Ise Jingu: The Most Sacred Sinto Shrine in Japan

 

FEEL JINGU

“This is the way life ought to be.” This feeling instantly over flowed with my first steps in Japan. Every day from Tokyo, to Kyoto, Nara, Asuka Village and Niime Okayama, unfolded this epiphany: This is the way life ought to be.”  Now that I think about it, much of that feeling flows like artesian wells from the kind people of Japan and the foundation of Kami-no-ichi.

Kami-no-ichi, Shinto, originated in Japan where it continues without a central authority and is characterized by diversity among its practitioners. Shinto is polytheistic revolving around kami, the spirit entities that inhabit all things in a natural world.  Jinja, public shrines are staffed by Kannushi, priests who oversee the specific kami enshrined at that location.

She lived lived an invisible Shinto and Buddhist life. I didn’t realize it until years after my first 20 day journey across Japan, that though my mother never taught me about Shinto and Buddhism, the dogma, by living it with me I came to recognize it every where I traveled in Japan.

Tommie raised me to see the spirits of all things.  Tamaki Patricia Ishihara, my mother was born in California. Her parents: Jotaro and Taka Ishihara were born in Okayama Japan.

Samurai Gourmet

Thanks to the Japan Fulbright Program, I had both the pleasure and honor of visiting Japan for 21 days.  I was in the company of 199 other American Educators from across the nation and across grade levels K-16.

I thought of this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. With that in mind, I decided to go big or stay home: I would eat only Japanese food for 21 days... exclusively.  While my teacher friends went to McDonalds and KFC, I avoided everything that could be eaten at home and committed to trying everything Japanese that I encountered.

I was generously rewarded with the discovery that: the deeper one’s immersion into an unknown culture, the greater one’s illumination of the people to be encountered. 

Now, fifteen years later, on Netflix I’ve discovered a 12 part Japanese series:  Samurai Gourmet, which affords viewers a “foodie tour of Japan while simultaneously revealing a window into the nuances of the culture. 

My wife Patricia has her own traveling rules: “Eat and drink only local, stay in little local hotels, try all the offbeat shops and museums. That’s the real deal. That’s where the magic happens!” This framework for travel will reward you well in Japan as well.  We have decided to tune our ears for the spoken Japanese language by beginning with this series listening closely to pick up as many terms as possible.

I should say that in 21 days, 3 meals a day, plus snacks at every turn, I only encountered one Japanese dish that I’d not order again: natto for breakfast.  Crystal clear, slimy goupy strands of the most unusual flavor ever to be encountered hitch hiking across any galaxy!

But after 8 additional trips to Japan, natto is back on my list along with raw sea urchin just inspired by episode 11 of Samurai Gourmet.

Click HERE for natto 1.

Click HERE for the Correct Way to Eat Natto

As they say in Japan... Oishi!!

Delicious! 

Confession: On my 6th trip to Japan, I had a Big Mac in Osaka. It was the worst decision made in all of my days in Japan!

Japanese Ancestors: Jason’s Journey

In a dream, Jason, Leandra, and David, Samantha and Cameron are in Japan, the land of our ancestors.

But recently, I’ve seen images of Jason on his own in Asuka Village, Nara, Niimi Okayama, Kyoto,  Osaka, and Tokyo.  In the event that he does travel solo, this is how his journey might unfold.

For example I see Jason at Gango-ji Temple, in Nara

Photo Credit: ミスチー

Here you’ll find your fan-fold Goshuincho, used by people visiting Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.  Goshuincho literally means "honorable stamp/seal book.”  Click HERE for more.

Principal characters

Jason Manzanares lands in Osaka and takes a local train to Nara where he settles in at the Nikko Nara Hotel has dinner and meets Akiko and Yoshio.

While visiting Gango-ji Temple, he buys a goshunicho and has its stamped. Then walks a few more minutes to   Sake tasting tomorrow where sake was first made in Japan.

Other choices:  Kasuga-taisha Shrine, 160 Kasuganocho, Nara, 630-8212, 

or Himoru Shrine. Both are further from Nikko Nara, but easily reached by train.

Akiko and Yoshio Murakami 

Akiko shows Jason the hot spots of Nara.  

Yoshio takes Jason to TenpoPo

Megumi, Shinichi, Yui and Nagi
Yuji and Takao Tanaka

Gassan Sadatoshi, Samurai Sword Artisan

Now comes the second step, traveling to our family ancestral lands.
Sohji, Yuka, Yui, Yuma and Grandma Masako Ishihara Family    Jason and Sohji are brothers in this story.
The Kobayakawa Family where I see a quiet beginning and an unexpected chemistry.  I see a happy jovial gathering here.
Kiyoshi Yamauchi

Beyond our Ancestors
and finally Mio of Hiroshima

You won’t realize it until you’re back home, but your new Temple book gives you a subtle window into Japan that is meaningful but easily missed.  

In my book it’s a must for your Journey.  

Click HERE for more.

Photo credit: Nirotake Udono

Gango-ji Temple is a 21 minute walk from Nikko Nara Hotel

And just a short walk from Gango-ji Temple is Harushika Sake Brewery!

Nara is the birthplace of sake in Japan.  At Harushika Sake Brewery you will get a chance to sample all the sake you’d like to try.

Photo credit:  Google Maps

Photo credit: Harushika Sake Brewery

Click HERE for their website.

By the way they are hiring!

There are 30 different types of restaurants in Japan!  Click HERE for more.

Tokyo is number 1 city for the most Michelin restaurants anywhere in the world. Click HERE for details.  Many restaurants in Japan decline to participate in the Michelin System.

