Posts under "Culture"

Japanese Dragons

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 30 2011

Dragons are a familiar staple of Japanese fables. Take for example the water dragon deity Mizuchi (蛟). In one story Mizuchi came to Emperor Nintoku (仁徳天皇) in a dream. Mizuchi offered to prevent the flooding of a river in exchange for a human sacrifice. One of the men chosen as a sacrifice saved his own life by waging a bet with Mizuchi. If Mizuchi could sink a calabash into the water, then the man would willingly take his own life. Since the calabashes floated to the top of the water, the man won. This story about Mizuchi may have been a metaphor for the mysterious benevolence and malevolence of rivers. On the one hand Mizuchi/rivers are life sustaining by providing water for irrigation and other uses but on the other hand Mizuchi/rivers are unpredictable and can take unwilling victims through floods and other disasters.

Ryūjin (龍神) is the name of another water-dragon deity in Japanese mythology. Ryūjin was the father of the beautiful princess Otohime (乙姫),who was the grandmother of Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇). Emperor Jimmu was the first emperor of Japan and it is from this lineage that the royal families of Japan have claimed to be descended from divine entities like the water dragon Ryūjin. Dragons are considered powerful creatures so it’s only natural that the royal families of Japan would want their ancestry to be associated with a deity like Ryūjin. In one story Ryūjin sent a jellyfish out for an errand. When the jellyfish returned without completing the errand, the water dragon deity beat the jellyfish until all its bones were broken. This was a story used to explain why the jelly fish now has no bones. Like with Mizuchi and Ryūjin, dragons were used to give meaning to unexplainable phenomena.

Kuzuryū (九頭龍) is a nine-headed dragon that is worshipped in many parts of Japan. In the town Hakone (箱根町) there is a famous fountain of Kuzuryū. The local legend states that Kuzuryū settled on Lake Hakone and demanded the townspeople a human maiden as a sacrifice. A priest named Mankan (万巻上人) decided to prevent future victims by chaining the powerful dragon to an underwater rock. A shrine was built near the area where the ferorious dragon was chained. From that day onward, the townspeople have worshiped a shrine that is dedicated to the dragon and instead of offering human sacrifice they set aside offerings of steamed rice with red beans.

Modern Japanese Buildings

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 27 2011

If you’ve ever wondered where to go to see the best marvels of architecture, look no further than the Shiodome City Center (汐留シティセンター). The Shiodome City Center is large, beautiful, light blue skyscraper that is headquarters to airline and travel industries. In addition, there are many restaurants that feature Korean, French, Indian and Japanese cuisines. There is also a post office, an ATM and even a dental clinic, so you can get all your errands done at the Shiodome!

 

The Dentsu Headquarters Building (電通本社ビル) is 48 floors high with a sharp, angled look. It is headquarters for the Dentsu Corporation, which is an advertising agency. It is truly an ecofriendly building with a roof that collects rainwater so that it can be recycled and reused and specially made windows that can adjust the temperature by adding shades or adjusting to the outside weather.

 

 

The Izumi Garden Tower (泉ガーデンタワー) is a dark green building that is 708 feet high. The Izumi Garden Tower contains a high-end hotel, luxury apartments and other amenities like a fitness club, restaurants, small shops, office space, bank, convenience store, hair salon, bakery, coffee shop and a bookstore. The basement of the Tower is connected to the subway, so you don’t have to ever leave the building to get to a place!

 

The Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka (グランドプリンスホテル赤坂) is a luxury hotel in Tokyo. After the big tsunami and earthquake in March of this year, the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka housed many evacuees and refugees. Since last year there have been plans to bulldoze the hotel so there won’t be many chances to see this great hotel in person, but at least you can still see pictures of this hotel!

Kimono

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 23 2011

The kimono (着物) is the single most iconic representation of traditional Japanese culture. The word ‘kimono’ is a generic term to describe a type of traditional Japanese garment that comes in a t-shaped robe, but the kimono is anything but generic. There are many different and unique kinds of kimonos that are worn for certain occasions. The most varied types of kimonos can be seen more dramatically in the women’s kimono.

For example, the Furisode (振袖) is a kimono with especially long sleeves. These kimonos are worn by girls at coming of age ceremonies and by unmarried relatives of the bride’s side of the family. Usually the furisode is a kimono worn by young women and girls who are not yet married. Therefore the subtle message of a girl or woman wearing a furisode is supposed to indicate to others of her youth and non-marital status.

 

Mofuku (喪服) is a type of formal kimono worn by the family members of the deceased. Mofuku is a kimono that is mostly made of black silk. Even the obi (帯) or sash is entirely black. The only part of the mofuku that is not black is the white kamon (家紋) or crests on the upper part of the kimono. The mofuku is worn only to show that the relatives of the deceased are mourning. It is never worn for happy or festive occasions.

