A late winter walk leads to the UBAYURI (姥ユリ) a type of wild lily, which is more beautiful AFTER its flower has fallen off- AND was an important food source for Japan`s early inhabitants
By Avi Landau
On an uncomfortably cold day like today, you might not believe me when I tell you that spring IS just around the corner. Sure, plenty of very cold ( and even snowy) days probably still lay ahead, and the March winds which blow off Mt Tsukuba ( the Tsukuba Oroshi) can be frosty and brutal ( for cyclists especially). But I`m not talking about the temperature. When I speak of spring I am thinking of all the VEGETATION, all the GREENERY which in the coming weeks will start emerging from the soil. Already this week I can sense all of that LIFE, chomping at the bit, getting ready to burst forth. You can almost hear it.
Knowing that there is is little time left to savor Tsukuba`s distinctive wild winterscapes, I took a long walk through the fields and woods near my house in Konda. It was not all just dried out reeds and branches
A new goshawks nest in the Konda Woods (Tsukuba)
I decided to start out by heading to the area above which I have often seen, in recent weeks, one of our neighborhood goshawks ( O-Taka) perched high up on some sort of communications tower. I thought that perhaps it was around there that the majestic birds will be nesting this year.
Stepping into the woods in my neighborhood can sometimes be creepy. With all the owls, and the goshawks, there are often plenty of small animal and bird remains, the feather, fur and bones, which the birds of prey ( and later the scavengers) leave behind. Right away, I knew that the goshawks were active in that area. The route I had chosen was littered here and there by blotches of such leftovers. There were also plenty of hawk droppings.
Getting deeper into the forest, I often stopped to scan the canopy ( still thick in winter because of all the evergreens), in the hope of spotting a nest. Just at the point which was probably furthest from any road ( in any direction), I found it, letting out a big WOW! Very impressive- amazing, even suddenly coming across it.
I then resumed my ground search in the general area around the nest.
Another view of the nest
About 20 meters east of the grand tree high atop which the goshawks had chosen to make their home, was a little slope- the remains of an ancient burial mound (kofun, 古墳). Still scouring the ground, I slowly proceded up it. What I found on top almost made me forget all about the nest- in fact it brought me back the original purpose of this hike- marvelling at the interesting withered vegetation of winter.
I found myself suddenly walking among what at first seemed to be the commonest of dried out reeds- but raising my eye-level to what would be my chest height, I found that the little ridge I was on was covered with one of the most beautiful features of the Japanese woods in winter- the dried out UBAYURI (姥ユリ), a type of wild lily ( with the scientific name Cardiocrinum cordatum )
Of course, by this time of year these plant`s flowers had long disappeared. So what, you may ask, makes them so special.
Well, after their blossoms have fallen away, the fruit of this lily appears. Eventually, this dries, too, and opens up into three petal-like parts- which are connnected by what look like fine filaments. Really something special to look at. And how strange I thought that, though many types of lily flowers are spectacular, the UBAYURI`s blossoms are rather dull and plain ( though they ARE large!). That means in winter, without their white cone-like flowers, they are probably more attractive than they are in summer!
In fact, they are often added to winter flower arrangements, as symbols of the season.
Looking closely I could still find some of the lily seeds with had been blown out of their casing. These, too are remarkable to examine, as they look like very finely sliced flower bulbs. Since lilies are famous BULBS, some are surprised to hear that they also have seeds. Well, they do, and they are worth a close look.
The Ubayuri as it looks in winter after having released its seeds ( Tsukuba, Konda 2011)
Japan is considered to be something of a TREASURE HOUSE of lillies, with more than 10 indigenous species ( some of which were introduced to Europe in 1829 by the German physician Von Siebolt, who was at the Dutch trading post of Dejima, Nagasaki).
And though the Europeans and others took up these flowers with great enthusiasm for decorative purposes, in Japan ( and the rest of North-East Asia) lilies have not only been admired for their beauty and scent- they have also been EATEN.
The bulbs of various types of lily were an important source of starch for the ancient Japanese andYuri Ne ( lily bulbs) are still an important feature of Japanese special O-Sechi dishes eaten over the New Year holiday.
