1.
Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)
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Main hall is the term used in English for the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound which enshrines the main object of veneration. Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them Butsuden, Butsu-dō, kondō, konpon-chūdō, and hondō. Hondō is its exact Japanese equivalent, while the others are more specialized words used by particular sects or for edifices having a particular structure, the term kondō, literally golden hall, started to be used during the Asuka and Nara periods. A kondō is the centerpiece of an ancient Buddhist temples garan in Japan, the origin of the name is uncertain, but it may derive from the perceived preciousness of its content, or from the fact that the interior was lined with gold. This is the used by the oldest temples in the country. The second story has the dimensions as the temples core at the first story. Some temples, for example Asuka-dera or Hōryū-ji, have more than one kondō, because of its limited size, worshipers were not allowed to enter the building and had to stand outside. The kondō and a pagoda were usually surrounded by a corridor called kairō, the use of kondō declined after the 10th century, when it was replaced by a hondō divided in naijin and gejin. The term remained in use even up to the Edo period. The term hondō, literally means hall and it enshrines the most important objects of veneration. The term is thought to have evolved during the 9th century to avoid the early term kondō and it became common after the introduction of the two Mikkyo sects to Japan. Various new types of buildings, including the hondō, were built during the Heian period. Different buildings were called hondō depending on the sect, for example, the kondō, the chudō, mieidō, a notable evolution of the hondō during this period is the inclusion of a space for worshipers inside the hondō itself, called gejin. Other names such as Konpon-chūdō, literally cardinal central hall are used as well, the Tokugawa funeral temple of Kanei-ji, which had been built explicitly to imitate Enryaku-ji, also had one, though it has not survived. Yama-dera in Yamagata is another example of a temple using this name, the Butsuden or Butsu-dō, literally Buddha Hall, is the main hall of Zen temples of schools such as the Sōtō 曹洞 and Rinzai 臨済. This architectonic style arrived together with Zen during the Kamakura period and it is also known that during the 13th and 14th centuries very large butsuden measuring 5x5 bays square having a mokoshi were built, but none survives. Large size 3x3 bay butsuden with a mokoshi however still exist, in the case of the Ōbaku Zen school that arrived late in Japan, the architecture retained the Ming Chinese style. The hondō of Ōbaku Zen temples is usually called daiyū-hōden, literally ‘the Treasured Hall of the Mahāvīra ’, an example can be found at Mampuku-ji
2.
Chiba Prefecture
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Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. The sixth most populous prefecture, and 27th largest by area, Chiba is on the east coast of Honshu and largely consists of the Bōsō Peninsula. The name of Chiba Prefecture in Japanese is formed from two kanji characters, the first, 千, means thousand and the second, 葉 means leaves. The name first appears as an ancient kuni no miyatsuko, or regional command office, the name was adopted by a branch of the Taira clan, which moved to the area in present-day Chiba City in the late Heian period. The branch of the Taira adopted the name and became the Chiba clan and this compound is used in terms such as the Keiyō Line, Keiyō Road, Keiyō Rinkai Railway Rinkai Main Line, and the Keiyō Industrial Zone. Chiba Prefecture was settled in times, as evidenced by the Jōmon period remains in every part of the region. The prefecture holds the largest kaizuka sea shell mounds in Japan, evidence of a population in the prefecture that relied on the rich marine products of the Pacific Ocean. Kofun burial mounds are found across the prefecture, with the largest group being in Futtsu along Tokyo Bay, in the Asuka period, under the Taika Reform of 645, the administrative structure of present-day Chiba Prefecture changed significantly. Awa Province at the south of Chiba Prefecture, was separated from Kazusa Prefecture in 718 and these administrative units existed until they were abolished and merged into Chiba Prefecture after the Meiji restoration. The central government established a provincial temple in each province. The imperial court gradually extended its authority over the three provinces in the Nara and Heian periods, shōen feudal estates were established across the three provinces, and the region became an important source of tax revenue, agricultural and other products to the capital in Kyoto. As the Heian period progressed, however, the provincial governors came to exert military power independent of the central government in Kyoto. The Chiba clan broke entirely with the court and was instrumental in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate. Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15,1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture, the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake caused widespread destruction in Chiba Prefecture, notably in the southernmost part of the Bōsō Peninsula, where 1,300 residents were killed. Koreans in several neighborhoods of Yachiyo were killed, and a tower was erected in 1972 near Yachiyodai Station to memorialize those killed in the incident, the militarization of Chiba Prefecture dates to the Russo-Japanese War. Coastal fortifications were built along Tokyo Bay as far south as Tateyama to protect the capital of the Japanese Empire from attack, after the United States took control of Saipan the northern part of the prefecture, most notably the city of Chiba and Chōshi, were firebombed. Much of the north of the prefecture was destroyed. Operation Coronet, one of two parts of Operation Downfall, was the land invasion of Tokyo in March 1946 by the United States
3.
Shingon Buddhism
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For that reason, it is often called Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, or Orthodox Esoteric Buddhism. The word Shingon is the Japanese reading of Chinese, 真言 Zhēnyán True Words, Kūkai returned to Japan as Huiguos lineage- and Dharma-successor. Shingon followers usually refer to Kūkai as Kōbō-Daishi or Odaishi-sama, the name given to him years after his death by Emperor Daigo. Before he went to China, Kūkai had been an independent monk in Japan for over a decade and he was extremely well versed in classical Chinese prose, calligraphy and Buddhist texts. Esoteric Buddhism was not considered to be a different sect or school yet at that time, Huiguo was the first person to gather the still scattered elements of Indian and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism into a cohesive system. When Kūkai was 22, he learned this mantra from Gonsō and he persevered in this mantra practice for seven years and mastered it. According to tradition, this brought him siddhis of superhuman memory retention. Kūkai would later praise the power and efficacy of Kokuzō-Gumonjiho practice, kūkais respect for Ākāśagarbha was so great that he regarded him as his honzon for the rest of his life. It was also during this period of intense mantra practice that Kūkai dreamt of a man telling him to out the Mahavairocana Tantra for the doctrine that he sought. The Mahavairocana Tantra had only recently made available in Japan. He was able to obtain a copy in Chinese but large portions were in Sanskrit in the Siddhaṃ script, which he did not know, and even the Chinese portions were too arcane for him to understand. He believed that teaching was a door to the truth he sought. Thus, Kūkai resolved to travel to China to spend the necessary to fully understand the Mahavairocana Tantra. When Kūkai reached China and first met Huiguo on the month of 805, Huiguo was age sixty. Huiguo exclaimed to Kūkai in Chinese, At last, you have come, I have been waiting for you. Quickly, prepare yourself for initiation into the mandalas, Huiguo had foreseen that Esoteric Buddhism would not survive in India and China in the near future and that it was Kukais destiny to see it continue in Japan. In the short space of three months, Huiguo initiated and taught Kūkai everything he knew on the doctrines and practices of the Mandala of the Two Realms as well as mastery of Sanskrit and Chinese. Huiguo declared Kūkai to be his disciple and proclaimed him a Dharma successor
4.
Japan
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Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
5.
Narita, Chiba
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Narita is a city in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the site of Narita International Airport, the international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area. As of February 1,2016, the city has an population of 131,096. Its total area was 213.84 square kilometres, the area Narita has been inhabited since the Japanese Paleolithic period. Archaeologists have found tools dating to some 30,000 years ago on the site of Narita Airport. Numerous shell middens from the Jōmon period, and hundreds of tumuli from the Kofun period have been found in numerous locations around Narita. Place names in the vicinity of Narita appear in the Nara period Manyōshū, during the Heian period, the area was a center for the revolt of Taira Masakado. During the Edo period, the continued to prosper as part of the tenryō within Shimōsa Province under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as a town under Inba District on April 1,1889, portions of the town were destroyed by Allied air raids in February and May,1945. On March 31,1954, Narita gained city status through merger with the villages of Habu, Nakago, Kuzumi, Toyosumi, Toyama. Growth in the began in earnest in 1966, when Prime Minister Eisaku Sato laid out the plan for Narita International Airport. The development of the airport and accompanying access to central Tokyo led to residential, commercial and industrial development in the city. However, construction of the airport was opposed, and violent demonstrations occurred through the end of the 1960s and early 1970s. On March 27,2006, the towns of Shimofusa and Taiei were merged into Narita, Central Narita is roughly defined as the area between Narita Station, Keisei Narita Station and the Narita-san Temple. The main road in central Narita is Omotesandō, which is lined with about 150 small shops and has extensively renovated in recent years. Narita New Town is a residential area to the west of Narita Station. It has 16,000 homes with a population of 60,000. The area was designed in 1968 based on the new towns surrounding London in the UK, there are also several Urban Renaissance Agency and other government-subsidized housing projects in the area
6.
