By Avi Landau

1964 was a pivotal year in post-war Japanese history. With the inauguration of the first SHINKANSEN bullet train, the introduction of the first color TVs, and most importantly, the hosting of the Olympic Games, it was a year which now symbolizes Japan’s economic recovery and marks its return to the forefront of the international scene after a two decade period of frenzied rebuilding following the total devastation of WWII.

In 1966, the Japanese government designated October 10th as Taiiku no Hi (Sports Day) to commemorate the Games. If you are wondering why October was selected as a day to remember the Summer Olympics, you are not alone. The fact is, however, that in 1966, the Opening Ceremonies were held on the 10th of October! The wise decision to hold the Tokyo Summer Games in Autumn was made in deference to Japans cruelly humid summer weather (why wasn’t the same change made for Beijing when the games were held there?).

Since the year 2000, as part of the HAPPY MONDAY MOVEMENT (having national holidays on Monday to make a 3-day weekend), Taiiku No Hi has been moved to the second Monday of October, giving us a nice break in what is probably Japan’s best season weather-wise ( not this year, though!).

Over the Sports Day weekend you are likely to hear signal fireworks (aizu no hanabi) announcing that school and university sports festivals (UNDO KAI) are being held. For the Japanese, these events are MAJOR markers of the passage of years. It is common for grandparents to come from afar to be present, and in Tsukuba, parents often go out in the middle of the night to stake out a good place to put down their plastic sheet for the next morning’s festivities. You can get a glimpse of what goes on at an UNDOKAI on YouTube.

If you turn on the TV on a Sports Day morning, you will most probably see some of Japan’s Olympic medalists and other celebrated athletes giving workshops for schoolchildren. Two years ago I remember watching scenes of little Aiko (the daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess) running (victoriously, of course) in her first Sports Festival.

Many Tsukubans set aside time every year during the second weekend in October to attend Tsukuba University’s three day Culture Festival. All of those who do have their own favorite attractions. For me, there is the music, especially the jazz cafe and the Andean Folk Music Troupe. With a wide range of cheap and delicious foods, live music in all genres, arcade games, scientific displays, and technological exhibitions all served up with youthful enthusiasm, for me the GAKUEN-SAI is the true TSUKUBA FESTIVAL (Tsukuba Matsuri).

As I have written before, one noticeable thing for many graduates of foreign universities is the lack of any political or INTELLECTUAL presence in the Tsukuba University festival. In recent years, however, environmental awareness has started to be felt with several booths selling organic produce or showing data from research on GREENER LIVING. Still walking the length of the campus this weekend, I felt pessimistic about recent calls to lower the voting age in Japan to 18.

For LOTS OF INTERESTING DETAILS ON THE TOKYO OLYMPICS SEE THIS PAGE and THIS ONE. (You should read more about this event!)

O-demari ( Japanese snowballs) in Tsukuba (May 2011)

By Avi Landau

They`ve changed the bus routes! As of April 1st  2011, the Tsuku Bus- the city`s subsidized transport service, no longer stops in front of my house- though it still does pass by as it follows its route ( as if to mock me)!

Now if I want to get around town by bus I have to walk over to the old Sakura City Office. The fastest way for me to get there is to take a short-cut through one of Tsukuba`s most beautiful undeveloped areas- the wilds between the Sakura Junior High School and the former city office, which is a rich ( though unmarked) archaeoligical site ( a government office stood there more than 1,000 years ago) that is now something of a small, very unofficial, nature preserve- replete with all sorts of small animals and birds, and of course plenty of interesting vegetation.

One night last week, I decided to take the bus back home, and I got out at the lonely Former City-Office stop at about 10 PM. It certainly IS a creepy place to get dropped off at that hour, but still, instead of walking around the LONG WAY, taking the street-lit and paved sidewalks, I headed on, without flashlight, into the wilds- with the crazed frog choruses from nearby rice fields as background music!

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized that the moon, though not full, would provide adequate illumination for me to navigate the dirt paths.

Very soon along  my way, I noticed the silhouettes of two large Ural Owls ( FUKURO) perched on a tree. They were unnerved by my presence, and silently took off into flight, displaying the outlines of their broad wingspans in the moonlit sky. MAGICAL!

Transfixed, I stopped in my tracks to admire them, though in less than an instant they had vanished from sight.

Straining my eyes in the dark to see the birds, I noticed something unusual up ahead-  large and glowing ghostly white. A chill ran down my spine.

I approached slowly, and realized that it was no spectre I had come across, but a tree- more than two meters tall and fully bedecked with  surprisingly large, round, white flowers. From the size and shape of the blossoms I realized it was an O-Demari tree (Viburnum plicatum var. plicatum f. plicatum), whose flowers in English have come to be called ( quite appropriately) JAPANESE SNOWBALLS!

I stood transfixed for a few moments beneath the tree which glowed in the weak moonlight and seemed to come to life with each breeze- before continuing on my way home.

A closer look

The next morning, I knew that I just HAD TO take the bus into town, so that on my way to the stop I could get a look at the tree in the daylight.

And it WAS as spectacular as it had been the previous night. And though not as mysterious as it had been in the moonlight, I still missed my bus.

The O- demari, also known as the TEMARI BANA（手鞠花 ) in Japanese, is a member of the Honeysuckle Family, and is in fact a cultivar developed over the centuries by Japanese horticulturalists, of a native species called the YABU DEMARI (ヤブデマリ,V. plicatum var.tomentosum).

The flowers of the O-demari bloom in May, giving us what look like snowballs just when the weather is finally warming up ( they look so tempting that you want to pull one off and throw it at someone!)

It is interesting that if I show a close-up photo of these flowers to botanically-savy Japanese they all immediately assume that what they are looking at is HYDRANGEA. In fact, the O-demari DO look uncannilly like those much more famous ( and commonly found) blossoms.

Another confusing point, is that there is another decorative plant in Japan called the KODEMARI, which is usually assumed to be a relative of the snowballs. There are two reasons for this. One is that they look quite similar, especially from afar. More importantly, however, are the names of these plants, which can be taken to mean LARGE DEMARI ( O-demari), and SMALL DEMARI ( kodemari).They are in fact, not even of the same family.

Snowball petals on the ground

Anyway, my mysterious encounter with the O-demari was so impressive, that I think I will have to try to get to a tree nursery and buy one for my garden. I hope to enjoy its SNOWBALLS in future Mays- especially on moonlit nights!

