Story Notes

The story of The Courtesan’s Abyss take places in a gorge/waterfall located in Yamanashi Prefecture. In Japanese it goes by the name of Oiran Buchi.

The area is known from an event from around the 1570’s (Sengoku Period) involving the Takeda Clan at the time.

During the Sengoku Period, to help fuel their battles and other exploits, the Takeda gained much of their money from a secret mine located in the Kurokawa Kinzan Mountain. Other exploits the money went to involved giving money to shrines, as well as burying amounts hidden in the foothills.

The gold mining peaked during Takeda Shingen, a strategy genius who used the gold to build a large spy network, adept at using female ninja ‘ku-no-ichi‘. These women posed as anything from, holy women, to servants, to prostitutes who gained intel from his rivals.

For the mining they employed many men and in addition they also made use of 55 courtesans who would entertain the men on their downtime.

Eventually the mine began to run dry and so decisions were made to close the mine. However, wishing to keep the mine a secret it was decided that the 55 courtesan’s would need to be gotten ridden of as they may have learnt of the mine from entertaining the men. (Or even from their skills as ku-no-ichi if that is what they were.)

And so a platform was constructed, suspended over the gorge here, with the 55 women placed on the stage being told they were to practise for a thank you party for the coming night. As they continued their practise, Takeda men destroyed the supports of the platform, causing all the women to fall to their deaths. Their bodies were eventualy retrieved from the bend in the gorge. It is inclued as a Yokai in certain literature.

Header Image: Waterfalls from pixabay.

References

• Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2012) “Yurei Attack: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide” Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: @japan_archives

We also started a Youtube channel for Japan Archives.

And another for other creative endeavours!

The post B15 The Courtesan’s Abyss appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

Listeners discretion advised for this episode. It is gory, and graphic, and due to the age of the document translated, sexist.  

Now you may recall this from Yasuke, but I mentioned a tale known as The Tale of the Fuji Cave, or Fuji no hitoana sōshi 富士の人穴草子 as it is known in Japanese. The story of a man journey into hell. 

Two of our earliest texts which include the tale date to the 1603 and 1607, but we is know that it dkd exist in some written form from at least 1527, because the Kyoto courtier Yamashina Tokitsugu 山科言継 (1507–1579) records in a diary entry from that year that he presented a copy to a “new lady of the Handmaid’s Office,” at her request. 

And so the story begins on the morning of the third day of the fourth month of 1201. 

At this time the shōgun Yoriie summoned Wada no Heida Tanenaga and spoke: 

 “Heida, there are people who aways talking about the Fuji cave. I want you to explore, I want you to find it, and tell me what mysteries you find.” 

Heida took in his master’s words. “My lord your request leaves me at a loss. Yet to disobey you would be to invite wrath down from the heavens. So for you I’ll give my one and only life.”  

And so Heida went to see his uncle Yoshimori. He explained the task at hand given to him and feared he may never see anyone ever again should he not return. His uncle wept at the news, there was nothing he could do to help his nephew. It was the order from the shogun after all. And so he wishes him luck and that he hoped he would find glory and eentually return to them. 

Heida stood to go, his eyes welling with tears. His cousin Asaina no Saburō Yoshihide saw the tears in his eyes and taking up his great sword, the sword known as Teimaru, he drew it two or three inches from its sheath and glared at Heida. 

“You stupid fool!” exclaimed the cousin.”What a discgeace to weep Infront of a samurai. You make our family look like cowards, and if that is what you are extend your neck so I may behead you. 

Heida replied he was no coward and no cave or lair, no matter what creature may hide inside would deter him.  

His cousin them wished him well, telling him to make the family proud and that he was sad he could not join him on the mission to come. But it was one given to him alone. 

“Be sure to preserve the family honor and make us all proud,” were his cousins last words to Hieda before he left. 

“I shall be gone merely a week,” he declared as he left. Ready go enter the cave. 

He hadn’t gone far into the cave before he saw snakes with mouths of red writhing in front of him. But he had to push passed, the shogun had ordered it, and so jumping through them he continued. Further in still he came across a frightening stench but still he pressed on. 

Next he came across a woman, not more than 17 or 18 years of age, dresses in a robe of 12 layers she held the 32 marks of feminine beauty. All the while sitting there next to a silver loom and golden shuttle (again the gold and silver together here. She demanded to know who had come into her home and so the man replied. Her voice rung out like a heavenly bird. 

“I am Wada no Heida Tanenaga of the Moira Clan, here at the behest of the shogun.” 

“I do not care whose orders you follow. Just know if you try to pass here I shall kill you.” 

He decided her words were to be listened to. There was no use in being killed this day. And so he returned to tell the shogun of what had occured, but not before she told him one last thing. 

“Now you are merely 18. But when you become 31. That spring will see you die fighting Izumi no Kosaburō Chikahira of Shinano Province. 

And so the Shogun listened to the tale, but was much troubles that the deepest recesses of the cave had not been explored and so he said he would gift 400 Cho of land to anyone who may venture in again. At first noone came forward, after all, what good was this land if you died trying to get it. 

But eventually someone stepped forward, Nitta no Shiro Tadatsuna. The gift of land would round his estates up to 2000 Cho, allowing him to leave one thousand each for his sons on his death. And so he went to the shogun to declare he would enter into the Fuji Cave 

The land given over to Nitta approached his boys with the news. Both wishes their father wouldn’t go. It didn’t even matter to them if the Shogun had gifted them 1,000,000 Cho. It wouldn’t be enough if it meant the death of their father. 

Nitta tried to placate his sons “if I am to die, then surely I will see a sign before it happens. And if it were to kcxour, then please do not mourn for me, just remain loyal to one another and serve this family and the Shogun well. 

And so assuming as he left the other samurai now must hate him for taking the offer from the shogun. He sertt forth to the Fuji Cave, and his potential death. 

But unlike the previous man, the Shogun gave to Nitta a retainer by the name of Kudo Saemon no Suke, and Nitta had him carry a bundle of torches for the journey. A declaration was made, to return in seven days time, and they ventures forth. 

They went forth, but there were no snakes as previously reported, the was no foul stench, and even further in, no woman sitting at a loom. And so they went deeper than the previous man had gone before. 

Brandishing his sword as they went, suddeny they saw the moon above them, a forest of blue, yellow, red, white and black spreading before them. A small stream lay beyond, footprints in the bed showing someone had recently passed by. And over the river they saw 9 8-ridges palaces with rooves made of Cyprus. 

Entering into the palace they found it wonderful. Water dripped around them, it’s sound like a lute playing the ge-ke-shu-jo or the Salvation of all Sentient Beings’. Night and day were undeterminable except for the opening and closing of lotus blossoms. Brocade was all around in reds and blues, gold’s and silvers. And when the men spoke it echoed like bells all around them. 

Nitta became overjoyed, it was a although they had entered into the Pure Land. And exploring north-east they found an island upon a lake, a palace upon it glistening like gold. 89 bridges joined the island to the shire, each bridge with 89 bells. The first bell chimed the Lotus Sutra, all the other ringing out the sylabbles of the Lotus. The final bell rang out with a separate prayer and soon Nitta noticed in the lake an 8 petalled lotus in the water which he approached to see closer  

And when he did a voice from inside the island palaces chimed in asking who it was who visited their abode. It was a snake with eyes akin to the sun and moon, twenty fathoms in length sixteen horns feasted upon its head, a head with 108 eyes. 

The snake announced who they were, the Asama Bodhisattva of Fuji. They declared the luck of the Shogun had now run out, now that Nitta had found them. But then in a strange turn they said, with shame, that 3 times daily their body was wracked with pain. And so they asked to eat Nittas sword. 

Nitta obliged, handing it over, and after the snake asked for his short sword too. The snake thanked him and then declared he would now show him the Six Realms.  

The snake said, “people say paradise is wonderful, but none have seen it. People say hell is frightening, yet none have returned to speak if it. And so I will show you hell and send you back.” And so transforming himself into an 18 year old boy he took him on a tour of hell. 

Fiest he would take him to Sai no Kawara, the Childrens Riverbed Hell. As they approached he told them of the 6 magistrates of hell. Hakone Gongen, Izu Gongen, Hakusan Gongen, Mishima Gongen, Tateyama Gongen, and finally the snake himself as the last. They were the magistrates of the 136 hell’s and so it was best Nitta not disregard them. 

