich men's favor, because at the time of Ryoujin-hisyo there was no meaning in word "Ai"(todays meaning love).

  Any way I would like to know what was a real shape of Hyakudayu,

  and relation to the intereseting caving of Yatabe which Avi-san introduced.

• At December 24, 2010, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Hyakudayu 2010.12.20 Result of my preliminary research

  ①　Primary sources regarding Hykudayu　

  The primary source material on Yujyo(Asobi or Yujyo) were “Yujyo-ki”(「遊女記」) and　“Kugutsu-ki (「傀儡子記」) were written by Ohe Masafusa(大江まさ房:around 1275 AD) who was a politician, and an academic of Chinese literatures. His articles were quoted many way about Yujyo and Kugutsu including Hyakudayu before “Ryoujinhisyou” was found in Meiji era(Meiji 44nen :1910) by Famous academic of ancient Japanese songs Dr Sasaki Nobutsuna. So from then, that particular song in Ryoujin-hisyo mentioned about Hyakudayu was spotlighted.

  ②Professor Yung-Hee Kim(1994)

  She wrote about Hyakudayu as “Hyakudayu-worship was apparently a phallic cult---------”, she wrote in quotation of this part from the book “Miko no rekishi” by Dr. Takigawa (Takigawa Seijirou:滝川政次郎：1897-1992,an academic of History of Law system who wrote many books in this area, also wrote “Yujyo no rekishi:History of Yujyo"1965” and ”Yuukoujyofu, Yujyo ,Kugutsume”(遊行女婦（うかれめ）・遊女・傀儡女:1965)”.

  (I don’t know why Yung-Hee Kim’s quotation was ”Miko no rekishi” which was written by Yamagami Izumo:山上伊豆母:1996,　may be simple mistake, because Prof. Kim wrote in 1994 ).

  Originally Dr Takigawa wrote:

  ----Statue of Dousoshin was a statue who exposed penis,--------men and women of Kugutsu-people worshiped God named Haykudayu,--------- according to Oheno Masafusa (around 1150AD,who wrote “遊女記”and “傀儡記” ) Hyakudayu was one of Japanese God, Dousoshin（道祖神）-----.

  Also, Dr Takigawa wrote---- in later years---- phallus become itself as a Dousoshin. In prostitute houses like that of Yoshiwara there were Kinseisama(金勢様), Donkyousama(道鏡様).------Those were made of paper, wood or stone shaped phallus and worshiped as good luck.-----(This part Prof. Kim quoted.)

  Dr. Takigawa discussed Yujyo-Kugutsu people originally came from ancient Korea having special talents, hunting, puppeteer, dancing, singing, and they are traveling people--.

  Those arts or techniques were delivered to Korea from China. (some researchers said originally from middle east to far east: like gipsy to west)

  Dr Takigawa didn’t mention precisely that Hyakudayu-statue was Phallic, even somehow suggesting.

  I think like other few Japanese writers who wrote “Hyakudayu is phallic shape”, Like them Yung-Hee Kim interpret this parts of Dr. Takigawa’s book same way and wrote Hyakudayu was statue of phallus. ( My guess.)

  Other academics argue that origin of Yujyo was Miko. There are still arguments between academics about origin of Yujyo (from Miko or from people came from ancient Korea)

  ③ Professor Tanaka Tsuguto

  He wrote an article ”Yujyo-ki ni tsuite:about Yujyo-ki:(「遊女記」について:)” in 1998.

  First he quoted original Yujyoki by Oheno Masafusa in Chinese letters, then translated it to old style Japanese, then interpreted to modern Japanese. And add Explanations. He also quoted articles of Dr.Takigawa and others.

  Oheno Masafusa wrote in Yujyo-ki(遊女記):

  -------By this they play favors, especially worship Hyakudayu. It is same as Dousosin, they carve for each ＊＊, up to around 100 or 1000-----it must be worked for hearts of guests, very old customs. {＊＊ missed letters}

  In Kugutsu-ki「傀儡子記」,he wrote:

  ----people of Kugutstu believe Hundred gods（百神）-----

  Professor Tanaka said hundred god is same as Hyakudayu (百太夫)

  He didn’t mention Hyakudayu was phallic statue.

  He also mentioned about Ryojinhisyo and that particular song about Hyakudayu.

