46,000 Visits at One Shot! Asakusa Kannon’s Hozuki-Ichi
For many Japanese, it goes without saying that worshipping at a Buddhist temple on any given day brings one merit. Some days, however, are special. In fact, according to tradition, tomorrow, July 10, is VERY SPECIAL INDEED, as dropping in at the Asakusa Kannon will be equivalent to 46,000 regular day visits! This sounds-too-good-to-be-true offer gets even better. From early in the morning to about midnight, hundreds of small stalls will be set up selling hozuki and wind chimes, two classic symbols of July in Japan. Hozuki are delicate, almost translucent, orange pods, which are reminiscent of half-deflated origami balloons. They have traditionally been used as decorations, toys and laxatives! The hozuki market is held in Asakusa because sometime in the 18th century a certain samurai's attendant is said to have dreamed of the plant's curative powers which were later confirmed by the amazed local residents. The market has been held ever since, for more than 200 years.
Many older women I have spoken to in Tsukuba can remember painstakingly removing the seeds from the delicate pods as children to make toy noise makers which were blown into -- something kids today probably don't have the patience or desire to do!
The beautiful hozuki plants, the excitement in the air, and the cool tingling of countless wind-chimes makes for a perfect summer excursion -- and you can get yourself PLENTY of merit to boot!
Alas, tomorrow is a weekday. But for those who can't make it to Asakusa's Sensoji, a final look can be had at the beautiful hozuki arrangement in the lobby of the Okura Hotel at Tsukuba Center. The lobby flowers are changed every Thursday at the Okura, so you had better get there early. I've been going EVERY DAY!
In contrast to the always tasteful floral inventions which can be encountered at the hotel, the managers of the Tsukuba Center Complex have put up a tacky display of poster-sized photos, cheaply framed, of VIPs who have visited the center over the past 20 years. You might imagine that these would be shots of great scientists or scholars, as many have been through Tsukuba over the years. The organizers of this particular display, however, have selected only pictures of royalty: the Showa Emperor, the current Emperor and his wife as Crown Prince and Princess, the Kings of Belgium and Sweden, the Princess of Thailand, Margaret Thatcher, etc.
Seems a bit out of touch with what Tsukuba is supposed to be about, but these unartfully hung posters can't help help but make one stop a moment, have a look at each one and wonder where all the time goes.
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A Day At Yasukuni Shrine
At noon on August 15th, 1945, the Japanese people, for the first time, heard the unexpectedly high-pitched voice of the Showa Emperor (Hirohito) crackling over the radio. The God-Emperor (as he was considered at that time) announced in an archaic form of speech which few could actually understand (and which amused quite a few children back then), that the unimaginable had to be accepted, and that the struggle against the enemy (the United States and its allies) had to be abandoned with surrender. This marked the end of a long period of Empire, expansionism, militarism, and extreme nationalism which in a way can be said to have been initiated as an over-enthusiastic imitation of the great Western colonial powers which had forced Japan to open up to the world almost 100 years earlier, and which because of poor judgment and over-optimism ended in the total devastation of the country and millions dead (not to mention the suffering and humiliation brought to other Asian and Pacific peoples). As the meaning of the Emperor's message was slowly comprehended, millions were dumbstruck or overcome by a cathartic weeping.
This day in mid-August has come to be accepted as the day of remembrance for those who perished in that war, which actually began with Japan's incursion into Manchuria in 1931 and its brutal ten-year struggle to gain the upper-hand in China before fatefully deciding to attack the United States. August 15 has also become a day of controversy, especially because of visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社, Yasukuni Jinja).
Yasukuni Shrine is where the souls of all soldiers who have died fighting for the Imperial Cause (since the struggle for the Meiji Restoration began in 1853) are enshrined as Kami (Gods). Japanese soldiers were indoctrinated to believe that if they died in battle they would live on forever at Yasukuni. Many of the last letters of soldiers and especially Kamikaze pilots to their parents end with a "Lets meet at Yasukuni!"
