The DougBlog
"Et sans savoir pourquoi, disent toujours: Allons!" —Baudelaire

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Lost in Translation, Part 4: Koyasan (Mt. Koya)



Mount Koya is more commonly and affectionately known as “Koyasan” (adding -san to anything is an honorific). It is a mountaintop dotted by more than 100 monasteries, making it the world’s center of Shingon Buddhism, also known as Esoteric Buddhism. Koyasan was settled 1200 years ago by the priest Kūkai (who is known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi—Japanese people get new names after they die!) There is no question that it is a mystical place, especially as it always seems shrouded in mist and a canopy of old-growth pines.


Although one can visit for a day, you also have the opportunity to spend a night in one of the monasteries, called a Shukubo. Most of them offer guestrooms run by the student monks, with spartan accommodations similar in style to a ryokan. The two main differences are that your meal—while no less lavish—is vegetarian, and you are awakened at 6AM to join the monks for their morning prayers (optional).


The only way to the top is via a number of old switchback cog railways. In this way you zig and zag and slowly meander up to the top through the forests and clouds.


Our one-night accommodation at the Kumagai-ji Monastery was as austere as any ryokan, and while our room was more spacious it was still quite spare. Here’s Karen drinking tea and reading up on the teachings of Buddha.


We looked out on a lovely garden.


The young monks were very cute as they struggled to communicate, occasionally (with some embarrassment) resorting to the crib sheets in their sleeves. We were welcomed with a gift of prayer beads and a talisman. Soon it was time for dinner, and our vegetarian feast was just that: a spectacular array that didn’t even make you miss having meat! It was somewhat like a kaiseki except instead of courses everything was served at once in an elaborate setup right in the room, on the floor.


It was quite cold and the buildings are not heated, but the monks gave us a space heater and put hot water bottles under our futons when they set them up. Here’s Karen with her usual look of dismay when people think we are a couple and put our futons together.


Sure enough, the next morning we were awakened early for prayers. There was a lot of monotone chanting and low gongs. Some visitors (presumably Buddhist) participated while we just watched. I found it haunting and hypnotic. Eventually we were quietly asked to leave because the next part of the service was only for Buddhists; instead we were taken to a smaller sanctuary where one of the young monks performed the Goma ritual of consecrated fire just for us. It is unique to Esoteric Buddhism and is said to be the most mystical and cognitively powerful ceremony performed.



While the monks chant mantra of Acala and beat drums, the fire is lit. Deities are invited to enter the fire to purify it. Sticks called gomaki are thrown onto the fire; these are pieces of wood on which visitors have written prayers or wishes. The chanting and the fire both escalate and then die out in unison. The purpose of the fire is to “burn away obstacles to enlightenment and negative karma, allowing us to purify our karma, transform negative emotions and energies, and sow the seeds of light, compassion, and wisdom.” Now I'm not usually a new-age kinda guy, but it was undeniably spiritual and transcendent.



Here's a little video of the two ceremonies.



After breakfast we headed out to visit a few other monasteries. The most important sight here is the Mausoleum of Kōbō-Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism. It is surrounded by Okunoin, the largest cemetery in Japan with more than 200,000 graves from ancient to modern. The older section is the most haunting, filled with moss-covered stones and carefully tended shrines. Among the graves are plenty of Jizō, small statues of a Buddhist god who is thought to bring relief to the tortured souls in the cemetery. Japanese often place hats, bibs, and other clothes on the statues to protect him from the elements. As I mentioned in my last post, he is commonly associated with children as their protector as well the protector of “never born children” (miscarriages, stillbirths, abortions) and travelers.



Photography is not allowed at the Mausoleum of Kōbō-Daishi himself. It is said that he is not dead, just meditating and will one day return. It is lit by thousands of lanterns that are said to have been burning constantly since his death more than 1,000 years ago.



Outside the monastery, worshipers begin their prayers by splashing water over each statue (Jizō Bosatsu) in a line, moving from right to left until they have soaked each one of them, The water comes from the Tamagawa river and is said to ease the souls of the deceased.




Here's a little video of the splashing of the Jizō Bosatsu.



After visiting the mausoleum, we exited through the more modern section of Okunoin, which is filled with some interesting graves. It is not uncommon for companies to erect shrines where their employees may be buried (because who doesn't want to be with their employer for all eternity?!) Some of these are rather unique: there’s a spaceship monument for an aeronautics company and a giant coffee cup for a coffee company. There’s even a monument that was built by a pesticide company to honor all of their "insect victims".


Next stop, the beautiful city of KyotoBUT BEFORE WE GO…A FEW PARTING SHOTS!

Toilets are an utterly fascinating topic in Japan. For the most part, most places have fancy electronic toilets. The seats are always heated and have built-in bidet features that come out on the push of a button to give your undercarriage a little “how’s your father”, usually with all kinds of settings to customize the strength and temperature of your bidet experience. And yes, some of them even play music or make artificial flushing noises at the push of a button that can be used to cover any unpleasant noises you might make while on the throne.


Of course, that’s anywhere in urban Japan. Once you get out into the countryside you often just get a hole in the ground. I guess it’s all or nothing.



And of course, a sign.


I enjoyed this dog dressed as Mozart.


You’ll also notice the man in the surgical mask…these are very popular in Japan. It is apparently a courtesy to wear one if you are sick so as not to spread your germs.

Next stop, KYOTO!