Acala
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Acala is a dharmapala primarily revered in Vajrayana Buddhism. He is a deity particularly in Shingon traditions of Japan where he is known as Fudō Myō-ō, in Tangmi traditions China, in Nepal and Tibet as Candarosana. He is classed among the Wisdom Kings and preeminent among the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm, accordingly, his figure occupies an important hierarchical position in the pictorial diagramatic Mandala of the Two Realms. He mirrors Vidyaraja, or king of knowledge in Sanskrit texts of Buddhism, in Japan, Acala is highly venerated in the Shingon Buddhism, Tendai, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism and in Shugendō. Fudō Myō-ō is also highly revered amongst some Yakuza members, who draw on his intense facial expression. Descriptions of his physical appearance derive from such scriptural source as the Mahavairocana Tantra and his face is expressive of extreme wrath, wrinkle-browed, left eye squinted or looking askance, lower teeth biting down the upper lip. He has the physique of a corpulent child and he bears a straight sword in his right hand, and a lariat or noose in his left hand. He is engulfed in flame, and seated on a rock base. Acala is said to be a deity who protects all by burning away all impediments antarāya and defilements. Under this conceptualization, the kings are ranked superior to the dharmapala. Nevertheless, this distinction sometimes fails to be asserted, or the two are treated as synonymous by many commentators, even in clearly Japanese religious contexts. The Sanskrit symbol that represents Acala is hāṃ हां, conventionally transliterated kān, however, it has been confounded with the similar glyph, prompting some commentators to mistakenly identify Acala with other deities. Thus Shingon Buddhist mourners assign Fudō the first seven days of service, the first week is an important observance, but perhaps not as prominently important as the observance of seven times seven days signifying the end of intermediate state. Literature on Shingon Buddhist ritual will explain that such and such Sanskrit seed syllable, or mantra or mudra is attendant to each of the buddhas for each observance period. There is claim that Acala is identifiable with one of the two kings or Niō, or the guardian deities in Japan, but that assertion is not backed by much of the available commentary on the deity. One source which makes this claim explains that the seed syllable हूं hūṃ represents Acala, but Acalas symbol is hāṃ हां as aforementioned and this probably led to the further assertion that Acala was to be identified with the closed-mouthed Nio statue represented by the hūm sound. If Acala were a Nio gate guardian, then by transference he would belong to the class of beings called Vajrapani, however, that is strictly a Japanese interpretation. In commentary on Tibetan art, one encounters many references to the Acala-Vajrapani, Fudo Myo-O, 不動明王 O-Fudo-sama in Japan Ellen Schattschneider Fudo Myoo - In, immortal wishes Shingon Buddhist International Institute Tendai Buddhist Sangha in Denver Colorado
7.
Samurai
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Samurai were the military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan. In Japanese, they are referred to as bushi or buke. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean those who serve in close attendance to the nobility, the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, a reference to the word samurai appears in the Kokin Wakashū. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, the samurai were usually associated with a clan and their lord, and were trained as officers in military tactics and grand strategy. While the samurai numbered less than 10% of then Japans population, following the Battle of Hakusukinoe against Tang China and Silla in 663 AD, which led to a retreat from Korean affairs, Japan underwent widespread reform. One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform and this edict allowed the Japanese aristocracy to adopt the Tang dynasty political structure, bureaucracy, culture, religion, and philosophy. As part of the Taihō Code of 702 AD, and the later Yōrō Code, the population was required to regularly for census. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Monmu introduced a law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males were drafted into the national military and these soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in-return were exempted from duties and taxes. This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system and it was called Gundan-Sei by later historians and is believed to have been short-lived. The Taihō Code classified most of the Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks and those of 6th rank and below were referred to as samurai and dealt with day-to-day affairs. Although these samurai were civilian public servants, the word is believed to have derived from this term. Military men, however, would not be referred to as samurai for many more centuries, Emperor Kanmu introduced the title of seii-taishōgun, or Shogun, and began to rely on the powerful regional clans to conquer the Emishi. Skilled in mounted combat and archery, these clan warriors became the Emperors preferred tool for putting down rebellions, though this is the first known use of the Shogun title, it was a temporary title, and was not imbued with political power until the 13th century. At this time, the Imperial Court officials considered them to be merely a military section under the control of the Imperial Court, ultimately, Emperor Kanmu disbanded his army. From this time, the Emperors power gradually declined, while the Emperor was still the ruler, powerful clans around Kyoto assumed positions as ministers, and their relatives bought positions as magistrates. To amass wealth and repay their debts, magistrates often imposed heavy taxes, through protective agreements and political marriages, they accumulated, or gathered, political power, eventually surpassing the traditional aristocracy. Some clans were formed by farmers who had taken up arms to protect themselves from the Imperial magistrates sent to govern their lands
8.
Taira no Masakado
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Taira no Masakado was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto. Masakado was a member of the Kammu Taira clan of Japan and he was the son of Taira no Yoshimochi, Chinjufu Shogun. His childhood name was Sōma Kojirō, Taira no Masakado was a powerful landowner in the Kantō region. He is regarded as the first bushi because he was the first to lead a self-governing party and his life is detailed in the Shōmonki, a detailed book about his life believed to have been completed as early as the 940s by an anonymous author. Due to the religious and political nature of the account, it was most probably written by a monk or aristocrat closely connected to Masakado himself, in 939 during the Heian period of Japanese history, Masakado led a minor rebellion which is also known as Jōhei Tengyo no ran. The armed struggle began when Masakado led an attack on an outpost of the government in Hitachi Province. In December of that year, he conquered Shimotsuke and Kōzuke Provinces, Masakado killed his uncle Kunika who was part Taira. The head found its way to Shibasaki, a fishing village on the edge of the ocean and the future site of Edo. The kubizuka, or grave, which is located in the present day Ōtemachi section of Tokyo, was on a hill rising out of Tokyo Bay at the time, through land reclamation over the centuries, the bay has receded some three kilometers to the south. When Masakado was preparing for his revolt, a vast swarm of butterflies appeared in Kyoto, a portent of the upcoming battle. Over the centuries, Masakado became a demigod to the locals who were impressed by his stand against the central government, while at the same time feeling the need to appease his malevolent spirit. Hence, to day, the shrine is well maintained. Other shrines which he is deity of include Kanda Shrine, the First Samurai, the Life & Legend of the Warrior Rebel Taira Masakado New York, John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 047176082X, ISBN 978-0471760825 Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC48943301 Yoshikawa, Eiji. Yoshikawa Eiji Rekishi Jidai Bunko, Vol.46, Taira no Masakado, houghton Mifflin & Co. http, //www. mackinnon. org/masakado-home. html http, //english. tsukudo. jp/
9.
Jingo-ji
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Jingo-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It stands on Mount Takao to the northwest of the center of the city, the temple adheres to Shingon Buddhism. Its gohonzon is a statue of Bhaisajyaguru, the Buddha of Healing or Medicine Buddha, the temple was established in the year 824, as a merger of two private temples founded earlier by Wake no Kiyomaro. They were the Jingan-ji in Kiyomaros home province and the Takaosan-ji, Jingo-ji holds sixteen National Treasures of Japan. They include the honzon and other statues, another treasure is a list written by Kūkai in 812 called the Name List of Abhisheka and displays some of Kukais talent for calligraphy. This list contains people and deities in 812 who underwent the abhisheka at Takaosan-ji presided by Kūkai, the Buddhist Sutra “Bimashōkyō”, translated by Guṇabhadra, was handed down at the temple. It is one of the a volume from the Issaikyō, commonly known as Jingo-ji kyō, the corpus originally consisted of more than 5,400 volumes in total, but only 2,317 still remain as the rest were scattered outside the temple. Buildings at Jingo-ji have been destroyed by fire and war, of the original buildings, only the Daishi-dō survived the Ōnin War, even the present Daishi-dō is of uncertain date. Itakura Katsushige, a daimyo and former Kyoto shoshidai in the Tokugawa shogunate, another reconstruction took place in the 1930s with a contribution from Gendō Yamaguchi. Present structures include the following, Rōmon Kondō, housing the image of Yakushi Nyorai. Bishamon-dō Godai-dō, housing statues of Fudō Myōō and other wrathful deities, bell tower Daishi-dō Tahōtō The temple is located above the Kiyotaki River, and has a special ceremonial well built on the grounds. Visitors can purchase tiny plates made of clay to throw out from the famous cliffs, buses from the center of the city arrive at a stop alongside the road. A long set of stairs leads down to the river, a similar set of stairs leads up to the gate of the temple. Other information obtained by Japanese documentary hyakuji junrei
10.
