Buddhist Wedding Ceremony

Oh, where to begin?

In Okuizumo is a building known as the Shimane School of Design . It's basically a little art school where students can get an Associate's Degree in Art. Nozomi, my friend from the TV station, graduated from said school, and we visited last last Autumn to film an episode of Attack English! We were invited back for a one day pottery seminar. The teacher of that seminar is named Kaori, and last month she invited me to go to her wedding, which just happened to be a completely rare and lavish Buddhist Wedding Ceremony as she is marrying a Buddhist monk named Ippo, which is now my new favorite male name.
Got it? Good.


"Why is a Buddhist Wedding Ceremony so rare?" you might ask. "Aren't you in Japan- land of Buddhism?" Well you are right. There are a lot of Buddhists in Japan. In fact, Japan's two main religions are Buddhism and Shintoism, and the two live harmoniously together in this strange land. Shinto 神道, or "The Path of the Gods" is Japan's native religion and focuses on nature worship and cleansing rituals. Buddhism 仏教 was brought over to Japan from China via Korea during the Nara Period. An interesting fact is that many Japanese people observe both Shinto and Buddhist holidays, but normally funerals are observed using Buddhist rituals and weddings are celebrated with Shinto rituals.

"Oh, I got it." you respond. "So most Japanese weddings are Shinto." Wrong again. In recent years Western style weddings have become popluar, so most Japanese weddings are held in a Chapel with the big poofy dress and funny looking priests and the whole shabang. This is how people like my friend James from Canada can make a living in Japan by being white and playing the part of a priest... errr. "Celebrant" for wedding ceremonies. Basically, few Japanese people have seen a Shinto wedding ceremony, and almost none have seen a Buddhist ceremony. So I'm one lucky gaijin.

The actual ceremony was held at Ippo's temple in Shinji, a town about an hour from me. On a side note, Buddhist places of worship are temples　寺　(tera) and Shinto buildings are shrines 神社 (jinja). When I first arrived at the temple I felt awkard with many elderly kimono-clad Japanese people who obviously belonged there. Luckily soon some of Kaori's friends showed up and adopted me, so although I stood out like a sore thumb at least I belonged there. It was really a beautiful ceremony. It encomassed all the senses- incense was lit, bells were rung and prayers chanted, there were beautiful robes and decorations, and the guests indulged in some delicious Sake
I couldn't tell you most of the things that went on during the ceremony, mostly because I didn't understand them. But it was beautiful.



Above is a picture of the wedding party which includes Kaori and Ippo's family.


Although most of the attendants wore black (which is a no-no both in Chapel and Shinto ceremonies, it's apparently OK in Buddhist ceremonies) I was dressed in my nicest bright blue dress. Just one more way to stick out without meaning to. Kaori actually was granted permission to borrow two hundred-year-old kimono for this occasion. She also rented the headdress, hairpieces, silverware, and traditional house. Her first kimono was a lovely silk white-on-white design, decorated with cranes and pine trees. Underneath the headdress is a wig with a traditional wedding hairstyle which she reported hurt her head. Ippo wore his finest monk's robes, which looked exactly like the robes all the other monks were wearing. After the actual wedding vows were exchanged we enjoyed a tea ceremony in the temple gardens.



For part two of the wedding festivities we moved to a giant traditional old house in Izumo built over 150 years ago. At this point the wedding was bombarded with news crews and bystanders all eager to see this unique and ancient ceremony. In fact, we made the nine o'clock news that night and the Sunday papers next morning. The wedding party marched to the house and was serenaded with ancient songs.


Next came the feast. Kaori chose many traditional Japanese dishes, and Ippo and the mothers-in-law took care of the cooking. Kaori's friend told me in shock that the fish all the guests ate were caught that morning by Ippo himself, and he also prepared the soba noodles that the guests enjoyed. I asked Kaori's friends if the groom usually made such efforts and the girls laughed. No, certainly not. This was a singular ceremony indeed.
Some of the dishes you see above include: kameboko (fish cakes), clear soup, tofu, chawan-mushi (an egg dish) soba noodles (made by the groom), nishime (boiled vegetables with sugar), sashimi (featuring fresh fish caught by the groom), pickled vegetables, fresh fruit, tempura, plum wine, sake, and tea.

During the feast Kaori changed from her white kimono to her black kimono and removed her headress. The head monk, the families, and the bride and groom also gave speeches. I chatted with some of the other bystanders who were also amazed at such an extravagent and traditional ceremony. Kaori made each guest beautiful porcelain cups with a celedon glaze, and elegant chopstick holders which we were allowed to take home with us. From here on she will start holding pottery demonstrations at the temple to become more active in Buddhism. Although the actual wedding ceremony only took about an hour, this feasting, congratulating, and drinking took about four hours.