 

Uchikake (打掛) is a highly formal kimono worn by the bride in a traditional Japanese wedding. The uchikake is actually a type of coat worn over the kimono, but it is still considered part of the kimono. There are two kinds of uchikake. One type is made entirely of white silk while the other type is heavily brocaded with red, gold and other colors. With red uchikake, there are often animal and flower patterns that line the uchikake.

 

The Iromuji (色無地) is a type of kimono that is made with a single color. There are no patterns or designs on the entire kimono. Compared to the furisode and the red uchikake, the iromuji is quite plain, but that’s because the iromuji is often by women who attend or preside over tea ceremonies. Tea ceremonies can be rather solemn, so the single colored iromuji is actually quite an appropriate choice for this type of an event.

Flowers in Japan

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 20 2011

Depending on the season, you can see some beautiful flowers in Japan. For example, Sakura (桜) or cherry blossoms bloom in late March and early April. My favorite place to see cherry blossoms is in Shinobazu no Ike (不忍池) or Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Kōen or Ueno Park (上野公園). Cherry blossoms have a symbolic significance in Japanese culture. As soon as cherry blossoms bloom, they disappear once the season is over. Therefore cherry blossoms are considered a metaphor for how fleeting life can be.

Some people confuse plum blossoms with cherry blossoms because if you don’t look closely they can look similar. One difference between the two is that plum blossoms (梅花) in Japan can bloom as early as late February to early March. In my opinion the best place to see plum blossoms is in Mukōjima Hyakkaen Garden (向島百花園). The Mukōjima Hyakkaen Garden is a beautiful garden in Tokyo. In Japanese poems and literature, plum blossoms are often used to symbolize the arrival of spring.

Wisterias (藤) in Japan bloom around late April to early May. Wisterias in Japan tend to be purple or lavender in color. Wisteria vines can climb upwards, counterclockwise, clockwise and around any available support beam. This is why you sometimes see wisteria around temples and shrines. The wisteria flowers hang low and can form a kind of trellis where people can walk underneath. Walking under a wisteria tree is really great for setting the mood for any occassion!

Hydrangea or Ajisai (紫陽花) bloom around late June to mid or late July in Japan. Hydrangeas come in many colors. The color of the hydrangea depends upon on the pH of the soil. Soils that are acidic produce hydrangeas with a bluish color, soils that have a neutral pH produce white or cream-colored hydrangeas, while soils that have an alkaline pH produce pink, purple or lavender hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are normally ornamental flowers in Japan, but sometimes they are used in a sweet tea called amacha (甘茶)

Kyoto

Posted by Ginny No Comments
Sep 15 2011

Kyoto (京都) is a beautiful city with strong links to traditional Japanese architecture and culture. When people think of Kyoto, the image of Pontochō (先斗町) is probably one of the first images that spark the imagination. Pontochō is a well-known geisha district where traditional Japanese theatre, dance and song are still alive and entertaining the masses. In addition even some of the buildings in Pontochō have been preserved and are still used as tea or geisha houses.

When tourism agencies advertise the city of Kyoto, the most commonly used icon is the five-story pagoda of Tōji (東寺). Tōji is the name of a Buddhist temple that is famous for its 55 meter high pagoda. The pagoda is the tallest in Japan and is only open a few days out of the year for visitors who want go gain an entrance into the pagoda. Tōji is a historic monument that dates as far back to 796 or the Heian Period. However, the pagoda was built much later in the Edo Period.

The Iwatayama Monkey Park (山モンキーパーク) is where visitors can see and feed wild macaque monkeys. To enter the park, visitor must pay an entrance fee. This fee is separate from the purchase of food that can be used to feed the monkeys. There are certain rules that all visitors are required to obey when interacting with the macaque monkeys. One rule is that touching the monkeys is not allowed. Touching them may transfer illnesses from the monkey to the human and vice versa.

The Shugakuin Imperial Villa (修学院離宮) is popular for its beautiful gardens. The gardens of the Shugakuin Imperial Villa are examples of top-notch Japanese gardening and are touted as cultural treasures. To an effort to preserve the beauty of the gardens the number of visitors are carefully controlled. Visitors may only view the gardens by appointment and with the permission of the Imperial Household Agency, which is the agency that administers the gardens.

Nijō Castle (二条城) is a large castle in Kyoto that contains two palaces, other miscellaneous buildings, gardens and ponds. Before Nijō Castle became a tourist attraction, it was a fortification site surrounded by moat. Since Nijō Castle was a defensive site, there is a guard tower and several rooms for the Shogun’s bodyguards. The outer rooms were where low ranking guests were received and the inner chambers were where high ranking guests could enter.

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