Kyoto
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Kyoto is a city located in the central part of the island of Honshu, Japan. It has a close to 1.5 million. Kyoto is also known as the thousand-year capital, in Japanese, the city has been called Kyō, Miyako, or Kyō no Miyako. In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto, after the Chinese word for capital city, after the city of Edo was renamed Tokyo in 1868, and the seat of the Emperor was transferred there, Kyoto was known for a short time as Saikyō. Obsolete spellings for the name include Kioto, Miaco and Meaco. Another term commonly used to refer to the city in the period was Keishi. His last choice for the site was the village of Uda, the new city, Heian-kyō, a scaled replica of the then Tang capital Changan, became the seat of Japans imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history. The city suffered destruction in the Ōnin War of 1467–1477. Battles between samurai factions spilled into the streets, and came to involve the court nobility and religious factions as well, nobles mansions were transformed into fortresses, deep trenches dug throughout the city for defense and as firebreaks, and numerous buildings burned. The city has not seen such widespread destruction since, Hideyoshi also built earthwork walls called odoi encircling the city. Teramachi Street in central Kyoto is a Buddhist temple quarter where Hideyoshi gathered temples in the city, throughout the Edo period, the economy of the city flourished as one of three major cities in Japan, the others being Osaka and Edo. The Hamaguri rebellion of 1864 burnt down 28,000 houses in the city, the modern city of Kyoto was formed on April 1,1889. The construction of Lake Biwa Canal in 1890 is one taken to revive the city. The population of the city exceeded one million in 1932, stimson, Secretary of War in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the city was removed from the list of targets and replaced by Nagasaki. The city was spared from conventional bombing as well, although small-scale air raids did result in casualties. As a result, the Imperial City of Kyoto is one of the few Japanese cities that still have an abundance of prewar buildings, however, modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the Kyōto Station complex. Kyoto became a city designated by government ordinance on September 1,1956, in 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the protocol on greenhouse gas emissions that bears the citys name. Kyoto is located in a valley, part of the Yamashiro Basin, in the part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba highlands
11.
Homa (ritual)
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Homa is a Sanskrit word that refers to a ritual, wherein an oblation or any religious offering is made into fire. A Homa is sometimes called a sacrifice ritual because the fire destroys the offering, the fire is the agent, and the offerings include those that are material and symbolic such as grains, clarified butter, milk, incense and seeds. It is rooted in the Vedic religion, and was adopted in ancient times by Buddhism and Jainism, the practice spread from India to Central Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Homa rituals remain an important part of many Hindu ceremonies, and variations of Homa continue to be practiced in current-day Buddhism, particularly in parts of Tibet and it is also found in modern Jainism. A Homa ritual is known by names, such as yajna in Hinduism which sometimes means larger public fire rituals. In modern times, a Homa or Havana tends to refer to a private ritual around a symbolic fire, the Sanskrit word Homa is from the root hu, which refers to pouring into fire, offer, sacrifice. Some sources treat the words homa/homam and havan as synonymous, Homa traditions are found all across Asia, from Samarqand to Japan, over a 3000-year history. A homa, in all its Asian variations, is a ritual that offers food to fire and is ultimately linked to the traditions contained in the Vedic religion. The tradition reflects a reverence for fire and cooked food that developed in Asia, yajna or the Vedic fire sacrifice ritual became a distinct feature of the early Sruti rituals. A srauta ritual is a form of quid pro quo where through the ritual, a sacrificer offered something to the Gods and Goddesses. This Vedic tradition split into Srauta and Smarta, the homa-style Vedic sacrifice ritual, states Musashi Tachikawa, was absorbed into Mahayana Buddhism and homa rituals continue to be performed in some Buddhist traditions in Tibet, China and Japan. The Homa ritual grammar is common to many Sanskara ceremonies in various Hindu traditions, the Vedic fire ritual, at the core of various Homa ritual variations in Hinduism, is a bilaterally symmetrical structure of a rite. The Homa rituals altar is itself a symmetry, most often a square, the sequence of homa ritual events similarly, from beginning to end, are structured around the principles of symmetry. The forms and means of offerings, states Michael Witzel, are symbolism of the masculine and feminine, the fire-altar is generally made of brick or stone or a copper vessel, and is almost always built specifically for the occasion, being dismantled immediately afterwards. This fire-altar is invariably built in square shape, while very large vedis are occasionally built for major public homas, the usual altar may be as small as 1 x 1 foot square and rarely exceeds 3 x 3 feet square. A ritual space of homa, the altar is temporary and movable, the first step in a homa ritual is the construction of the ritual enclosure, and the last step is its deconstruction. The altar and mandapa is consecrated by a priest, creating a space for the ritual ceremony. With hymns sung, the fire is started, offerings collected, the sacrificer enters, symbolically cleanses himself or herself, with water, joins the homa ritual, gods invited, prayers recited, conch shell blown
12.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
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Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which effectively ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605 and his given name is sometimes spelled Iyeyasu, according to the historical pronunciation of he. Ieyasu was posthumously enshrined at Nikkō Tōshō-gū with the name Tōshō Daigongen and he was one of the three unifiers of Japan, along with his Former Lord Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa on the 26th day of the month of the eleventh year of Tenbun. His mother and father were step-siblings and they were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. Two years later, Odai-no-kata was sent back to her family, as both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu in the end had 11 half-brothers and sisters. The Matsudaira family was split in 1550, one wanted to be vassals of the Imagawa clan. As a result, much of Ieyasus early years were spent in danger as wars with the Oda and this family feud was the reason behind the murder of Ieyasus paternal grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu. Unlike his father and the majority of his branch of the family, Ieyasus father, Hirotada, in 1548, when the Oda clan invaded Mikawa, Hirotada turned to Imagawa Yoshimoto, the head of the Imagawa clan, for help to repel the invaders. Yoshimoto agreed under the condition that Hirotada send Ieyasu to Sunpu as a hostage, Oda Nobuhide, the leader of the Oda clan, learned of this arrangement and had Ieyasu abducted from his entourage en route to Sunpu. Ieyasu was just five years old at the time, Nobuhide threatened to execute Ieyasu unless his father severed all ties with the Imagawa clan. Hirotada replied that sacrificing his own son would show his seriousness in his pact with the Imagawa clan, despite this refusal, Nobuhide chose not to kill Ieyasu, but instead held him for the next three years at the Mansho Temple in Nagoya. In 1549, when Ieyasu was 6, his father Hirotada was murdered by his own treacherous vassals, at about the same time, Oda Nobuhide died during an epidemic. Nobuhides death dealt a blow to the Oda clan. An army under the command of Imagawa Sessai laid siege to the castle where Oda Nobuhiro, Nobuhides eldest son, with the castle about to fall, Sessai offered a deal to Oda Nobunaga, Nobuhides second son. Sessai offered to give up the siege if Ieyasu was handed over to the Imagawa, Nobunaga agreed, and so Ieyasu was taken as a hostage to Sunpu. Here he lived a good life as hostage and potentially useful future ally of the Imagawa clan until 1556 when he was age 13 years old. In 1556 he came of age, and, following tradition, one year later, at the age of 13, he married his first wife, Lady Tsukiyama, and changed his name again to Matsudaira Kurandonosuke Motoyasu
13.
Edo
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Edo, also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. It was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868, during this period, it grew to become one of the largest cities in the world and home to an urban culture centered on the notion of a floating world. From the establishment of the Tokugawa bakufu headquarters at Edo, the became the de facto capital and center of political power. Edo grew from what had been a small, little-known fishing village in 1457 into the largest metropolis in the world with a population of 1,000,000 by 1721. Edo was repeatedly devastated by fires, with the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 being the most disastrous, an estimated 100,000 people died in the fire. During the Edo period, there were about 100 fires mostly begun by accident, between 1600 and 1945, Edo/Tokyo was leveled every 25–50 years or so by fire, earthquakes, or war. In 1868, when the shogunate came to an end, the city was renamed Tokyo, the emperor moved his residence to Tokyo, making the city the formal capital of Japan, Keiō4, On the 17th day of the 7th month, Edo was renamed Tokyo. Keiō4, On the 27th day of the 8th month, Keiō4, On the eighth day of the ninth month, the nengō was formally changed from Keiō to Meiji and a general amnesty was granted. Meiji 2, On the 23rd day of the 10th month, ishimaru Sadatsuga was the magistrate of Edo in 1661. During the Edo period, the Shogunate appointed administrators with jurisdiction over the police, and beginning with the rule of Tokugawa Yoshimune), the machi bugyō heard criminal and civil suits, and performed other administrative functions. The city was out as a castle town around Edo Castle. Kyotos character was defined by the Imperial Court, the nobles, its Buddhist temples and its history, Osaka was the countrys commercial center. Areas further from the center were the domain of the chōnin, the area known as Shitamachi, northeast of the castle, was a center of urban culture. The ancient Buddhist temple of Sensō-ji still stands in Asakusa, marking the center of an area of traditional Shitamachi culture, some shops in the streets near the temple have existed continuously in the same location since the Edo period. The Sumida River, then called the Great River, ran along the edge of the city. The shogunates official rice-storage warehouses, other buildings and some of the citys best-known restaurants were located here. The Japan Bridge marked the center of the commercial center. Fishermen, craftsmen and other producers and retailers operated here, shippers managed ships known as tarubune to and from Osaka and other cities, bringing goods into the city or transferring them from sea routes to river barges or land routes such as the Tōkaidō
14.