They looked upon the Children’s Riverbed Hell. Children all younger than 10 holding hands together and stricken with grief. Nitta demanded to know what the meaning of all of this was, to which he was told.  

“These are the children who died without compensating their mothers for all the lain they caused for them whilst in the womb. They will differ here for 9000 years. A fire swept through the expanse then, consuming the children. Who were the restored to their former selves by demons they arise once more. Such was there torment to repeat until their nine thousand years ended  

And turning the the west, Nitta looked upon the Samzu river. Here an old woman stripped people of their robes, each robe linked to a sin they had caused. Those that had no robe had their skin removed instead. The skin left on the boughs of a tree to later be turned into feather gowns.  

They crossed said river to arrive at the Mountain of Death, here when the dead receive memorials to their passing the soriirts would come here to report upon it. As they receive their memorial, creatures would arrive to record news of the memorial, writing down good deeds they would hear of the deceased, to writ it in their good book, these good deeds enabling some sinners here to finally leave and enter into the Pure Land  

To their side, people were being flogged by demons, these people made to carry a heavy stone. Their sin the snake said, for having overburdened their horses in life for more profit. Not for 18,000 years they would suffer what they did to their horses. 

The snake warned Nitta to tell all when he returned to never over burden their horses again! 

Next Nitta saw people empaled on swords, made to climb the mountain of swords. These were the people Nitta was told, to never repaid their obligations to their masters and family in life. 

To the west he could see people made to walk through towers of fire and water. The demons affixing iron shackles to their wrists and ankles. And in another place close by they pounded nails into the people. These were the punishments for the judiciary officials the snake said. One should always avoid being a judge it is said. 

The snake Bodhisattva then led him east to the Crossroads of the Six Realms where the Bodhisattva Jizo stood. Sinners before him cried to be saved but he ignored their please, demons grabbing the sinners saying they would be dripped into the Hell of No Respite. 

Nitta demanded to know of Jizo, to which the snake answered. 

“Jizo will not help those who only ever wanted fame and fortune, and those who never chang his name. Make sure to tell all in the human wotld about this upon your return. If there are those wanted to go to the Pure Lands, each day they should chant Jozis name 100, 200 times at dawn! Now I must tell you. The six realms are made up of Hell, Hungry Ghosts, Animals, Ashura, Humans and Heaven. Let us go to the Animals first. And so Nitta was led to a place with 3 snakes. Two were fables, the other male, the females sucking on the males eyes and mouth.  

Nitta wanted to know what this meant and the snake replied. In life this man had had two wives and they had both been enraged, and so they will remain here for 7,300 years. 

Nitta saw people who had spoken badly about their family and masters while they lived. Their tongue stretched for twelve feet and filled with nails. A woman who had cheated on her husband was being sawn in half. A woman who had tried to improve her looks in life was having her face peeled of its flesh. 

Nitta saw a sinner being pulled toward him by thirty sets of iron chains. Looking closely, he saw that it was a disheveled nun. This is the nun Usui from the Akatsuka estate he was told. She delighted at others misfortunes and in life served herself the best of foods and other nothing but gruel. And so she is going to be pushed down to the bottom of a boiling pot. 

“It is a shame,” the snake said, “that women’s thoughts are all evil. Many more women that me fall down to hell. It is a shame.” 

He saw other sinners hunted by packs of dogs, this punishment for those who didn’t like farming, but envied those who grew their own things. Another man, a priest from Sodeshi was being beaten with iron cudgels, he fate to then be placed for eternity in a box and never to reach the Pure Lands. He had spent temple money on his family instead and had failed to abstain from forbidden food. 

Woman were having tongues pulled, punishment for making false claims against their servants. Another man, who looked like he had been the master of people in real life was pulling weights down upon servants, the punishment for those who do not honor their contracts. Here the snake told Nitta to tell those in the world above that if they agree to something, it must be done. And that it was also a great crime to not return a contract once they time of it had ended. 

And then looking to the sky Nitta saw a most beautiful woman in an ornate carriage she was being ked to the Pure Lands and Nitta wished to know why. The snake spoke up saying it was all her good deeds in life. Helping others. Feeding others.  

Tell the human world the snake said that should you show wholehearted compassion to everyone and everything then you will surely go to the Pure Lands upon your passing. But then Nitta saw more sinners, some bound by an iron cable, demons torturing them, these people having killed all manner of living things. And then yet more, men with rocks weighing them down upon their chests, punishment for selfishly eating whatever they pleased in life, including baby birds. 

A priest was seen, hunt mercilessly upside down, demons taking strips of flesh from his head. This man had only pretended to be holy, but his heart had always been full of filth and frees. He never prayed or offered incense and so this was his punishment. Another demon was stabbing a dinner in the eyes, the punishment for stealing from others in life. 

The snake spoke a warning then to Nitta to never speak badly if those who know the sutras no matter how small the part is they know, it would just cause you to fall into the Hell of no Respite  

Others who stole in life were bound shivering in the Crimson and Great Crimson Lotus Hells. For 30,000years they were to remain bound in the ice. 

Next he saw a woman with hair reaching 300 hundred yards in length. This woman it is said when alive wanted 1000 news strands of hair for everyone she lost. And so now she would spend 9000years ha ing her forehead burned with iron round weights. 

The snake then went on a rant about women stating it was a sin for them not to bear a child, and even a sin for her to not bear another after her first. And then to top it off the snake said to not have ones period was also very bad……. 

He saw a demon taking off a man’s arms and legs, punishment for cutting down grasses and trees for no reason. 

But after all of this. They moved on finally to a new Hell. Going to the Hell of the Hungry Ghosts. These sinners here had bellies the size of oceans, wafer thin necks and mheads as large as mountains. These ghost perpetually hungry had food before them, but Everytime they went to take it. It burst into flame. These people had been wealthy when alive, but bad never shared their food or riches. So now they would be hungry eternally. 

And so the snake told Nitta to tell the human world, “no matter rich or poor, you will find wealth if you clean your home, prepare good food, and fees others and yourself. 

Some of the Hungry Ghosts gave birth before Nitta and they devoured their mother, the lunshment for those who sold their children to feed themselves and for those who abandoned their own children. 

Hourneying onwards they reached a new crossroads again finding Jizo before them with a man and woman before them. They were the lucky ones, they were to head to the Pure Lands and recieve a golden hall, having spent their lives taking holy orders and praying for their lives to come.  

Looking again to the Animal Realm Nitta could see birds and beast that had Ben spliced together. This was the punishment for those who had been overly attached to their parents as well as those too attached to their children 

In the Ashura Realm he saw flames rising all around, men locked in endless combat. This was for those who had fallen in battle. Here to fight for the next 2,300 years. 

Finally after seeing all of the hells the snake took him to the court of Enma (he who judges if a soul goes to heaven or hell) and also to see the Ten Kings of Hell. Here the Ten Kings dwelt in a golden palace. Here people could face the records of their lives, good deeds written in gold tablets, bad in those of iron. Simmers were forced to gaze upon their sins and those that denied them would have themselves weighed in the scale of karma. 

Those that still protested were shown a Johari Mirror and so they could say no more. They would throw themselves to the floor imploring Buddha to save them. Those begging, who had children in the land of the living would then be put to the side.the others dropped straight down into the Hell of No Respite  

The snake spoke up, “it is wise to read the sutras, and recite the nenbutsu. Do not hate or envy others and show compassion. The Ten Kings will Revere those who do.” 

The others that had been put to the side were now harassed by Demons. 

“Listen here sinners,” they said “if you receive no prayer upon the 7^th. 14^th. 35^th. 49^th or 100^th day after you died then you will go to the Hell of Repiste.” 

To this the Ten Kings wept, imploring the demons to wait until the 3^rd year. And so it was agreed, these people would have 3 years to wait and hope someone prayed for them.  

And so that was it for the most part, the snake saying he had been shown most of hell. But upon his return he was not to talk of what he had seen, not to anyone until three years and three months had passed. If he did so, he would end up in hell, and so would the shogun.  

