NEWS OF TRAVEL JAPAN

There was a countless number of people when my wife and I visited Osaka Castle. More than half of the visitors were foreigners, and they radiated their interest and energy. Some people might have interest in the large stone-wall and the moat, some people might have interest in souvenirs of miniatures of the Japanese sword or the samurai armor and some people might have interest in the main tower, “tensyu-kaku”. Whatever the interest may be, the youthful atmosphere with enthusiasm made by them seemed to be appropriate for Osaka Castle. Because Osaka Castle is the symbol of the warring states period (1467-1598, the year when Hideyoshi Tokugawa died) when Japan past the time of its youth. The military purpose of Osaka Castle was a citadel against enemies, but the external purpose of Osaka Castle is to display the extreme power of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who built the castle. And the symbol of the extreme power was its main tower. The man who created the first main tower ...

A lot of foreigners enjoy the grand sumo tournament nowadays. They go to the stadium of the grand sumo tournament, and enjoy watching every sumo-match by two sumo-wrestlers, “rikishi”. The ring formed by circled-ropes, which are set in the ground, “dohyo”, on the square soil-mound, is the sacred stage where sumo-wrestlers try to win a match. The big roof, which is made according to the Japanese ancient Shinto style with black, green, red and white bunches, hangs from the ceiling of the stadium. And the traditionally stylish movements before-and-after a match by two sumo-wrestlers and a judge, “gyoji”. These will bring an emotion to the foreigners without using words in a unique atmosphere. The current revival of the popularity of the grand sumo tournament Currently, the grand sumo tournament has gained great popularity. The fifteen days of one grand sumo tournament is fulfilled by spectators. The current momentum underlying the popularity is made by foreigners and Japanese wome...

Ishiyama-dera Temple is famous for being the rare temple on the Ishigami-rock-mountain. While looking at many Buddhist buildings on the rock mountain, you will gain a fresh view point of temples. It was established in 747 thanks to the revelation by the deity of Mount Yoshino (in Nara Prefecture). A lot of exalted titled Emperor’s Court people visited on the pilgrimage which included two purposes, one was to pray to Bodhisattva Compassion and the other was to look at the moon in the night sky and on the surface of Seta River. At the high edge of the temple in front of the river is a moon-viewing cottage, “Tsukimi-tei”, which was for only Emperors. Murasaki-Shikibu at Ishiyama-dera The temple has other famous history, which is the relationship with The Tale of Genji. The Tale of Genji (written from 1008-?) is renowned for being the first love story ever written by a female in the world. The writer of The Tale of Genji, who was Murasaki-Shikibu, was a female bureaucrat su...

March 3rd is “hinamatsuri” in Japanese, the girls’ festival. The full set of the current hinamatsuri dolls contains a noble female doll, a noble male doll, three court lady dolls, five musician dolls, two high official dolls, three attendant dolls and furniture and equipments for the noble female doll. The hinamatsuri is held in each private family which has a girl. They set hina-dolls out of boxes which were stored for a year and adorn them with blossoms or sweets from two or three weeks before the day, and they eat “chirashi-zushi”, vinegar rice with cut fresh fish and shrimp which is covered with yellow thread-like grilled-egg. The hinamatsuri is an annual event where people hope their girls grow up healthy. Public hinamatsuri festivals have been held across Japan recently. Shiga prefecture, which is next to Kyoto and has Biwa-ko Lake and traditional cultures of the samurai and merchants who were called “ohmi-syonin”, hold a lot of festivals in many places. My wife and I w...

In the west district of Nara City, which was called “Nishi-no-kyo”(the west-side capital of Heijo-kyo) , is an old temple which was built approximately 12 centuries ago. It is Tosyo-daiji Temple, which has the atmosphere of the T’ang dynasty　(China 618-917). If you come into it, you will feel something solemn in the air immediately. And it is always kept neat and it isn’t filled with visitors. Tosyo-daiji Temple is near  Yakushiji Temple , which I wrote about as a beautiful temple previously, but Tosyo-daiji Temple is sacred rather than beautiful. Big roofs and thick wooden pillars of the temple buildings impress visitors with their solemness. In addition, great Buddhist statues, some of which are the national treasures of Japan, are energetic. Nonetheless, in my opinion, it might be that the greatest reason of the sacred atmosphere is based on the consecutively eternal daily actions by the priests in this temple since the 8th century. What they have kept is the thoughts...