Check here for some pictures of KODEMARI ( more commonly seen than, and completely UNRELATED to O-DEMARI):

http://www.hana300.com/kodema1.html

Sengen-Zuka ( 千現塚), Tsukuba`s Little Mt Fuji

Tsukuba`s Sengen (千現) District is not only a conveniently located upscale residential neighborhood (within easy reach of both the TX rail and JR Highway Bus Stations), but it is also home to an internationally renowned research institute (NIMS) and a major facility for Japan`s Space Agency, JAXSA ( I should also mention the presence of the tastefully appointed  flower shop- Blomster Anna ). Thus, I guess it could be said that this makes SENGEN one of the more prestigious and sought after addresses in Tsukuba City. The other day, while walking through that part of town, I made a fascinating discovery which revealed how EVEN IN PAST AGES , when the area that is now called SENGEN was  still mostly MARSHLAND,  it had been a coveted piece of real estate  which was vied for, and fought over by local residents, who at that time (The Edo Period 1600-1868) happened to belong to different clans . I got to know this , and plenty of other fascinating things as well, by stumbling upon a wooded mound, which I learned had  been dubbed - Tsukuba`s Mt. Fuji- atop of which stands a large slab upon which its tale has been inscribed.

The Stairs Leading Up The SENGEN-ZUKA (千現塚), Tsukuba`s Mt Fuji

 Before telling you the details of the history I found etched into the stone, let me first explain how I stumbled upon it, because some of the scenery I found along the route which brought me there bears great significance ( I realized later) to the tale which I will tell.

On a beautiful early summer day, I was in the Ninomiya neighborhood of Tsukuba, and  had a couple of hours to spare before an appointment a few Kilometers away in Takezono (another of Tsukuba`s neighborhoods). Instead of taking the bus, as I would have done if I had been more pressed for time, I decided to stroll around Doho Park and try to catch a glimpse of  some of the kingfishers ( kawasemi) which can often be seen on the western edge of the park`s pond, and then walk to Takezono.

The pond at Doho Park , still thick with reeds and other marsh vegetation on its eastern edge, is a remnant of an extensive system of marshes and woods which once existed in the area upon which The Tsukuba Science City was eventually built. These marshlands ran pretty much on a North-South axis, with the Oto-Numa Marsh (which still exists) demarcating its southern limit, and the grounds of what is now KEK (The High Energy Physics Laboratory), which had once been a big marsh,  near the systems northern edge. We can still find reed filled ponds within the precincts of The Space Center, Sanso-Ken ( NIAS), The Meteorological Research Institiute,  Matsumi Park, Tsukuba University, etc., and these are all aligned along the same axis (now sandwiched between Nishi-Odori and Higashi-Odori, major boulevards which run paralel to each other), and they are a testament to what Central Tsukuba was like in past ages.

Remnants Of Tsukuba`s Marshlands

I walked around the Doho Park pond and then headed off towards Takezono. I passed through the Sengen neighborhood, dropped in at the flower shop, and then crossed Higashi-Odori (at the interesection near the Chin-Rai Ramen Shop) and entered into the Kurakake section of Tsukuba City, which has until now been relatively free of modern development. After 50 meters or so down the road, just passed a graveyard, there was a little hill, crowned by a big, old cherry tree. If I had been in a car or on bicycle, I probably would have just kept going (as I had, many time before on this road) and not found anything. But as I was on foot, I noticed a staircase, just barely visible from the road, which led up the hill. I then proceeded to skamper up the 23 steps to the top.

The Story Of The SENGEN-ZUKA

There, the land had been flattened out creating a tiny hilltop plateau. Directly in front of me, in the shadow of the big cherry tree, stood two low, squat, stone monuments, one of quite recent make, and the other, so old that it had been severely mis-shapen after years (centuries?) of exposure to the elements. On the newer stone, inscribed with perfect clarity, were the characters reading: FUJISAN (MT. Fuji). A careful examination of the older stone, also revealed, (after finding the angle at which the light hit the stones surface in just the right way), the same characters.

 As I straightened myself up and turned to the right, I found myself face to face with a large gray stone slab , which stood much taller than the average person. At the top it read- SENGEN-ZUKA YURAI (千現塚由来), which means: The Origin of The Sengen Mound. Here ( in summary) is the story the stone tells:

In the year 1690, there was a land dispute between two villages. One was Onozaki, part of the Yatabe Clan`s holdings (lying to the west of the marshlands) and the other was Kurakake, then part of the the Tsuchiura Clan`s Territory. Each village claimed the marshland as its own. At that time the resources of the marshes, reeds, thatch and other grasses were of great value for the villagers  for use as roofing, and animal fodder, and also for making various objects for everyday life. The two villages took the dispute to court. In an effort to ensure victory in the suit, certain Kurakake villagers travelled to the foot of Mt Fuji, to the Sengen Shrine (浅間神社) to appeal for intervention. 

A New Stone Reading- Mt Fuji, Beside A Much Older Stone With The Same Inscription

In 1697 the Shogunate`s officials made a decision in favor of Kurakake. In thanks to the God for helping to make the vilagers prayers come true, a mound was constructed which offered a view of Mt. Fuji, and the Goddess of the Sengen Jinja was enshrined there. Thereafter it become a focus of worship for the people. Erected 1979.

Now this story is interesting at many levels. First, The Japanese now pride themselves on having a society with very few lawyers, and in which LITIGATION is unusual. It is surprising to find that more than 300 years ago, traditional hamlets in this area resorted to lengthy( 7 years), and probably very expensive legal maneuvering (just think of the cost in bribes alone!).

Then there is the matter of  Mt. Fuji Worship, a religious sect (FUJI-SHINKO) which actually came into being  in Nagasaki (quite a distance from the mountain itself !) between the years 1532 and 1553) . This sect focused on pilgrimages to Mt Fuji and asceticisms in the caves and lava tubes around the mountain. During the Edo Period (1600-1868), the popularity of this sect spread among the people (especially in and around the capital, Edo). To this day when climbing mt Fuji, you might come across devotees of the sect, clad in wera pilgrim-wear , while walking keep up a continuous chant of ROKKON SHOJO ROKKON SHOJO. The little Fuji Mound in Tsukuba, was a  place where people could not actually make it to the REAL MOUNTAIN could make a SYMBOLIC visit. It also intersting to note that there is a big cherry tree on the Fuji Mound. This is not the work of chance. You see, the Goddess of  Mt Fuji,  KONOHANA SAKKUYA HIME. is also the Goddess of Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom ( and by extension, the Goddess of Mortality, as cherry blossoms quickly fade away after blooming).

This Goddess is also appealed to for families who want children, and for pregnant women`s easy delivery. The reason for this is that according  to japanese mythology, KONOHANA SAKKUYA HIME was inpregnated after spending just one night with her huband, NINIGI NO MIKOTO, who became extemely suspicious. Thinking that the child must be from another man (or God, should I say), NINIGI set fire to the hut is which his wife was giving birth. Miraculously, mother and child were unscathed. This naturally makes theisGoddess an obvious choice as a  deity to appeal to for conception or easy delivery.