Sakura Domain
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Sakura Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Shimōsa Province, Japan. It was centered on Sakura Castle in what is now the city of Sakura and it was ruled for most of its history by the Hotta clan. The domain subsequently passed through a number of hands during the 1600s. During the Bakumatsu period, Hotta Masayoshi was one of the proponents of rangaku. He was one of the signers of the Treaty of Amity and his son, Hotta Masatomo was a key supporter of the Tokugawa shogunate in the early stages of the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration, he was pardoned, and eventually made a count in the kazoku peerage, historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan. Treasures among men, the daimyo in Tokugawa Japan. Kodama Kōta 児玉幸多, Kitajima Masamoto 北島正元, genealogy of the lords of Sakura
15.
Tendai
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Tendai is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. David W. Philosophically, the Tendai school did not deviate substantially from the beliefs that had created by the Tiantai school in China. However, what Saichō transmitted from China was not exclusively Tiantai, but also included Zen, the esoteric Mikkyō, the tendency to include a range of teachings became more marked in the doctrines of Saichōs successors, such as Ennin and Enchin. However, in years, this range of teachings began to form sub-schools within Tendai Buddhism. By the time of Ryōgen, there were two groups on Mt. Hiei, the Sammon Mountain Group who followed Ennin and the Jimon Temple Group who followed Enchin. The Tendai sect flourished under the patronage of the Imperial House, in 794, the Imperial capital was moved to Kyoto. Tendai Buddhism became the dominant form of mainstream Buddhism in Japan for many years, nichiren, Hōnen, Shinran and Dōgen—all famous thinkers in non-Tendai schools of Japanese Buddhism—were all initially trained as Tendai monks. Japanese Buddhism was dominated by the Tendai school to a greater degree than Chinese Buddhism was by its forebearer. Due to its patronage and growing popularity among the classes, the Tendai sect became not only respected. Enryaku-ji, the complex on Mt. Hiei, became a sprawling center of power, attended not only by ascetic monks. As a result, in 1571 Enryaku-ji was razed by Oda Nobunaga as part of his campaign to unify Japan, Nobunaga regarded the Mt. Hiei monks as a potential threat or rival, as they could employ religious claims to attempt to rally the populace to their side. The temple complex was rebuilt, and continues to serve as the head temple of the Tendai school today. Chih-i, founder of Tien-tai philosophy and practice attempted this synthesis on the basis of the doctrine of the Lotus Sutra. Tendai Buddhism has several philosophical insights which allow for the reconciliation of Buddhist doctrine with aspects of Japanese culture such as Shinto and it is rooted in the idea, fundamental to Mahayana Buddhism, that Buddha-hood, the capability to attain enlightenment, is intrinsic in all things. Also central to Mahayana is the notion that the phenomenal world and this notion poses the problem of how we come to have many differentiated experiences. Tendai Buddhism claims that each and every sense phenomenon just as it is is the expression of Dharma, for Tendai, the ultimate expression of Dharma is the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, the nature of all sense experiences consists in the Buddhas preaching of the doctrine of Lotus Sutra. The existence and experience of all unenlightened beings is fundamentally equivalent, more specifically, Shimaji used original enlightenment thought to designate the intellectual mainstream of medieval Japanese Tendai Buddhism
16.
Enryaku-ji
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Enryaku-ji is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period, the temple complex was established by Saichō, also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism to Japan from China. Enryaku-ji is the headquarters of the Tendai sect and one of the most significant monasteries in Japanese history, as such, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The founders of Jōdo-shū, Sōtō Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism all spent time at the monastery, Enryaku-ji is also the home of the marathon monks. With the support of Emperor Kanmu, the Buddhist monk Saichō ordained a hundred disciples in 807, maintaining a strict discipline on Mt. Hiei, his monks lived in seclusion for twelve years of study and meditation. After this period, the best students were retained in positions in the monastery, at the peak of its power, Enryaku-ji was a huge complex of as many as 3,000 sub-temples and a powerful army of warrior monks. In the tenth century, succession disputes broke out between Tendai monks of the line of Ennin and Enchin and these disputes resulted in opposing Tendai centers at Enryaku-ji and at Mii-dera, known respectively as the Mountain Order and the Temple Order. Warrior monks were used to settle the disputes, and Tendai leaders began to hire mercenary armies who threatened rivals, Enryaku-jis current structures date from the late 16th century through the first half of the 17th century, when the temple was reconstructed following a change of government. Only one minor building survived, the Ruri-dō, which is located down a long, unmarked path from the Sai-tō complex, it is marked on maps, however. During reconstruction, some buildings were transferred from other temples, notably Mii-dera, today, most of Enryaku-jis buildings are clustered in three areas, Tō-dō, Sai-tō, and Yokokawa. The monasterys most important buildings are concentrated in Tō-dō, Sai-tō is a 20-minute walk away, primarily downhill from Tō-dō, and also features several important buildings. Yokokawa is more isolated and less visited, about a 1,30 walk, and is most easily reached by bus, on April 4,2006, Enryaku-ji performed a ceremony for former leaders of Yamaguchi-gumi, by far the largest Yakuza organization in Japan. Because such temple ceremonies have been used for Yamaguchi-gumi fund-raising and demonstrations of power, rejecting the request, Enryaku-ji received crime-related money for the ceremony and allowed nearly 100 upper-level Yamaguchi-gumi leaders to attend. After reports in the Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers, Enryaku-ji faced a nationwide scandal, the temple was also criticized by the Japan Buddhist Temple Association, which led a movement against the Yakuza. Finally on May 18, all directors of Enryaku-ji resigned, apologizing on their website. Kyoto, The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869, official website Japan Atlas, Enryaku-Ji Temple Photos of Mount Hiei and the three precincts of Enryaku-ji Temple
17.
Tokugawa Ietsuna
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Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which would make him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, Tokugawa Ietsuna was born in 1641, allegedly the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu with his concubine, Oraku no Kata later Houjuin. Later Ietsuna was raised by Iemitsus concubine, Oman no kata like his sister, Chiyohime born by Ofuri. After Eikoin died, Senhime raised him, at that time his father was shogun in his own right, and had enacted several anti-Christian measures after the bloody Shimabara Rebellion of 1637. Though the suppression of this rebellion quelled all serious threats to Tokugawa rule, Ietsuna was a frail child, and this carried over into his adult years. Nothing else is known of his youth and he married Asa no Miya Akiko, daughter of Fushimi no Miya Sadakiyo, in 1658. After his death, the Tokugawa dynasty was at major risk, Ietsuna, the heir, was only ten years old. Nonetheless, despite his age, Minamoto no Ietsuna became shogun in Keian 4, until he came of age, five regents were to rule in his place, but Shogun Ietsuna nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy. In this period, regents exercised power in the shoguns name and these were Sakai Tadakatsu, Sakai Tadakiyo, Inaba Masanori, Matsudaira Nobutsuna, and one other. In addition to this regency, Iemitsu handpicked his half-brother, Hoshina Masayuki, the first thing that Shogun Ietsuna and the regency had to address was the rōnin. Similar occurrences would happen in Kyoto and Osaka, shosetsu was himself of humble birth and he saw Toyotomi Hideyoshi as his idol. Nonetheless, the plan was discovered after the death of Iemitsu, and Ietsunas regents were brutal in suppressing the rebellion, chuya was brutally executed along with his family and Shosetsus family. Shosetsu choose to commit seppuku rather than being captured, in 1652, about 800 ronin led a small disturbance on Sado Island, and this was also brutally suppressed. But for the most part, the remainder of Ietsunas rule was not disturbed anymore by the ronin as the government became more civilian oriented. In Meireki 3, on the 18th–19th days of the 1st month, when Ietsuna was almost 20 years old, Ietsunas concubine Oyo burned to death in the fire. It took two years to rebuild the city and bakufu officials supervised the rebuilding of the city, in 1659, Ietsuna presided over the opening ceremonies. In 1663, the regency for Shogun Ietsuna ended, but the regents still held power for him, Ietsunas chief advisors were now Hoshina Masayuki, Ietsunas uncle Itakura Shigenori, Tsuchiya Kazunao, Kuze Hiroyuki, and Inaba Masanori. Even though Ietsuna was now ruling in his own right, these former regents now became his official advisors, and in some cases, acted for him
18.