The third part of the wedding ceremony was only for us younguns'- the partying. I am pleased to say I spent the rest of the night partying with some Buddhist Monks. Outside of their Buddhist robes they are normal men. One loved rap and tried to talk to me about underground rap and hip hop artists, although I am more than slightly emberassed to say he knew wayyyyyyyyyyy more about it than I did. Another was a basketball fanatic and happily chatted to me about the Big Ten Tournament in the states, how he loved Larry Bird, was scared of Bobby Knight, and saddened by the IU Ladybird's recent performance drop. Another monk adopted Obama's "Yes We Can!" motto and cheered everyone on all night.


What can I say? This day blew away all my expectations and pre-conceived notions. I was welcomed into a traditional yet rare ceremony, made some new friends, and partied with some Buddhist monks. Top that.

Katakuri / Spring is here!

Everyone agrees that it has been a long, hard winter, and Okuizumo was certainly no exception. We even had snow in the second week of April. But it seems that FINALLY spring is really here, and we can all go outside to play again.

Last week was Golden Week, and my favorite guy Motohide came to visit me. His purpose in coming to Japan was 1. To eat as much sushi as possible and 2. To propose to me. I teased him about which was higher on the list, especially after seeing his consumption of Kaitensushi. One day he ate 21 plates and the next 22. Man, that boy is a sushi killer.

Anyway, fish aside, we had a lot of fun and took Hiroshima and Shimane by storm. We saw everything- from the beaches to the mountains. In fact, the Fukudas invited us to go mountain climbing. Now it is slightly ironic that people constantly surrounded by mountains and always driving through, over, and around them are such gluttons for punishment that they want to CLIMB them as well, but who am I to judge? Moto and I agreed, and we four set our sights on Mt. Sentzu 船通山which is probably the most badass mountain ever. Why? Well for starters, according to legend when the storm god Susanoo was expelled from heaven he came down this mountain. They also say the base of this mountain is where he defeated the eight headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. And legends aside, on the peak of the mountain blooms a very special and beautiful flower known as the Katakuri, which only blooms one week every two years. So we were pretty stoked to climb.

Although the mountain is "only" 1.1 kilometers high (less than a mile) the winding path to the top was probably four or five kilometers long, and it was vertical most of the way. Mr. Fukuda-san is a mountain climbing machine. He volunteers in some sort of forest protection club and therefore climbs regularly. He started us out at a pace that, while walking horizontally seemed painfully slow, but as we climbed higher and higher started to feel pretty sprightly. Mrs. Fukuda-san probably only climbs once a year or so and was happy to walk slowly and enjoy the scenery. Mr. Fukuda-san pointed out many cool flowers and plants that are indigenous to the area, so we got to take some breathers. We also met a motley crew of friendly mountain climbing folks around the way- everyone from little kids to grandparents over seventy. My favorite was a ballsy couple- the man was smoking a cigarette and wearing sandals and the woman was wearing pumps. Still, it was our first time, and the climb took two hours, so we were a little tired for sure.

But the view at the top took my breath away


the fields of katakuri are one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen


they greeted us with their natural beauty like little prizes once we reached the peak

It was truly amazing. The feilds of katakuri were roped off so people wouldn't step on them. They are really precious flowers- they can only survive in high altitudes with special soil. Although they only bloom every two years, the seeds stay alive in hibernation in the years they don't bloom. As a result, many of these flowers are over nine years old (at least their seeds are).

Many families and groups of friends were gathered at the top, picnicking and enjoying the flowers. Some people even brought little butane stoves so they could make cup ramen and miso soup. Mrs. Fukuda-san packed us onigiri (rice balls sometimes with fish or vegetable inside- kind of like Japan's version of a sandwich) and tea. We took a nap in the sun and awoke refreshed, sunburnt, slightly aching, and very happy.
They warned me beforehand that going down is actually harder than going up, but I didn't realize how true that was until my legs started shaking like jelly from the descent. But it was great fun, and I can't wait to go again.

Baysubooru

When you think of traditional sports of Japan most likely things like sumo wrestling or karate will come to mind. But anybody who has ever seen Mr. Baseball knows that actually baseball 野球　is one of Japan's most popular sports. I'm not entirely sure why baseball has captured Japan's hearts so thoroughly- though I suspect it has to do with the sense of community and team spirit the game cultivates. Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1878 and the first Pro League started in 1920, only 19 years after the American League got going in the states.