 He returned then to the Shogun and after gathering a crowd of Nobles asked to know what he had seen. Nitta explained he could not speak of the, as it would cause the Shogun harm, but still the Shogun insisted. He would risk the harm to come. 

And so Nitta regaled them all with the tales of what he had seen. All were amazed by the tale, utterly spell bound. And so as he finished his tale, the snake spoke out.  

“You told the tale when you should not.” And so Nitta’s life was taken from him. And all those who heard the voice of the snake, were frightened to their core.  

Nitta body was taken back to his family where he was then cremated and mourned over. 

Where did the retainer go? 

Poem Notes

To perhaps give us a break from all this Hell we saw today, Heather found a senryu for us about the ocean.

腹の立つ時見るための海 

The sea 
Something to look at 
When we are angry 

Header Image: Buddhist Hell, from Pixabay.

References

• Blyth, R.H. (1949) “Senryu: Japanese Satirical Verses”. Japan: Hokuseido Press.
• Kimbrough, R.K. (2006) “Translation: The Tale of the Fuji Cave.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. [Online Only] pp.1-22.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: @japan_archives

We also started a Youtube channel for Japan Archives.

And another for other creative endeavours!

The post E64 To Hell and Back appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

In ancient Japan, blossoms were a symbol of new life, new beginnings. But this began to change through in second half of 19^th century, accelerating dramatically in the 1930’s. They changed them to be a symbol of death. Propaganda to the Japanese people who never questioned. Classical poems were deliberately misinterpreted, it became normal that the Japanese spirit involved the willingness to die for the emperor, much like the cherry blossoms who quickly died.  

And so trees everywhere were replaced to a new breed known as somei-yoshino. Wild trees and varied varieties were being taken down for this tree to fuel this new propaganda of death for the state. 

And one man saw the blossoms of Japan being lost, and so he set out to ensure their survived for future generations. He would discover new species, some in his own back yard and already extinct in Japan. He would choose names such as Hokusai, and Asano for new breeds he discovered. He would be one of the first to artificially hybridise the cherry blossoms. 

But that is a part of this tale for later, and so we shall start at the very beginning. 

Today we talk about Collingwood Ingram, a man who would later become known as Cherry Ingram. He was the wealthy grandson of the founder of the Illustrated London News. 

Born on October 30^th 1880 he was unfortunately a sickly child with respiratory problems, and so when his family was in London he didn’t go outside much, a city which at the time was filled with disease and smoke. As he grew up his family cared for several albino birds when he was young, birds which they often took with them as they moved from their London home to the countryside, as well as on their holidays.  

Being brought up around birds, and being able to wander the countryside as he had no school ensured that by the age of 11 Collingwood could already distinguish the sound of most birds, and by aged 15 he had written his first unpublished book on birds with illustrations in his own hand. And this would start his fascination with birds for many years to come and lead him to becoming an ornithologist.  

Now Collingwoods fascination with Japan began in the 1890’s but we don’t really know why. There was access at the times to books on Japan and that likely played some role, or perhaps even it was there family dogs which were a breed known as Chin’s and were a Japanese breed. Additionally he could have been exposed to the culture, though in perhaps a comically if not derogatory fashion through plays which started to appear in England from Japan as Japan began to open up its borders to the world after decades of being a closed nation. Such shows included the Mikado and the Geisha. Whatever cultivated Collingwood into being fascinated with this country only made him want to visit there himself. And so, when he reached adulthood he decided it was time to go. And he arrived in Japan on the 5^th September 1902 in the port of Nagasaki, after taking a long journey there by boat. 

After he arrived, he wrote many things about the country, saying he found Japan ‘becoming, [with] tidy cheques of paddy fields, bamboo groves, little villages and usually a clear, swift running stream.’ 

Now I would have thought after wanting to come here so strongly he would have stayed and explored for a long time, after all he was a wealthy man for the time. However, he only stayed this first time for 15 days. And during his time here he visited places such as Kyoto, Tokyo, Hakone and the island of Enoshima, where a local priests gave him a tour. Collingwood at the time did not know Japanese and so politely nodded along to everything the priest said to him that day.  

And as he finally left Japan for the first time he said, “my visit to Japan has been so enchanting that I have no time to do else than stand agape and watch the different vistas pass away without record in my journal. But a brief fortnight has left me with more memory pictures than months of travel elsewhere.  

It wouldn’t be for another 5 years until he returned once more to Japan.  

The next time he stepped foot in the country would be 20^th April, 1907, and this time he brought along with him his wife Florence. Though he had still yet to gain an interest in Cherry Trees, he actually came this time in the hopes of being the first British person to find the eggs of a bird called White’s Thrush and bring them home. In Tokyo he applied for paperwork, but Japan being Japan it took 3 weeks for it to finished. And then he went on a walking tour of Fuji immediately. Eventually, almost luckily as it appears the birds were hard to find, and with local help a nest was found bearing eggs of the White Thrush. When he returned home again to England, his expedition had found him leaving with 74 kinds of birds, numerous bird eggs as well as many writings and illustrations he had done during this expedition.  

When WW1 came around he found himself in France, where he continued his study into birds. But after the War he needed to find somehow to go back to a normal life, and realising there was nothing new in the world of ornithology for him he desperately sought a new hobby. And this is when he turned his attention to the plant world.  

In 1919 they moved to Kent for a fresh starts. The home had a dilapidated garden he wanted to spruce up, the perfect project for someone who needed a new hobby. But the garden held a secret he hadn’t at first noticed, and these were 2 ornamental cherry trees.  

When he saw these trees bloom, he knew what he now wanted, to be the foremost expert on cherry blossoms as well as being the man to collect as many cherry tree varieties as possible and have it become the largest collection of such trees.  

But to be an expert, he needed somewhere to start and there were not that many books on Japan at the times. Works he could have had access to were ones such as ‘Things Japanese’ a dictionary about the culture from 1890. Flora Japonica from 1835 by Phillip von Siebold and Bushido: The Soul of Japan from 1900.  

So we jump forward a few years to 1925, a mere six years after moving to Kent and he had already become an expert on cherries and boasted a collection of seventy cherry varieties.  

‘Notes on Japanese cherries’ was written by him and published in 1925 in the Royal Horticultural Journal, which was a great achievement for him at the time. 

But the more trees he sought and bought, the more he found himself buying the same trees time and again. He found out now that cherry trees at the time had not really been properly classified yet, and additionally English sellers would give these cherry trees English names to increase their appeal. Each seller giving their own unique names to them, making it even harder for Ingram to know if he had already bought a particular tree or not. And so he would buy them, hoping he was gaining a new breed, only to find himself disappointed.  

And so he then asked for the help of two Japanese cherry experts. Manabu Miyoshi, from Tokyo Imperial University and Gen-ichi Koizumi from Kyoto Imperial University. They would be better suited in helping him figure out if trees he had were the same, as well as identifying trees he had but didn’t know the true names of. 

And one such type was of the two cherry trees that lived in his garden from the day he moved in. Even after all these years of research and collection, he still did not known what kind of cherry tree had been here when he arrived. 

He knew the two trees were the same, but the same what? And so he sent leaf samples to Miyoshi, only to find out they not have a name. Apparently it was a species never recorded before, at least in Japan. And so Collingwood decided to name the species himself, and this is the species he dubbed Hokusai.  (I promise this is an unintentional call back to last episode). 

After more research he finally settled on something about the cherries of Japan. From what he could tell as of right now, there were 10 wild species in Japan, and through years of human interaction there were now more than 400 flowering varieties. 

As he continued his research, and continued to expend his collection he went far and wide for his cherry trees.  

He contacted friends to send or swap saplings with him. Additionally at the time the Yokohama Nursery opened in 1907, and so he could easily import cherry trees from Japan. And not to forget the Botanical Gardens of Kew, which he relied on as well and he was lucky in that regard as he had a friend who worked there who could help him out. Other trees still came from others with links to the New York Botanical Gardens. Collingwood had connections around the world he could draw on to bring together all the cherry varieties in existence.  

But, in the early 1920’s he could not get a hold of more cherries in England, and so he knew he had to return to Japan. To find varieties not importable, perhaps not yet known or discovered, And he did so.  

