Japan Field Studies

Konnichiwa!

While I was in Japan, I visited many different religious sites such as temples, shrines and cemeteries. Amongst them was The Meiji Shrine, The Kencho-ji Temple, The Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine, The Oarai Isosaki Shrine, The Taizō-in Temple, The Ekoin Temple, and Okunoin Cemetery on Mount Kōya-san. They were all extremely beautiful places and all very peaceful. Every one of these places had a different set of style, all similar, but founded in different ways that made them unique.

The Meiji-Jingu Shrine was built in honour of the beloved Meiji Emperor and his wife after his passing. The most interesting thing about this shrine was that a massive man-made forest surrounded the entire 170 acres. The pictures of the process in building this gigantic area of greenery, made the history and spirit of the shrine come to life. After the initial shrine was destroyed in 1945, the Japanese people donated time and money to rebuild the shrine we see today. For me this shows how much the emperor, even after death, is venerated and respected.

The Great Buddha in Kamakura’s Kōtoku-in Temple was amazing to see in person. I never would have thought that people were able to enter inside. The statue itself was very masculine in looks, especially when compared to the statues of Bonten, Taishakuten, Shaka Nyorai, and Ashura in Kōfukuji Temple in Nara. The difference between the masculine and feminine develops from the period they were created in. Kamakura period was emphasized by the samurai and, therefore, strength and power. However, the Nara period was focused on agriculture; there was no muscularity or dominance needed. Ashura herself has a very elegant and graceful aura about her. Her faces show peace and calm; there is no base emotions emitted by any of her three faces. The other statues, such as Kuhanda, Kendatsuba, and Hibakara, found in the national treasure museum are very animalistic, showing different emotions like anger, bloodlust, or some form or appearance of an animal. These animal-like statues remind me of the Egyptian gods and goddesses that are part human and part animal. The different expressions, features, and auras of all these statues make them come to life.

The Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine was a beautiful spot. The appearance of the shrine buildings and parts of the grounds at first seemed more Buddhist than Shinto. We didn’t hear much about the history of the place when we went there, but I ended up looking it up later that night. I learned that until the Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order in 1868, it was called Tsurugaoka Hachimangū-ji and was also a Buddhist temple; the oldest one in Kamakura. The layout of the shrine as well as the town was also built according to Feng Shui and is surrounded by mountains and each direction was protected by the gods: Genbu (North); Seiryū (East); Byakko (West); and Suzaku (South). The most aestheticly pleasing are the Genpei ponds. These beautiful ponds have white lotuses in the east pond and red lotuses in the west ponds. The symbolism of these two ponds is two warring clans, Minamoto and Taira, which concluded with the start of the Kamakura Period. The red lotus blossoms are told to stand for the Taira family’s spilt blood. To me the scenery shows none of the blood and history behind this marvelous landscape. Just a few minutes away is the bustling town of Kamakura, known for its profound transformation of the political system.

While staying in Mito, we dropped by Oarai Isosaki Shrine. There we got a taste of what a slightly smaller shrine was like. The differences in appearance between the Meiji Shrine and the Oarai Isosaki Shrine were based on size. Although there were more steps, the area of the Shrine was far smaller. The pleasing view of the ocean from the top of the steps give you a sense of accomplishment from climbing to the top. When visiting, I saw many couples. As this is a shrine dedicated to marriage and health, I was not surprised. The overall look of the Shrine seemed like a more comfortable version of the shrines seen in larger cities. The pull of the ocean draws you towards the Kamiiso-no-Torii, a torii gate located on an outcrop from the sea, which gives a tranquil and sombre atmosphere. The knowledge that a mother jumped into the ocean and died to save her son, adds the solemn air. In light of that, looking at the vast ocean and churning waves make you feel how small a person is in comparison to the broad world.

While staying in Kyoto, we visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine. As an asthmatic, I had a hard time hiking up to the top. I initially was going to stop at the midway point but decided to continue and complete the full four kilometres. I am very glad that I did, as I got to experience the full area. The main path of the shrine holds 1000 torii gates but seeing them in person makes the number seem much greater than that. Walking through the gates continuously you start to wonder if you are walking in circles. Near the midway point is a lookout area behind a collection of alters. One in particular caught my eye, as someone had placed an umbrella over one of the fox statues. It seemed like it was placed to keep the statues safe from the elements. The shrine at the top of the mountain holds a mirror of worship that is in plain view of all visitors. I later learned that it was typical for Inari shrines to have an open view of the object. On Mount Kōya-san we explored the area and came across a small shrine called Kiyotakainari Shrine, one of the 32,000 Inari sub-shrines. The family that ran it was very friendly and welcoming. They gave us a cup of tea and they even showed us a purification ritual. The head of the shrine was the father and he had a son and a daughter that helped him run the shrine, as well as his own father. The children were also taught bushido by their Sensei, who seemed to be their uncle. He ended up showing us some samurai techniques and ways of the sword. The contrast between the two shrines was fascinating. At the Fushimi-Inari Shrine, I didn’t see any priest at all, whereas I saw the head priest and interacted with his entire family. I will never forget that family and all they taught and showed me.