You might ask what the problem would be for people to visit such a shrine, as most countries have similar ceremonies commemorating their war dead. Well, the problem (especially for Japan's Asian neighbors) is that among the millions enshrined are numerous convicted war criminals. Thus visits to the shrine by Japanese politicians arouse great anger in China and Korea (and among many Japanese). This foreign criticism then arouses the anger of Japan's Right-Wingers (u-yoku, 右翼), who feel that Japan has bowed to hypocritical foreign pressure and has had to conceal its true self. This cycle of accusations has made Yasukuni Shrine the center point of the struggle over how the history of WWII should be perceived. It has subsequently become a symbol and rallying point for Japan's numerous and very vocal right-wing groups.
These days there is little talk of The War in Japan, and in fact most foreign residents are surprised and disappointed to find that there is almost no political discussion of ANY SORT in this country. Topics which lead to an expression of one's true feelings or opinions (except for which foods you like or dislike) or any controversial subjects are usually avoided. For that reason many foreigners living in Japan LONG FOR the excitement of a good debate, and of hearing some heartfelt political opinions, even those that might be SERIOUSLY DISAGREED WITH.
Spending an August 15th at Yasukuni Shrine (as I usually do) provides a sufficient dose of opinions and political stimulation to last for a long, long while. Also, for those interested in Ibaraki, there is also strong relevance, as the xenophobic Emperor worship which had Japan in its grip for decades, and now lives on in numerous fringe groups, was originally promoted by the Mito Clan (Mito is now Ibaraki's capital) whose sponsorship of Mito Studies (Mito-Gaku,水戸学) provided the intellectual framework which eventually led to the Meiji Restoration and a whole slew of extreme slogans (the most famous being SONNO JO-I (尊王攘夷, Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians!)).
Let me tell you what my day was like.
I took TX to Kita-Senju, changed to the Hibiya Line and then changed again at Kayabacho to the Tozai Line and got out at Kudanshita, which is the nearest station to the shrine. Heading to exit no. 1, I first came face to face with the reality of the day and the occasion. A group of young riot police (kidotai) in full battle-gear. I headed up the escalator and onto street level which was very hot, both temperature-wise and emotionally. The street up Kudanzaka, towards the shrine was crowded and excited. There were many activists who had set up booths on the side walk. They were handing out leaflets and asking for signatures for various petitions. It was like being at the Student Union Building of an American or European university, except for where at those institutions students tend to push liberal or left-wing causes, these activists were all decidedly leaning to the right or far right.
Mostly, this was not expressed in a personal way, and I, a foreigner, was given pamphlets (even one demanding that political rights not be granted to foreign residents in Japan!), asked for my signature (which I politely refused) and was patiently and passionately told about each particular cause (after I showed interest). One Watanabe-san provided me with painstaking details about what he was gathering signatures for. He told me how, at the end of the Battle of Okinawa, hundreds of villagers on a small island had committed suicide. After the war, survivors claimed that they were ordered to do so by the Japanese military commanders on the island, and they demanded compensation. The court ruled in favor of the islanders. Mr. Watanabe, 63 years later, was standing in the hellish heat all day long trying to get signatures to CLEAR THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE! Other groups were calling for the independence from China of various regions including Taiwan and Tibet.
Of course the police presence was enormous and you could not help but feel sorry for the young guys who were all padded and helmeted in the heat. The road which goes up the slope parallel to the shrine was lined with the loud-speaker trucks (gaisensha) of the various right-wing groups who had gathered for the occasion. As I entered the main worshipper's path to the shrine I also started to see the Yasukuni COS-PLAY people, those who don Imperial Army costumes and paraphernalia. They sit in the shade on the side of the path, sometimes singing old war songs (gunka) to the accompaniment of a harmonica. Also, uniformed u-yoku sit in groups drinking, singing, posing and posturing, before or after having prayed before the shrine.
It is important to remember, however, that among all the tens of thousands who came to the shrine on that day, 99% were typical looking Japanese people, of all ages, who came to quietly, and as quickly as possible, pay their respects to the fallen dead. There are many elderly people who probably lost dear ones in the war. These people even come in groups, by the busload. The extremists and other fringe-elements who end up being featured in the media are a tiny but VERY NOTICEABLE minority.
As I passed through the main gate of the shrine, the line to reach the Main Hall began and those who came to worship had to stand in line for a LONG TIME, fully exposed to the sun. Nobody was complaining, but I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't put up some sort of canopy for some shade.