In a lucky turn of events, around the time he wanted to return, his garden was visited in 1924 by Duke Takatsumasa, a man with connections to the Imperial Family, and who also knew Ingram through Isai Iijima, a man who all those years ago had helped him get permits so he collect the bird eggs in Japan.  

And so with the Dukes help he drew up a list of 4 places he needed to go to look for cherry trees. First, Temples and Shrines in Kyoto, second Tokyo. Third would be the foothills of Mount Fuji and lastly the small city of Nikko north of Tokyo.  

And so he headed to Japan again in 1926. This would be his final visit to Japan. He would collect many specimins, even meet with cherry blossom experts, but the country would not take his breath away as it had once done. The industrilaizition of Japan had change it all in his mind.  

Ingram wrote while he was there ‘it appears, that the commercialization of Japan has caused the cult of these beautiful trees to wane.’ Cherry gardens which had been cultivated for years by shoguns had now been left abandoned, forgotten, or torn down, cherry trees were disappearing. At least the old breeds it appeared.  

Collingwood knew some would still be hanging on in the mountains, but the want to care for them had now gone. And the government was now looking for a symbol of unity, and the easy to grow and maintain somei-yoshino variety was looking more and more appealing over everything else.  

Ingram even realised quickly after arriving in Japan that 4 trees in his garden were not available in japan. Cherry blossom varieties had already started to become extinct in the very country that venerates them so highly.  

And it was now that Ingram not only wanted more species, but he also wanted to save all of those that were now in decline.  

And he wrote at the time ‘it may not be too late to save some from oblivion.” 

Collingwood would find himself to be in luck. In Kyoto he found himself renewed, with temples full of blossoms. In Kiyomizu-dera, by the waterfall there, he found a tree he did not yet have (based off the edo-higan type), and so asked for cutting from it to be sent to his home. At the Kyoto Imperial Palace he found one more (an unusual looking Yama-zakura), and at the Hirano Shrine he found yet another 3 (a type of Kiku-zakura, Imose and Taoyame). 

Collingwood though did find himself confused by the cherry names here with people saying ‘Kyoto is the ancient capital. There is no need to follow Tokyo customs.’ And so just like in England, he found name choices for blossoms of the same kind varying wildly between Tokyo and Kyoto. 

It became apparent as he travelled more that most people didn’t see the threat of losing these blossoms, everyone in japan, especially the government thought, the ones disappearing from the cities would live on in the mountains, and so they need not take any action. They would still be around, even if no longer seen. But Collingwood did not believe that was safe for these trees, that they likely would not survive.  

He went to visit Yohsino, once the mecca of Japanese cherry blossoms, only to find  a thinly planted group of trees and scraggly specimens. This was due in part to the government, here Shugendo was prevalent, but was now banned by the government and so the area had fallen into decline. And so Collingwood sadly on to meet the head of all cherry lore, Seisaku Funatsu and they took a cherry viewing along the Arakawa River which runs through Tokyo. 

Here it was known as the Five Colored Cherry Trees of the Arawaka River.’ And at one time it had been beautiful. Some of the beauty did remain, some trees still bloomed beautifully every year but… 

New drainage works, had led to many being cut down, and those that remained were now greatly affected by pollution of the rapidly changing and modernizing city. Sesaku related how he had replaced lost trees with saplings over time, but sadly they kept being stolen and so he had had to stop.  

I will say here that you can still see blossoms here to this day, but the book I read says it is a shadow of its former self. And it would be interesting to see how beautiful this area once was.  

But going back to the tale, luckily many of these blooms from here and the local area survive now around the world due to Collingwoods help but also two other men known as Takagi Magoemon and Kengo Shimizu. Magoemon once collected specimens from the gardens of the daimyos and other areas, and when the daimyos left and the new government came he prayed for forgiveness and climbed the fences into these now abandoned properties to take cutting of these trees so they would continue to live. And later when the Arakawa area flooded, the local people demanded cherry trees to hold the soil together better for future flooding. Kengo Shimizu was the governor of the area and knew of Magoemons collection, and so many species were replanted into the area.  

From the Arakawa River Collingwood now travelled onwards now to Nikko, where he found and collected seeds from the Sargent cherry, and in the small village of Kami Yoshida, he uncovered a previously unknown cherry variety and eventually had cuttings of it delivered to his home. This was the tree he dubbed Asano, after the Samurai from the 47 Ronin.  

Overall everything was looking good. Like Collingwood would not only expand his collection greatly but could actually ensure the protection of varieties from going extinct.  

And so it was time to tell the people in power in Japan that there blossoms were dying.  Though Collingwood may have been averse to giving a speech on it himself, he was asked by Aisaku Hayashi to do so. And this all finally happened in April of 1926. 

Reporters’ and photographers came, and 150 of japans most powerful came to listen.  

Collingwood then said the following, “Why is it, that your flowering cherries often seem to do better in England than their native country? I would like to confess to a feeling of disappointment with regard to the size and condition of some of the trees growing in your parks and public places. Long before aesthetic Japan became contaminated by the hustle and bustle of the Western races, your people produced, an amazing number of varieties. In recent years not only has there been no attempt whatever made to improve these varieties, but many of them are in serious danger of extinction. Were it not for enthusiasts… you would have permanently lost most varieties. I feel confident that in years to come, the Japanese will have to seek some of their best sorts in Europe and America.’ 

He then rounded off his speech by telling them of the trees in his garden, now no longer growing in Japan. And that he would reintroduce them to Japan no matter the cost. He just didn’t know how he was going to do it yet.  

Sadly, after presenting them with his thought as well as the facts, there was little if no impact, the government had other priorates getting the economy on track. After all, this was  after the 1923 Kanto Earth Quake and saving a few trees, when they still had so many other types of cherry blossoms just did not seem important to them in the slightest. 

And so he returned home, I suppose hoping that perhaps the government would do something, not matter how small it may have been. But failing that, he at least could still continue to protect the blossoms himself, even if the government of Japan wouldn’t. 

Finally, after many months, the cuttings he had asked for, from the species he had seen in Japan finally arrived and he immediately got to work in having them grow in his garden. Some had sadly died on the long journey, but fortunately a great many others had survived. The collection grew and he soon found himself as the trading centre for cherry blossoms, and his collection spread around the world, ensuring cherry blossom thrived even more, though still not in Japan.  

And finally, after all of this, after all of the effort to protect these trees, in the early 1930’s it was time to finally start sending these trees back to Japan. 

And that is where I want to leave it for today.

Poem Notes

Thomas didn’t realize that Hokusai  would send me into a glorious meandering of wonder that would take me places like… wikipedia and google.  
 
Also company sponsored  senryu contests that give such gems as “Comparing ages at the class reunion.” And toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper in which you can get the top 20 senryu written on the sheets for the low low price of 350yen. I feel like there’s a joke to be had here, but I can’t find one.  

Oh, yeah, and also there’s a manga called senryu girl – about a girl who can only communicate in 5-7-5 syllables. Yup. There’s an anime too. There’s so much on senryu my head is still spinning.  

The term senryu came from the name Karai Senryu, who lived from 1718-1790. He was a tenja, or judge of poetry competitions. He published the poem collection Yanagaridu in 1765.  
 
Senryu are haiku, but not all haiku are senryu. Both share the same 5-7-5  pattern, but haiku are generally serious poems written about nature with season words or “kigo” .  Senryu on the other hand, are comic/humorous poems that rely on wordplay, and GLORIOUS GLORIOUS PUNS. And sometimes rather adult humor.  For this podcast though, we’ll keep things on the more everyone approachable side.  
 
Also, senryu were often composed by amateur’s and there are several senryu contests, such as the Dai-Ichi insurance company Sarariman senryū konkūru. Or office worker’s  senryu competition. I’ve included a couple of links where you can read the translated winners since I believe copyright restrictions prevent me from reading them here unless I get permission. To be on the safe side, I’ll just give you the links in case you want to explore more! Oh, and there are even senryu contests in English, too.  

I am going to do something a little different – instead of starting from the beginning, let’s work our way back in history for senryu – starting with a very amateur English senryu.  