The dried out fruit of the UBAYURI- in Tsukuba (2011)
Besides the holiday season Lily bulbs are available at supermarkets and food cooperatives and can be prepared in a variety of ways. One variety in particular, the Ko Oniyuri, is cultivated for its bulb ( though some other varieties can also be eaten)
When cooked these bulbs look like pieces of GARLIC (also bulbs) when served, and their texture is also quite similar to the STINKY ROSE. Their flavor , however, is very subtle and starchy, and is influenced by the seasoning used ( as opposed to influencing the taste of everything else, as garlic does).
The ubayuri stand tall in one area of the woods
One very interesting thing that I learned after I got back from my walk and started doing a little research on the UBAYURI was that a larger type of the same lily, called the O-Ubayuri (Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii) is one of the most important food sources for the Ainu people.
The O-Ubayuri grows mostly in Hokkaido and in the colder, snowier, Japan Sea side of Northern Honshu.
Two UBAYURI seeds stuck on a nearby leaf
For anyone interesting in the process used to make TUREP, which is the dish that the Ainu make of of the starch of the O-Ubayuri, have a look at this page:
http://www.frpac.or.jp/kodomo/html/bunka/tabemono2/tabemono_01_ooubayuri2.html
A staple food of the Ainu- TUREP- made from the O-Ubayuri
In a couple of weeks I plan on going back to that same spot and dig up a few of the bulbs and try to make some Japanese dishes with them.
I think I will give TUREP a try , too, using the smaller type of UBAYURI.
I will tell you how it goes!
Ubayuri as they look when blooming in summer
And I hope that before the bulbs are ready for the taking, I will be able to get back a coupek of more times to enjoy Tsukuba`s wonderful winter wilds.
For some pictures of Japan`s lillies IN SUMMER see:
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~seiji-t/liliy.htm
Ainu with traditional facial tatoos digging up O- Ubayuri
Print This Post
A Lesson to be Learned from the Popular Japanese God Of Good Fortune- EBISU (恵比須)
By Avi Landau
Over the centuries, EBISU, or as he is popularly known as in the Kansai Area ( in Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures) EBE-SAN, has evolved from being what could be called the patron saint of fisherman, into a god of prosperity, popular among both merchants and farmers. He is now counted as one of the SHICHIFUKUJIN ( the SEVEN LUCKY GODS), a group of good-fortune-bearing deities often portrayed riding in a ship, which during the Edo Period (1600-1868) grew to be extremely popular as objects of worship ( and as good luck charms) among the common people.
Most Japanese adults can recognize EBISU from among these seven gods, without having his name written anywhere on him. He can be easilly identified by his distinctive features- the most important of which are a fish in his left hand and a fishing rod in his right.
Anyone who lives in Japan has seen his image- most probably on a can of Yebisu Beer ( which way back before the Japanese were familiar with beer, was given that auspicious name in order to help the Japanese public feel feel comforable with this western-style beverage).
So what, you may ask, does Ebisu, the Patron Saint of Business, have to teach us ( as I have suggested in the title of this post)?
Well, from reading about traditional views on Ebisu and what he symbolizes, I have come to realize that this ancient deity represents some very important TRADITIONAL JAPANESE VALUES- a way of thinking which seems to have been largely forgotten by today`s residents of the Japanese archipelago.
What I am talking about is the notion of profiting WITHOUT BEING TOO GREEDY. The idea of always remebering to leave something over for others- the poor, the birds, small animals, or nature itself.
How does Ebisu represent these old values?
By carrying a rod and not a net!
In several texts I have found references to image of Ebisu representing the concept: USE THE ROD- NOT THE NET ( 釣りして網せず, tsurishite-ami sezu), which implies that we should only take what we need, or a little more- but not indiscriminately deplete the environment depriving other living things (and future generations of a means of survival)- or as it is said in Japanese: 暴利をむさぼらないで、bo-ri o musaboranai de!
If the Japanese (and other nations) do not heed this wordlessly expressed teaching of Ebisu, we might not be eating TUNA, or many other varieties of fish very much longer. The fisherman will not be able to carry on their way of life either ( some types of fish have already disappeared off the shores of Japan).
And as for Tsukuba, an area which was once targeted for development because of its abundance of unprofitable marshland and forest, will be COMPLETELY deforested ( besides a few parks) if the people do not speak out for the need to LEAVE SOME OF THE NATURAL LOCAL ECOSYSTEM IN TACT. I am not talking about the parks. Small areas in which the birds,small mammals, and plants which require deeper forest as a habitat can survive should be set aside.