Though tourists and journalists like to photograph the costumed, posturing right-wing cranks who line-up in front of the shrine (with the general public), the real powerful and shadowy u-yoku groups, in their very expensive suits and haircuts (or shaved heads) can be seen through the wooden grill to the right of the main hall. Within the confines of the shrine itself they are given food and are taken into the inner sanctuaries for purification and blessing before they join in singing KIMIGAYO, Japan's national anthem. These characters seemed much more ominous to me than the riff-raff u-yoku hanging out in the front.
This inner-hall ceremony is open to anyone, including foreigners, who want to pay the fee. The most celebrated visitor this year was Tokyo's outspoken governor Shintaro Ishihara who was greeted with cheers and flag waving. I asked bystanders by if Prime Minister Fukuda would be coming to the shrine and they disgustedly told me that he wouldn't be coming.
As usual, I stopped to look at the monuments to the various animals who died in Japan's various war efforts. The dog, the horse, and the pigeon. There were offerings for the animals -- dog food, carrots, water, rice balls -- but much fewer than previous years.
Also drawing the attention of many Japanese visitors was the monument to Radhabinod Pal, the only dissenting judge at the Tokyo War Crimes Trial.
At 2:30, about a kilometer from the shrine's Main Hall, a demonstration by groups who oppose the Emperor system and militarism was scheduled to be held. The right-wingers who just earlier had been hanging out in the shade, were now ready to rumble. When the police blocked off the road so that their loud-speaker trucks could not pass, pandemonium broke loose. I had imagined that nearby the shrine the u-yoku would not use the blaring speakers and especially not use foul language while so many worshippers were nearby. But logical thinking is a not a strong-point of these guys. All the loudspeakers went at it at once. I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH A DIN (it was like 50 rock concerts at once!). Though I have always felt there was some cooperation between the police and u-yoku, I was surprised by the barrage of insults hurled at the police and riot squad, for all of Tokyo to hear. I was even more surprised to hear how many bystanders, mostly suit-wearing salary-men shouted support to the right-wingers.
As I walked over toward the demonstration there were many more Caucasian foreigners who had come to gawk and take pictures. The right-wing groups were blocked off by phalanxes of riot police, but that did not stop them from using their loudspeakers. Any overexcited u-yoku who wanted to show his dedication to the Emperor by beating up an anti-war activist was held back or tackled by the police.
The real trouble happened after the demonstration, as the left-wingers (sa-yoku) started to leave. As they got further away from the allotted demonstration site, there was less protection and some thugs were waiting to beat them up. Interestingly, none of the elderly or female protesters were attacked. The u-yoku would pick out the able-bodied men and proceed to gang up on them.
The leftists were no softies, and actually held their ground. The police of course intervened, and finally showed their bias shouting at the protesters to just go the hell home.
After spending so many hours in the heat without sitting down, I was physically exhausted and the real battling I had seen had me shaken. On the train back home I certainly had a lot to think about and had some thoughts about what I had experienced. This entry is getting much longer than I planned it to be however, so I will leave them for another time. What do you think? Please let me know.
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A Gathering Of Blues
Japan's month long rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) usually ends in mid-July, and that means there are precious few days left to savor its SPECIAL BEAUTY. Many Japanese consider Ajisai (紫陽花, or hydrangea) to be the quintessential flower of this season, as they look just right when wet, and enshrouded in mist. And though these flowers can be found almost anywhere you turn your head in Tsukuba, thousands of Tsukubans make long trips (or should I say pilgrimages?) to famous ajisai temples, especially in Kamakura. Nearer to home there are 2 other nationally renowned hydrangea-viewing meccas, the Amabiki Kannon near Makabe, and the Taiho Hachiman Shrine in Shimotsuma. Both highly recommended at ANYTIME. All the more so in this season.
The flower has a long history in these islands and many scholars actually assert that it is indigenous to Japan and in fact introduced to China from here. After centuries of breeding, numerous varieties have been developed and new colors, pinks and whites, brought out. By taking a look at the etymology of the Japanese name AJISAI, we can see that in earlier times the flowers were mainly blue, as the sounds used to make up the name originally meant a GATHERING OF BLUES (aji-from atsu (集まる) or gather , and ai (藍), indigo blue.