  He also mentioned Hyakudayu-sya of Nishinomiya-jinjya, is very popular for people of Mizusyoubai(水商売), and worshiped now by them soundly. And Gion of Kyoto there is Ebisu-jinjya in which there is Hyakudayu-sya worshiped by ladies who is working in Gion（祇園）area.

  He said he know well about those Kansai area because he has grown in Kansai.

  He did not mention that those were made by stone, wood, or paper because he did not find such sentence in original Yujyo-ki or in Kugutsu-ki.

  ④ Hyakudayu-jinjya in Nishinomiya- jinjya (rather small shrine in the corner)

  Those below are explanation of Hykudayusha in Nishinomiya-jinjya.

  Its origin came from a legend of Hyakudayu who was the first puppeteer, and become a god of puppeteers and Yujyos.

  Detail of the legend written in English is in the book “Traditional Japanese theater: an anthology of plays, Karen Brazil et all” (can be found by Google).

  In one article of late Edo period, Statue of Haykudayu was written as a little sitting man (kid) of ancient Japanese aristocrat-like, painted white face with pink spots.

  In other article he was drawn on the holly board as like above mentioned man. In front of him there was Dango (boiled wheat ball).

  This Hyakudayu is said to be very popular, there is Hyakudyu-Matsuri.

  ⑤ Hyakudayu-kami in Higashi-Ohno-Hachimann-jinjya

  (東大野八幡神社)in Kitakyusyushi (Kokura).

  There is a Hyakudayu-jinjya.

  It is written in explanation board:

  -----in 735 smallpox was passed along from Shiragi(Old Korea), and many people died, then this shrine was build------

  ----The god of Hyakudayu are one god of disease-cure, one god of recovery of life, one god of eternal life, one god of right-way-----the God changes 1000 way, holly statue is like 100 way, so was called Hyakudayu. The god was known from ancient time as prevent bad disease,

  Also written it is god of Longevity of kids, morns miscarriages.------- {interesting part:水子供養}

  ⑥ Hyakudayu in a Article of late Edo-period,

  Kyukeisoudouzuihistu by Hirose Kyokusou (九桂草堂随筆：広瀬旭荘 1807－1863）

  Hirose made comment about Hyakudayu quoting “Yujyo-ki” and “Kugutsu-ki” that Haykudayu is one of hundred god (Hyakusin) same like Kugutsu-shin.

  For Yujyo he guessed it was also symbolized plenty of Tayus（太夫） resulted as Hyakudayu (Tayu originally means high lank official name of post in Nara-period, later means head person, rich man. In even Edo period highest rank of Yujyo were called as Tayu ).

  Also he wrote that in Geki-nikki(some Old article) there were written about wooden dolls of male and female couples in Kyoto those disposed sexual organs of both sex.

  And he wrote there were many Dousoshins in the country there were not many so called Hyakudayu.

  He wrote about Hyakudayu statue of Nishinomiya-jinjya-Haykudayu when he visited there, it was mentioned in before ④．

  {There are Hykudayu-jinjya in near Gion in Kyouto (Famous of it’s courtesans)}.

  ⑦ My thought

  ⅰ　Hyakudayu was　thought to be a God originally worshiped by Kugutsu-people (they were man and women, with talent),women sometime became Yujyo. Those people worshiped hundred gods (gods for every thing).

  ⅱ　Yujyo worship Haykudayu as effective god(s) for her life also she played favor of her guests naming Hyakudayu (hundreds rich man)?---Dr Takigawa said like “Teruteru-bozu” belief play for rain using white headed monk doll.

  (made 100-1000 for play) -------------「combination---百letter matching」

  ＊Those ones made by Yujyos might be very simple looks like Kokeshi-doll or phallic statue?

  ＊There are Dousosinn-shinnkou, people in locals who played everywhere Phallic also female genital statues, for pregnancy, prosperity. In some area Dousoshin are standing statues of male and female couples.

  ＊Those beliefs are mixed the story that in Prostitution houses they worship Phallic. Big ones,(they called those KONSESHIN:金精神) for prosperity of their business until recently, prostitution became illegal from 1958 in Japan.

  ＊Hyakudayu also worshipped as Mizuko miscarriage-worship (Recently big temples are doing this role: so so profitable business!)

  ⅲ＊Finally Hyakudayu was thought three way(hundred god, Dousoshin, god of puppeteer),those three looks like to be connected somehow each other.