One of my favourite places that I visited, was the Zen Buddhist Temple called Taizō-in, famous for its painting,“Catching catfish with a gourd” by Josetsu. The story of the paintingintrigued me and the fact that a garden was modelled after it was scintillating. The catfish in the wall hanging symbolizes a person’s dream. The painting asks, how can I catch my dream? The garden held a pond, which was shaped like a gourd, and housed different coloured catfish. Giving the painting it was modelled after its answer was spectacular: your dream has already been caught. As I was taking pictures of the catfish, I noticed that the top of the pond (the top of the gourd), was blocked off to the catfish. Meaning they couldn’t escape to the gourd’s opening. The significance behind the catfish already in the gourd, gives hope to people across the world.

My most favourite site was Mount Kōya-san, where I stayed at Ekoin Temple and visited Okunoin Cemetery. When I first arrived at Mount Koyasan, I marveled at the smell of trees and the extremely fresh air. Ekoin Temple was splendid, the gardens were tranquil, and the traditional Japanese rooms added to the effect. It made me feel like I was in a spa. During the cemetery tour, I leared a lot of different facts about the Buddhist side of Japanese culture. The graves for instance are representations of nature. The large circle at the base is earth, and going up the grave water, fire, wind, and space. There is a sixth meaning: consciousness, but it is invisible. Therefore there is an open space above the tombstone. One of most-liked comparisons was the lotus flower. The lotus flower can grow in muddy waters and still have strong stems. A person might have sins, but they can still grow up to thrive. The other comparison that I enjoyed was the symbolism of the brain being like the moon. That the brain is bright and clear like the moon and changes shape (or emotions) like the moon. These symmetries give hope to people who have been through tough times in their lives, and I hope it helps them.

Amongst all of these shrines and temples I’ve mentioned, all of them were surrounded by nature, either man-made or organic. In Harajuku and Kyoto, however, I came across Shrines located in the city hub. The one in Harajuku was located just off a busy street, although as soon as you moved inside this shrine, the noise and pollution from the city just disappeared. I didn’t get a chance to go into the Shrine in Kyoto, but I’m curious if it had the same idea, as it was located inside a shopping centre.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

While staying in Kyoto, we visited Nijo-jo castle, famous for the “Nightingale” corridors. While I was there, I got to experience the squeaking sound that they produce, and they sounded more like an old swing set to me. I did note that the corridors did not make a sound as they got closer to the Shogun’s personal rooms. The squeaking might have, therefore, been put in to warn the samurai that someone was headed to the Shogun’s rooms. The Shogun himself would not get much warning. I also took a look at the Ohiroma, which was where the Shogun handed back the power to the emperor in 1867. The designs and some of the decorations somewhat reminded me of french baroque architecture found in the Palace of Versailles. French designs show how much wealth and power the royal family had by using real gold and famous artists of the time. Nijo-jo castle had much subtler indications of power, such as the raised platform where the Shogun sat, and the oriage-go-tenjo (or coffered ceiling) that was used to indicate the authority of the Shogun.

         The same day we took a Kimono dyeing workshop. As they explained how to make the designs, I thought that it seemed simple, however, I was very mistaken. Even the simplest designs were difficult to do, which made me think of the many kimono’s that were made before stencils were prominent. It must have taken much effort and patience (of which I have hardly any) to produce the intricate patterns regularly.

         On the last full day in Kyoto I visited the Samurai and Ninja museum. I went on a historic guided tour and was shown some ancient artifacts as well as some battle armor. One of the outfits, I learned, was called a komusō, which was part of the Fuke School of Zen Buddhism. It is a plain white garment with a tengai or tengui, which is a bascinet worn on a monk’s head. The tengai represents the manifesting absence of ego. Apparently, because it was the only way to get past the borders without being scrutinized, samurai and ninja used to wear them in order to get past security and spy on opposing sides.