As I watched the bulldozers clear the last large remaining wooded tracts which stood north of the IIAS Shopping Mall, making room for more housing developments to be built by UR or DAIWA HOUSE, I could not help but think that NOW its the time for the Japanese to remember the old ways and the traditional teachings- and leave a little bit for the birds ( plants and animals).
I hope that the executives of these companies ( as well as others involved in the `development ' of Tsukuba), people who might even make offerings to EBISU, the God of Business Success, take a closer look at this deity, and think about what he really represents.
I have written more on EBISU here:
Print This Post
A Showing Of Provocative New Works by Thomas Mayers
![thomas1[1]](http://blog.alientimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/thomas11-201x300.jpg)
A little time spent by the shores of Lake Kasumigaura this past summer, affected British born artist-musician Thomas Mayers in a BIG way. In fact, the experience of that day (August 5th to be exact), and the feelings and thoughts it evoked, led to a veritable creative explosion, the fruits of which- 44 new paintings, will be on display at the Takashi Saitoh Gallery near Ushiku Sation from September 29th through October 11th.
For a previous show at the same venue Mayers also made extensive and effective use of lake related motifs ( at that time with a focus on Lake Ushiku), to create some of his most memorable and beautiful works . Visitors to his upcoming exhibit ( it starts tomorrow!), will find that his newest works show a new edge- they are more intimate and emotional. And while the paintings are still beautiful, they are also challenging and deeply thought provoking.
Plane Over The Lotus Fields - Thomas Mayers 2009
What exactly DID the artist encounter by Japan`s second largest lake on that steamy summer morning? What was it that stirred him to grapple with paper, oils, watercolor , spray paint, pencil and epoxy. What was it that kept him sleepless, reworking photos and etching on glass? Well, according to Mayers, it was driving around and walking through the extensive lotus root fields just by the lake that filled him with all the conflicting emotions which then HAD TO BE WORKED OUT through his art.
The scene he found in Tsuchiura`s Okijuku and Tamura neighborhoods, potentially one of idyllic beauty- lake, traditional hamlets, lotus flowers in bloom everywhere, was marred by the ubiquitous presence of scraggly nets, which virtually covered the landscape and stretched out to the horizon. And even more jarringly, upon closer observation, he found dangling in these nets, like strange fruit, scores of dead birds of various breed, size and color.
As an artist and a person, Thomas Mayers is extremely sensitive and ever questioning . Each time I meet him he seems to be in a continuous dialogue not only with me, but with the world around him. Carefully examining his latest works, it is clear to me that in the first place his trip down to Kasumigaura, an area whose history he is deeply familiar with from the writings of well-known Tsuchiura-based writer Junichi Saga ( Memories of Silk and Straw), brought to his mind certain iconic images of pre-war Tsuchiura- propellor powered sea planes and zeppelins, as well as an array of colorful local characters he had read about.
The harrowing site of the ugly nets and the unfortunate birds caught in them then obviously aroused another stream of images in the artist`s mind, especially those associated with the writings of novelist Shusaku Endo and Christian martyrs.
What we have then in this new show are 11 larger and 33 smaller works in which the artist has singularly compressed layers of local and PERSONAL history onto Japanese washi paper. Working from photos he had taken on THAT DAY he tried to capture the resonances each image created in his mind. And , instead of turning away from and pretending NOT TO SEE the ugliness and horror, as so many artists and photographers do, Mayers bravely works them into his pieces, focusing not only what he saw, but on what he heard, tasted ( in the air), and even what he smelled.Bravo!
All in all he has put together a daring, challenging and powerful exhibition.
http://www.saitoh-coffee.com/tsg/gallery.html
Print This Post
A visit to the Umezono House
I checked out the Umezono House yesterday for the first time since last summer. There are always some brand new clothes, plates, and other whatnots, but you don’t see a big, brand new Doraemon talking alarm clock there that often. I don’t think you can get it for 800yen anywhere else, so please visit the Umezono House next week if you want to take a look at this Doraemon. It was quite big.
Other “unusual” findings are a black elementary school bag (probably the same one I saw last summer), a karate uniform, bicycles and tricycles, and brand new frames for commendation certificate.