  ＊Statue of Hyakudayu was possibly like phallic, but is not is sure.

  ＊Yatabe’s phallic statue looks like firstly a Dousoshin because there was written（ten thousand men’s donation for play:(万人講）,also is possibly Konnseishin(金精神), and least possibly Hyakudayu.(as wrote before it was written there were few Hyakudayu in Japan).

  ＊ Before 1958 I think there might be a few prostitute houses in Yatabe. (About this I would like to check), because it was one of important town(Syukuba:宿場) beside road to Mt Tsukuba. So there might be many ladies in sex business (Avi-san-met the old man said he saw ladies in Mizusyoubai once played it). Only them if it was Dousoshin???

  Did those ladies thought it as which one? Still mystery !

By the way, did you know that Tsukuba Public Library lent out more books than any other public library in the prefecture in 2006?

1st Tsukuba (1,224,193 books lent)
2nd Hitachi (1,186,905 books lent, 3 branches)
3rd Mito (1,118,564 books lent, 4 branches)

If you are looking for research-related books, have a look at this list of libraries in Tsukuba.

Here is a list of libraries in Tsukuba.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Information Center

Address: Kannondai 2-1-9 (〒305-8601)
Tel: 029-838-7283
Fax: 029-838-7364
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Website
Search the Collection
Search the Collection
Agropedia

Building Research Institute (Kenken)

Address: Tachihara 1 (〒305-0802)
Tel: 029-864-2151
Fax: 029-864-2989
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Kenken Website

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute

Address: Matsunosato 1 (〒305-8687)
Tel: 029-873-3211
Fax: 029-874-8507
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
FFPRI Website
Search the Collection

Geographic Survey Institute (GSI)

Address: Kitasato 1 (〒305-0811)
Tel: 029-864-1111
Fax: 029-864-1807
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-16:30
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays, Year End
GSI Website

High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)

Address: Oho 1-1 (〒305-0801)
Tel: 029-864-5138
Fax: 029-864-4604
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Website
Search the Collection

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center

Address: (〒305-8505)
Tel: 029-868-4000
Fax: 029-868-2950
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:20-17:35
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, days when the institute is closed
JAXA Website

Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI)

Address: Karima 2530 (〒305-0822)
Tel: 029-856-1111
Fax: 029-856-1122
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:15
Closed: When the Institute Closes
JARI Website

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Address: Koyadai 3-6 (〒305-0074)
Tel: 029-838-1964
Fax: 029-838-1776
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-18:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, August 1
Website
Search the Collection
JICA Website

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)

Address: Owashi 1-1 (〒305-8686)
Tel: 029-838-6313
Fax: 029-838-6316
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
JIRCAS Website
Search the Collection

Japan Meteorological Agency Aerological Observatory

Address: Nagamine 1-2 (〒305-0052)
Tel: 029-851-4125
Fax: 029-851-5765
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays
Observatory Website

Japan Pulp and Paper Research Institute (JPRI)

Address: Tokodai 5-13-11 (〒300-2635)
Tel: 029-847-4321
Fax: 029-847-8923
Browsing: No
Copying: Certain Parts
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays
JPRI Website

Meteorological Instruments Center

Address: (〒305-0052)
Tel: 029-851-4121
Fax: 029-851-1670
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open and Closed Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30

Meteorological Research Institute (MRI)

Address: Nagamine 1-1 (〒305-0052)
Tel: 029-853-8538
Fax: 029-853-8545
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays
Website

National Agricultural Research Center (NARC)

Address: Kannondai 3-1-1 (〒305-8601)
Tel: 029-838-8848
Fax: 029-838-8858
Browsing: Limited
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-12:00、13:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Website
Search the Collection

National Archives of Japan Tsukuba Annex

Address: Kamisawa 6-6 (〒300-4246)
Tel: 029-867-1910
Fax: FAX 029-867-1839
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Website
Search the Collection
Digital Archives

National Food Research Institute (NFRI)

Address: Kannondai 2-1-12 (〒305-8642)
Tel: 029-838-7971
Fax: 029-838-7996
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-12:00、13:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NFRI Website
Search the Collection

National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)

Address: Onogawa 16-2 (〒305-8506)
Tel: 029-850-2314
Fax: 029-851-4732
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 8:30-17:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays
NIES Website