Look for a poem 
Open “One Hundred Poems” 
But I choose Basho 
 
I’m poking a bit of fun at myself – quite often I seem to choose from the One Hundred Poems, but lately I seem to gravitate towards Basho or perhaps poets connected by Basho. 
 
I’ve composed one in Japanese too – and that’s even more amateur and I just don’t think I am ready to share that one yet.  
 
That’s the beauty of senryu – anyone can do them, and well, lots of people do! It’s a very approachable form of poetry, and one we need to delve into further. 
 
We’ll continue looking at senryu next week, with a little more history and a senryu in Japanese. 

References

• Abe, N. (2020) “Cherry Ingram: The Englishman who saved Japan’s Blossoms.” London: Penguin Random House.
• Carter, S. (2019) ”How to Read a Japanese Poem”. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Japan Times: Subtle Humor Haikus Cousin Senryu Roll
• Japan Times: Salaryman Senryu
• Wakapoetry.net
• Wikipedia Senryu
• Wikipedia Senryu Girl

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: @japan_archives

We also started a Youtube channel for Japan Archives.

And another for other creative endeavours!

The post EP42A A Passion for Cherry Blossoms appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

Hokusai, is the name he is most well known by, but his given name when he was born in 1760 was Tokitaro. Born some believe in the Warigesui section of the Honjo District in Edo. 

People believe his father was a mirror maker known as Nakajima Ise, a man who produced mirrors for the shōgun. And due to the fact that Hokusai was never made an heir, it is possible that his mother was a concubine. 

Hokusai began painting around the age of six, and at the age of 12, his father sent him to work in a bookshop and lending library, a popular institution in Japanese cities, where reading books made from wood-cut blocks was a popular entertainment of the middle and upper classes. 

And finally at the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed as an engraver and spent three years learning the trade. At during this time he began to produce his own illustrations. 

 I don’t know much about his early life, but by the age of 18 he had been enrolled in the studio of a Katsukawa Shunshou and it was while he was apprenticed here that he initially  wished to make his reputation as a designer of actor prints. 

Perhaps we can say he was a little eccentric over his lifetime, moved 93 times in his life. Made a giant Daruma painting. 200 meters squared. 

Changes his artist names many times. in fact there are over 30 names he used, and they have become used to established different periods in his life time.  

His earliest pieces or work that we still have do come from the time he was apprenticed here, however it is said that he didn’t have any success initially for over a decade and so in the early 1790’s at the age of 35 he left the school he was at to go and learn various other painting techniques and it was in 1796 that he finally began to use the name Hokusai for his art. This was also when he wanted to try and begin to define his own style of art. 

These names included Hokusai for prints and paintings, Tatsumasa for certain private collections, Tokitaro for illustrations and commercial fiction, as well as Kako or Sorobeku for other commercial prints and books.  

And with his interest in poetry, especially senryu, which is a comical form of Haiku, he created for these poetry circles noncommercial prints and plates for poetry albums, known as kyoka ehon.  

It is even said, that during his lifetime he gave public demonstrations of his work, but that was a little later on in his lifetime once his reputation had been firmly established.  

By 1804 we see his success, as he had become the foremost illustrator of popular novels, but some of his work wasn’t always easy. One of his jobs, led to a major dispute with a writer who was then replaced. So I suppose Hokusai wasn’t scared to stand his ground. 

From the early 1810’s, so he is in his mid-fifties now and still working, we see his style becoming more defined, and more his own with the first of the a series of books he said was ‘for those who wanted to learn drawing in the Hokusai style.’ This book in question was what is known as the Hokusai manga (or Sketches by Hokusai) and was actually helped to be inspired by Bokusen, a man Hokusai would make a lifelong friendship with. 

Now Japan, a little like China has a belief in a 60 years cycle, relating to the zodiac. Due to this, Hokusai again changed his name, starting a new kanreki or beginning of a new cycle. And so in 1820 when he turned 61 he changed his name to Iitsu. 

And from what I was reading it appear he then had a little break from his career until 1828, after the death of his second wife. Now from what I can tell this was his second wife. During his lifetime he has two sons and three daughters with these women.  

One of his daughters, called Katsushika O-e was skillful in bijinga, or beautiful woman art pieces. These pieces had dramatic contrasts between light and dark, sadly we only have a few pieces of her work, and we don’t really know all too much about her. 

After the death of his wife it is said that in 1829 his grandson started giving him problems, and to remedy this, in the following year of 1830 he sends him off to Michinoku Province, asking his son in law to take him.  

Perhaps that had been an omen of bad news for Hokusai, with 1830 becoming a bad year for him, he wrote at the time “this new year not a penny to spend, no clothes to put on nor anything to eat.” And this year he found himself having to ask for what to complete including a silk painting and a second volume to something called the Shinpen Suikogaden, a Japanese translation of a Chinese Classic. This volume would not be published for another 4 and a half years so overall a bad year for the artist. 

So lets look at following year. Had anything become better for Hokusai? 

1831 we see an announcement made. Now aged 72, Hokusai’s publisher, Nishinuraya Yohachi, announced the commencement of the 36 Views of Mount Fuji, likely the most well-known collection of art we known of Hokusai. 

The advert stated these prints would be ‘designed by old Iitsu, formerly known as Hokusai,’ and the adverts were placed in the backs of popular novels over the coming years to get the word out about them. 

Furthermore they were advertised as ‘views of mount Fuji from various locations, printed in shades of blue and possibly numbering a total of one hundred or more designs.’ This announcement of having a series of artwork would ensure that avid collectors would buy all of them to ensure they had a complete set, which would have been good not just for Hokusai but also for his publisher to keep him in business. 

Now over a hundred designs is a rather large task to undertake, and as we know not that many were ever made, in the end they were known as the 36 Views of Mont Fuji, and ironically there were 46 in total by the time he had finished. 

The reason 36 was used, was that this number historically had always held a kind of cultural significance, and we find it used to group people together in the past. For instance, the 36 Poetic Geniuses or the 36 Women Poetic Geniuses.

Apparently as well the carp fish only has 36 scales which added to the importance of the number 36 to the Japanese.  

And it was this artwork where we get to see Hokusai trying to achieve a three dimensional image through the use of layered colors on a two dimensional medium. 

Of these designs we can see that 10 of the predate all of the others due to the name stamp upon them. These, including the famous Great Wave, were signed  aratame Iitsu, by Hokusai, changing his name to Iitsu, with the rest being signed zen Hokusai Iitsu. By Iitsu, formerly known as Hokusai. 

Always adapting and changing he then also began painting kachoga, pictures of birds and flowers, and he changed how it was done. People had often done this in upright designs, whereas Hokusai did it horizontally allowing unconventional close ups of what was being depicted if seen through a telescope. His renewed popularity meant in 1831 he was commissioned to paint a design of 2 carp amongst waterweeds on a series of fan prints.  

In 1832 we see another set of prints, though this one is smaller, consisting of only nine. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are depicted with each city having three prints each. One in Snow, Cherry Blossom and Moon, to depict Winter, Spring and Autumn.  

Additionally in 1832, there was a visit to Edo from the King of Ryuku Islands, islands chain south of japan including Okinawa. 

This led to a surge in interest in the islands, and so Hokusai adapted art from a Chinese book on these islands, having them published in broadsheets, entitling them the Eight Views of the Ryuku Islands. 

All of this seems to have re-inspired and awoken Hokusai to the world of art and we see much more being created by him in the time to come. 

He went back to his Hokusai Manga by now there were 12 volumes, with his most recent one attempting to show the more humorous side to him. 

In 1834 we see adverts for ‘Remarkable Views of Bridges in All Provinces.’ this being a series of ten pieces. There was later an 11th made, but it is likely that was requested by someone.  

And in the same year we see the first polished volume of the 100 Views of Mount Fuji. This would be a much longer series than the 36 Views, but all would be monochromatic, unlike their colorful predecessors.  

Volume 2 came out the following year, and this included the first instance of Hokusais’ autobiography where he again announces another change of name, from Iitsu to Gakyorojin Manji, Manji the Old Man Mad with Painting.  

Sadly Volume 3 was delayed slightly due to the bankruptcy of his publisher. 

And still he did not stop. 1835, he began a three volume book centered around famous warriors. And soon after came his largest collection to date. 

This collection was known as One Hundred Poems explained by the wet nurse.  