Hydrangea have another Japanese name, however, nanahenge (七変化), or seven transformations, which derives from the flower's unique characteristic. The colors of the petals change according to the chemical make-up of the soil! This feature has given the flower rich symbolic meaning in Japanese art and poetry -- especially to represent a fickle and changing heart. It is because of this characteristic too, that hydrangea were shunned by the warrior class in the feudal period, because for them, changing colors, or by extension loyalties, was anathema .
For Westerners, however, hydrangea can be seen as a symbol of silent devotion, as its scientific name, otaksa, appears to refer to Otaki-San, a woman from Nagasaki's pleasure quarter, who was the mistress of the German naturalist P.F. von Siebold, who went on to introduce ajisai to Europe .
One more point. These flowers are to be looked at and NOT EATEN. Recently, there was a nationally reported case of food poisoning which occurred down the road from my house in Tsukuba at the curious and pricey Italian restaurant Toeimon Sakae. The chef, in keeping with the season-conscious aesthetics of Japanese cooking(despite this being an Italian eatery), garnished a dish with the very IN SEASON leaves of hydrangea. These were subsequently consumed by the unsuspecting diners.
This resulted in what must have been an unforgettable scene, right out of Monty Python. You see, the leaves of ajisai have always been used to induce vomiting, especially when poisons were consumed. Imagine then, the eight customers wretching uncontrollably, spewing out their expensive dinners onto the antique furniture and tatami mats (this restaurant is in a magnificent thatched roof farm house!).Surprisingly,the penalty for this chef`s oversight was a mere one-day suspension of business.
while you're out there enjoying the last few AJISAI DAYS remember: LOOK BUT DON'T TASTE.
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A trip to Tohoku
All the way gloomy days during the 4th till the 6th of July were all worth it by threading the way to and around Tohoku, Japan. Tōhoku (東北), which literally means "East-North" is the northeastern region of Japan's Honshu (mainland) island. Tohoku is a host to many museums and temples and it has over a dozen of listed tourist attractions, ranging from parks to rivers and mountains.
The trip was organized by the International Students Center of the University of Tsukuba. It was a 3-days hop to the three (3) prefectures of Tohoku namely, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata.
The first prefecture we went to was Iwate. Take a peek at the photos I took. (1. Inside a restaurant 2. One of the temples in Chusonji compund 3. Miyazawa Kenji Museum)
Next destination was Matsushima, Miyagi prefecture. (1. Akiu Ootaki 2. Inside a museum 3. During the bay cruise)
And the last one was Yamagata prefecture. (1. Inside a museum 2. Yamagata ken souvenir shop 3. Cherry fuits)
Although the trip was a little bit tiresome by just sitting inside the bus, the tour guide's efforts were worth mentioning, trying to be awake and genki (energetic and lively) all the time while all of us are dead tired slumbering in our seats.
The full of memorable stories museums in Iwate, the wonderful splashing waters of the Ootaki in Miyagi, and the tasteful cherries in Yamagata, all made the 3 days trip worth treasuring.
For the rest of the photos in bigger resolution, you may view them in my Zooomr album.