National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM)

Address: Asahi 1 (〒305-0804)
Tel: 029-864-2211
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays
NILIM Website

National Institute for Rural Engineering (NIRE)

Address: Kannondai 2-1-6 (〒305-8609)
Tel: 029-838-8188
Fax: 029-838-7609
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-12:00、13:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIRE Website
Search the Collection

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Central 2

Address: Umezono 1-1-1 (〒305-8568)
Tel: 029-861-5062
Fax: 029-861-5047
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

Central 3

Address: Umezono 1-1-1 (〒305-8563)
Tel: 029-861-4195
Fax: 029-861-4146
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

Central 5

Address: Umezono 1-1-1 (〒305-8565)
Tel: 029-861-4472
Fax: 029-861-4421
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

Central 6

Address: Umezono 1-1-1 (〒305-8566)
Tel: 029-861-6105
Fax: 029-861-6107
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

Central 7

Address: Umezono 1-1-1 (〒305-8567)
Tel: 029-861-3604
Fax: 029-861-3602
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

East

Address: Namiki 1-2-1 (〒305-8584)
Tel: 029-861-7038
Fax: 029-861-7007
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

West

Address: Onogawa 16-1 (〒305-8569)
Tel: 029-861-8115
Fax: 029-861-8131
Browsing: OK
Copying: Under consideration
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:30-12:00、13:00-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End, Every Third Wednesday (closed on the following day when Wednesday is a holiday)
AIST Website

National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS)

Address: Kannondai 2-1-2 (〒305-8602)
Tel: 029-838-7406
Fax: 029-838-7408
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIAS Website
Search the Collection

National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES)

Address: Kannondai 3-1-3 (〒305-8604)
Tel: 029-838-8148
Fax: 029-838-8199
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIAES Website
Search the Collection

National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Address: Kannondai 3-1-5 (〒305-0856)
Tel: 029-838-7956
Fax: 029-838-7907
Browsing: OK
Copying: Contact them for information
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
Website
Search the Collection

National Institute of Fruit Tree Science (NIFTS)

Address: Fujimoto 2-1 (〒305-8605)
Tel: 029-838-6416
Fax: 029-838-6437
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIFTS Website
Search the Collection

National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science (NILGS)

Address: Ikenodai 2 (〒305-0901)
Tel: 029-838-8612
Fax: 029-838-8628
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: 8:30-17:00 (Enter by 16:30)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NILGS Website
Search the Collection

National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED)

Address: Tennodai 3-1 (〒305-0006)
Tel: 029-851-1611
Fax: 029-851-1622
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Closed and Open Stacks
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIED Website

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Namiki Campus

Address: Namiki 1-1 (〒305-0044)
Tel: 029-858-5629
Fax: 029-855-3801
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Closed and Open Stacks
Hours: 8:30-12:00, 13:15-17:15
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIMS Website

Sengen Campus

Address: Sengen 1-2-1 (〒305-0047)
Tel: 029-859-2053
Fax: 029-859-2019
Browsing: OK
Copying: No
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Closed and Open Stacks
Hours: 8:30-12:00, 13:15-17:15
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, Year End
NIMS Website

Tsukuba Gakuin University

Address: Azuma 3-1 (〒305-0031)
Tel: 029-858-4811
Fax: 029-858-7388
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30-18:00, During Breaks 9:00-17:00, Saturdays 8:30-15:00, During Breaks 9:00-12:00
Closed: Sundays, National Holidays
Website
Search the Collection

Tsukuba Public Library

Address: Azuma 2-1 (305-0031)
Tel: 029-856-4311
Fax: 029-856-6277
Borrowing: OK
Browsing: Open stacks
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:30-19:00, Saturdays and Sundays: 9:30-17:00
Closed: Mondays, National holidays, some other days (see the website)
Website
Search the Collection

Tsukuba University of Technology Library for the Hearing Impaired

Address: Amakubo 4-3-15 (〒305-0005)
Tel: 029-858-9930
Fax: 029-858-9419
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00-20:30 (9:00-17:00 during school breaks), Saturdays 12:30-16:30
Closed: Sundays, National Holidays, Year end
Website
Search the Collection