I am particularly interested in these as the one hundred poem in question are those from our favorite poetry book, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. 

Each poem was given its own print, ‘as interpreted by a wet nurse’ in which Hokusai creates the art by paraphrasing the poem and freely associating single words from them to make the final image. 

Only 27 of these were taken to print, but we are fortunate in that copies of his designs have survived meaning would we could recreate the remaining 73 which were never printed.  

And so after all of this his publication seemed to stop, no more prints were made or forthcoming.  

Some time in his mid 80’s we do know he was invited to the town of Obuse, close to Nagano by a Takai Kozan, during his time here he created works known as Dragon and Phoenix as well as Masculine Waves and Feminine Waves for the ceiling of two festival floats. And additionally he created a phoenix for the ceiling of the temple of Gansho-in.  

In 1836 Hokusai returned back to Tokyo after his many, many moves to find it ravaged by famine and so had to sell pictures for measures of rice.  

Sadly in 1848 his lodgings burnt down, taking all of the study sketches and painting material he still had with him. 

And in the following year, in 1849 Hokusai passed away. You can find his grave in Tokyo, at the temple of Seikyo-ji Temple a mere 10 minute walk from Ueno Station. 

If you are interested in seeing some of his artwork, there are many museums around the world which do house them. However, for a more Hokusai experience I would recommend the town of Obuse we just mentioned, a short train ride from Nagano station you can visit the Hokusai Museum, full of his works including one of the festival floats he painted.  

And they also have a very good video (with English subtitles) going even more in depth into Hokusai life.  

And so I will end with a quote from Hokusai, which I came across at this very museum when I visited with my parents.  

“From the age of 6 I had a mania for drawing the shapes of things. When I was 50 I had published a universe of designs. But all I have done before the age of 70 is not worth bothering with. At 75 I’ll have learned something of the pattern of nature, of animals, of plants, of trees, birds, fish and insects. When I am 80 you will see real progress. At 90 I shall have cut my way deeply into the mystery of life itself. At 100, I shall be a marvelous artist. At 110, everything I create; a dot, a line, will jump to life as never before. To all of you who are going to live as long as I do, I promise to keep my word. I am writing this in my old age. I used to call myself Hokusai, but today I sign myself ‘The Old Man Mad About Drawing.”  

Poem Notes

Born in Nagasaki in 1651, his given name was Mukai Kanetoki but later would use the name Mukai Kyorai.

He started to train as a samurai, but changed his profession when 23 to write poetry instead.  

He published haiku as well as edited haiku collections from Basho and his students. His published works include The Kyorai sho (translated as Conversations with Kyorai. 

More can be said about him, but let’s come back to him for a later date.  

I want to talk about a topic theme called “sabi” 

Sabi is a noun, taken from the word Sabishii. Based on this word, what do you think the theme is about? 

This topic is about loneliness, being forlorn, miserable, sad’ 

Now, I could have found a typical poem for this topic. However, since Mukai was student of Basho and as we have come to learn, Basho liked to turn some of the more conventional ideas into something else, the poem I have today has a bit lighter meaning. 

I also chose this poem because during my research, I encountered the fact that Hokusai really didn’t become popular until he was around 60. In my humble opinion, while the ideal of the beauty of youth is a universally loved and often used theme, that talent, creativity, and accomplishment doesn’t always belong to the realm of the young. In fact, that age brings with it a wealth of experience and wisdom.  

That’s not to say that youth isn’t capable of great things either. Truly great things have been done by those who are young too. Rather, it is that you shouldn’t be afraid of growing older. And that just because you’ve grown older, you shouldn’t just sit back on your knowledge and wisdom – you should always learn and grow and you can ALWAYS learn and grow. I want to end with a quote from Hokusai, shared earlier from Thomas “When I am 80 you will see real progress.” 

References

• Encyclopedia Britanica: Mukai Kyorai
• Carter, S. (2019) ”How to Read a Japanese Poem”. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Carter, Steven. (1993) ”Traditional Japanese Poetry: An Anthology”. New York: Stanford University Press.
• Harris, F (2010) “Ukiyo-e: The Art of the Japanese Print”. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.
• Kenji, H (2015) “An Introduction to Ukiyo-e in English and Japanese”. Japan: Tokyo Bujitsu.
• Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
• Forrer, M.(2018) “Hokusai: Mountains and Water, Flowers and Birds”. London: Prestel Publishing.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: @japan_archives

We also started a Youtube channel for Japan Archives.

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The post EP41 Hokusai appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

Translated over time as demon, ogre or devil. And we can find reference to them as far back as the 8th century. Perhaps former Shinto kami and there can be both male and female Oni, though female Oni are much rarer.

In regards to the word Oni itself.

We can find the word Oni in the oldest Japanese texts, such as the Kojiki, Nihongi as well as local gazetteers known as fudoki, all of which we have drawn upon in older episodes. However, the pronunciation as it stands is a Japanese construct, and wasn’t used until the Heian Period, and the Kanji for Oni can also be pronounced ‘ki’ if use in other words such as the Hyaki yagyo or Procession of One Hundred Oni/Demons. Nowadays the word Oni is used as a general word for ‘scary.’

Now we see them as an entity in itself but in the past the word Oni was used as a catch all term for supernatural creatures, or Yokai in general, as they signified monstrous things of all shapes and sizes. But that all slowly changed and they became a Yokai themselves.

Some believe the origins of the word Oni can be found as a signifier of an epidemic. And that the image of the Oni developed as a manifestation of the invisible and worrying spread of disease.

Historically there are many various depictions of Oni and they can vary wildly in appearance, but now they have taken a more common appearance. Humanlike and male, large and powerful, sporting red, blue, black or yellow faces, clawed hands and sharp protruding fangs, Horns upon their heads, carry an iron club and wear a loincloth made of tigers skin.

Of course it doesn’t quite end there. There is more, associations with lightening, a perchance for eating people, three fingered hands and three toed feet. Some even have three eyes.

Earliest images are from Buddhist 12th century hell scrolls, known as Jigoku zoshi. Likely later images were also influenced by the kami of Thunder Raijin. And overall these creatures don’t have their origins in one place, but is an amalgamation of Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist and others sources all fused together.

Their humanlike appearance at times has helped  them to be depicted as the anti-human, an image for the bad and immoral acts people can do. There are far and few exceptions, where we see humorous or even foolish Oni, but they are very much anomalies and the Oni are the symbol of ‘the negative human.’

They have links to outsiders, people who were marginalised and feared by society. Such as the Shugendo, founded by En no Ozunu and even strangely enough blacksmiths who lived on the outskirts of villagers because of their apparent supernatural abilities to shape metal.

Now I have found 4 different Oni tales for us. I was going to do more, but I think that might be too many, too much for one episode, and so I can bring more Oni stories together later and do a Pt.2 episode if there are enough, or a shorter bonus episode. It all depends on how many more I find. I will put images of them up in the show notes, all of them depictions by Toriyama Sekien.

This first one, is said to have been a general of the Oni, showing us that perhaps they had some form of hierarchy. This Oni is better known as Shuten-dōji (酒呑童子)  or the Sake-Drinking-Boy.

The story goes that the capital of Japan at the time was plagued by demons, or Oni. The maidens of the city were being take by these creatures and even the daughter of one of the government officials had been taken. Outraged by everything that was happening he summoned Minamoto no Yorimutsu to rid the city of this demon plague and end their sorrows.

Minamoto gather a group of trusted men and sets out the meet the general of the Oni in an attempt to stop them, heading to the sloped of Mount Oe where he is said to reside. As they climb the mountain three old men are said to appear and approach them, gifting them with large barrels of sake.

They tell them how this sake is special, and poisonous to the Oni, but of great use to the men. All of this will work out well, as Shuten Doji is said to be a great fan of drinking sake. And so with this gift they continue their ascent and finally reach the summit where they are met with a palace made of iron.

And so they enter, all disguised I might add as monks. They are welcomes by Shuten-Doji who during the day takes on the appearance of a human and they are invited to seat and join them for a feast. A feast, as it turns out, of human flesh. Both men and Oni drink the sake that Minamoto had brought with him and soon the Oni fall into a deep slumber as night draws in.

