New Year's 'Hatsumode' (annual worship trip) to Ise 'Grand Shrine'

Ise Grand Shrine is arguably the most important shrine in all of Japan. The head of the shrine is always a descendant of the royal family; this Head Priest or Priestess over the two Inner and Outer shrines of the property is in charge of protecting the grounds, which they are pretty good at, seeing as you can barely see the buildings themselves. Ise Grand Shrine, or Ise Jingu, has in its posession one of the sacred treasures of the Japanese royalty, the sacred mirror. This sacred bronze mirror, along with a sacred sword, are the two posessions of the royal family said to have been passed down directly from the ancient gods of Japan, and are the legitimacy behind the throne that has lasted for millienia (the Japanese like to point out that their monarchy has been the longest continuing monarchy kept in one royal family in the history of the world...that being said, theyve had about as many schisms as the Popes of the Roman Catholic faith, so its not a perfectly straight line of royal family...) but it does make a drastic counterpoint to the Chinese with their 'mandate of heaven-screw that last royal family cuz now we're the big dogs' mantra. And it does drive the point home that the Japanese like tradition, and are NOT fond of change.
So, enough diatribes! Here's the scoop:
Ise Jingu, Mie Prefecture, Japan (1/9/10)
This map isn't very high quality..but see the red balloon at the lower left hand corner? And the other one at the middle right? Yep, that one on the right is Ise shrine--an easy 7 hours away from my sad little left-hand corner home by bus. But not just any bus, the commercial prepacked tour Ehime bus (Ehime is the name of my region.) So, our ragtag bunch left at 5 am in the morning from in front of our town's train station. It was Jennifer and I and our friend Tako and another of my co-workers, Akemi. We conked out for the majority of the morning, zooming along the highway, until we stopped for lunch at a rest area near Lake Biwa to the northeast of Kyoto. There, I got a nice shot of the lake--the weather was so clear, and it was really a dazzling view. and arrived around 1 in the afternoon.
When we arrived in Ise, I didn't know what I expected--but it wasn't these crowds! There were so many people, it was scary just walking down the cobblestone path lined with stores selling everything from traditional handicrafts to any and all kinds of food. And this was before we even got to the entrance of the shrine itself! From there, our group split up and was told to meet up again at a certain time. From there, we crossed a giant wooden bridge after passing under a huge read Shinto torii (gate) called Uji bridge, that stretched to the far shore and therefore the sacred grounds of Ise shrine, Inner shrine, to the goddess Amaterasu. You could tell how important this land was to even ancient Japan, because the huge Japanese cypress trees lining the path were definitely hundreds of hundreds of years old; these things were huge. I've never been to a redwood forest in the US, but if those trees are anything like these babies, I can see why they're so awe-inspiring!
Then, the walk to the river to make a wish and throw in a coin.. the river was so pure and clear, crystal clear with different color rocks..then up the path, past the booths at the front of the shrine grounds selling home purification amulets and New Year's good luck/warding off evil trinkets, and on to the path that circled a giant, tall wooden wall over the top of which you could see a glimpse of the famous traditional Japanese architectural roofs that Ise is so famous for. We went to the stairs where you could enter and pray, but the line was so long...it would've taken at least an hour had we waited in that line! So instead, we opted for the queue to the right, which was a temporarily set up worship sight to the immediate right of the regular place. It,too, was crowded, and as it was it was a grueling 20 minute walk up the stairs just to toss our coins into the makeshift worship spot, but it was worth it; we got to catch a little glimpse of the first building of the three buildings that comprised the main shrine at this sight. Even better, someone (undoubtedly someone verrry rich) had commissioned one of the shrine priests to let them in to do private worship, so we got to watch them enter the gates, the priest did a few ceremonial actions, then they clapped and bowed. That was cool....lucky bastards!
After that, it was circling around the back of the shrine then back out into the woods. Around the main shrine to the goddess Amaterasu, the sun goddess of Japan, were lesser deities' shrines as well, where you could pray. We stopped at a couple of those. Then it was back to the crowded merchant street, where I got a couple of trinkets, and even a cheese and fish covered piece of potato (not as good as i thought it would be..the fish part was a bit of a surprise!) It was super crowded though, so we kept ducking into the stores! I gave a monk I saw some coins for his journey, and we grabbed some ice cream, then back to the bus...
...for a stop back at the west part of the shrine, closer to the Ise city center. It was also surrounded by forests, and although it was near the streets of the town, once you walked through the shrine gate, it was nothing but silence. We pressed on, winding through the forests, and sooner than we thought we had arrived at the main shrine, where flanked by two huge trees surrounded with sacred white lightning bolts, there was, visible through the gate, another one of the thatched roof shrines with the tall eaves. We paid our respects, then our attention was diverted by a strange stone in front of the shrine surrounded by the sacred paper lightning bolts. We walked past the rock, past a pond, then over to two smaller shrines a little ways uphill. When we finished paying our respects, though we were loathe to leave, we headed back over to the bus. Although it felt like the adventure was over, we had no idea what awaited us--a hilarious stewardess/pilot comedy courtesy of ANA's Japan training course. Who knew we'd be watching a flight comedy on a bus? One of those oh, Japan moments...