Tsukuba University of Technology Library for the Visually Impaired

Address: Kasuga 4-12-7 (〒305-0821)
Tel: 029-852-9510
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: No
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00-20:30 (9:00-17:00 during school breaks), Saturdays 12:30-16:30
Closed: Sundays, National Holidays, Year end
Website
Search the Collection

University of Tsukuba

Address: Tennodai 1-1-1 (〒305-8577)
Tel: 029-853-2111
Browsing: OK
Copying: OK
Borrowing: OK
Browsing Style: Open Stacks
Hours: Weekdays 9:00-22:00, Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays 13:00-18:00 (Summer: 9:00-17:00)
Closed: Year end, Saturdays and Sundays during Spring Break and Summer Break
Website

See also:
List of research institute libraries in Tsukuba by Tsukuba Science City Liaison Council for Promotion of Research Exchange (in Japanese)
List of libraries in Tsukuba by Tsukuba Science City Network (in Japanese)

1 Comments

• At September 12, 2007, TsukuBlog » Inter-Library Loans in Tsukuba wrote:

  [...] you are looking for research-related books, have a look at this list of libraries in Tsukuba. Related [...]

Masaoka Shiki

A Kaki in Konda Tsukuba- Sept. 19th 2009and thenAt Tsukuba`s Central Library

Groundscapes in Konda Tsukuba- Sept.19th 2009

I have written more about persimons (kaki) before. See-

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/11/kaki-is-the-color-and-flavor-of-fall-in-rural-japan/

Having read so far, you still might be wondering how exactly Shiki saved the HAIKU. Well, if you want to know more, I defer to fellow Tsukuban Janine Beichman, the person who literally WROTE THE BOOK on Shiki. You can find her MASAOKA SHIKI at the Tsukuba Central library, or order it at a bookstore or online.

1 Comments

• At September 22, 2009, Nora wrote:

  ;))!

The following user java script adds the search results of the Tsukuba Public Library database on Amazon.co.jp pages (see the screen shot below). You can directly go to the search result page of the library from the Amazon search results.

CLICK HERE to download the user java script to add Tsukuba Public Library Search on Amazon.co.jp (or save it by right clicking).

Screen Shot:

In order to use this java script, you need a user java script engine.

For Internet Explorer 6:

1. Download "Trixie"
2. Install it
3. Copy the user java script into C:\Program Files\Bhelpuri\Trixie\Scripts
4. Restart Internet Explorer and access Amazon.co.jp

*I haven't tested it but IE7 Pro should work for Internet Explorer 7.

For Firefox:

1. Download the "greasemonkey" add-on
2. Install it
3. Drag the user java script and drop it into Firefox
4. Press the "install" button
5. Access Amazon.co.jp

Save money and enjoy a frugal life!

Notes:

• This script searches for an ISBN code on the Amazon page and hands over it to the book search system of the Tsukuba Public Library. Therefore, if there is no ISBN code on the Amazon search result, it will not work.
• In order to borrow books at Tsukuba Public Library, you need to have a membership at the library. You can sign up for a membership at the main counter of the library in about minutes (you will need your alien registration card or another certificate to prove that you are living/working in Tsukuba).
• You can reserve books through the website only when the book on the search result is currently being borrowed by someone. When it is returned, library staffs will keep it at the counter and the system will send you an email. You can just tell a library staff that you have the book reserved. Please note that you cannot reserve the book in case nobody is currently borrowing it. It means the book is available at the bookshelf.
• And also remember, before starting to use the online reservation service, you need to register your email address on the library website.
• Use Trixie, IE7 Pro, greasemonkey and this user java script at your own risk. The author assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any damage resulting from the use of these applications.

2 Comments

• At September 23, 2007, Shaney wrote:

  That's a great idea! Thanks!

• At September 24, 2007, Prima Cabina wrote:

  Actually, it is not my original idea.

  But I arranged the original script for the Tsukuba Public Library.

  Anyway, make good use of it!

Though I cannot say I would agree completely with Ichiyo's take on the mysterious workings of this world we live in, with so many strange coincidences occurring to me SO OFTEN I am always very open to hearing  ideas regarding the MEANING OF COINCIDENCE. It is a question I have been puzzling over (to no avail) for years.

One recent case that has me thinking occurred in connection with reading Tim Boyle's interesting, and thought provoking TSUKUBLOG posting on THE HISTORY OF BURAKUMIN IN JAPAN. The first surprise for me was that after not having heard that subject (burakumin) mentioned for YEARS, it had just been brought up, the night before the the posting was made, by a teacher of my acquaintance, and we talked about it for a while. That is why my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Tim's article the next morning.