Japanese calligraphy
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Japanese calligraphy is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. The term shodō is likely derived from Chinese origin as it is used to describe the art of Chinese calligraphy during the Chinese Tang dynasty period. In modern calligraphy, a number of tools are used to make a composition, most basic four tools were collectively called Four Treasures of the Study. The best inksticks are between 50 and 100 years old, mulberry paper An inkstone to grind the inkstick against, mixed with water. Other tools include, A paper weight to hold the paper in place A cloth to place under the paper to prevent ink from bleeding through, the art of engraving a seal is called tenkoku 篆刻. The student is encouraged to engrave his own seal, the position of the seal or the seals is based on aesthetic views. One is not allowed to put a seal on a sutras calligraphy, during preparation, water is poured into the inkstone and the inkstick is ground against it, mixing the water with the dried ink to liquefy it. As this is a process, modern-day calligraphy provides liquid ink in a bottle called Bokuju and is frequently used by beginners. More advanced students are encouraged to grind their own ink. Paper is usually placed on a desk, the brushes come in various shapes and sizes, and are usually made using animal hair for the bristles. Typical animal hair may come from goats, sheep, horse-hair, the handle may be made from wood, bamboo, plastic or other materials. The Chinese roots of Japanese calligraphy go back to the twenty-eighth century B. C. to a time when pictographs were inscribed on bone for religious purposes and he sanctioned a form of script based on squares of uniform size into which all characters could be written from eight strokes. He also devised rules of composition where horizontal strokes are written first and characters are composed starting from top to bottom, left to right. Because the symbols were inscribed with sharp instruments, the lines were originally angular and in many ways Li Sis achievements were made obsolete by the appearance of brush, the ink-wet brush creates a line quite different from a sharp stylus. It affords variation in thickness and curve of line, Calligraphy retained the block form of Li Si and his eight strokes but the writer was free to create characters that emphasized aesthetically pleasing balance and form. The way a character was written gave a message of style, Calligraphy in the Chinese tradition was thus introduced to Japan about 600 A. D. Known as the tradition, it has been practiced up to today. The oldest existing text in Japan is the inscription on the halo of the Medicine Buddha statue in the Hōryū-ji Temple. This Chinese text was written in Shakyōtai style, prominent in the Chinese Six Dynasties period, the Hōryū-ji Temple also holds bibliographic notes on the Lotus Sutra, the Hokke Gisho was written early in the 7th century and is considered the oldest Japanese text
19.
Kabuki
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Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers, the individual kanji, from left to right, mean sing, dance, and skill. Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as the art of singing and dancing and these are, however, ateji characters which do not reflect actual etymology. The kanji of skill generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre, since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning to lean or to be out of the ordinary, kabuki can be interpreted as avant-garde or bizarre theatre. The expression kabukimono referred originally to those who were dressed and swaggered on a street. The history of kabuki began in 1603 when Izumo no Okuni, possibly a miko of Izumo-taisha and it originated in the 17th century. Japan was under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate, enforced by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the name of the Edo period derives from the relocation of the Tokugawa regime from its former home in Kyoto to the city of Edo, present-day Tokyo. Female performers played both men and women in comic playlets about ordinary life, the style was immediately popular, and Okuni was asked to perform before the Imperial Court. In the wake of success, rival troupes quickly formed. For this reason, kabuki was also called 遊女歌舞妓 during this period, Kabuki became a common form of entertainment in the ukiyo, or Yoshiwara, the registered red-light district in Edo. A diverse crowd gathered under one roof, something that happened nowhere else in the city, Kabuki theaters were a place to see and be seen as they featured the latest fashion trends and current events. The stage provided good entertainment with exciting new music, patterns, clothing, performances went from morning until sunset. The teahouses surrounding or connected to the theater provided meals, refreshments, the area around the theatres was lush with shops selling kabuki souvenirs. Kabuki, in a sense, initiated pop culture in Japan, the shogunate was never partial to kabuki and all the mischief it brought, particularly the variety of the social classes which mixed at kabuki performances. Women’s kabuki, called onna-kabuki, was banned in 1629 for being too erotic, following onna-kabuki, young boys performed in wakashū-kabuki, but since they too were eligible for prostitution, the shogun government soon banned wakashū-kabuki as well. Kabuki switched to male actors, called yaro-kabuki, in the mid-1600s. Male actors played both female and male characters, the theatre remained popular, and remained a focus of urban lifestyle until modern times. The modern all-male kabuki, known as yarō-kabuki, was established during these decades, after women were banned from performing, cross-dressed male actors, known as onnagata or oyama, took over
20.
Aragoto
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Aragoto, or rough style, is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic kata and speech. Often, aragoto actors wear bold red or blue makeup, and have costumes that are padded and enlarged, the term aragoto is an abbreviation of the term aramushagoto, which literally means reckless warrior matter. The style was created and pioneered by Ichikawa Danjūrō I, an actor in the Edo region, roles such as the leads in Sukeroku and Shibaraku are particularly representative of the style. Aragoto is often contrasted with wagoto style, which emerged around the same time, archived from the original on 19 February 2007
21.
Important Cultural Property (Japan)
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Besides the designation system, there exists a registration system, which guarantees a lower level of protection and support to Registered Cultural Properties. Cultural Properties are classified according to their nature, the designation can take place at a city, prefectural or national level. In this last case the agency is often not specified. Designations of a different level can coexist, for example, Sankei-en, a traditional Japanese-style garden in Naka Ward, Yokohama, owns both city designated and nationally designated Important Cultural Properties
22.
Vairocana
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Vairocana is a celestial buddha who is often interpreted, in texts like the Flower Garland Sutra, as the Dharma Body of the historical Buddha. In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhism, Vairocana is also seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of Emptiness, in the conception of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Vairocana is at the centre and is considered a Primordial Buddha. Vairocana is not to be confused with Vairocana Mahabali, son of Virochana, Vairocana Buddha is first introduced in the Brahma Net Sutra, Now, I, Vairocana Buddha am sitting atop a lotus pedestal, On a thousand flowers surrounding me are a thousand Sakyamuni Buddhas. Each flower supports a hundred million worlds, in each world a Sakyamuni Buddha appears, all are seated beneath a Bodhi-tree, all simultaneously attain Buddhahood. All these innumerable Buddhas have Vairocana as their original body and he is also mentioned in the Flower Garland Sutra, however, the doctrine of Vairocana Buddha is based largely on the teachings of the Mahavairocana Sutra and to a lesser degree the Vajrasekhara Sutra. He is also mentioned as an epithet of the Buddha Śakyamuni in the Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue, who dwells in a place called Always Tranquil Light. Vairocana is the Primordial Buddha in the Chinese schools of Tiantai and Hua-Yen Buddhism, also appearing in schools including the Japanese Kegon, Shingon. In the case of Shingon and Hua-Yen schools, Vairocana is the central figure, as Xavier learned more about the religious nuances of the word, he substituted the term Deusu, which he derived from the Latin and Portuguese Deus. The Shingon Buddhist monk, Dohan, regarded the two great Buddhas, Amida and Vairocana, as one and the same Dharmakaya Buddha and as the nature at the core of all beings. With regard to Emptiness, the size and brilliance of Vairocana statues serve as a reminder that all conditioned existence is empty. The Vairocana statue in Naras Tōdai-ji in Japan was the largest bronze image of Vairocana Buddha in the world, the larger of the monumental statues that were destroyed at Bamyan in Afghanistan was also a depiction of Vairocana. In Java, Indonesia, the 9th-century Mendut temple near Borobudur in Magelang was dedicated to Dhyani Buddha Vairocana, built by the Sailendra dynasty, the temple featured a three-meter tall stone statue of Dhyani Buddha Vairocana, seated and performing the Dharmachakra mudra. The statue is flanked with statues of Boddhisatva Avalokitesvara and Boddhisatva Vajrapani, the Spring Temple Buddha of Lushan County, Henan, China, with a height of 126 meters, is the tallest statue in the world. Five Dhyani Buddhas Mahavairocana Tantra Mantra of Light Birmingham, Vessantara, meeting The Buddhas, Windhorse Publications, ISBN 0-904766-53-5. Cook, Francis H. Hua-Yen Buddhism, The Jewel Net of Indra, the meaning of Vairocana in Hua-Yen Buddhism, Philosophy East and West 22, 403-415 Park, Kwangsoo. A Comparative Study of the Concept of Dharmakaya Buddha, Vairocana in Hua-yen and Mahavairocana in Shingon Buddhism, International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture 2, 305-331 Reeves, the Lotus Sutra, A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic
23.