New Year's-more Kyoto, return to host Mom's house--12/29-1/2

Kyoto and Hirakata-City, 12/29-1/2
so after the flight back into Japan, it was time to return to Kyoto and settle into my room for the next couple of days while I explored Kyoto again. So got settled in, went out for some ramen, and then got up bright and early for the next day's sightseeing mission, which was supposed to have begun at Ni-jo castle except for one little hitch--it was closed for the new year's holidays. So, straight from there it was time to take a bus up to the Golden Pavillion in the foothills Northwest of the City, near Ritsumeikan University, and after that a pleasant stroll over to Ryoan-ji, or Dragon peace temple.
First was the Golden Pavillion, Kinkakuji. It was first built in the 1379 during the time of the Ashikaga shoguns' reign, by the great Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, shogunate ruler of Japan at that time. Instead of responding to the multiple plagues and famines and disasters of the people, he elected instead to build this golden pavilion 'outside' of Kyoto in the mountains (in that time it would have been completely removed from the town, even now it lies on the outskirts.) He retired and spent the rest of his life at this idyllic retreat. However, the original building burnt in the 1950s, this past century. The current building is an exact reconstruction. This is a problem of authenticity for foreigners, but not for the Japanese--Shinto shrines, the indigenous religion of Japan--often tear down and rebuild their main shrines several times a century, keeping the plans the same but restoring the buildings. So, the fact that the current Golden Pavillion is a reconcstruction provides almost no problem for those that come to view it. I have to say, on that clear wintry day, it was impressive, reflected in the water like that. Also on the grounds was a fertility stone, in a little patch of grass leaving the viewing area of the pavillion, a tea house where I paused and had a little tea and snack combination, and the original thatched roof house, one of the original teahouses of Japan, so tiny with only one room in it! Finally, on my way out, I bought new charms--one for good fortune, one for money!--for myself for the coming year.
...Next, it was time to move on to Ryoan-ji, Dragon Temple. About a 25 minute walk down, then up, hill and to the east of Kinkakuji is a hermetic Zen temple known as Ryoan-ji. It remained an obscure little temple until its Zen rock garden (called karesansui, meaning a dry rock garden with no water,) was suddenly 'discovered' and became well known. The walk over from Kinkakuji bisected the Ritsumeikan campus, and while there were people along the way, the cold weather assured that it was nowhere near crowded. First upon entering Ryoanji, you encounter the wide pond, that seems to resemble a sea more than just the small lake it is. There are two islands, one pretty tiny, and one a good size, containing a tiny Shinto shrine to Benten, the Japanese goddess. On this island is an ancient pine tree, a cloud descending down to the lake. Beyond the lake is the main building of the Zen temple, including the famous rock garden. Not only was there the rock garden, but the dragon paintings on the walls of the main audience chamber were especially beautifully done. Walking up the grounds to the side of the main building was a monument to a monk who was killed helping the Burmese people resist the government during their war in the 1970s, and countless trees on either side of a silent rocky path, which took me back around to the lake, on the other side from the islands. Having made the full circle, it was time to exit. The rest of the day was spent wandering the shopping arcades of Kyoto, eventually deciding on a place to eat dinner and then going through the maze of streets that is the Gion district in Kyoto. By then, it was getting cold, so it was time for me to return home to get ready for the next day's sightseeing...
...which led me off to a trail famous in Kyoto as the Philosopher's Path, trailing up the Northwest corner of Kyoto from Nanzen-ji temple, by several smaller sub-temples, then up along a small creek to the famous Ginkaku-ji, or Silver Pavillion.Starting at Nanzen-ji, which was the most peaceful temple that I almost didn't go to, the most famous attribute of this temple is, in fact, not something Japanese at all. Look at the picture down and to the right. I think this is the farthest away the Romans managed to build aqueducts! Except that, of course, it wasn't built by the Romans, but by the Japanese during the Meiji era when they were borrowing architectural motifs from the West. This was apparently built to carry ships and/or water from nearby Biwa Lake to Kyoto, depending on who you talk to. Either way, it was quite a surprise! Then of course, it was off to the famous Silver Pavillion, which was built by the grandson of the Ashikaga shogun that built the Golden Pavillion. As it would have been rude to outdo his grandfather, he originally planned to coat his entire retreat house in silver. However, this never took place. Despite this setback, the very elegant pension and associated landscape garden (Japanese landscape gardens are famous for utilizing borrowed scenery techniques, incorporating elements of the view from the garden itself to distant mountains, etc. to add to the beauty o the garden) is worth a visit in its own right! After a frigid (but uncrowded! Winter's a great season for solitary contemplative walks in Kyoto that's for sure!) walk along the Philosophers Path (哲学の道ーtetsugaku no michi）led me to a crowded narrow street filled with shops and stalls leading up to the entrance for the Silver Pavillion. There was a front mantle auspicious decoration for welcoming the New Year, and the entrance to the Pavillion grounds itself is guided along by large hedges on either side, in a rather Alice in Wonderland-esque entryway to the open view of the building and its wonderful garden. Like his grandfather before him, this building too became a Zen Buddhist temple upon his demise, and the associated buildings of the Zen sect are to the right as you are led away from the initial building. (As you can see they are doing construction, but in March it will be over, so you better believe I'll be back in May!)
Finally, time for my final field trip of the day before heading to my home away from home, to visit Kazuyo in Hirakata City for New Year's: Off to the top of Kyoto in the South at Fushimi Inari shrine, the main shrine in Japan to the Shinto fox deity. There I got to see an altar featuring New Year's offerings including ridiculous amounts of Japanese sake! and a smaller altar with mochi, a traditional household New Year's tradition. I got to participate in a New Year's Eve warding off the evil spirits hay-throwing shindig. Below are the priests and shrine maidens holding the ancient rites of the New Year's Eve rituals, then they are moving the god's shrine, then it was up the hill for the hike through the famous red wooden torii, donated by businesses in Japan for good luck and blessings from the traditional Japanese gods. Finally, we have the New Year's Day food (osecchi ryori) traditional in New Year's festivities, and a feast with my host mom Kazuyo and her family in nearby Kuzuha.... enjoy!