Things got more interesting the day after that. As usual, I went to the ARS Library to do a little research. As I walked passed the New Arrivals shelf, I stopped dead in my tracks. Among the three or four new English language titles was the translation of SUE SUMII's well-known classic HASHI NO NAI KAWA, or, The River with No Bridge.  This book (the book at ARS is a translation of the first volume of seven) is the most famous and influential work about the plight of the burakumin! I had just been thinking, while reading Tim's article, how it was a shame that I had never read it. I also knew that the author had lived in Ushiku (the town next over) for many years before her death, and though I unfortunately never did myself, many of my friends and acquaintances have attended her lectures. Her daughter, writer Reiko Masuda, still lives by the shore of Lake Ushiku.

It goes without saying that I borrowed the book and read it. In fact after I finished it once, I read it again. It is a skillfull translation of Sumii's  straightforward, easy to follow story (which at the same time is an unforgettably biting critique of prejudice, war, nationalism, and the Emperor System, among other things.

The story takes place in rural Nara Prefecture during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) and many of the details Sumii provides are very helpful for gaining an understanding of that period of unprecedented change, which included a new calendar, new clothes, new food, and a new way of looking at the world! One of the things I learned from the book is the origin of the name of the dish SUKIYAKI. In the Edo Period eating beef was considered defiling. Thus, when usual Japanese DID eat it they never cooked it with their usual utensils or put it on their usual table ware. What they would do is light a fire in the earth-floor entranceway (doma) or outside, and grill the meat on the blade of a plough (suki). Yaki of course means grilled.

The novel contains several classic scenes and sentences which strike satirical blows at blind love of  king and country and question what it means to be a hero. I detected echoes of great Western anti-war classics such as All's Quiet on The Western Front or the film La Grand Illusion (and of course The Emperor's New Clothes) as I read.

Susan Wikinson's translation is excellent and useful footnotes are included. There was one odd mistake however. On page 148, the fish dojo is translated as ROACH instead of LOACH (loach was a common food fish caught in small streams and rice paddies). Funny that foreigners involved with the Japanese language for too long start to confuse R and L themselves!

I don't want to spoil your read, so that is all the detail I will provide regarding the story. After finishing the book it you might want to rent the 1992 film of the same title, which is not as powerful as the novel but will give you a glimpse of the costumes, living conditions, etc. of the day.

This film was very popular and in fact, for most Japanese has been the only source of information about the former outcastes.  These past few days, when discussing this subject with Japanese, I've starting to wonder whether the personal stories that I've been hearing come from real experience, or are memories of the film which have blended together with real memories in these people's consciousnesses.

Getting back to coincidences. When I finished with the book, I put it in my backpack to return it. On my way to the library, I ran into an old acquaintance who comes from a very old and prominent Tsukuba family (the kind often derided in the novel). I asked that person about the old pine forests of Tsukuba (for another posting), and was told that before and after the war the woods around here were inhabited by KAITAKU NIN (which could be translated as settlers). Hearing that expression for the first time, I asked more about these people. My friend then asked, "Do you know the book Hashi no nai Kawa?" I did a double take. I said, "Sure, I have it with me in my bag!" This amazing coincidence set us talking for a while and I learned a lot about Ibarakians attitudes towards what they call the DOWA MONDAI. This person said that the common way to refer to the former outcastes around here was YAMA, which in the local dialect also means woods. But as this post is getting longer that I expected it would be I will sign off here.

I have no idea what this chain of coincidences could possibly mean, but I will for the time being take it as a sign to keep on looking deeper into the matter.

And again, I highly recommend reading this fine translation of Sumii's truly BRAVE work.

1 Comments

• At September 15, 2008, TsukuBlog » Solemn OPEN HOUSE Event at the Old Nogi Residence wrote:

  [...] The incident has been used in scenes of several of Japan’s greatest novels (including A River With No Bridge, recently reviewed in Tsukublog). The Nogi’s simple wooden residence was left as a memorial to the couple, and eventually [...]