Gautama Buddha
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Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, or simply the Buddha, after the title of Buddha, was an ascetic and sage, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the part of ancient India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the śramaṇa movement common in his region and he later taught throughout other regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kosala. Gautama is the figure in Buddhism. He is recognized by Buddhists as a teacher who attained full Buddhahood. Accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death, various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later. Scholars are hesitant to make unqualified claims about the facts of the Buddhas life. Apart from the Vedic Brahmins, the Buddhas lifetime coincided with the flourishing of influential schools of thought like Ājīvika, Cārvāka, Jainism. Brahmajala Sutta records sixty-two such schools of thought, thus, Buddha was just one of the many śramaṇa philosophers of that time. The times of Gautamas birth and death are uncertain, most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet accepted by all historians. It was either a republic, or an oligarchy, and his father was an elected chieftain. He obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon in Sarnath, no written records about Gautama were found from his lifetime or some centuries thereafter. One Edict of Asoka, who reigned from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE, another one of his edicts mentions the titles of several Dhamma texts, establishing the existence of a written Buddhist tradition at least by the time of the Maurya era. These texts may be the precursor of the Pāli Canon and they are written in the Gāndhārī language using the Kharosthi script on twenty-seven birch bark manuscripts and date from the first century BCE to the third century CE. The sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different and these include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā. Of these, the Buddhacarita is the earliest full biography, a poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa in the first century CE. The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE, the Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE
24.
Japanese New Year
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The Japanese New Year is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Years Day. However, the celebration of the traditional Japanese New Year is still marked on the day as the contemporary Chinese, Korean. Prior to the Meiji period, the date of the Japanese New Year was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, as are the contemporary Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese New Years. However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, Japanese people eat a selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryōri, typically shortened to osechi. There are many variations of osechi, and some foods eaten in one region are not eaten in other places on New Years Day, another popular dish is ozōni, a soup with mochi rice cake and other ingredients that differ based on various regions of Japan. Today, sashimi and sushi are often eaten, as well as non-Japanese foods, to let the overworked stomach rest, seven-herb rice soup is prepared on the seventh day of January, a day known as jinjitsu. Another custom is to create and eat rice cakes, boiled sticky rice is put into a wooden bucket-like container usu and patted with water by one person while another person hits it with a large wooden mallet. Mashing the rice, it forms a sticky white dumpling and this is made before New Years Day and eaten during the beginning of January. Mochi is made into a New Years decoration called kagami mochi, the name daidai is supposed to be auspicious since it means several generations. A major attraction is The Watched Night bell, in Tokyo, Japanese believe that the ringing of bells can rid their sins during the previous year. The bell is rung 107 times on 31st and once past midnight and it is also very common to eat buckwheat noodles called toshikoshi soba on the New Years Eve. The end of December and the beginning of January are the busiest times for the Japanese post offices, the Japanese have a custom of sending New Years Day postcards to their friends and relatives, similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. Their original purpose was to give your faraway friends and relatives tidings of yourself, in other words, this custom existed for people to tell others whom they did not often meet that they were alive and well. Japanese people send these postcards so that they arrive on 1 January, the post office guarantees to deliver the greeting postcards on 1 January if they are posted within a time limit, from mid-December to near the end of the month and are marked with the word nengajō. To deliver these cards on time, the post office usually hires students part-time to help deliver the letters and it is customary not to send these postcards when one has had a death in the family during the year. In this case, a member sends a simple postcard called mochū hagaki to inform friends and relatives they should not send New Years cards. People get their nengajō from many sources, most of these have the Chinese zodiac sign of the New Year as their design, or conventional greetings, or both
25.
Setsubun
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Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring in Japan. The name literally means seasonal division, but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun and this special ritual is called mamemaki. Setsubun has its origins in tsuina, a Chinese custom introduced to Japan in the eighth century, the custom of mamemaki first appeared in the Muromachi period. It is usually performed by the toshiotoko of the household, or else the male head of the household, roasted soybeans are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni mask, while the people say Demons out. Luck in. and slam the door and this is still common practice in households but many people will attend a shrine or temples spring festival where this is done. The beans are thought to purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune. The gestures of mamemaki look similar to the Western custom of throwing rice at newly married couples after a wedding, at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines all over the country, there are celebrations for Setsubun. Priests and invited guests will throw roasted soy beans, small envelopes with money, sweets, candies, in some bigger shrines, even celebrities and sumo wrestlers will be invited, these events are televised nationally. At Sensō-ji in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, crowds of nearly 100,000 people attend the annual festivities. This custom started in Osaka, but in recent years eho-maki can be purchased at stores in the Kanto area, charts are published and occasionally packaged with uncut makizushi during February. Some families put up small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves on their house entrances so that bad spirits will not enter, ginger sake is customarily drunk at Setsubun. Other customs during this time included religious dance, festivals, and bringing tools inside the house that might normally be left outside, because Setsubun was also considered to be apart from normal time, people might also practice role reversal. Such customs included young girls doing their hair in the styles of women and vice versa, wearing disguises. This custom is practiced among geisha and their clients when entertaining on Setsubun. Traveling entertainers, who were normally shunned during the year because they were considered vagrants, were welcomed on Setsubun to perform morality plays and their vagrancy worked to their advantage in these cases because they could take the spirits with them. In the Tohoku area of Japan, the head of the household would take roasted beans in his hand, pray at the family shrine, peanuts are sometimes used in place of soybeans. There are many variations on the famous Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi chant, for example, in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, people chant 鬼の目玉ぶっつぶせ！, lit. Holidays of Japan Ehōmaki, a sushi roll often eaten for good luck on setsubun, taoism in Japan Risshun Rikka Risshū Rittō Feast of the Lemures Zvončari Exorcism Japan-guide – Setsubun Bean scatterer calculator Japanlinked – Setsubun Setsubun Miscellaneous Notes on Setsubun
26.
Taiko
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Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. The process of constructing taiko varies between manufacturers, and preparation of both the body and skin can take several years depending on methodology. Taiko have a origin in Japanese folklore, but historical records suggest that taiko were introduced to Japan through Korean. Some taiko are similar to instruments originating from India, archaeological evidence also supports that taiko were present in Japan during the 6th century in the Kofun period. Their function has varied through history, ranging from communication, military action, theatrical accompaniment, in modern times, taiko have also played a central role in social movements for minorities both within and outside Japan. Kumi-daiko performance, characterized by an ensemble playing on different drums, was developed in 1951 through the work of Daihachi Oguchi and has continued with such as Kodo. Other performance styles, such as hachijō-daiko, have emerged from specific communities in Japan. Kumi-daiko performance groups are not only in Japan, but also in the United States, Australia, Canada. Taiko performance consists of components in technical rhythm, form, stick grip, clothing. Ensembles typically use different types of barrel-shaped nagadō-daiko as well as smaller shime-daiko, many groups accompany the drums with vocals, strings, and woodwind instruments. The origin of the instruments is unclear, though there have been many suggestions, historical accounts, of which the earliest date from 588 CE, note that young Japanese men traveled to Korea to study the kakko, a drum that originated in South China. This study and appropriation of Chinese instruments may have influenced the emergence of taiko, certain court music styles, especially gigaku and gagaku, arrived in Japan through both Korea and China. In both traditions, dancers were accompanied by instruments that included drums similar to taiko. This evidence was substantiated by the discovery of statues in the Sawa District of Gunma Prefecture. Two of these figures are depicted playing drums, one of them, wearing skins, is equipped with a barrel-shaped drum hung from his shoulder and this statue is titled Man Beating the Taiko and is considered the oldest evidence of taiko performance in Japan. Similarities between the playing style demonstrated by this haniwa and known music traditions in Korea and China further suggest influences from these regions, the Nihon Shoki, the second oldest book of Japanese classical history, contains a mythological story describing the origin of taiko. The myth tells how Amaterasu, who had sealed herself inside a cave in anger, was beckoned out by an elder goddess Ame-no-Uzume when others had failed, Ame-no-Uzume accomplished this by emptying out a barrel of sake and dancing furiously on top of it. Historians regard her performance as the creation of taiko music
27.