Leandra and the Kalt Family Tour First Tour of Japan

Famous Hot Springs of Minakami-Town, Gunma Prefecture

Onsen is the word for hot spring in Japan, a volcanically active country with thousands of onsens throughout all of its major islands. 

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE for Takaragawa Onsen

Memories of Kindness Echoing Softly in the Clouds

Three Weeks of Autumn in Kyoto will be my 10th journey to Japan. As those thoughts form, they dance in the company of emotions and memories from earlier trips, like this one.

Making friends with Yuji Ishihara.

on ken, koh yu, ko ji.

When I first met Yuji, I didn't know I'd be the last friend he'd ever make. He was dying but I wouldn't know that for two years. I didn't know that his afterlife Buddhist character name would be: 

on ken, koh yu, ko ji.

“On ken stands for kindness".  Most fitting as I felt deep kindness in his character from our first day together.  You see, upon the death of someone in Japan, they are given a new Buddhist name  for the afterlife. Sohji, his son took the time to sketch out the details of ...   on ken, koh yu, ko ji. (see the post-it below, on the left.

on ken ... means kindness

koh yu ... means Buddhist World

ko ji ... means Sir

Sohji told me in advance of my upcoming trip that his father would not be home. That he'd be in the hospital for chemotherapy.  I asked if Yuji would be able to take a visit from me.  Sohji picked me up at the Okayama train station and took me straight to the hospital where Yuji introduced me to his chemo friends. He shared my gift box of See's Candy chocolates with them, they, happy for the unexpected sweet treat. Then we walked back to his hospital room for a long chat in private.  He was happy for my visit and towards the end of our time together he asked:  "Does this mean we're friends now?”  Knowing Yuji loved philosophy I quoted Aristotle who once said:  "What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”  We sat enjoying the quiet.  

Yuji showing his Family Koseki

My Friend Yuji:  Short documentary CLICK here.

I went to Japan in search of the land of my mother's parents. I wanted to walk the paths they walked before leaving Japan in 1906. Along that journey I met Sohji and his father Yuji Ishihara, a hidden genius who could solve the most impenetrable mysteries. This is about My Friend Yuji...

Yuji knew I could find my mother's Japanese cousins by visiting the oldest Buddhist monk in Niimi (left) . The next day Yuji drove me to Konzoji Buddhist Temple. I knocked politely on the door, a were greeted by a younger monk who escorted us to a meeting room for tea. Yuji knew that the old monk knew every family in Niimi and his knowledge of local history would be the best place to learn about my Ishihara and Kobayakawa lineage. The old priest studied my koseki (official genealogical document) and after about 10 minutes, his eyes widened, reflecting on a memory. He jumped out of his chair and motioned for me to follow him to a window overlooking an expansive valley below. Pointing to one story buildings in the distant valley he said:

"See those two buildings? The white one on the right is a hospital. Your mother's cousin is a nurse, she works there!" And so in this manner Yuji drove me to that building on the right. Tamaki Ishihara, my mother would have been happy to meet her cousin Kyoko Kobayakawa.

Much later I learned in California that Yuji had terminal lung cancer. Now that I look back on my moments with Yuji Ishihara, I get the feeling I was spending time with Buddha.

Sohji told me in advance of my upcoming trip that his father would not be home. That he'd be in the hospital for chemotherapy. I asked if Yuji would be able to take a visit from me. Sohji picked me up at the Okayama train station and took me straight to the hospital where Yuji introduced me to his chemo friends. He shared my gift box of See's Candy chocolates with them, they, happy for the unexpected sweet treat. Then we walked back to his hospital room for a long chat in private. He was happy for my visit and towards the end of our time together he asked: "Does this mean we're friends now?” Knowing Yuji loved philosophy I quoted Aristotle who once said: "What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” We sat enjoying the quiet.

Oishii means Delicious in Japanese

 Oishii

Oishii means delicious in Japanese: Click HERE for the video.

30 Types of Restaurants in Japan 

Click HERE for more.

Walking the ancient Tokaido and Nakasendo roads between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto.  The Tokaido was the most important of the five Edo period routes.

Between Edo and Kyoto, there are 53 waypoint stations for rest and lodging along this ancient highway.

Walking the Nakasendo with Anna: Click HERE

Finding Our Japanese Ancestors

Jason Manzanares, Leandra, Samantha, and Cameron Kalt as well as  Matthew Mori, Chucky Thomas, Jarod and I are Japanese American, our more distant ancestors once lived in Japan, but how to find them from so far away and after the passage of so much time? 

Michie Kobayakawa

This blog began as a journal of my geneological quest and will serve as a “Guidebook” for Matthew,  Chuck, Jarod and others curious about meeting their uncles, aunts and cousins still living in that distant land.

All I knew was that I’d find my answers starting at Niimi City Hall, near where my grandparents grew up.  When I departed on my first Japanese geneology expedition I didn’t know what the documents would look like that would lead me to my original Japanese family. But soon I learned that a koseki (戸籍) is a family registry where local authorities record:

• family name and given name
• date of birth
• date of records and causes (marriage, death, adoption, etc.)
• names of the father and the mother and the relation to them
• if adopted, names of the adoptive father and mother
• if married, whether the person is a husband or a wife
• if transferred from another koseki, the former koseki
• registered domicile (honseki-chi)
  

The Koseki document (below) from my Ishihara Family was printed out after four city hall clerks searched four hours at Niimi City Hall in Okayama Prefecture.

These koseki documents are Jarod and Chucky’s goal when searching for their living relatives in Japan.

 

Click HERE for MyKoseki.com 

 

This is what led me to: