Japan's Cultural Treasures

May 16, Monday

After breakfast we went a tour to Nara and Fushimi.  The city of Nara was the capital of Japan before Kyoto. We first visited Todaiji Temple, stopping to explore its expansive grounds.  There we met Nara's famous residents -- It's free-roaming deer.  The deer approach you for food and may even bow in their request for food.  You can buy a package of crackers for them for about  ¥150.  I bought the crackers and so many deer approached me that I couldn't hand out the food fast enough and one bit my left index finger drawing blood.  Luckily someone in our group had a small package of neosporin and I have bandages with me.

At Todaiji we also explored Daibutsu-den Hall.  ,The Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) has been rebuilt twice after fire. The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense—57 metres (187 ft) long and 50 metres (160 ft) wide—it is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor. Until 1998, it was the world's largest wooden building.  TheGreat (Vairocana) Buddha is 52' tall, and is made of bronze which was then plated with gold.  The statue was consecrated in 752, but was damaged and repaired several times in the following centuries.

Later we went to Kasuga Shinto Shrine which dates back to 768AD.  We walked along the wooded paths of Kasuga, to admire the many sub-shrines, along with its astonishing collection of 3,000 stone lanterns.

After lunch of tempura and udon, we continued to the lovely town of Fushimi, home of one of Japan's most famous shrines:  Fushsimi-Inari.  The Fushsimi-Inari Shrine was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake in the 8th century, but today it is know for its 10,000 red torii gates, which cover the trails that wind up Mount Inari.

Japan's Cultural Treasures

Friday, May 13

In the morning we took a bus and headed toward Gokayama and Shirakawago.  We first went to Ainokura Gassho Community in the forested countryside outside of Kanazawa.  Because of their relative isolation, these areas developed independently of Japanese society, resulting in a unique culture and lifestyle.  In addition to creating their own dances, festivals, and traditions, residents developed a distinctive architectural style know as gassho, characterized by steeply pitched thatched roofs.  These dwellings are considered to be some of the most efficient farmhouses in Japan. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we went to Shirakawa-go to a building that had been a school but was no longer used for that. We learned the art of mochitsuki, or race-cake making.  Mochi is Japanese rice cake made of short-grain Japanese glutinous rice. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape.

Then on to to a workshop in Gokayama to make washi, a thick, fibrous paper made from mulberry bark.

Lunch was a traditional meal with soba noodles and assorted vegetables.  On the way to the restaurant, I spotted this dog in a doorway.

After lunch we headed to Murakami House which was built in 1578 and is the oldest gassho-style house in the area.  During our visit  the head of the family related the history and culture of Gokayama to us as we sat around the open hearth.  We also saw paintings and drawings done by him.

That evening we went to the Gyokusen'inmaru Garden to see it illuminated.  The theme was "Spring - Cherry Blossoms".

 

Afterward we walked through the main floor of the 21st Century Contemporary Museum.  The museum was closed by then, but we could see some contemporary furniture and a few pieces of art.

Japan's Cultural Treasures

Sunday, May 15

Among Kyoto's many wonders are some of Japan's most impressive Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines.  After breakfast we took a bus tour of Kyoto and then visited the Kiyomuzu Temple,  literally "Pure Water Temple") is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto, and derives its name from the fall's pure waters. The temple was originally associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest schools within Japanese Buddhism, but formed its own Kita Hosso sect in 1965.

Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of color in spring and fall, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. The main hall, which together with the stage was built without the use of nails, houses the temple's primary object of worship, a small statue of the eleven faced, thousand armed Kannon.










Kinkakuji Temple(Golden Pavilion) which is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408.

Kinkakuji is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond, and is the only building left of Yoshimitsu's former retirement complex. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955.

The interior of the first floor of the Golden Pavilion

Each floor has a different architectural style

Kinkakuji was built to echo the extravagant Kitayama culture that developed in the wealthy aristocratic circles of Kyoto during Yoshimitsu's times. Each floor represents a different style of architecture.
The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period, and with its natural wood pillars and white plaster walls contrasts yet complements the gilded upper stories of the pavilion. Statues of the Shaka Buddha (historical Buddha) and Yoshimitsu are stored in the first floor. Although it is not possible to enter the pavilion, the statues can be viewed from across the pond if you look closely, as the front windows of the first floor are usually kept open.
The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, and has its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. Inside is a seated Kannon Bodhisattva surrounded by statues of the Four Heavenly Kings; however, the statues are not shown to the public. Finally, the third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix.
After viewing Kinkakuji from across the pond, visitors pass by the head priest's former living quarters (hojo) which are known for their painted sliding doors (fusuma), but are not open to the public. The path once again passes by Kinkakuji from behind then leads through the temple's gardens which have retained their original design from Yoshimitsu's days. The gardens hold a few other spots of interest including Anmintaku Pond that is said to never dry up, and statues that people throw coins at for luck.
Continuing through the garden takes you to the Sekkatei Teahouse, added to Kinkakuji during the Edo Period

, before you exit the paid temple area. Outside the exit are souvenir shops, a small tea garden where you can have matcha tea and sweets (500 yen) and Fudo Hall, a small temple hall which houses a statue of Fudo Myoo, one of the Five Wisdom Kings and protector of Buddhism. The statue is said to be carved by Kobo Daishi, one of the most important figures in Japanese religious history.

Japan's Cultural Treasures

Saturday, May 14

Following breakfast, we paired off and Carl and I set off to visit a local family and get a first-hand glimpse of Japanese life at home.  We went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mori.  The Mori's have two grown children -- a son and a daughter.  The son has 3 children -- 2 girls and a boy.  The daughter has 1 son.  Japanese children have celebrations at 3, 5, and 7.  They showed us photos of their grandchildren in outfits for those celebrations.  The 3 year old girl was dressed in a bright pink ruffled, elaborate long dress.  The boys were dressed as samurai complete with swords.  In another photo, the oldest grandson is wearing an Under Armor shirt, as Mr. Mori pointed out.  The boy (preteen) is active in athletics.