By Avi Landau

With abundant rainfall, and covering several climatic zones (especially when counting its far outlying islands),  Japan is a country quite rich in tree species ( and is in fact the most heavilly forested- mostly with cedar in the present time, of all the major industrialized nations). I would even GO OUT ON A LIMB and claim that the Japanese have created the most sublime of all the world`s wood civilizations. What gives me the confidence to say this, is that it was not only the common folk who used wood for making  just about everything- but the higher classes as well. And while the national treasures of most other wood-rich civilizations are often made of diamond, gold, silver, ivory, or stone, in Japan a high percentage of the most treasured human creations: Buddhist temples and statues, Shinto Shrines, palaces, castles(!), private homes, as well as a fantastic assortment of crafts- are made of wood ! Many of these are things of overwhelming beauty.

And naturally, over the millenia, the people who have lived among all these trees learned how to use each particular species to best effect- whether for creating dyes, tools, crafts, buildings, musical instruments, or medicines ( among  other things).

That is why, one interesting question that often arises when examining various aspects of Japanese culture is WHAT WOOD IS IT MADE OF?

The person whom I always consult on such matters ( and I do so quite often) is Dr. Hisashi Abe, a tree anatomist who lives in Tsukuba. No matter how often I have pestered him with questions on the identity of trees or wood, he has never failed to get back to me with the answer- even if it has meant lots of trouble for him.

And since Abe-San and his colleagues realized that there were several guides to Japan`s trees, but none on Japanese WOOD, they decided to alleviate the situation- by creating a new, full color guide called: (KARA-BAN) NIHON YU-YO-JUMOKU SHI (カラー版日本有用樹木誌)- and Useful trees of Japan: a color guide, in English ( though the text is in Japanese only).

The project really got underway 5 or 6 years ago when several of Abe`s colleagues got together for a retirement party held for Professor Itoh of Kyoto University, who also happened to be the curator of that distinguished institution`s xylarium ( wood specimen collection).

Itoh, Professor Emeritus at Kyoto and a Professor of Nanjing Forest University, Dr. Sano, lecturer at Hokkaido University, Dr. Utsumi, an Assistant Professor of Kyushu University, Dr. Yamaguchi, Senior Researcher of  the Tree Breeding Center,  and Dr. Abe had collaborated on a big project several years earlier and decided to pool their efforts once again into the project of creating this new book.

What they first had to do was select what they thought were the most important tree/wood species- and they eventually settled on 230 (out of Japan`s 1,300). They then had to set about gathering information on every aspect of these species` uses in Japanese culture and history.

The woods selected by Abe and his colleagues include those with very long presences in Japan as well as the many which were introduced after the Meiji Restoration  of 1868 ( for example the dogwood- which came to Japan as a gift from the US in exchange for the cherry trees which now grow in Washington DC and along the Potomac River).

After a few years of research, discussion, and editing, the book finally came out in July of this year (2011). I of course acquired a copy, and for the past few months have kept it close at hand. It has really enriched my understanding of the role trees and wood have played in the culture which developed in the Japanese Archipelago.

Let me mention just A FEW of the things which I have found interesting in the book.

The most important Japanese tree is probably the cedar (sugi). Reading the section on SUGI ( a tree  which I am VERY WELL aware of- since its pollen makes me suffer horribly each spring) I found out that in the archaeological record, cedar trees originally only grew on the Japan Sea side of Japan.

The oldest evidence of the use of this wood on this side of the country( the Pacific side), is the remains of  cedarwood TAGETA ( wooden clogs used for walking in rice fields), apparently used in the Yayoi Period, which were unearthed in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The tallest individual cedar in Japan now grows in Akita Prefecture and stands at 55 meters.

One reason that SUGI wood has been so popular is that the tree grows so fast ( that is why after the great deforestations during WWII the governenment supported a policy of extensive cedar plantation).

Sugi has long been the source of wood for building the homes of commoners ( while HINOKI- cypress was used very frequently for upper-scale buildings), especially in the Edo Period. And though it was abundant and cheaper, it is still beautifully grained and used for the interiors of homes.

Despite its popularity among the common folk, there is even an instance in which one of the most exquisite examples of classical Japanese architecture is built with the generous use of cedar- the Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa in Kyoto.

The Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa is made of cedar timber

Cedar has long been used to make the frames of shoji ( paper square) sliding doors. Knowing that, anyone who has lived in Japan and touched those doors, has a sense of what this wood is like- light weight ( and light colored) and soft to the touch.