Given this long history and great popularity, I wanted to see what a baseball game in Japan would be like. So last weekend Ian, Alexis and I traveled to Hiroshima for my first professional baseball game (I've never seen one in America either). Hiroshima's "Mazda ZOOM ZOOM Stadium" is home to the Hiroshima Carps, whose mascot is named Slyly and is inexplicably some weird bird kind of thing. He looks like the Philadelphia Philly's evil yellow twin. I digress.


Japanese baseball games are pretty fun. First of all, you have to stand the entire time your team is up to bat. Even though we were in the home of the Carps, I found out we would be sitting in the visitor's seats as Ian is a Chunichi Dragons fan. This turn of events didn't really phase me, as I am willing to cheer for whoever. But it's a good thing Alexis and I didn't buy any of the Carps souveneirs we were eyeing while waiting for Ian, as the opposing team's merchandise is strictly forbidden in the seating. Fans buys these plastic bats and beats the hell out of them while cheering for their team. In fact, each player has his own specific cheer that you have to memorize and chant while they are up to bat. This is aided by a small band that sits in the stands and leads the commotion. In front of us sat a really cute couple- they got so excited when we scored a point that they would turn around and high five us (although the woman's genkiness definitely wore down in the eigth inning after three large beers).
Another interesting note: Japanese baseball games can end in a tie. This result would never fly in America.

The food was also an adventure. Ian and Lexi especially were looking forward to some good old-fashioned concession nosh, and as always Japan gave them its own weird take on it. Ian had Japan's version of a Philly Cheese Steak, which turned out to be a piece of beef jerky with nacho cheese in a breadstick. Lexi had some nachos, which were more like nacho chips with cold nacho cheese and ketchup. I stuck to some traditional Oden, and was not dissappointed. However Japanese Churros were a big success- apparently fried dough tastes good the world over.

Oh, and the score? Although the Dragons had it in the bag with a 7-2 lead in the fourth inning, the Carps pulled out the stops and stomped us by scoring a game winning point in the ninth inning.

Next time, you sly Carps!

桜

日本と言えば、桜
Sakura is perhaps the most prominent symbol of Japan. Simplistic in its natural elegance, and prized for its fleeting beauty, sakura really represent the Japanese aesthetic and spirit.

I'd heard so much about the Cherry Blossoms before coming to Japan, but I've never been here in the spring before so I never got to really experience them. People here take their sakura seriously. There's even a Cherry Blossom Forecast or 桜前線 you can check to see when the blossoms will be blooming in various parts of Japan and where they will be most beautiful. People participate in 花見 or literally Flower Viewing all across the country for the short two weeks of sakura season. Although I looked at a lot of blossoms, I was informed that I did not actually do any "花見" as more than just viewing, people will go have picnics under the blossoms, drink, and talk for hours.

The most surprising thing to me was that I had actually been looking at these trees all year. It's just that the tree itself is not that beautiful; being all so gnarled, grey, and weathered looking makes them easy to overlook when they are naked as skeletons in the winter. It was only in the spring, when they are in full bloom and completely breathtaking, that I noticed them. It was as if they had been hidden in plain sight the whole time.
Just another layer . . .

Kyoto

After a sad goodbye with Risa, I boarded the train to Kyoto. Actually, when I applied for the JET Programme, Kyoto was my first choice. Its gorgeous temples and alluring history drew me in from the beginning. Luckily Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka are all just a stone's throw from one another so you can visit them all pretty conveniently.

I got in that evening and checked into my youth hostel, Sandalwood. It turns out the owner is a super cool guy- he is in a band that tours the area and was more than happy to explain to me how to get all the places I wanted to go. As luck would have it, that evening my very favorite temple, 清水寺Kiyomizudera, was having a special event that night where it was all lit up for cherry blossom viewing. So I headed off to see for myself. At the bus stop I met two girls from my hostel who were visiting from Australia and we decided to venture together. They were very cool and VERY genki, which was fun for me, and I spoke Japanese, which was fun for them.

Why is Kiyomizudera my favorite temple? Well. First of all the grounds are expansive and beautiful. Second, it has a lot of different things to see and do. Many temples all you can really do is pray and buy a good luck charm. This temple has a wishing rock you have to travel through a dark tunnel to find, many beautiful waterfalls with magic water, and a shrine you can use to find your true love. The fact that I got to experience its special spring festival was pretty much awesome. (I recall it being my fearless Sensei's favorite temple as well, which could have influenced my opinion slightly). After the temple we toured Kyoto, wandering through historic Gion in our search for food. We ended up at a soba restaraunt and I got to boast that my area, Izumo, has the best soba. Although Kyoto's wasn't bad.