Shuten-Doji then transforms into his Oni self, a giant ten-foot-tall demon, asleep before them.

And so Minamoto and his men then attack, slaughtering the Oni and beheading Shuten Doji, his head even after it has been detached biting and attacking. Minamoto and his men then descend further into the palace and find pickled human flesh, and women who have had limbs amputated. Eventually they also come across the officials daughter and so they release all the women, returning to the city as heroes.

This second tale is set in Gango-ji Temple in Nara, and the creature known as the Gagoze take its name also from this temple where it once resided. It is said that one day a farmer came across a ‘thunder child’ during a storm, the farmer takes pity and doesn’t kill the creature and so in thanks it tell him he will soon have a strong child. Soon after the farmers wife gives birth to a son, who was also born with a snake around his head. The child then grew up strong and became a monk at the temple of Gango-ji. Whilst there the son learns that monks here seem to dye a lot, always close to the bell of the temple, and being brave and strong he goes to investigate what could be killing the other monks. Upon investigation he finds ‘the Oni Gagoze’ living near the bell and so he drags him from its home, so it cannot kill anymore monks.

This third Oni, isn’t from Japan, but is actually said to live in Anguo, China, in the mountains there. It is known as the Sansei (山精 – Mountain Spirit)

The creature is humanoid in appearance, but only has one leg. The Wakan Sansai Zue (an encyclopaedia from 1712) elaborates more on the creature stating that it ranges from 90 to 120cm in height and that it’s one foot faces the opposite way to its face.

Their favourite food is said to be roasted stone crabs, and they often steal salt from woodcutters according to the Chinese book ‘A Record of Yongjia.’ The Wakan Sansai Zue also states they are nocturnal and also enjoy eating frogs and toads. The creature will cause you to suffer illness or for your home to catch fire should you attempt to attack them. However, should this creature attempt to attack you, shouting the word ‘batsu!‘ will stop the creature.

Our fourth and final Oni for today is known as Hashi-Hime (橋姫) and she is a female Oni. In fact she is a bit of an exception as she did not start of her life as an Oni, but actually as a human. The tale begins with a woman desperate for love. But sadly it is said her appearance was so bad that she would never be able to find another husband. Her previous one had left her for another woman and so day after day she found her slowly slowly to become consumed by jealousy and hatred. And so she headed to the Kifune Jinja Shrine to pray to the kami known as Kifune Daimyojin. For seven days she prayed back to back, desperate to be turned into a ‘living Oni.

Daimyojin eventually takes pity on the woman instructing her on how she can transform herself. All she simply needed to do was soak herself in the Uji River for 20 straight days. And so she returns home, tying her hair up in five horn like locks, she paints her face and body red and places an inverted Iron Trivet on her head. Finally she bites down on a torch lit at both ends and holds it in her mouth before running straight towards the river. It is said the very sight of her was enough to make people faint or die from fear. And so returning to the river, she bathed for 20 days until her transformation was complete.

Song Notes

Today Heather continues with the song from last week, giving us the ‘new’ first verse of this song.

Feature Image: Oni, from Amazon Music.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: @japan_archives

We also started a Youtube channel for Japan Archives.

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The post EP34 Oni appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

This is a tale on En no Ozunu, from Episode 22. This tale can be found in the nara ehon, now this is an over all term from what I can tell for woodblock printed book or handscrolls of a certain size from the Muromachi period into the Edo. I am afraid the book I have consulted doesn’t say which specific ehon this tale comes from.

It is said that growing up he lost his father at the age of two and so was brought up by his mother afterwards. Eventually, he decided to turn their home into a temple when he became 34 years of age, enshrining with an 8 foot tall statue of the kami known as Miroku. (The kami of happiness)

Now the story sadly doesn’t say what became of his mother when he turned their home into a temple, but soon after its completion he gifted the temple to the court and retired to the Mountains of Katsuragi where he began to wear clothes made from bark, and subsisted of nothing but pine needles.

Wandering the mountains became his life, and at time he ventured to other ranges close by. One day, whilst walking through the Omine range he looked over to the peak known as Shaka Peak and he could feel the power which radiated from it.

Drawn to the power he went to the summit where he came upon an 9ft tall skeleton. Now the sheer size of the body wasn’t the only thing of interest, though dead, the skeleton still grasped with an iron grip two things. In his left, there was a bell. In it’s right, a single-pronged vajra.

This find, increased Ozunu’s faith and so that night he prayed to the kami Miroku. And Miroku that night spoke back.

“The skeleton you have found is yours, it is you. For seven of your past lives you were an ascetic of this mountain. The body is you. If you want the bell and the vajra, chant the Mantra of the Peacock King.”

He went away to learn this mantra, finding himself filled with new abilities from the very moment he began to utter it. He could suddenly fly to any place he wanted to on a cloud of five colours, and so he returned to the Shaka Peak to see the skeleton again.

But, it had disappeared, the bell and the vajra now laying on the ground waiting for him.

From here, now holding these two items he coveted, he look north and saw Golden Peak. Another place which radiated power. A mountain which had flown from India when Emperor Kimmei was on the throne, flying upon a white cloud to nestle itself into to country of Japan. En no Ozunu knew of the legends surrounding the mountain, that when Mirkou returned as the buddha far in the distant future, the earth would become covered in gold, and until then, all the gold waits patiently, inside of Golden Peak.

Ozunu feared for the future and the sinful ages to come, and so wanted a kami who could guide others to salvation, He prayed, day in and day out for a thousand days, until the kami Zao Gongen came forth, taking on the appearance of a very quiet and kind being. Ozunu was unimpressed, fearing and wondering how such a kindly kami could save the deluded being from the sins of what was to come. And so Zao Gongen left.

Ozunu prayed anew and again Zao Gongen returned, this time taking on a fearsome form. Taking the fierce pose used to crush demons, and brandishing a three-pronged vajra in his right hand.

Now. A few years are said to have passed as Ozunu retrated into a cave, bringing all kinds of creatures to him with his new found powers so that they may serve him. During these years he made various outings to all the sacred mountains of Japan, including Fuji and Asama. And even during this time he went to the land of the Immortals.

Now after all these years, Ozunu decided it would be best for a bridge to be constructed. All the way from the Katsuragi Mountains to the Golden peak to allow all his followers to make journeys between the two. And searching for someone who could do this very job, he came across Hitokotonushi (the kami of Katsuragi).

Sadly this rock bridge was never built, but it was more the fault of Ozunu than of the kami. The kami had always been ashamed of his appearance and so would only work during the night. Ozunu furious by this decision bound the kami in a spell and threw him to the bottom of the ravine. A very callous act for a religious man if you ask me.

Soon after the court of the Emperor found themselves with an attendant who became possessed. And under questioning they revealed themselves to be Hitokotonushi, who announced that Ozunu was making a rebellion and had to be stopped.

Emperor Mommu, who ruled at the time immediately sent a letter demanding his presence, but Ozunu refused. He sent his soldiers, but Ozunu flew away. It was only after they took his mother prisoner did Ozunu finally appear in the palace, where his mother was immediately freed.

And so the Emperor had him exiled to Oshima. During the day he behaved, he stayed on the island.

But at night, he flew to Mount Fuji. Hitokotonushi knew of this and again possessing an attendant informed the Emperor, and demanded that Ozunu be put to death for disobeying the Emperor.

Soldiers came to take his life, but all failed. Their bows broke, as did their swords when they attempted to take the mans life.

Ozunu then asked for a soldiers sword, and taking it, he licked the blade 3 times, before handing it back. The soldiers were in awe from that moment, where he had licked the blade they know saw engraved the name of the kami of Mount Fuji. They returned to the Emperor then to tell them their tale, Mommu realising now Ozunu was not an ordinary man and so had him pardoned and his exile lifted.

Now Ozunu had grown tired of Japan, and so climbed into a large bowl with his mother and flew to China on his five coloured cloud.

But that is not quite where the tale ends.

Enter into this tale the man known as Taicho, who came from the province of Echizen. He also was a great ascetic who powers were well known and regarded. This man also found himself used as the vessel of Hakusan, the kami of White Mountain, and the kami often used Taicho as a means to speak to others.