Then we have the matter of the place name SENGEN. It was only natural for the villagers, as a way of expressing their appreciation, to name the piece of land that they had won in the suit after the God which had give them that little extra edge. Now the characters used for this neighborhood have changed to 千現, so unless one knows the obscure bit of history inscribed on the slab, it would not be possible to guess at the origin of the place name. Also, the characters for the SENGEN SHRINE (　浅間神社), are often misread even by Japanese, as ASAMA JINJA. Thus, few people who read the slab would make the connection between the story of the mound and the name of the neighborhood which lies just across the road.

Well now you know!

And if you are thinking about climbing the real Mt Fuji this summer, but are PUT OFF by all the effort and SUFFERING that this would involve, you might want to consider conquering Tsukuba`s little Mt Fuji instead. You can do it in just 23 easy steps!

1 Comments

• At July 2, 2009, Ellen Taleon wrote:

  Dear Avi,

  Nice sleuth work..Wow, you are a better historian than some

  locals maybe..And you have the talent and imagination to write it down in eloquent and colorful narrative too.By the way, I noticed that you have written so many articles about Tsukuba and the neighboring areas to date. You can already compile them and make them into a lucrative book about Tsukuba..

  Thanks for sharing such Tsukuba stories and

  tales to the foreign community. Since we can barely understand

  the language, it is nice to know some tidbits and glimpses into

  the city we have come to love..in a language we are all familiar with..and from the same viewpoint,that of the gaijin outsider..

By Avi Landau

One of the questions you are most frequently asked by Japanese people who you meet for the first time is- HOW OLD ARE YOU? This can be a little disconcerting for you once you get beyond a certain age, but dont let it make you paranoid- its not that you look SO OLD or SO YOUNG- its just that in Japanese culture being aware of other`s ages is extremely important. You could even say that in Japan there is a CULT OF AGE. By this I do not mean one of youth or old age ( though youth IS highly regarded in itself). What I mean is that in Japanese culture, one`s age, no matter what it my be, bears with it great significance.
The foremost reason necessitating being aware of another`s age for the Japanese is to determine who is senior and who is junior, since in this Confucian influenced society this will affect the character of the relationship formed and the form of speech which will be used .
Besides this, in Japanese culture, certain ages represent certain MILESTONES or TURNING POINTS in ones life. These include the many UNLUCKY AGES ( yakudoshi, 厄年), the main ones being ages 42 for men and 33 for women. (interestingly these age related events are mirrored almost perfectly for The dead with memorial services on the 1st ,3rd, 7th, 13th 33rd etc. year anniversaries).

Most of these special ages, however, beginning with a baby`s official naming on the 7th day after birth, are happy occassions, culminating in the special longevity celebrations held at 60, 70, 77,80,88,90,99 and 100 years.
Since it is now November, today I would to discuss one of Japan`s most popular, and probably, with its minions of adorable kimono clad kids being escorted to atmospheric shrines by beaming parents and grandparents, its most photo-friendly rite of passage event- SHICHI-GO-SAN ( 七五三), literally the 3-5-7 celebration.
Today, this event is typically celebrated by families with 3 year old or seven year old girls and five year old boys. These families buy or rent FESTIVE WEAR ( HARE-GI- 晴れ着), traditionally meaning Japanese style kimono( though you will often find boys in  suits), going to the photographers studio for commemorative portraits ( often in different styles of dress) and then visiting a shrine to pray for the childs growth and health. The child will also usually carry a bag of special candy called CHITOSE AME ( 千歳飴- thousand year candy), beautifully decorated with symbols of long life- cranes, turtles, pine, bamboo and plum as well as auspcious chinese characters.

Optimally this should take place on the 15th of November, though anytime in November is appropriate ( however, I HAVE heard that before the 15th is better than after)
In Ibaraki Prefecture ( yes, it seems that it is true ONLY here), the event is often celebrated with much more extravagance- especially by families from traditional hamlets. After, visiting the shrine, relatives and friends are invited for a reception at a restaurant or even a fancy hotel. Emcees and photographers are invited, speeches are made. It is not very differentt from a wedding.
I have even heard that when children celebrate a shichi-go-san, their family changes the tatamis and shoji doors ( which is also a custom for weddings).
Now just what is the origin of these customs? Well, as is the rule with Japanese culture, the sources are diverse and the evolution intriguing.
As I have often mentioned in relation to Japanese festivals, ODD NUMBERS are considered auspicious ( this concept was introduced in the 6th century from China). Thus, the Doll Festival is on March 3rd ( 3/3), Childrens Day May 5th (5/5), Tanabata July 7th ( 7/7), etc.
It is thus understandable why the aristocrats of the Heian Period ( and subsequent generations of Japanese)would hold rite of passage ceremonies for their children on ODD NUMBERED years.
Another important concept behind the 7-5-3 ceremony is the fact that the Japanese did not consider children to be full members of the community until they were seven years old. By this I mean that children were not registered as part of the population ( in the NINBETSU-CHO), until they were seven. Those who died before that age were not given the usual funeral or buried in their family graves.
Thus attaining the age of 7 signified becoming a member of the community and of becoming a full-fledged PERSON.
Still, in the years from the Heian Period (794-1185) to the end Edo Period (1600-1868), there was no standardized SHICHI-GO-SAN, as we know it today. The noble and samurai families DID have special ceremonies for 3 year old children ( KAMI-OKI) after which their hair was allowed to grow out instead of being shaved. Five year old boys had a ceremony for wearing their first HAKAMA ( special trousers) called HAKAMA-GI. And then for seven year old girls there was the ceremony for tying their first OBI sash, called the Obi-toki.
These ceremonies DID NOT necessarily take place specifically in November.
As I have written many times before, the Japanese populace always admired the higher classes and aspired to their ways. Thus, during the Edo period and the growth of a prosperous and thriving merchant culture, these customs were taken on by the townspeople and farmers as shrines , kimono makers , and sweets makers all promoted this event. It was a huge hit and had a huge commercial impact, hinting at things to come with Valentines Day and Christmas in contemporary Japan.

Just why Shichi-Go-San came to be celebrated in November, and especially on November 15th, remains unclear. Some it is because that was the celebration day of one of the children of the Tokugawa Family, ( which ruled during the Edo Period). Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, to be specific

 Anyway, being just after harvest season, it is a perfect time for rural Japanese to celebrate their childrens growth and health in style.

                    And to make everything I have written about above even MORE CONFUSING!