The next day I headed out to have my own adventure. It was a drizzly day, but I had to make hay with or without the sun. My first stop was Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺 or the Golden Pavilion. The last time I visited Kyoto (High School) I think for some reason we weren't able to see Kinkakuji, so it was a top priority for me. The temple itself was beautiful, and the reflecting pool was gorgeous as well. All around the temple vendors were selling trinkets and gifts relating to gold. I sampled some green tea that had little gold flakes in it, nibbled on some chocolate with gold leafing, and admired fabric woven with golden threads. Japan knows how to advertise.
It took a lot less time to see than I had planned, so I had to find something else to do that afternoon. In college I wrote a series of papers on the traditional crafts of Kyoto; naturally, kimono and the silk weaving industry was at the forefront of my studies. So I wanted to visit Nishijin, the traditional weaving area of Kyoto where a lot of the magic happened.


Unfortunately, I was clueless about how to get there. As I stood, squinting at my map that was quickly getting disintegrated in the rain, a girl tapped me on the shoulder. "Are you ok?" she asked me. She and her friend, both beautiful Japanese girls dressed to the nines (heels, makeup, the works) were peering concernedly at me. "I'm a little lost" I responded. "I want to go to the Nishijin center but I don't know what bus to take." They looked at my map, my wet hair and shoes, and took pity on me for sure. Before I knew it I was in the car of one girl's grandfather, who kindly picked us up an drove me straight to Nishijin. He must have been about a hundred years old and he talked to me very politely in old man speak, which I understood about 0% of, while the girls talked to me in normal Japanese about their lives. Before I knew it I was at my destination and the girls went on about their way. It was more than I could have hoped for. Life is full of unexpected surprises and extremely kind people.

Nishijin was, well . . . I have mixed emotions. I was so happy to get there and so thankful for the help I had received. But rather than a museum or a historical monument as I had expected, it turned out to be a little more like a tourist trap. They had "kimono runway shows" every couple of hours and sold many fabric things with traditional Japanese designs.


However, if you looked closely the affordable things were not actually Nishijin; that's right, they were made in China. I was dissappointed by the quality of a lot the goods there. HOWEVER there were people on looms making traditional woven textiles, complete with the hundreds and hundreds of tiny skeins of silk thread and vast, complicated designs. I got to to try out some weaving too. That was really enjoyable, although it as well was just a simple shuttle loom and wool thread.

Maybe there is a better Nishijin museum around Kyoto somewhere, and I just somehow got sucked in to this one. However we just have to make the best of things, and I had to enjoy my time there for what it was.
Plus, I mad a pretty sweet table runner. That has to count for something, right?

My next stop was Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺. Now, here's a quiz for all you guys. "KIN" means gold, and kaku-ji means temple/pavilion, and therefore Kinkaku-ji is a golden pavilion. So if "GIN" means silver then what color do you think Ginkaku-ji is?

If you guess silver then you are sadly mistaken, but if you guessed a dirty white then you would be correct. Apparently the guy who started building it died before he could front the cash to cover it in silver foil as he had wanted, and his successors didn't feel the need to pick up where he left off. This temple is supposed to be a good example of the wabi sabi aesthetic, "meaning art and beauty that pervades all things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete". In other words: a rough beauty that imitates nature.
I usually like wabi sabi but I think I would have liked a temple made of silver better. But the temple grounds definitely made the trip worth it for me Ginkakuji is famous for its beautiful sand gardens. Many Zen gardens are actually just made of little rocks that can be swept into interesting patterns. On the left you can see the temple's interpretation of Mt. Fuji. How did they make the pebbles stay like that????? Cool.
After Ginkakuji all I wanted to do was get warm and dry. So I went back to the train station, ordered a big bowl of nabe (Japanese stew) and a glass of plum wine, and waited for my bus home in style.



My stay in Kyoto was wet, cold, and grey.
But, rather than saying the rain detracted from my trip, I'd like to think it just made the whole atmosphere especially wabi-sabi.
Next time, bring an umbrella!

Kobe

It's time for spring vacation in Japan, and in lieu of a proper holiday I'm making several small weekend trips. (Even though the students have no school, I would have to use up some of my precious paid vacation to get time off. Boo!)

One three-day weekend I boarded yet another highway bus to Kobe to visit Risa, my host sister from Kobe.

What do you think of when I mention Kobe? Most Americans know Kobe beef- a very fatty, marbled delicacy I was content not to partake of. Actually in Japan, Kobe is equally famous for its bread. Japanese bread is like eating a cloud- so light and fluffy! Wheat bread or any carbohydrate that requires much chewing is hard to find. In addition to beef and bakeries, Kobe hosts one of two Chinatowns in Japan (The other is in Yokoyama I believe). Kobe's Chinatown is quite small- only about one street long. I had forgotten that I'd been in Kobe before- actually the first time I came to Japan- but this scene brought back some strong memories.