Noh
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Noh, or Nogaku —derived from the Sino-Japanese word for skill or talent—is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kanami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art still regularly performed today. Traditionally, a Noh program includes five Noh plays with comedic kyōgen plays in between, a program of two Noh plays and one kyōgen piece has become common in Noh presentations today. An okina play may be presented in the very beginning especially during New Years, holidays, Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature with a supernatural being transformed into human form as a hero narrating a story. Noh integrates masks, costumes and various props in a performance, requiring highly trained actors. Emotions are primarily conveyed by stylized gestures while the iconic masks represent the roles such as ghosts, women, children. Written in ancient Japanese language, the text describes the ordinary people of the twelfth to sixteenth centuries. Having a strong emphasis on rather than innovation, Noh is extremely codified and regulated by the iemoto system. The word Noh means skill, craft, or the talent particularly in the field of performing arts in this context, the word Noh may be used alone or with gaku to form the word nōgaku. Noh is a tradition that is highly valued by many today. When used alone, Noh refers to the genre of theatre originated from sarugaku in the mid 14th century. Noh and kyōgen originated in the 8th century when the sangaku was transmitted from China to Japan, at the time, the term sangaku referred to various types of performance featuring acrobats, song and dance as well as comic sketches. Its subsequent adaption to Japanese society led to its assimilation of other art forms. L Various performing art elements in sangaku as well as elements of dengaku, sarugaku, shirabyōshi, another theory by Shinhachiro Matsumoto suggests Noh originated from outcastes struggling to claim higher social status by catering to those in power, namely the new ruling samurai class of the time. As Noh became the shoguns favorite art form, Noh was able to become an art form through this newly formed relationship. In 14th century, with support and patronage from shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Kanami Kiyotsugu and his son Zeami Motokiyo brought Noh to what is essentially its present-day form during the Muromachi period, Kanami was a renowned actor with great versatility fulfilling roles from graceful women and 12-year-old boys to strong adult males. When Kanami first presented his work to 17-year-old Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Zeami was an actor in his play
28.
Gion Matsuri
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The Gion Festival takes place annually in Kyoto and is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It goes for the month of July and is crowned by a parade. It takes its name from Kyotos Gion district, Kyotos downtown area is reserved for pedestrian traffic on the three nights leading up to the massive parade. These nights are known as yoiyama on July 16 and July 23, yoiyoiyama on July 15 and July 22, the streets are lined with night stalls selling food such as yakitori, taiyaki, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, traditional Japanese sweets, and many other culinary delights. Many girls dressed in yukata walk around the area, carrying with them traditional purses and this is a precious opportunity to visit and observe traditional Japanese residences of Kyoto. This festival originated as part of a ritual to appease the gods thought to cause fire, floods. In 869, the people were suffering from plague and pestilence which was attributed to the rampaging deity Gozu Tennō, emperor Seiwa ordered that the people pray to the god of the Yasaka Shrine, Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Sixty-six stylized and decorated halberds, one for each province in old Japan, were prepared and erected at Shinsen-en and this practice was repeated wherever an outbreak occurred. In 970, it was decreed an annual event and has seldom been broken. Over time the powerful and influential merchant class made the festival more elaborate and, by the Edo period. In 1533, the Ashikaga shogunate halted all religious events, but the people protested, stating that they could do without the rituals and this marks the progression into the festivals current form. Smaller floats that were lost or damaged over the centuries have been restored, when not in use, the floats and regalia are kept in special storehouses throughout the central merchant district of Kyoto in the care of the local people. The festival continues to be held, following is a list of selected events of Gion Matsuri every year. m. Shrine visit by chigo children of Naginataboko July 13 p. m, there are 9 of the larger Hoko which represent the 66 spears used in the original purification ritual, and 23 of the smaller Yama which carry life-size figures of famous and important people. All the floats are decorated with beautiful tapestries both from Nishijin and imported from all over the world, in addition to the art, there are many traditional musicians and artists sitting in the floats. In 2009 Yamahoko was listed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, each year the families that maintain the floats draw lots at a special meeting to determine what order they will take in the festival. These lots are issued at a ceremony before the parade. On the Naginata Hoko is the chigo, a boy in Shinto robes and crowned by a golden phoenix
29.
Bon Festival
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Obon or just Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of ones ancestors. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, the festival of Obon lasts for three days, however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan reacted differently, shichigatsu Bon is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in eastern Japan, coinciding with Chūgen. Hachigatsu Bon is based on the calendar, is celebrated around the 15th of August and is the most commonly celebrated time. Kyū Bon is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of the lunar calendar. Kyū Bon is celebrated in areas like the part of the Kantō region, Chūgoku region, Shikoku. These three days are not listed as public holidays but it is customary that people are given leave, Obon is a shortened form of Ullambana. It is Sanskrit for hanging upside down and implies great suffering, the Japanese believe they should ameliorate the suffering of the Urabanna. Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana, a disciple of the Buddha and he discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm, Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mothers release and he also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mothers release and grateful for his mothers kindness, from this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or Bon Dance, a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. As Obon occurs in the heat of the summer, participants traditionally wear yukata, many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival food like watermelon. Families sent their ancestors back to their permanent dwelling place under the guidance of fire. Fire, which marked the commencement as well as the closing of the festival, Bon Odori, meaning simply Bon dance, is a style of dancing performed during Obon. Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, each region has a local dance, as well as different music. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the message of Obon. Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region, hokkaidō is known for a folk-song known as Sōran Bushi
30.
Shichi-Go-San
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As it is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend. Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated in the Heian period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood, the ages 3,5 and 7 are consistent with East Asian numerology, which holds that odd numbers are lucky. The practice was set to the fifteenth of the month during the Kamakura period, over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of rituals. Children—who up until the age of three were required by custom to have shaven heads—were allowed to grow out their hair. Boys of age five could wear hakama for the first time, by the Meiji period, the practice was adopted amongst commoners as well, and included the modern ritual of visiting a shrine to drive out evil spirits and wish for a long healthy life. The tradition has changed little since the Meiji period, while the ritual regarding hair has been discarded, boys who are aged three or five and girls who are aged three or seven are still dressed in kimono—many for the first time—for visits to shrines. Three-year-old girls usually wear hifu with their kimono, western-style formal wear is also worn by some children. A more modern practice is photography, and this day is known as a day to take pictures of children. Some families observe the rite based on the way of calculating age, or kazoedoshi, in which children are one year old at birth. Chitose ame, literally thousand year candy, is given to children on Shichi-Go-San, Chitose ame is long, thin, red and white candy, which symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. It is given in a bag decorated with a crane and a turtle, Chitose ame is wrapped in a thin, clear, and edible rice paper film that resembles plastic. In Crayon Shin-chan episode 26-3 My Shichi-Go-San, the Nohara family celebrates Shichi-Go-San, in the OVA Mega Man, Upon a Star, Roll makes a promise with Akane at a Japanese festival that she will wear a kimono on this event. In Paranoia Agent Episode 8, Happy Family Planning, the character Fuyubachi falls asleep on the train holding Chitose Ame, in Katte ni Kaizō Episode 3, To Celebrate This Childs 7th Birthday, its said that Kaizo is scared of 3-5-7 because of a childhood memory. In Osomatsu-san Episode 17, a picture of Jyushimatsu wearing kimono for 3-5-7 is shown in the photo album, in the anime Dragonball Z Episode 38, Kuririn asks Gohan if hes going to keep wearing that Shichigosan suit. In the OVA of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, when taking the photo with the service club members. Childrens Day Hinamatsuri Japanese festivals Culture of Japan Holidays of Japan Tokyo with Kids website
31.
Prunus mume
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Prunus mume is an Asian tree species classified in the Armeniaca section of the genus Prunus subgenus Prunus. Its common names include Chinese plum and Japanese apricot, the flower is usually called plum blossom. This distinct tree species is related to both the plum and apricot trees, although generally referred to as a plum in English, it is more closely related to the apricot. In Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking, the fruit of the tree is used in juices, as a flavouring for alcohol, as a pickle and it is also used in traditional medicine. The trees flowering in winter and early spring is highly regarded as a seasonal symbol. Prunus mume originated in the south of mainland China around the Yangtze River and was introduced to Japan, Korea, Taiwan. It can be found in forests, stream sides, forested slopes along trails and mountains, sometimes at altitudes up to 1, 700–3,100 metres. Prunus mume is a tree that starts to flower in mid-winter. It can grow to 4–10 metres tall, the flowers are 2–2.5 centimetres in diameter and have a strong fragrant scent. They have colors in varying shades of white, pink, the leaves appear shortly after the petals fall, are oval-shaped with a pointed tip, and are 4–8 cm long and 2. 5–5 cm wide. The fruit ripens in summer, around June and July in East Asia, and coincides with the rainy season of East Asia. The drupe is 2–3 centimetres in diameter with a running from the stalk to the tip. The skin turns yellow, sometimes with a red blush, as it ripens, the tree is cultivated for its fruit and flowers. The plant is known by a number of different names in English, including Chinese plum, an alternative name is ume, from Japanese, or mume, from the scientific name. Another alternative name is mei, from the Chinese name, the flower is known as the meihua in Chinese, which came to be translated as plum blossom or sometimes as flowering plum. The term winter plum may be used too, specifically with regard to the depiction of the flower with its early blooming in Chinese painting, in Chinese it is called méi and the fruit is called méizi. The Japanese name is ume, while the Korean name is maesil, the Japanese and Korean terms derive from Middle Chinese, in which the pronunciation is thought to have been muəi. The Vietnamese name is mai or mơ, ornamental tree varieties and cultivars of P. mume have been cultivated for planting in various gardens throughout East Asia, and for cut blossoming branches used in flower arrangements
32.