Traditionally, the Japanese considered chidren to be 1 year old at the time of birth. Even today when considering celebrating the various special age events, many Japanese decide to do so on the KAZOE DOSHI ( meaning the tradiotional way of calculating age). That means that many people that celebrate SHICHI-GO-SAN when their children are either 6, 4, or 2 ! Or celebrate their BEI JU ( for 88 year-olds) when they are in fact 87. With the westernization of all things advancing at a steady pace, however, more and more people are celebrating these events according to their MAN doshi ( which is how westerners have calculated age: 0 at birth).

Good places to see families dressed up for Shichi-Go-San in Tsukuba are the Mt Tsukuba Shrine and the Izumi Kosodate Kannon, near Hojo.

1 Comments

• At November 9, 2011, akito wrote:

  hi.

  about the Shichi-Go-San, I once read that it is a celebration for children being able to reach the age of seven. back in the old days, infant mortality was very high that if the boys/girls were able to reach the age of seven it would be very much celebrated. parents would go to the shrine to give offering to the gods to thank their grace upon the child's well-being.

  related to that, the warabe-uta Toryanse (the one that is played on traffic-crossing as a sign that it's safe for people to cross the street) is said to be related to Shichi-Go-San. the lyrics of the song implies conversation between a pilgrim and a guard of Tenjin Shrine, where the pilgrim is pleading to be let pass to make offerings to the gods to celebrate a child's 7th birthday. however, another variation of the song shows the darker contrast, where the pilgrim is pleading with the guards of hell, as he is going to bury the child who dies at the age of 7. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dryanse)

  anyway, i also read that for the Shichi-Go-San, it is for the boys at age 3, girls of age 5, and both sexes at age 7, is it true?

  your blog is very interesting, hope you keep writing ^^

Learning to ride a Segue Human Transporter in Tsukuba

I cant remember exactly when it was, but it must have been more than a decade ago when there were rumors of a new invention, soon to be revealed, which would radically tranform the way we all lived.  When I finally DID find out what this contraption was, a silly sort of battery-powered scooter upon which the rider stands upright, I could not help but feel GREATLY LET DOWN ( and I guess that MOST people felt the same way), and in all the years since I had only seen this environmentally friendly machine ONCE- at Narita Airport being ridden by a patrolling security guard.

Once, until TODAY, when I saw three or four SEGUE Human Transporters ( as these vehicles have been dubbed), which have been lent by Segue Japan to Tsukuba City for a special event focusing on CLEAN ENERGY! 

That means that YOU, or anyone else with the gumption to try riding one of these crazy machines ( as you have probably heard the man who had bought the company from its original owner died after falling off a cliff while riding his Segue), can give it a try- completely free of charge!

To assist you in getting the hang of it, several Tsukuba university students, who have been trained by the Segue company, will  be there, as instructors.

You will be able to take advantage of this opportunity through February 16th, from 10AM to 4 PM- at the building in the middle of the pond, just across from Tsukuba`s Expo Center.  

While there, you can also try riding a battery powered bicycle. While waiting for your turn you can soak your feet in the warmth of a solar- powered foot bath.

I gave the Segue a try myself, and I must say that I enjoyed it alot. It IS quite amazing! You can learn the basics in a couple of minutes and then can guide the scooter with the merest shifting of your weight.

It will not revolutionize society, but it sure is fun.

Getting the hang of it!

 Those of you who tried the Segue today (Feb. 13th 2011), or were just enjoying a stroll through Tsukuba`s Central Park, were in for an EXTRA treat- The Cosplay Festival- which was held a mere 100 meters away from the Green Living Event!

Dozens of young men and women ( and some not so very young) were dressed up as their favorite ANIME or game characters! What did they do? Well, nothing much- just alot of preening and posing before the cameras. Yes, there were plenty of eager photographers ( professional, or at least with professional looking equipment!) shooting away. It seemed as if some were even paying money for the Cosplayers to pose.

I found out the hard way that you had better ask for permission before taking pictures at such events. As I was taking a couple of candid shots ( with my cell phone), three girls came over to scold me for my poor manners. Then again, by being so authoritarian they might have just been getting into their characters- they were dressed as Nazis! 

Cos-Play in Tsukuba`s Central Park- right in front of the library ( Feb. 13th 2011)

It was all quite bizzarre! A conversation that I overheard between a 40- ish Japanese couple sums it up. Shocked by the scene of so many photographers snapping away at the Cosplayers, the wife disapporvingly said- Why are they paying them so much attention? Why are they taking pictures?

Her husband cooly responded:  Its....... CULTURE.

And what brings all this culture to Tsukuba? The Tsukuba Express! Yes, train-lines, like rivers of old, are conduits of culture- and now brainy, bookish conservative Tsukuba is linked directly to Akihabara- the OTAKU Capital of Japan!

TX has brought the commuters, the Mt.Tsukuba Day-Hikers, and now the Cos-players!

But sorry, if you werent there today, you will probably have to wait a while before before such a scene at Chuo Koen ( Tsukuba`s Central Park) 

More Cos-Play in Tsukuba

For more about the Segue:

http://www.answers.com/topic/segway

One of the many Cos-Players around the pond at Tsukuba`s Chuo-Koen Park (Feb. 13th 2011)

8 Comments

• At February 14, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  That transporter is very strange as a human-transporting machine, I agree with Avi-san . It looks like it would be much easier to use 3 or 4 wheels-battery-powered vehicles like those which already are used by the elderly in Japan.

  But now I can understand from this article there is an appropriate area for using this funny transporter. In a wide open crowded area like an airport, for those like security-persons or the like to patrol it might be suitable, because it could give its rider a higher view, even higher than the mounted police! Without dung-dropping or exhaust gas, it is very clean and much to maintain!! For this purpose I recommend standing place of this vehicle should at least 30cm high. Then one can get a distant view like Giant or someone on stilts. With a showy dress like cos-play.

  My interest turns toward much more towards the “ Robot suit ”HAL” which assists human movement of the arms, hands, legs by using a motor with a very sophisticated mechanism. They say a show about this one will be held near Kenkyu-Gakuen station 16th Feb.

  Cos-Play-Festival! Near Akihabara-Station, dancing or stop-walking have been prohibited after recovery of Hokosya-Tenngoku (Heaven for pedestrians) as an effect of that awful indiscriminate killing two years ago. So those Cos-Players and people who want to take photographs in Tsukuba might be refugees? For them Tsukuba center should be very attractive place! It is wide open and clean,can dance or sing also there they can expect many queer spectators (like researchers) who like queer or originally invented things.Otakus too.