Although Risa is fluent in English, she's actually majoring in Chinese at her university. What a talented lady! Not only that, but in high school Risa and I were both kind of nerdy: just your average spectacled teenager. While I am still definitely nerdy, Risa has turned out to be a beautiful woman. It's amazing how people grow up! We walked around the campus of her university. She said it's one of the smallest public universities in the country. All prospective college graduates in Japan have to write a 卒業論文　or graduation thesis. Risa, being from Hiroshima and having a great interest in Peace Studies, will write hers about foreign countries' thoughts on the atom bomb. This is an especially tricky subject in Japan. Most Japanese are eager to put all of World War Two behind them and embrace the idea of peace.

While being in Japan I have never felt a grudge towards Americans for our own act in the war, whether it is to be considered a terrible tragedy or a defensive maneuver. However, Risa says although many Japanese, especially in Hiroshima, learn a great deal about the atom bomb, most don't know about Pearl Harbor or Nankin. Like many governments, the Japanese government is quick to turn a blind eye to its own faults. I think in this time, while our own government and governments around the world are making difficult and terrible decisions, it is important to remember that governments and their people are not synonymous. Peace cannot be attained from the government down. It has to come from the opposite direction, from people making peace with people through travel, through education and understanding, and from an open mind. Apart from pleasure, I truly desire to travel more to make more of these connections, more bridges to make the world a more united and closer place.


We also visited Kobe Tower- not quite as well known as Tokyo Tower but still cool. It's shaped like a drum, supposedly. Here is a view of the view from the top of the tower. Kobe is also famous for its sea ports, and the tower is situated in an area known as Harborland. Harborland has shopping, an amusement park, and several lovely restaurants. It also has a park called Merikan Park (although I suspect they mean American Park).

Kobe was a fun visit, and it was really great to catch up with Risa. Our visit was short, but I felt really lucky to be able to keep this connection with my friend from so many years ago.

Unfortunately on Monday Risa had to go to Tokyo for a job interview, but luckily for me Kobe just a quick train ride away from Kyoto, my very favorite city in Japan. Look forward to reading about it in my next blog!

Graduation

It's springtime here, and springtime in Japan is synonymous with graduation. I had the pleasure of attending two graduation ceremonies: Takao Elementary and Nita Middle School.

Graduation is a big deal here in Japan. The ceremonies are very grandiose, complete with lots of bowing, long speeches, and many other formalities. Many of the teachers here were quite shocked when I told them most Elementary/Middle schools in America don't really have graduation ceremonies. The length and formality, combined with the fact that the ceremonies were held in unheated gyms in 40 degree weather, made the physical experience very unpleasant for me. At the same time, I was so honored to be the insider on an event that was so important to everyone around me, and tried to focus on that aspect. These ceremonies constituted a very singular episode of my life.

Another thing about graduation in Japan: it's not only the students who are leaving. In America, especially right now, teaching jobs are fairly difficult to obtain. BUT, teachers are allowed to stay at that position until it is no longer available or they decide to retire. In Japan, teachers are guaranteed jobs, but postings are determined by the Japanese Government in Tokyo. All teachers are required to do a two year posting at rural school and a two year posting at a school far away from their home. I think the maximum time you are allowed to stay at any one school is something like eight years. Many of my teachers live hours away and either make a ridiculous daily commute or get apartments here, giving up their family and home life for their job.

I was told to be wary that Japan has major staff changes in April, but I couldn't imagine it happening to me. I heard no news of change until the beginning of next week, and then news from all my schools hit me like a sack of bricks. My beloved supervisor (aka my Okuizumo mom) Mrs. Fukuda-san, is retiring. Mr. Kanetsuki, my Takao JTE (the slim man in the front row on the right of this picture) is leaving for a school in Higashi-Izumo. Mr. Okuda, the girls volleyball coach, is transferring to another middle school in Kisuki. And these are only the people close to me; there are many others leaving. Change has hit my world like a tornado, and I'll have to scramble to find my place again.




So when I look at the picture above, I have many mixed emotions. Takao is the school above all others that made me feel at home, a real member of their faculty. This was largely due to the extremely personable Mr. Kanetsuki.

I am awed and slightly saddened by the shuffling around of people's lives due to this system, but respectful of its benefits.


And part of has to laugh, because when I look at this picture I have to think of the Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the others . . . "