上海: Shanghai, City Above the Sea..12/23-12/28

Shanghai, China 12/23-28


So in the afternoon on Dec 23, 2009, I rolled into Pu Dong International Airport in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Direct from the airport into the city, I took this super-fast MagLev train, and the speed can be seen here on the LED screen (that translates to oh, roughly 267 miles/hr.) then, I switched trains at the ridiculously congested People's Square to meet Liz in a Coldstone (! yay!) at South Shanghai Station. From there, it was back to her place, then off to hot-pot... yum! basically, there was a pot divided between a peanut sauce and a spicy sauce that you could dip meat into. Say what you want about Shanghainese cuisine, but you can't accuse it of not being flavorful!
Next day it was off with Liz to her schools to help her out and take some pictures. She dressed like Santa for Christmas Eve, and even passed out gifts to the kids. After work, we relaxed for awhile, even caught some fireworks for Christmas Eve! then went to a delicious Thai place for dinner before going out to a club.... it was ridiculous! There were people dressed as the Winnie the Pooh characters walking around, and people with blow up hammers, and tons of Christmas decorations. We stayed out til about 4 in the morning, to let Liz's friend hang out with some guy she'd met, then headed back home to sleep in. Liz and I had a sleepover of sorts, staying in the bed, til her friend Ashley and I went shopping to pick up some food she needed for the party later that night, where we all hung out and had delicious Christmas cookies and apple cider and watched Love Actually, the best, girliest Christmas feel-good movie out there (oh, Colin Firth...) then, the next day was the first actual sightseeing day--and it snowed ! On top of seeing the YuYuan Garden with its famous teahouse (currently under construction for the World Expo in Shanghai later this year, as was the Bund. Oh, China and your construction...), we wandered around Nanjing Road. I also got a look at the French Concession and, most rewardingly, a peek into the Shanghai Museum, viewing scrolls and furniture from the Ming and Xing periods, as well as Buddhist sculpture. All around, a very eventful weekend! Also, I got to eat the most delicious chicken and rice combo meal I've ever had in my life--all for the unbeatable price of about 3 bucks USD! Overall, the sights and sounds--not to mention overwhelming traffic and hordes of people--are definitely something I won't soon forget.--more pictures will come once I get the film developed, my camera phone died while in China--