  I agreed it is Japanese culture to put on costume quite different of one’s being like Kabuki-Players,Takarazuka-Girls,New-Half-Dancers,Berusaiyu-no-bara-players(Famous comic for girls, Rose in Versailles palace), even the Samurai warrior wore very gorgeous colorful clothes and armors to compare everyday life.

  Japanese have not needed to be caring about religious authorities when they put on clothes not like people of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or Communism, except during WWⅡ.

  It could be thought somehow symbol of free expression of oneself and peace Japan enjoyed recent 65 years beside violent demonstration of 1960s. Some young people don’t know Nazis nor such the fact Japan fought ABCD countries during WWⅡ. They don’t mind other than their own environment which effect directly. But they can get information easy if they want, this is very important aspect in East Asia.

• At February 15, 2011, Avi Landau wrote:

  Mamoru-San, I agree with you very much about DRESSING UP in Japan. If one could say that there is one or more particular GENIUS to a particualr people or culture, maybe overall, looking at its entire history. I guess we could say that FASHION and dressing up have always been one of Japan most brilliant features.

  When I first started reading Japanese classical texts, The Tale of Genji ( Genji Monogatari) for example, one thing that really stood out for me, was the constant and detailed reference to what each character was wearing.

  Walking around Japan itself, especially Tokyo, but really anywhere in the country, one can always spot some people with their own unique and very creative way of dressing-

  and just look at how many Japanese are among the most successful fashion designers in the world!

  In the case of Cos-Play, we surely have an interesting cultural, sociological, or even ANTHRPOLOGICAL phenomenon!

  In a country where finding your own GROUP can be very important, we can see more and more people finding place and comfort by BECOMING ANIME CHARACTERS! I guess this can sometimes be easier than being ONESELF.

  To tell the truth, growing up in New York, I might have witnessed the true birth of Cos-Play.

  Back in the 1980`s there was a movie, which had not been successful during its first run but which became hugely popular, a so-called cult-movie, as a regular MIDNIGHT FEATURE which played at certain theaters. The film is called the Rocky Horror Picture Show ( you can rent it in Tsukuba).

  Near my family`s apartment in The Village, was a theater which was probably the most famous place to see the show.

  It was quite amazing.

  Many in the audience would dress up as their favorite

  characters ( or the ones which they could resemble most).

  Then as the movie played, some of the cos-players would actually stand up in front of the screen and perform along with the movie- moving with the on screen characters motion by motion!

  An unforgattable scene!

  And getting back to freedom in fashion.

  I agree with you, that NOW Japan is one of the FREE-EST places that the earth has ever known.

  In past ages, howeverm dress was extremely restricted.

  One reason why you can find just as many refrences to WEAR in The Heike Monogatari, a tale of war, as in the Tale of Genji, is the fact that certain colors and style were worn by persons of specific ranks.

  There had always been restriction on color, material, and design, which related to the very detailed system of social ranking which existed in Japan.

  During the Tokugawa Period the austerity orders restricted the populance from wearing SHOWY ( HADE, 派手) clothes.

  That is why YUUKI TSUMUGI, the famous type of textile produced in Ibaraki Prefecture`s Yuki City is so famously subdued ( JIMI).

• At February 15, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  I agree Avi-san that Japanese have been so called group-oriented, it was said Japanese people were relay depended on cultivation-agriculture especially Rice-production using water. To use water there need much cooperation with other people of using same water resource. They were not like people of nomadic nor animal husbandry-agriculture life where they rely mostly on themselves. Those people were more dependant or accustomed individual-decision making. I have learned so and think so now. This aspect is not so simple like you wrote but easily understand the difference.

  Tokugawa-Era Tokugawa Government sometime forbid to wear certain gaudy clothes because when people became rich(especially merchant class) and had worn such gaudy clothes then government prohibited to consider feeling of peasant who had spent subdued life, even their official class-rank were higher to compare merchant class. Also it was warning to Samurai-class mostly their Domain had been near Bankruptcy. A few Japanese people were tending to wear gaudy clothes if they can afford. So modest person like Ryoukan-san, load Uesugi-Yozan,Ninomiya-Sontoku have been intentionally praised.

  I remind famous singer Kobayashi-Sachiko’s clothes in Kohaku-Utagassens especially at 31/Dec. last year. I could not close my mouse even I forced to close. To compare her gaudiness Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen like Blonde” or Cos-play girls in Akihabara were nothing!?

• At February 15, 2011, Alice wrote:

  I saw the SEGUE Human Transformer on TV and a TV reporter trying it out. I wouldn't ride it near a cliff! It's insane!

  Yeah, nowadays those dress-up youngsters in Harajuku doesn't like their photos being taken. This 'culture' has also spread to other countries like Malaysia.

• At February 15, 2011, Avi Landau wrote:

  Hi Alice! Could you tell us more about Cos-Play in Malaysia? Do those into it dress as Japanese ANIME characters? Im very interested.

• At February 16, 2011, Alice wrote:

  Avi,

  Cosplay is "Made in Japan!"

  Here are a few articles on cosplay in Malaysia :

  http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/17/tvnradio/1791923&sec=tvnradio

  http://rage.com.my/writeups/story.asp?file=/2010/12/22/otakuzone/20101221173549&sec=otakuzone

  http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?sec=sarawak&file=/2010/11/17/sarawak/7440619

  http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/8/7/lifefocus/6752756&sec=lifefocus

• At February 18, 2011, Keiko wrote:

  Riding the segue was easier than I expected and also very fun. The staff told me that in Japan there is no permission for people to ride segue on roads or sidewalks. If there is permission by law in the future, maybe many people will use segue in Tsukuba. The pedestrian walkingway woulld be a convenient place to ride segues.

  Thank you for the information

• At February 20, 2011, midori wrote:

  Hi Avi

  This happened a little while ago but…

  I also experienced riding the Segway.

  At first it was scary but I enjoyed very much and was able to go fast and get used to the speed.

  I thought that it is also quite good fun in addition to being eco.

  I was sorry we could not see the costumes.

These famed harbingers of spring arrive in the Kanto area in April, having flown great distances from southern China,and as far as Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. They arrive just in time to make use of the freshly tilled mud in the paddy fields to make their distinctive nests.  In Japan, swallows have come to live closely with humans, mostly nesting in settled areas, including large cities. They make their mud and grass nests under the eaves of houses and shops and usually return to the SAME HOUSE every year, OFTEN ON THE SAME DATE! The annual return of the tsubame has been considered a happy occasion by their host families. Having your house or shop selected by the swallows for nesting has traditionally been considered highly auspicious and you can still find home-owners and shop-keepers putting out boxes or newspapers to catch the droppings and maybe even putting up a screen or wind-shield for additional protection. In late May, while the swallows are raising their first brood it is most usual to notice these DROPPING BOADS before noticing the birds themselves (if you see a sheet of newspaper or cardboard covered with white droppings just look up and you will probably see the nest!). You can probably be sure that there will also be hungry crows , cats or snakes nearby (that is why the nests are tucked ingeniously into unreachable areas under the eaves).