Saturday, August 10, 2013

Lost in Translation, Part 3: The Nakasendō Highway



The 300-mile Nakasendō highway (really just a footpath) was built during the 8th century to connect Tokyo and Kyoto, back in ye olden days of shogun and samurai. Feudal lords used the highway when called by the shogun to his castle in Edo (present-day Tokyo). For hundreds of years, it was used by messengers and merchants, princesses and pilgrims, and the shukuba (post towns) along the highway sprang up to serve the passers-by. But with the advent of railroads and motorcars, the highway fell into disuse and the post towns along it into disrepair.


Finally recognized for their historic value, several of these post towns in the Kiso Valley region—and the path that connects them—have been restored to appear as they did hundreds of years ago.


Although these towns now have some modern conveniences, it is forbidden for these to be “obvious”—so all electrical wiring is underground and at night you need to carry a flashlight because there is no street lighting (other than the occasional moth-beaten lantern).


Again, because so much of the country has been destroyed over the centuries, this is one of the few places visitors can experience medieval Japan.


Two of the best-preserved towns are Tsumago and Magome. So we stayed in Tsumago for two nights, and during our full day in between we took a bus to Magome and hiked the Nakasendō Trail back to Tsumago, about 7 miles. It was here that we had our first ryokan experience. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn; not unlike a bed and breakfast, but with a decidedly more Japanese flavor. Furniture is sparse and the floors are tatami mats. You must take off your shoes at the door and wear slippers inside (but then you have to remember that those are your house slippers and should not be worn in your room or in the bathroom—they give you another pair for that!) They also give you a yukata (robe) to wear inside. The walls are generally only sliding paper screens (shōji). Breakfast and dinner are served. While you eat dinner, your bed will be set up—a futon, which is a thin mat laid out on the floor of your room—and while you eat breakfast someone will take it away. We stayed at the Fujioto ryokan because it is reputed to be one of the best, most genuine ryokan in all of Japan. We had to settle for the last available room, which was intended to be a single-occupancy room so it was quite cozy!

A view of Tsumago, with the Fujioto on the left.


Entrance to the Fujioto.


Karen in our room. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was “cozy”…this is using a wide-angle lens and really pretty much captures the entire room! Notice the floor made of tatami mats and the minimal amount of furniture.


Here’s the room after dinner, when the staff has laid out our futons, which pretty much left no more floor space whatsoever.


Needless to say, the futons aren’t exactly a Westin Heavenly Bed…but if you like a firm mattress then you’ll be okay. I didn’t mind the futon, but I did mind the pillow which was a small sack of beans about half the actual size of your head. As a 3-pillow sleeper at home this was a big challenge but easily remedied by bundling up some of my clothes for a makeshift pillow. I’m like the Japanese McGuyver! But I digress…the first morning we headed out and about in Tsumago.




A rare photo of Karen without her makeup:


Starting off on the Magome station of the trail:


Apparently the area is popular with bears. So along the trail there are occasionally these large bells, and every hiker encouraged to ring them every time they pass one in order to keep the bears away. Of course we added the classy touch of yelling “F*ck you, bears!” whenever we rang a bell.


In one of the smaller post towns, here's Karen checking for mail along the trail but to no avail (triple-rhyme completely unintentional).


A cemetery as we approached Tsumago:


A small shrine in front of a house. It took us a little time to figure out the meaning of these little statues, called Jizō. Jizō is a deity that is considered the guardian of children, particularly of children who die before their parents. So it is possible that the family in this house lost two children, and the shrines memorialize them. It is common for the family to ensure that the spirits of the children are kept comfortable—hence the hat and blanket—and offerings of money or, in this case, candy, are left for them. But Jizō is also one of the protective deities of travelers, so roadside statues of Jizō are common for this reason, too.


Touristy, yes, but at the end you can get this wood-paper certificate stamped in both Tsumago and Magome for official proof that you’ve hiked the Nakasendō highway.


Karen and a Tanuki. Statues of this Japanese raccoon dog are all over place as he is a very popular folkfloric figure who brings good luck, and he is always represented as a jolly fellow with oversized testicles.


After our big day of hiking, we relaxed with a healing soak in a Japanese onsen.


Turning our attention back to the ryokan…another aspect of ryokan living is that the meals—especially dinner— are kaiseki. This is a many-course meal made of fresh, local ingredients, and the effort put into presentation is unbelievable. Here are the courses of our first dinner.


…and all of those garnishes that look like flowers or trees are completely edible! Breakfast is served in a single course but it’s not too shabby.


And here was our second dinner, which included shabu-shabu.


They left us with this lovely origami swan and a souvenir photo they had taken of us the first night.


Needless to say the owner and staff were outstanding. During the meal the server would explain each course in great depth as it is served, detailing the local ingredients and the dish’s history. Most things were as delicious as they looked. You have no say in the menu, and I pushed myself to try a few things I never had before. But I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that one course of one meal included sautéed wasps—which I refused to taste but Karen bravely did!


Meanwhile, afraid I would offend the hosts by not eating mine, I secretly slipped them into my chopstick wrapper and disposed of them later! Classy.

From the secular to the sacred, we left on our loooong journey to the Buddhist center of Mount Koya, BUT BEFORE WE GO...A FEW PARTING SHOTS!

The standard entertaining signs...


UFO peppers?


This grave in the cemetery had a fridge next to it. Our minds raced with hypotheses as to why, but neither of us had the nerve to look inside and find out:


This is a fine hat:


Next stop, KOYASAN!