If you are going to stay in Japan for a short period of time and are planning to visit local secondhand shops, please look into the Umezono House first. It may not have a lot of stuff, but please remember that this shop is for a good cause ;-)
Asian Friendship Association’s information in Japanese
http://www.tsukuba-swc.or.jp/circle/ajia-yujyo-kai.html
The Umezono House’s new store hours http://blog.alientimes.org/2006/07/the-umezono-houses-new-store-hours/
Print This Post
A Whole Lotta Lotus- Ibaraki`s Beautiful Lotus Blossoms and the Role of These Plants in Japanese Culture And History (revisited)
A lotus flower (hasu no hana) blooming near Lake Kasumigaura
Symbolizing man’s ability to spiritually rise up out of the muck, no matter how deep it might be, the flowers of the lotus plant look like jewels dancing over a sea of sprawling, gently green leaves. I’ve heard it said that there is an audible popping noise when the petals open in the morning, but numerous failed attempts at actually hearing this sound have got me thinking that that is just an urban legend. Anyway, if you live in Tsukuba or Ibaraki it would be a shame if you didn’t take a drive down to Kasumigaura for some lotus viewing, as this prefecture is the nation’s largest grower.
Lotus flowers are often linked to mid-summer in the Japanese psyche, but lotus root farmers have been experimenting with different later-blooming varieties making it now possible to enjoy these remarkably beautiful and culturally significant flowers in the cooler autumn air.
According to the ancient chronicles of this area (Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki), a type of lotus was cultivated in ancient Ibaraki for medicinal purposes. Later, different varieties were introduced from China, with today’s most common types of lotus having been introduced from the continent during the Meiji Period (1868-1912).
There is an interesting etymology for the Japanese word for this plant, which is HASU (蓮). After the hasu’s flowers fall away, a hard honeycomb-shaped pod remains standing. Since this looks like a bee-hive (hachi no su, in Japanese), the entire plant is referred to with an abbreviated form of this, which is HA SU.
Besides the word hasu no hana (蓮の花), which is often used for the lotus flower itself, there is another expression used more often as Buddhist terminology: renge (蓮華). When you eat at a Chinese restaurant or ramen shop in Japan, you are given a thick curvy spoon which reminds the Japanese of the petals of the lotus flower. That is why these spoons are called CHIRI RENGE (literally, fallen lotus petals) in Japanese (though NOT in Chinese).
In Asian countries, especially India and China, every part of the lotus plant is eaten. In Japan the crunchy and beautiful roots are a very common ingredient, and the lotus seeds are made into sweets (though not very commonly eaten). As mentioned above, Ibaraki Prefecture is the number one producer at present, with much of the area around Lake Kasumigaura turned into lotus ponds. The use of nets, ostensibly to protect these fields, trap numerous birds which can make touring around the lake highly stressful. However, in this season, while the fields are full of greenery and the number of birds low in general (before the autumn migration), you are unlikely to find any trapped birds (the nets are also slowly coming down, the funding for them STOPPED, thanks to the efforts of the Kasumigaura Bird Rescue volunteers).
A typical feature of Tsuchiura`s lotus fields- hanging birds - dead or alive
One of the nearer places for lotus viewing is across from Red Lobster (I mean on the other side of Tsuchiura Gakuen line). I park at the used car dealer’s lot. Look out for lots of waterbirds (there are no nets here).
Lotus fieds in Kasumigaura-City ( July 2010) Can you make out the just visible form of the Ushiku Daibutsu (Great Buddha) across the lake?
For a journey into deep lotus land, you have to drive to Tsuchiura. Take the upper road over the city which takes you to the East side of the station.Turn left at the light and go straight until you see lotus fields on both sides of the road. When you reach a T-junction turn right and then make a left at the next traffic light (with the great tofu shop, TOFU-YA, 十二屋 , at the corner). Now you can enter the LOTUS WORLD of the Tamura (田村) and Okijuku (沖宿）. Have a nice drive. I guarantee it will be an enlightening experience.
Besides lots o’ lotuses, one thing you will notice is the ironically plastic lotuses around grave yards, left over after the O-Bon Festival ( which is in mid-August in Tsukuba).
Lotus fields in Tsuchiura- behind the Unagi restausant Nakayama- with Mt Tsukuba in the background (July 2010)
And for a song ( my original) inspired by the Japanese summer:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12856
as recorded by the TenGooz
Print This Post