 In older villages and towns and in the older sections of large cities, one nest or more under the eaves of an old building, with chicks poking their beaks out expectantly waiting for their mothers return, as their father stands guard close by, is an endearing image of a Japan quickly disappearing.

Year by year, the swallows are finding themselves less and less welcome. The traditional belief in the luck that the swallows bring is being gradually replaced by the the modern worship of THE STERILE and clean, and by this I mean an intense dislike of bugs, large trees, animals or anything else that smacks of DIRTY.

These days, proud owners of little, plastic, half-million dollar houses, are most likely to have swallows nests quickly removed or more cruelly just closed off, separating parents from young.

Still, the old values come to the rescue sometimes. Here is a story about the swallows at Misao Ito’s house in Kukizaki. Misao lives in a grand old neighborhood, just across the street from Mrs. Noguchi’s (of the mask fame) thatched-roof manor house. Her family decided to knock down their old house and build a modern style home, one which did not seem appropriate for swallows nests.

When her family was looking into ways of removing the nest which had been constructed by their front door, the neighbors came to intervene. Don’t destroy the nest, they warned. If you do that youre house might burn down!

They told Misao’s family that having the nest would bring good fortune to the family and that if the number of chicks hatched was an odd number, they should celebrate by eating sekihan (red rice for festive occasions). The Ito`s followed their neighbors advice and in the end all parties were satisfied. The birds raised their young,the kids enjoyed watching the dramatic, private nature show on their front porch and the neighbors are at ease, because tradition was not broken. And most of all their is the anticipation of the same birds return next spring and the spring after that.

With more and more swallows returning from overseas to find themselves unwelcome, I think it’s time to re-instill in everyone this old excitement which the swallow used to bring.

Besides their miraculous annual return, they are beautiful, graceful, hardworking parents, who eliminate plenty of mosquitoes (without poisons)!

Why shouldn’t we welcome them! 

You can find many nests with chicks in them under the walkway of the Art and Physical Education Department of Tsukuba University. Parent birds can be seen for the next few days scrambling for as many insects as they can catch. Watching them over the deep green, young rice plants is the best way to view them in Tsukuba.

Look at some ways that Japanese people help the nesting birds (by making platforms for nesting) and protect their homes from swallow poop:

www.biodic.go.jp/reports/5-4/p028.html

3 Comments

• At May 22, 2009, Nora wrote:

  One week to swallow this delicate observation between many others topic. After all, this remind me so many feelings! Like the birds some people tried to live together in or outside a neSt...

  How about the lonely one (my favorite), 'Birdy' from William Warton?

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/3919515/William-Wharton.html

  And what happens with the birds during the typhoons?

• At May 22, 2009, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Pro Baseball team Kokutetsu(National rail way)Swallows, my old man in heaven now was be a big fan more than 50 years ago. Also he used to ride Tokaido-line Express Tsubame with navy blue color. My area Onogawa is so so newly developed residential area, so I don’t see swallows near by, because of plastic toy like houses? Cats? Claws? Or no swallows ever make nest around here that they would not return to unfamiliar un known houses? I would not break down there home if they would make it in my house, and rather give them cheers. Nice photos!Thanks Avi-san.

• At May 30, 2009, debbie wrote:

  I am trying to find somebody who lived in Namiki, Tsukuba and was an exchange student in the United States 13 years ago. Her name is Keiko Hoya. Her exchange mother in the US was Eileen Fahey, and lived in Los Gatos, California. Can anybody help me find her? Eileen would like to say hello. Thank you!-Debbie

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

2 Comments

• At February 22, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  Avi-san you are living quite a good place near township and near big area of plenty of nature both animals birds and wild flowers. You wrote one of your neighbor goshawks, that means there are few of them? Can you sight them with ease? Also there are owls? Is that possible to watch them in daytime or should I spend several hours in midnight preparing sleeping bag? I have never seen them so I wish I have opportunitie to watch or for owl case only to hear their voices.

  We call owl Fukuro or Mimizuku, zuku means tree-rabbit(木兎） in Chinese letter it was said their legs looked like those of rabbit and Mimi means ears because top feathers of owl resemble ears. 　Zuku→tuku⇒tsuku⇒Tsukuba, City administration made Owl as a symbol bird of Tsukuba-city in 2002.

  It sounded a little bit distorted, but owls are living in Tsukuba and they somehow intelligent and lovely birds. So I don’t mind. Please you never mind too!

  Yuri bulb think I ate in a Japanese Hotel in rural area many years ago but only slight impression of its taste like Kuwai(arrowhead). If they were sold in supermarket in certain time of year, I would like try to eat again thinking about history of Inu people.

• At February 22, 2011, Avi Landau wrote:

  Hello Mamoru-San!

  Yes, the area in Tsukuba in which I live IS quite fantastic in terms of nature and historical sites.

  There are two goshawks, a mating pair, a pair of SASHIBA, and numerous owls. If you would like to go owl watching, I would recommend starting just before dawn. I often see large owls- FUKURO, perched on top of utility poles at that time.

  Its excting to see them fly, silently away.

  But in the night time, especially in the late spring, the hooting of the owls is anything but quiet.

  It can keep you awake at night. Sometimes I want to open the window and shout- STOP MAKING ALL THAT RACKET- but I never do, not wanting to disturb their mating rites.

  The goshawks can be seen in the day time. They can often been seen soaring so high that they are barely visible.

  At other time, though you can never predict when that would be, they come VERY close overhead.

  Once, only once, one of the O-Taka perched for a short while on my veranda. A happy surprise!

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:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2011/11/ebisu-ko-%e3%81%88%e3%81%b3%e3%81%99%e8%ac%9b-alive-but-not-very-well-in-tsukuba/

Tri-colored Hanami Dango

Thoughout the month of March,as Japan`s mass media reports the daily progress of the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT across the Japanese Archipelago, those of us living in the Kanto Area ( around Tokyo) anticipate  our local sakura trees bursting into bloom (sometime in April) by enjoying SAKURA MOCHI during tea breaks, at work or at home. These are sweets which consist of smooth, pink colored patties (made of wheat flour)which are gently folded around a dab of sweet bean paste ( anko). Importantly,  a young cherry tree LEAF which has been lightly salted, is then wrapped around this ( the leaves have been picked during the previous year, of course).