         On the last day, a group of us explored the area around Ekoin Temple. There we found a small Inari shrine, run by one family. They were extremely kind and demonstrated many rituals and practices. One of the practices was on samurai techniques demonstrated by the sensei of the family. The sensei taught us that all samurai were taught to be right handed; there were no left handed samurai. They also explained that the katana must always go on the right side of the samurai when in front of a superior to show that he meant no harm, as a samurai would have to pass the katana to the other hand in order to draw his sword. They even let us try some techniques with a dull katana. It was a special experience that all of us enjoyed.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

As we headed to the hotel in Kyoto, I noticed a statue. The statue is of a young boy holding what seems to be a bag of food and a dog that has pulled down the boy’s pants in an attempt to get to said food. The strangest thing about this is that the statue is not censored in the slightest. In Canada, there would be complaints made and immediate action would have been made to remove it. Here it seemed like a natural occurrence. This fascinated me as the Japanese give the impression of being a conservative country by the way they speak, eat, and dress. Is it only the women who have to be modest? I can only say that the Japanese are a very contradictory nation. 

The same is said for hygiene. In the washrooms there are tonnes of items to keep clean and sanitary; however, there is one particular thing missing: hand soap. The majority of restrooms do not have any type of soap to wash your hands. It seemed odd to me that a country fueled with hygiene etiquette would not have any soap. As I began to notice more, I realized another difference is when they cough or sneeze, most people do not cover their mouths. The number of people walking down the street with masks always alarmed me. Were there so many viruses in the air here? Instead I came to realize that the bad habits have caused individuals to take health matters into their own hands. 

Even so if you were to get sick, the doctors would have you on the way to recovering in a jiff. They are extremely efficient and knowledgeable. I was interested to find out that the doctors here rarely admit patients overnight. In western culture it is a common state to be “kept for observation.” 2.6 million people in Japan go to the hospital daily and only half of those people are hospitalized or stay overnight. When Sheila, Lucy, and Rebecca each went to emergency, I was amazed at how short a time it took as well as the efficiency of their care. Rebecca even told me they prescribed her something similar to T3’s, a very strong form of Tylenol, for her collarbone. These prescriptions would be frowned upon in Canada as they tend to be highly addictive and harmful if too much it consumed. It just goes to show how serious Japanese society is about health and wellness.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

In Mito we had the opportunity to see a traditional tea ceremony. The students did a spectacular job in demonstrating for us. Tea ceremony, in my opinion, is a very elegant affair. The wagashi was presented first with a wooden utensil. I had previously read that sticking or stabbing any food with chopsticks in Japan is considered rude, so wasn’t sure how to proceed. Eventually I got the hang of it. I noticed as they were serving that the girls had red handkerchiefs and the boys had purple. I wondered if that was because of gender or just coincidence. I also observed that the presenters had a certain way of rising to their feet. They would propel themselves up with their feet without the help of either hand, which I do not have the ability to do. The whisking of the tea is something I had heard about and seen in anime and manga but seeing it in person was incomparable. In conclusion tea ceremony was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

Amongst the many Japanese experiences, izakaya was my favourite. The first night in Mito Sora, Lucy, Jarrick, Guilherme, and I went to an izakaya called Iroha Nihoto. We had a wonderful time and shared many dishes. The second night the whole Langara group went, and it was even more boisterous and fun. Izakaya restaurants are an interdependent system as the style is to share dishes, and sometimes even for other tables to steal them. While I was there, I noticed many business men hanging out with their co-workers, as is the norm in Japan. If business men do not go out with their colleagues, they are not considered a team player. Even going for one drink can elevate their “face” in front of their peers.

In the arcade a group of us took photos in the sticker booth. This booth modified our eyes (so they were bigger), made our faces slimmer, our mouths thinner, and airbrushed out blemishes. The overall look makes us appear more like dolls then our true faces. This made me think of honne and tatemae. The pictures taken in booths like this are made to be an outward face, as they modify them to create the perfect face. This can also tie into kawaii culture, and how everything should be cute, even our adult faces.

On the second day in Mito, I was also very surprised to witness a young couple (definitely younger than 30) with two young children. The norm in Tokyo was usually one parent and one child. The young couple proceeded into the game centre with their kids. Another commonality was the two-child family. In Tsukiji Fish Market I witnessed a family of five shopping. Statistics state that 1.4 children are born per Japanese woman. It made me think of questions that I wouldn’t get any answers to. Did the young couple fall in love while at school? Were they outside of the norm in some way? Were all three children planned or was one or more a “surprise”? All questions that I could not ask and to which I would probably not understand the answer.

Mito, I noticed, had more of a language barrier. The menus and buildings around the train station have English writing; however, the farther you get from a tourist area, the less English you will see and hear. Quite often, I struggled a bit in conversing with people, as I can usually understand what they are saying, but I have trouble speaking the language. Some restaurants also do not have an English menu. While we were in Iroha Nihoto, a member of the wait staff came in and asked Sora to translate for another group, as neither side could communicate with each other. In Tokyo that was less common. I was able to communicate directly with the individuals there, even if it took a little longer to do so.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

The first week of Japan was very busy. By the end of the second day it felt like I had been here for a week. On the first day we started with the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which gave us a clearer picture of the isolation policy and the reunification of Japan. The life size model of the Nihonbashi bridge was spectacular and the mechanics of the dioramas was entertaining. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions to the best of her ability. She even went past 3pm in order to finish our tour. There were many facts I learned, but the most fascinating to me was the great fire in 1657, and the Great Kanto Earthquake resulting in a tsunami and fires in 1910.