Japan`s distinctive paper square (shoji) sliding doors are commonly made of cedar

Sugi has also played an important role in SAKE making as the barrels used for the brewing process are made of it. The wood lends a distinctive flavor to the final product.

A sake barrel made of cedar wood- adds distinctive flavor

To announce that the year`s new sake is ready, breweries and shops hang large ball made of cedar leaves ( these are called SUGI TAMA) over their entrance-ways.

A sugitama ( cedar ball) made of cedar leaves announces to the public that this year`s SAKE is ready

Cedar bark is often used to make the roofs of temples and shrines ( this year the Grand Shrine of Izumo had its roof of sugi-bark slats replaced).

This wood was also the preferred material for making sea-going craft, especially in the Edo Period.

After the Meiji Restoration and the eventual introduction of utility poles, it was sugi that was given the dubious honor of being selected as the most suitable timber for that purpose- with cedar the list of uses goes on and on..........

The next tree/wood that I looked up in the book was KEYAKI ( zelkova, in English), a tree which before coming to Tsukuba I had never heard of but is one of the most familiar ( and outstanding) trees in this area. I used to have a grand old KEYAKI growing in the garden of my old house in Konda ( I had to abandon that place after the earthquake), and that is why I wanted to learn more about its uses.

The zelkova section of the book correctly appropriately explains that this tree is common in the kanto area and a popular tree to have planted on the grounds of private homes.

The wood of this tree is beautifully grained and many of the treasures housed in Nara`s Sho-So-In Treasure House are made of this material- most outstanding examples are a bow, some trays, a tsutsumi drum, a medicine spoon, a koto from Korea......

Keyaki wood was also used to make some of Japan`s most famous old temples- including Kyoto`s most popular sight-seeing spot: the Kiyomizu Temple.

Keyaki is also used as the base for Japan`s famous lacquerware.

Also a fast growing tree, its trunks are still used as the columns for temples ( as well as for the frames of Japanese drums and the large hammers and mortars used for making O-mochi pounded rice cakes).

And now let me select another tree to take a look at, this time something  much less familiar- AH.....here is one that I have never even heard of- the KOYAMAKI ( or in English- the umbrella pine) ! Lets see what Dr. Abe and his co-authors have to say.

Amazing! This species makes up a whole family and genus of its own- and while it still can be found growing between Fukushima Prefecture in the north and Miyazaki Prefecture in the south, it is Red-Listed in nearly all the Prefectures within its habitat. These trees can be found growing is healthier numbers in in Wakayama, Nara, some parts of Shikoku and in  the Kiso valley ( Nagano Prefecture).

In ancient Japan the wood from this tree was deemed best to make coffins- because it is very slow to decay.

Numerous such coffins have been discovered by archaelogists in the Kinki Region (around Nara and Kyoto). No one knows, however, why numerous coffins made of the same wood have been unearthed in Korea, as well- since the KOYAMAKI does not grow on the Peninsula. Did this species once grow there and become extinct at some point, or was the wood ( or the coffns themselves) exported?

In later centuries koyamaki wood was used for items connected with water- bathtubs, bridges, bowls, ships...

Three types of trees/wood down, 247 more to go!

I will continue to add more interesting tidbits to this post now and then, so keep checking.

But if you are really interested in the topic ( and read Japanese)- order the book from Amazon, or directly from the Kaiseisha Press which has published it.

I have written more on Dr. Hisashi Abe and the Tsukuba xylarium here:

http://www.alientimes.org/Main/ShiverMeTimbersAVisitToTsukubasXylarium

3 Comments

• At November 24, 2011, Abe wrote:

  Thanks Avi for your introducing our book,

  Coincidentally, I found an article in the Nikkei newspaper dated 22 November. The article is about Dr Mechtild Mertz, who is a writer of the book "Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan". She works with Professor Itoh, and, I know her very well. I will send a copy of the article and her details later.

• At November 27, 2011, East Asia Blog Round-Up : 27/11/2011 « Eye on East Asia wrote:

  [...] Tsukublog - Avi starts reading through his copy of Useful Trees of Japan : A Colour Guide (カラー版日本有用樹木誌). [...]

• At December 2, 2011, Mechtild Mertz wrote:

  Thank you Abe-san for mentioning my book and paper in the Nikkei newspaper. I just found this blog ... in English! It's very nice.

  All the best

  Mechtild