The fragrance of the cherry leaf is absorbed by the soft dough, giving this confection a distinctive taste and aroma ( and the leaf is eaten as well!). This particular confection first became popular in Edo ( now Tokyo), and the shop which first sold them ( Yamamoto-Ya), is still selling them to this day. ( Ive written more about this here: http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/04/to-eat-the-leaf-or-not-to-eat-the-leaf-that-is-the-question/ )

I was surprised a few years ago, when a friend, born and raised in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Osaka), and who had just come to live in Tsukuba ( in Kanto), had NEVER SEEN such a sakura mochi before. The fact is that in Osaka, what they call sakura mochi is ALSO a sweet  wrapped in a cherry leaf.  Theirs, however, is round, and made with sticky rice which has not been pounded smooth, so that each grain is clearly visible. These are called DOMYO- JI outside of Kansai ( and they are available at some shops in Tsukuba).

Kanto-style Sakura Mochi ( left) and Kansai-style Domyo-Ji ( right)

Still more surprising was to find out that many WAGASHI-YA ( traditional Japanese sweet shops) stop selling  sakura mochi with the onset of April, when the sakura trees actually start blooming around here,

More sweets with cherry blossom motifs

 The reason for this is that the most traditional sweet taken to cherry blossom parties has long been HANAMI-DANGO. Sticky and chewy little balls ( four or five of them) skewered on a stick.

 Generally speaking, dango are made out of pounded grain, boiled or roasted. There are many types of these dumplings, depending on the time of year and the region, and they are available throughout Japan all year round.

Dango are the simplest and most rustic ( you could say primitive) of all Japanese sweets, making them perfectly suitable for Japan`s most ancient customs- cherry blossom parties and moon-viewing ( for which Tsukimi Dango are offered to the moon).

It is popular. however, in the cherry blossom season, to find three-colored HANAMI-DANGO at convenience stores and supermarkets. The  colors represent the blossoms- pink, the fresh foliage of spring- green, and most importantly, SAKE- white!

Domyo-Ji from Tsukuba`s Seibu Department Store

If you  visit a wagashi shop ( or the hanami sweets display at your local supermarket, you will find a wide variety of cherry motifed goodies. Some are extremely beautiful. The confectioners have surely been inspired by the poets of old who wrote:

MITE NO MIYA HITO NI KATARAMU SAKURA HANA TE GOTO NI ORITE IE TSUTO NI SEMU ( 見てのみや人にかたらむさくら花手ごとに折りて家つとにせむ）- which means- the blossoms are so beautiful that I`d like to break of a branch and take then home with me.

As actually doing this would be very bad form indeed- almost sacreligious, what better surrogate for the blossoms than taking home the beautiful cherry shaped and motifed wonders created by Japans imaginative confectioners. They taste good too. But dont forget that these sweets are made to go with green tea and not coffee, so make sure you have some when you get ready to eat them.

Enjoy your hanami! And if you have no time here in Kanto, remember that the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT will continue its progress northward. You still have some time to catch the blossoms at some of Japan`s most famous cherry spots, including Kakunodate in Akita and Hirosaki in Aomori.

Skewered Dango in a sweet paste

One more thing about the dango skewered on a stick that I cant resist pointing out. Though during the cherry blossom season there are the colored HANAMI DANGO with three dumplings on a stick, in Tokyo, for most of the year, there are FOUR on a stick, and in Kyoto FIVE !

 Here is an example of a BENTO ( lunch box) especially prepared for a cherry blossom excursion. Note the cherry flavored rice:

A Hanami Bento ( photo by Harumi Takaya)

The full moon of mid-autumn with pampas grass (susuki)

When they followed their traditional LUNISOLAR calendar, now referred to as the kyu-reki (旧暦, former calendar) or inreki (陰暦), the Japanese were always in tune with the MOON and its PHASES. In fact, under that old system of ordering the days, months and seasons  ( first introduced to Japan from Tang China via  Korea sometime in the mid- 6th century), the days of the month were directly connected to the moons waxing and waning. Thus, it was possible on many specific dates to predict the shape that the moon would take in the sky on that particular night. Most famously, the FULL MOON (満月、mangetsu) would always appear on the night of the 15th (ju-go-ya, 十五夜) of each month.

Since the Japanese government of the Meiji Period ( a time of rabid Westernization and modernization) decided to drop this old lunisolar calendar  in favor of the solar based Gregorian one( in 1873), consciousness of the moon and its cycle  has been ON THE WANE, as the dates of the NEW CALENDAR no longer coincide with the lunar phases. Thus, even though some modern Japanese calendars DO show the KOYOMI dates (in hard to notice, small print) , it is still easy to lose track of when important traditional ceremonies  are coming up. It is ironic, that  it is now CONVENIENCE STORES (an institiution which can be said to bear great responsibility in the precipitous demise of traditional lifestles and family relationships), which help remind the general public about the coming of one of Japan`s MOST ANCIENT AND ENDEARING CUSTOMS-  O-Tsukimi ( お月見, Moon-Viewing). They do this by setting up displays ( which look charmingly home-made) featuring the iconic symbols of the event-  moons and rabbits ( according to Japanese and Chinese legend,  there is a rabbit on the moon!), Tsukimi-Dango ( moon shaped rice dumplings) and Chinese moon cakes, as well as stalks of real pampas grass (susuki, 薄).

Tsukimi-Dango and pampas grass at a conveience store in Tsukuba

 Though the moon`s beauty can be appreciated at any time of year, in Japan doing so is strongly connected with AUTUMN. In fact , in Haiku poetry the word moon- TSUKI (月), by itself , is a keyword indicating the fall. This is not only because at that time of year temperatures and weather conditions are at their most suitable  for such outdoor activity at night, but also because, in the northern hemisphere, the moon seems to be especially large and NEAR to us during the autumn months.　

For the Japanese, whose culture is so connected to the changing of the seasons and the appreciation of natural beauty, viewing this autumn moon ( the Harvest Moon, in English) came to be one of the most cherished and anticipated activities of the year!. There was (is) even the saying- HARU WA HANA- AKI WA TSUKI- in spring cherry blossoms, in autumn the moon! Countless works of art, especially in poetry and painting  focused on the moon as its major motif, suggesting not only beauty, but continuous change, and even revival. Here is one very famous ( and anonymous) classical poem which expresses the SPECIAL  joy of viewing  the moon in mid-autumn:

Tsukizuki ni tsuki miru tsuki wa oo keredo tsuki miru tsuki wa kono tsuki no tsuki ( 月々に月見る月は多けれど月見る月はこの月の月) , which I translate, using the word moon to mean both MONTH and MOON, as it does in Japanese-

Moon after moon  there are so many moons to be viewed, but as for   a MOON-VIEWING moon there is none other than this moon`s moon!