Narita International Airport
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Narita International Airport, also known as Tokyo Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as New Tokyo International Airport, is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located approximately 60 kilometres east of central Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture, Narita is the predominant international airport in Japan, handling around 50% of the countrys international passenger traffic and 60% of its international air cargo traffic. As of 2013, Narita was the second-busiest passenger airport in Japan and its 4, 000-metre main runway shares the record for longest runway in Japan with the second runway at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Narita serves as the international hub of Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Nippon Cargo Airlines. It also serves as an Asian hub for Delta Air Lines, prior to the opening of Narita Airport, Tokyo International Airport was the main international airport in Japan. Haneda, located on Tokyo Bay close to densely-populated residential and industrial areas, began to suffer from capacity, the Japanese transport ministry commissioned a study of alternative airport locations in 1963, and in 1965 selected a plan to build a five-runway airport in the village of Tomisato. The site was later moved 5 km northeast to the villages of Sanrizuka and Shibayama and this development plan was made public in 1966. The government argued that one merit of the site was the ease of expropriation of land. However, local residents were not consulted during the planning phase. This led to shock and anger among the community, which continued for many years thereafter. Although the Japanese government possessed eminent domain power by law, such power was used due to a preference to resolve land disputes consensually. At the time, the socialist movement still possessed considerable strength in Japan and these individuals sought to ally with the more conservative local farmers who simply did not want to give up their land for the airport. Similar strategies had already been employed during the era to block the expansion of Tachikawa Air Base. In June and July 1966, the Union sent formal protests to the mayor of Narita, the governor and vice-governor of Chiba Prefecture, in November 1967, when the Transport Ministry began surveying the perimeter of the airport, Union members set up roadblocks. The Zengakuren radical student union then began sending students to Narita to help the local farmers, takenaka Corporation constructed the first terminal building, which was completed in 1972. The airport opened under a level of security, the airfield was surrounded by opaque metal fencing. Japans international flag carrier, Japan Airlines moved its international hub from Haneda to Narita. Pan American transferred its Pacific Division, including its Narita hub, Japanese domestic carrier All Nippon Airways began scheduled international flights from Narita to Guam in 1986
33.
East Japan Railway Company
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East Japan Railway Company is a major passenger railway company in Japan and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English. The companys headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, JR East was incorporated on 1 April 1987 after being spun off from the government-run Japanese National Railways. Following the breakup, JR East ran the operations on former JNR lines in the Greater Tokyo Area, the Tohoku region and its railway lines primarily serve Kanto and Tohoku regions, along with adjacent areas in Koshinetsu region and Shizuoka prefectures. JR East operates all of the Shinkansen, high-speed rail lines and these lines have sections inside the Tokyo Suburban Area designated by JR East. This does not necessarily mean that the lines are fully inside the Greater Tokyo Area, JR East aims to reduce its carbon emissions by half, as measured over the period 1990-2030. This would be achieved by increasing the efficiency of trains and company-owned thermal power stations, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has stated that JR Easts official union is a front for an organized crime syndicate called the Japan Revolutionary Communist League. An investigation of this is ongoing, the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation is a non-profit organization established by JR East for the purpose of developing a richer railway culture. The Railway Museum in Saitama is operated by the foundation, EJRC has bid for the London Midland franchise in the United Kingdom. Winners will be announced on June 2017 and will start operating on October 2017, East Japan Railway Company Web Site JR East official apology for Inaho No.14 accident on 25 December 2005 Company history books. Wiki collection of works on East Japan Railway Company
34.
Keisei Electric Railway
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The Keisei Electric Railway Co. Ltd. is a major private railway in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from Tokyo and 成 from Narita, the combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railways main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and the suburb cities of Funabashi, Narashino, Yachiyo. Keisei runs an express train called the Skyliner from Ueno. In addition to its business, the Keisei Electric Railway Company owns large bus and taxi services. It owns a share of the Oriental Land Company which owns. Keisei was founded on June 30,1909 and began services on November 3,1912 and its main line reached Narita in 1930 and Ueno in 1933. Originally a narrow gauge operator, Keisei converted to 1,435 mm standard gauge in 1959, in 1960, Keisei began through service with the Toei Asakusa Line, the first interline through service arrangement in Japan. Skyliner service began in 1973 and started serving the airport in 1978, a new underground station was opened in 1991 to provide a more direct connection to terminal 1, and in 1992 service began to terminal 2. On July 17,2010, Skyliner switched its route to the newly built Narita Sky Access, Keisei operates 152.8 km of railway which consists of one trunk line named the Main Line and six branchlines. Legend Type indicates the type of business under the Railway Business Act of Japan. Type 1 operator owns and operates the railway while Type 2 operator operates but does not owns the railway and this section is shared by the Main Line and the Higashi-Narita Line. This section is shared by the Main Line and the Narita Airport Line
35.
Daruma doll
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The Daruma doll, also known as a Dharma doll, is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls, though red and depicting a bearded man, vary greatly in color and design depending on region. Though considered an omocha, meaning toy, by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, the doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside goal setting. When purchased, the eyes are white so a person can decide on a goal or wish, once the goal is achieved, the second eye is filled in. Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD and he is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan to China. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend, according to one tradition, Bodhidharma gained a reputation for, among other things, his practice of wall-gazing. Legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again. The current popular symbolism associated with Daruma as a luck charm in part originated with the Daruma-dera in the city of Takasaki. Josef Kyburz, author of Omocha, Things to Play with, the parishioners would keep these charms to bring happiness and prosperity and ward off accidents and misfortune. It is believed that the Daruma figurine then originated from this region when the ninth priest, Togaku, the charms were always given with an effectiveness of one year, so the people required new ones every year. He solved this by entrusting them with the making of their own Daruma charms near the beginning of the Meiwa period, the temple made wooden block molds for the people to use. The peasants then used these molds to make three-dimensional papier-mâché charms, Kyburz notes that though it is unknown when the Daruma figurine combined with the tumbler doll, the two were well recognized as synonymous by the mid-19th century. The doll quickly grew in popularity, becoming a mascot of the region and this was due greatly in part to fact that the majority of the families were silk farmers, a crop which requires a great deal of luck for success. There is an annual Daruma Doll Festival held by the city of Takasaki in celebration of being the birthplace of the Daruma doll. The celebration is held at the Shorinzan, the name of Takasakis Daruma-Dera, according to the Takasaki city website, Over 400,000 people from all over the Kanto Plain come to buy new good-luck dolls for the year. Takasaki produces 80% of Japans Daruma dolls, the festival also features a 24-hour reading of sutras by the Shorinzan monks for world peace. Daruma’s design, particularly the shape, color, eyes and facial hair, each have its own history and symbolic meaning
36.
Japanese pagoda
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Pagodas in Japan are called tō, sometimes buttō or tōba and historically derive from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa. Like the stupa, pagodas were originally used as reliquaries but in many cases ended up losing this function. The famous Itsukushima Shrine, for example, has one, after the Meiji Restoration the word tō, once used exclusively in a religious context, came to mean also tower in the western sense, as for example in Eiffel tower. Of the Japanese pagodas many forms, some are built in wood and are known as mokutō. Wood pagodas are large buildings with two stories or an odd number of stories. Extant wood pagodas with more than two storeys have almost always either three storeys or five (and are called gojū-no-tō, stone pagodas are nearly always small, usually well below 3 metres, and as a rule offer no usable space. If they have more than one storey, pagodas are called tasōtō or tajūtō, a pagodas size is measured in ken, where a ken is the interval between two pillars of a traditional-style building. A tahōtō for example can be either 5x5 ken or 3x3 ken, the word is usually translated in English as bay and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement. The stupa was originally a simple mound containing the Buddhas ashes which in time more elaborate. After reaching China, the stupa met the Chinese watchtower and evolved into the pagoda and its use then spread to Korea and, from there, to Japan. Following its arrival in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century, in Japan it evolved in shape, size and function, finally losing its original role as a reliquary. It also became common, while on the Asian continent it is rare. With the birth of new sects in later centuries, the pagoda lost importance and was relegated to the margins of the garan. Temples of the Jōdo sects rarely have a pagoda, during the Kamakura period the Zen sect arrived in Japan and their temples do not normally include a pagoda. Pagodas originally were reliquaries and did not contain sacred images, but in Japan many, for example Hōryū-jis five-storied pagoda, in that room are enshrined statues of the temples main objects of worship. Inside Shingon pagodas there can be paintings of deities called Shingon Hasso, on the ceiling and on the shaft there can be decorations. The edge of a pagodas eaves forms a line, with each following edge being shorter than the other. The more difference in length between stories, the solid and secure the pagoda seems to be