The great fire in 1657 completely destroyed everything wooden in Edo. Only the buildings made of stone managed to survive. This fire is called Meireki, and it lasted for three days. Thousands of people died, and the city was rebuilt to prevent similar disasters. Shrines and temples were asked to scatter, roads were widened, and the residences of feudal lords moved to the outskirts of the city. Because of this remodelling, the city expanded from an 8-kilometre radius to 16 kilometres. 

The earthquake of 1910 was a similar event. The Great Kanto Earthquake was a level 7.9 and struck Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay, off the coast of Tokyo. The earthquake hit at lunchtime, which caused even more deaths as many families were cooking meals over fires, and a typhoon off the coast resulted in the fires spreading quickly. Most people died in the fire tornado that engulfed the Rikugun Honjo Hifukusho, where people were taking shelter. Adding to the disaster was the tsunami that hit within minutes, and the 57 aftershocks. There were approximately 570 000 homes destroyed and many people were left homeless. Evacuees were sent as far as Kobe by ship. This event brought about Disaster Prevention Day on September 1 to commemorate the earthquake and stress the importance of preparedness. This made me remember a quote from a youtuber called Shane Madej, “The greatest safety precautions of our time were written in blood.” Because of the great number of people who died, this is perhaps why the buildings in Japan today have a stronger defense against earthquakes than the west coast of North America. The guide also mentioned the fact that under Mt Fuji there are three intersecting tectonic plates: The Eurasian, The North American, and The Philippine plates. It is a relatively small mountain and only formed about 5000 years ago in the shape we know today.

Sayonara!

✿ Konnichiwa!

The first day of Tokyo, we went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. When the group arrived, we were told to line up in two straight lines. The lines ended up not being single file, and as we waited, a few Japanese people took pictures of us as we stood out. They weren’t very shy about it either. Later as I walked down the street, I saw people openly staring or doing a “peek-a-boo” look. The oldest and youngest were the ones who would openly stare. At one point, an older woman turned her head as she passed in order to keep gaping at us. The younger generation is similar; however, they haven’t learned any better. The most conservative or sneaky would be the young and middle-aged adults. They would do what I called the “peek-a-boo.” A complete gawk at first, then as soon as I made eye contact, they would scurry their gaze away. Although, after a few seconds they would glance back for a split second, making their eyes dart back and forth. I quite enjoyed it as it seemed comical.

In Tokyo we also went to Akihabara, which is the anime/manga centre of Japan. It was an overload of lights, sounds, and people. It kind of reminded me of New York’s Times Square. There we proceeded to a maid café, which was an interesting experience. Before we entered, we donned bunny, cat, and panda ears. The other patrons didn’t have any on, whether that was because we were foreigners­­—it was the first time we went to a maid café—or a personal preference I don’t know. They would not allow any pictures to be taken of the employees, which I think was a good call as many of the maids and other such cafés are seen as fetishes and sexualized. One of the people in the group that went mentioned that she didn’t like them being objectified as such. For the most part, I believe the maids enjoy the work as they have other options for jobs other than the café. There were many men there, and it seemed like our group had all the girls. The men were mostly wearing business suits, which implied that they were relaxing after a long day of work.

In Harajuku, we saw a lot of independent shops, and as a Sailor Moon fan, the Sailor Moon store and Princess One Spoon (which has a Sailor Moon line) are by far my favourites. Amongst the others was the Kawaii Monster Café, which I was unable to see, but looked very colourful and enticing; 6% Doki Doki, where there was such a good blend between kawaii and punk; and Alice on Wednesday, in which many people in the group bought some baubles. There were also animal cafés. We spent time in the owl café, which was very upsetting and sad. The birds (there were both hawks and owls) are tied down, so they cannot fly. One of them, a hawk called Odin, kept leaping up and being dragged back down to the peg. The barn owls Frey and Freya seemed to be fine until they both tried to fly almost simultaneously only to be denied because of the tethers. It was obvious that one in particular, did not like to be touched at all as he kept moving away from everyone’s hands. Iris was the calmest, and she mostly just stood still and let anyone pet her or pick her up. In the end, I do not think I will be going back to any bird cafés as seeing animals caged or tied up tends to upset me. One thing I did notice from the beginning is that the Japanese don’t do things halfway. Harajuku and Akihabara are prime examples of the ganbaru spirit. If there is any room for improvement, it will be modified to fit other’s needs.

Sayonara!