The daughter had a wedding in Hawaii wearing a strapless white, Western style gown.  They she had a wedding in Japan wearing the traditional white, then red kimonos.  (Akiko later told me that you can rent wedding clothes.)  Mr. and Mrs Mori were married in 1973.


Mr. Mori is a retired junior high principal and baseball coach.  He had a case full of trophies.  Mr. Mori is a Yankees fan.  Now he participates as an amateur actor in Noh theatre.

His wife played the koto (Japanese harp) and sang for us.


Mr and Mrs Mori have been to the East Coast of the U.S. -- in New York they visited the United Nations.

The group then had lunch together.  It was Japanese food with fried fish, vegies, and coffee ice cream.

At the train station I bought two jars of Sake before boarding the train to Kyoto.

Japan's Cultural Treasures

Thursday, May 12

After breakfast in our hotel, we began to explore Kanazawa with a guided tour of the city.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Kanazawa was a prosperous castle town in the domain of Kaga, ruled by the Maeda Family, and it has been one of the cultural centers of Japan ever since.  Located on the coast of the Japan Sea, Kanazawa was spared much of the destruction that WWII brought to the country.

Kenrokuen Garden and Circumference of Kanazawa Castle Park

We started our tour with a morning visit to Kenrokuen Garden, one of the most beautiful in Japan. 
The garden is located outside the gates of Kanazawa Castle where it originally formed the outer garden, and covers over 25 acres. It began in 1676 when the 5th lord Maeda Tsunanori moved his administration to the castle and began to landscape a garden in this vicinity. This garden was, however, destroyed by fire in 1759.
The garden restoration was begun in 1774 by the 11th lord Harunaga, who created the Emerald Waterfall (Midori-taki) and Yugao-tei, a teahouse. Improvements continued in 1822 when the 12th lord Narinaga created the garden's winding streams with water drawn from the Tatsumi Waterway. The 13th lord Nariyasu subsequently added more streams and expanded the Kasumi Pond. With this, the garden's current form was complete. The garden was opened to the public on May 7, 1874.

 

 

 

The Maeda family resided in Kanazawa Castle and governed the Kaga Clan (the present Ishikawa and Toyama areas) for more than 280 years henceforth. The castle tower was burned down by a fire in the past and has not been rebuilt, but other fortress buildings were reconstructed repeatedly. The Ishikawamon Gate, which was rebuilt in 1788, and the Sanjikken Nagaya (50-yard-long warehouse), which was rebuilt in 1858, still remain.

 

 

 

 

 

After the garden, we visited one of the many houses of Kanazawa where the samurai -- Japan's famed class of noble warriors -- once lived.  Several former samurai homes still stand on winding streets and many are still in use as residences.  We enjoyed a closer look at what constitutes samurai style when we explored the 18th century Terashima House, home of a samurai who was also a painter.

Kurando Terashima was a middle-class samurai of the Maeda family. It is said that this house was constructed in the latter half of the 18th century. The existing mansion, storehouse, and mud wall tell the actual condition of the middle-class samurai residence. Dodan tsutsuji (a kind of azalea), which blooms from the end of April until early in May and the autumn leaves are the highlights of the garden. Kurando was a painter as well, and his works are exhibited in the house.

Lunch was at a local restaurant and consisted of salad, salmon and green tea mousse.

Our next stop was the Gold Leaf Museum where we first watched a film on hammering gold leaf, which  

explained the process of gold-leaf making.  Thin sheets of gold have been produced in Kanazawa since the 16th century.  There were also visual displays which were translated into English.

From there we proceded to the Geisha district where several of the shops featured products covered in golf leaf (gilt). The gold leaf is used to decorate everything from handcrafts to Buddhist alters.  There were ice cream shops that used pieces of edible gold leaf in their ice cream, although I didn't try it.

On the same street, we visited Kaikaro, a 190 year old teahouse where geishas perform.  The geishas perform in the evening (admittance by referral only), but the teahouse is open to visitors during the day.  The decor was a true fusion of modern and ancient Japan.  A young women in a kimono explained to us the role and duties of the Geishas in their teahouse.  The previous evening two women from the United States had been entertained by Geishas in this teahouse at a cost of about $1600.  The Geishas play instruments, sing and dance.  The guests are also served a sumptious meal.

On  the bus ride back to the hotel, Mary, Beth, Nancy and I requested to get off at the Omicho Market.  Even though it was closed on Thursdays, we walked through just to get an idea of what they had.  It smelled very fishy!

Mary had determined that we could get quilt fabric in the department store so we went across the street to the store that purportedly had such fabric (even tho' Akiko didn't think they would have it) and found the fabric and crafts department.  A young lady working in the department pointed out the Japanese fabric (most of the fabric was from the US) and I found three fabrics that I liked and bought 5 meters totally.  The price was 930 yen per meter (under $9 per yard) for fabric that would run about $12 per yard in the U.S. so I felt that, at least, I hadn't paid a premium to buy it in Japan.

Mary and I later walked through the Kanazawa station looking for a place to find pot stickers.  The station is like a shopping mall with shops where you can buy almost everything you can think of.  Not locating the place Akiko had mentioned for pot stickers, we bought pastries at a German bakery and took them back to eat in our respective rooms for dinner.

Kanazawa station:

There is a glass dome called "Motenashi (Welcome) Dome," which looks like a huge umbrella, at the east entrance of Kanazawa Station. The dome has a wooden gate called "Tsuzumi-mon," which symbolizes a traditional Japanese instrument called tsuzumi (hand drums).