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dimaks blogs at skamid.com
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All Doors are Open, as the Old Town of Makabe ( in Sakuragawa City) gets Dolled Up for its Hina Doll Festival (真壁の雛祭り）from Feb.4th-March 3rd
Most of the year, if you pass through the center of the quaint, though rusting and run-down old town of Makabe, you are unlikely to see a single soul walking about. That is why it is surprising to go there in February, the coldest month of the year, and find the streets filled with throngs of excited visitors wandering from old shop to old shop and old house to old house. What are all these people doing, sometimes even in the rain ad sleet ? Well, eating, drinking (the local sake!), shopping, taking in the dozens of historical buildings, and most prominently, OOHING and AAHING at the dazzling variety of antique Hina Doll sets which are proudly displayed by local residents from February 4 to March 4th. There are about 200 of these family heirlooms, set up for your viewing pleasure, at shops and homes around the city center, and they have proven very successful, as part of the city-promoted Hina Matsuri Doll Festival, in bringing Makabe BACK TO LIFE, even if just for four winter weeks each year, for the past nine years
Though the town can be a bit depressing in the way that TIME SEEMS TO HAVE PASSED IT BY (a by-pass road has diverted traffic from the city center, the old Tsukuba Railroad, which ran from Tsuchiura to Iwase with a station in Makabe has gone out of service, and the stone workers who have made Makabe Stone-Ware famous throughout Japan now have to compete with much cheaper imports from Korea and China), Makabe is ALWAYS a fascinating place to visit, with an old castle ruin, several noteworthy shrines and temples, an almost unchanged early-20th century townscape, dozens of stone works shops displaying their sometimes bizarre wares, an 800 year old bell foundry (!), and its completely different view (as compared with Tsukuba) of Mt Tsukuba and the mountains behind it, Mt Ashio and Mt Kaba. Despite these formidable attractions, in Japan of the Heisei Era, Makabe is far off the beaten tourist path — except, of course, when the calendar comes round to February (and the first 3 days of March), and the local residents bring out their old dolls — a testament to Makabes’s GOLDEN YEARS from the late Edo Period to mid-Showa, when its merchants could afford to splurge on extravagant Hina Doll sets to celebrate their female offspring and pray for their growth, good health and happy marriage.
Makabe in fact thrived for centuries, first as a castle town established in the late Heian Period under the Makabe-Lords which ruled until just after the battle of Sekigahara (1600) and the assertion of Tokugawa Family hegemony over Japan. The town was then ruled by the Asano Family (mostly doing the ruling from Kasama, however), whose most famous member was Asano Takuminokami (of the 47 Ronin story fame). Hence, the fine temples and shrines in the town and surrounding area.
During the Edo Period (1600-1868), as the merchants prospered, so did the situation of Hina Doll makers and the dolls themselves. Originally, having been tiny paper or straw figurines which were wiped against a girl’s body to remove impurities, and then cast off, like scape-goats into a river or the sea, the dolls used on the Girls’ Day Festival (Momo no Sekku ) evolved over time into sublime works of art, at first affordable only for the nobility and upper-rung samurai. As the merchant class grew richer, they too were able to buy the dolls, which in their fullest sets portray a prince and princess with their retinue and all the wedding trappings. The custom of putting out Hina dolls for the few weeks before the 3rd day of the 3rd month (now March 3rd), ended up becoming nearly universal. Instead of having these dolls cast-off into water, as the more primitive prototypes were in the old days, they were cast (gently of course) back into their boxes on the day after the festival. Families who did not do this were considered to be endangering their daughters’ chances of a successful marriage.
In Makabe today, you will be able to see several doll sets from the Edo Period ( 1600-1868). Visiting during the Hina Matsuri will also give you an opportunity to enter and photograph some VERY OLD shops and homes. At some residences, visitors are invited into the family compounds and even into the old KURA (storehouses). The presence of two sake breweries which provide free tasting samples give you the chance to add a little extra ZIP to your doll viewing experience, if you are not driving , of course.
You can get to Makabe by car in about 40 minutes from central Tsukuba. Head north to Route 41. As you leave the Tsukuba City limits you will start to see the stone works on both sides of the road (and one curious HANIWA shop, selling large recreations of ancient earthen-ware figurines). You can park at the Sakuragawa City Office ( Makabe is now part of Sakuragawa City). Another option is to take the special buses operating for the festival (recommended for those who plan on tasting SAKE) which leave from the Tsukuba Center bus terminal. The earliest buses leave at 9:00 and 9:30. Roundtrip fare is 1500 yen. This year some other cities in Ibaraki have been trying to copy Makabe’s idea by holding similar month-long events. In the future, it seems that most of the old towns of Ibaraki will be getting DOLLED-UP for February. I hope, however, that a visit to Makabe during the Hina Matsuri might lead to further appreciation of this all too overlooked neighbor of ours. Have a look at some of Makabe’s places of interest at the Sakuragawa City Homepage ( which has English on it):
http://www.city.sakuragawa.lg.jp/
And for more on Hina Dolls and the evolution of the Hina Festival ( MOMO NO SEKKU), read my articles:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/03/where-are-the-real-blossoms-at-peach-festival-time/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/03/tsukubans-in-no-rush-to-pack-up-hina-dolls/
Some more of Makabe`s spectacular Hina Dolls
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