According to the traditional calendar, the months of autumn are the 7th, 8th and 9th, months. These roughly correspond to the Gregorian late August, September, October and early November. The custom of viewing the mid-autumn full moon (仲秋名月, chu-shu-meigetsu),  which appears in the sky on the 15th day of 8th month (sometime in September or October according to the new calendar) while eating , drinking and  composing and reciting poetry, was introduced to Japan from China. The oldest record of such a formal Chinese- style Moon-Viewing party held by the Japanese Imperial Court dates back to the year 856 ( the third year of the Emperor Saikou). However, many scholars believe that the Japanese people had been making offerings to the moon, in order to pray for or give thanks for a good harvest, since LONG BEFORE the Chinese style celebrations were introduced.

The reason for assuming this, is that among the common people ( and later for anyone doing  Tsuki-Mi), it was (and still is) the custom  to offer SATO-IMO (里芋), taro,  to the moon in this season , as part of a general rite of prayer called the HATSUHO-MATSURI (初穂祭り, Festival of the First Harvest）. In fact, an alternate name for the mid-autumn full moon is the TARO-FULL-MOON (IMO-MEIGETSU. 芋名月）, which might just very well be a LIVING CONNECTION with Japans prehistoric, pre-rice cultivating past, when the taro was the staple food of the inhabitants of these islands.

Taro and Tsuki-mi Dango offered to the Moon

Another indication that there was a native Japanese version of the Chinese custom of moon-viewing is the fact that in Japan, it is considered incomplete, or even UNLUCKY to do TSUKI-MI only on the 15th day of the 8th month ( the day the Chinese do it). Doing so is called KATAMI-TSUKI (片見月）, literally, a half-viewed moon. For a full and satisfactoryTSUKI-MI one also had to view the moon and make offerings  on the 13th DAY OF THE 9th MONTH ( called- Ju-san-ya, 十三夜）. It is possible that before the Chinese custom of formal moon-viewing was introduced that the Japanese had a similar custom, involving offerings and supplications to the moon, which took place about one month later. It has also been  suggested by commentators, that the shape of the moon on the 13th ( 十三夜), not quite, but  just nearly full, is more appealing to the aesthetic sensibilities of the Japanese!

Anyway, no matter what the origins, people continue to do tsukimi to this day. Whereas the Chinese have a national holiday and celebrate by eating large, round moon cakes ( to symbolize family unity), the Japanese make offerings to the moon ( by leaving them in a place exposed to the moon-light) of seasonal crops ( chestnuts, persimons, taro, apples), seasonal plants ( bush clover, etc.) and little round rice dumplings called Tsuki-mi dango. Usually 15 ( for the 15th night) or 12 ( for 12 months of the year) of these dango are placed in a traditional tray called a SANBO (三方) . One very  interesting folk belief related to these dango is that your family will have good luck ( and a good harvest) if these little sweets are stolen from your offering tray! Thus, moon-viewing night was an exciting time for kids, who would be permitted, or even encouraged, to steal the neighbors dango. These kids were (are ) called O-Tsuki-Mi Dorobo ( お月見泥棒）。

An essential element for any Tsukimi event is some pampas grass. One thing that stands out in my memory is that every year at moon viewing time, the 7-11 near Doho Park, in Tsukuba, gives out free susuki to any one who wanted it .

The significance of this plant is not only its being emblematic of the season. It also resembles rice stalks (though much larger, they are a member of the same family), and thus, moon viewing offerings symbolically connect the old slash and burn agriculture of prehistoric Japan ( the taro) with the culture of rice ( by the presence of susuki and the rice dumplings, in former times the real rice would not have been harvested yet). Susuki also has prickly leaves and stems on its leaves and is sharp where it is cut off, making it useful for symbolically driving away evil.

Most importantly, the stalks act as YORISHIRO (依代), antennae which attract the spirit of the moon to the offerings ( at New Years Kadomatsu, bamboo and pine decorations, are yorishiro- and on childrens day the poles of the carp streamers (Koi nobori) originally had the same function.

Last night as I watched the Tsuchiura fireworks from afar. I was lucky enough to be able to occassionally see the mid-autumn moon whenever the clouds presented an opening. The people around me were all alternately viewing the Hanabi and the moon. It is hard to say which was more entrancing. Standing where we were, amid the  fields of pamapas grass was a truly moving Tsukimi experience.

If the moon can fill modern man( for whom it is merely a PIECE OF ROCK orbiting around the Earth), with such wonder, imagine how mysterious and even awesome it was to those who had no scientific explanation for it.

Besides providing precious light at night, the Japanese realized that the moon did have an influence on the world around them, the tides, the activities of animals (sea turtles lay their eggs on full moon nights), etc. They also felt a strong connection between the moon and womens menstrual cycles and by extension childbirth.

It is because of this that in Japan, besides the autumn moon viewing events, there were regularly held prayer meetings on particular days of the month ( depending on the community). In Tsukuba, such meetings ( O-Koh, お講) are still held on the 19th of the month. Numerous sacred stones attest to the fact that other nights were once popular for holding these  gatherings at which women prayed for easy delivery and family health. Probably the most common of these stones commemorate prayers on the 23rd night  (二十三夜).

Sacred Stone reading- 23rd night ( ni-ju-san ya), indicating that special prayer meeting were held during that phase of the moon

If you didnt do Tsukimi last night, you still have the chance next month.You too can join the minion of LUNATICS. In fact, the moon-viewing afficionados of old would enjoy not only the  full moon of the 15th, but also, in their uncontrollable anticipation, watch the 14th night moon. This night was called MACHIYOI (待宵), the night of excited expectation! Then after the 15th, day by day, the moon rises a little later and its shape grows more and more cut-off. There are specific names the poets have given to each of these phases of the mid-autumn moon. Last night on the 16th ( of the old calendar) I viewed the IZAYOI (十六や), tonight the 17th, will be the TACHIMACHI-ZUKI (立待月), the 18th the IMACHI-ZUKI (居待月, and so on.

 This year the 13th night of the 9th month (ju-san-ya, 十三夜) will fall on October 30th.

For more on this season read:

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

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/11/zakuro-pomegranates-and-the-goddess-of-fertility-and-easy-delivery-kishibojin/

2 Comments

• At October 4, 2009, willie wrote:

  Thanks so much for this article. A wealth of information.

  I'll mark this site for further reference.

• At October 9, 2009, Keiko wrote:

  Avi I read your blog on moon-viewing and the last night returning to my house I saw the big, near moon. Very mysterious and beautiful.

  I thought about your story!

  Yhank you.