Taicho, like Ozunu once had, set out to visit all the sacred mountains of Japan, eventually coming to Katsuragi where he stayed for a night. During his sleep, Hitokotonushi reached out to him, begging for him to be freed, that Ozunu had bound him with a spell, revealing he was bound inside a mossy boulder.

Taicho awoke, and found the boulder and attempted to free the kami, but as soon as he did so Ozunu suddenly appeared full of fury. Taicho fled and no-one attempted to free Hitokotonushi again.

References:

• Tyler, R. (1987) “Japanese Tales.” New York: Pantheon Books.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

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The post B5 Peacock Power appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Story Notes

Zenki and Goki (前鬼 & 後鬼) are two well known Oni with strong associations with the founder of the Shugendō Religion, En no Gyōja.

Said to have dwelt in the mountains ranges close to Nara, they would regularly terrorise the people there by taking their children. En no Gyoja eventually learns of this and so decides to intercede. Upon finding the Oni he stuns then into submission, using the powers of a Buddhist Deity, and then takes the five children of these Oni. He then hides their children in a large cauldron, which causes Zenki and Goki to believe their children have been killed.

This causes the Oni to realise how they have been making the families of those in Nara feel by stealing their children, and so they annouce to En no Gyoja that they will change their ways. They also then pledge to renounce their evil and follow En no Gyoja. And so, their children and finally returned to them.

Feature Image: Oni Mask from WallPaperAccess.

References:

• Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2012) “Ninja Attack: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws” Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.

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Story Notes

En no Ozunu is an interesting man. Born in a time really before the Ninja, if anyone would have asked him if he considered himself to be one he would have just looked at you in confusion and demanded to know what you were on about. And we will get into the why shortly.

Now he was born perhaps in 634 living until around 701 but we are not too sure about these date. We do know he is a historical figure, being born with the name of Kamo-no-e-no-kimi, however as he grew and legends sprung up far and wide about this man, he gained several new names.

Now one of those was Jinben Daibosatsu, meaning the Great Bidhisatva of Heavenly Change he was also known as En no Gyoja, meaning En the Pilgrim, which he obtained after many years of mountain meditation; but he also garnered the name of En no Ozunu, which would mean En of the Horn.

Now the last name is an interesting one, and relates to the fabled origins of his birth. It is said that this man was born with a horn protruding from his skull, hence the name, but it didn’t quite stop there. It’s also said he was born with a flower clutched into one of his hands and that he was very adept at holding conversations with people from the moment he arrive on planet earth.

One of this claims to fame was the founding of the religion known as Shugendo. A religion that became a mixture of both Buddhism and indigenous mountain worship already prevalent in Japan. And his new religion was actually quiet successful after its inception on the slopes of Mount Katsuragi in Nara Prefecture and it grew rather quickly. It grew so quickly in fact that the Emperor even banished him as he feared that this new religion was threat to the reigning monarch. The notes of his banishment, detailed in the Shaku Nihongi state that this happened in 699AD and so would have been decreed by the Emperor Monmu.

His exile upon the island of Oshima is said to have lasted in total 3 years, but that is when stories of this mans supernatural abilities started to crop up around Japan.

Though banished to this remote island it  is said he would often be found scaling Mount Fuji so that he could meditate upon it summit. It’s even said that he scaled the mountain over 1000 time, such was his love of meditation upon the mountain, that he learnt the mantra known as the ‘Peacock King’ which then gave him the ability to shoot across the sky on the back of clouds. In addition to now being able to fly, it then gave him access to the world above and he started to split his time between both Heaven and Earth.

Now what else is it said about Ozunu’s powers? Well, he learnt to walk on water, managed to be able to subsist on nothing but the mist and air around him and he even learnt how to transform himself into a tiger. There are even accounts of attempts on his life, but every time someone brought an axe down on his head to kill him the blade shattered in thousands of pieces.

Now, I am sure you are wondering how all of this relates to him being thought of as a Ninja. Well it is said that he is considered one the honoured ancestors of the Ninja.

And this all goes back to his founding of the Shugendo religion. His followers came to be known as the Yamabushi and it is said that these were the people who first taught the Ninja their tricks. They built a dojo on a Koga Mountain called Hando-san in honour of Ozuno and the Ninja began to come here to learn skills in herbs, minerals, weather patterns and even camouflage from the mountain dwelling monks who had learnt all of this so they could survive in the mountain climate.

The stories around his death are just as interesting as those of his life. Some say reached enlightenment in 701 and walked across the sea to China. Others say he went into the sky in a Buddhist alms bowl with his mother. Regardless, he is now considered a Sennin, ‘Great Immortal,’ who is still out there somewhere watching over the Yamabushi and the Ninja.

Poem Notes

Today we head back to the Poet known as Matsuo Basho and a poem he wrote around 1680. During this time we know he moved into a home out of the public eye, his disciples however planted a banana plant outside of the home they had also built for him. And it was this plant that inspired this poem:

Feature Image: Carnegie Museum of Art

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Story Notes

Lake Motosu

Now, after researching this lake I have been unable to find any stories linked to it. So if I am missing something, and if you’re listening an no I story I might have missed please let us know. For the time being all I can tell you is the more sparse, concrete facts about the lake.

This lake forms a group known as the Fuji-san Goko, or the Fuji Five Lakes. Now all of these lakes, including Motosu were formed due to lava obstructions in the past in the valleys of the Misaka Mountains. Out of these five lakes Motosu is the deepest, at a depth of 122m.

History of the Mountain

Fuji San is the highest mountain of Japan reaching a height of 3,776m. It has 3 subsidiary volcanoes by the names of Komitake, Ko-Fuji and Shin-Fuji. Shin-Fuji being the most active has actually covered the other two in cinders and lava.

We have records of its various eruptions and our first record of Fuji erupting dates all the way back to 864AD.  The mountain has widely been seen as sacred in both Shinto and other faiths, such as the Fujiko which combines both Shinto and Buddhist elements.

In fact it was the Fujiko sect that established the custom of dividing routes to the summit into 10 stations of stages; although I believe now there are only 8 stations. Due to its historical basis of being deemed sacred, women weren’t allowed to climb the mountain until 1872.

Legends say that the sand which is disturbed during the day by pilgrims ascending the mountain would re-ascend to its former position at night. According to Buddhist tradition, Fuji rose from the earth in 286 BC after an earthquake that also created Lake Biwa.

Art

In art Mount Fuji is the best known from Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mount Fuji, Hokusai being in his 70’s when he created them. In actuality there are 46 prints. As an additional 10 were created by Hokusai after the original collection.

There was also my the same artist something known as the Fugaku Hyakkei, in English the 100 views of Mount Fuji which was published as a sequel book of sorts to the initial 46 prints.  You can actually go see a lot of his prints in Nagano Prefecture. If you ever are in Nagano city you can take a train to the small town of Obuse where Hokusai would spend his time, and there is a museum there housing both the 36 Views and the 100 Views of Fuji in addition to his other works. And having been myself, I would highly recommend going.

Behind the Name

These days the mountain is made up of two Kanji, these being the Kanji for abundance and soldiers/samuria.

However there is much debate as the origins of the name. It is worth mentioning that there is a folktale known as the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, where Fuji is said to be derived from 不死 fushi which would translate as Immortal .

There are others that cite it as an ancient name stemming from the Ainu language namely the Kami of Fire by the name of Huchi but some have contested that and cited it as relating back to the time of Yamato. There is even some who state it could relate to old Eastern Japanese and there word for ‘Fire Master,’ 火主. This was originally pronounced pu suzi, and over time became shortened to puzi and it similar to Fuji.

The Kami of Fuji

There are some that cite the kami of Fuji as being Kono-hana-saku-ya-hime. Now, she is interesting mythologically as she is stated to have the one to have married Ninigi, He was the grandson of the Sun kami Amaterasu, and he would later be the great-grandfather to the first Emperor Jimmu.

It is said that upon the summit of Mountain resided her palace and that the kami could be seen floating over the crater in a luminous cloud at every moment attended to by invisible servants who would throw down any pilgrim who attempted to climb the mountain if they were not pure of heart.

Princess Glory

One tale from the Shintoshi recounts a tale of Fuji, this document coming form the 14th Century giving tales of various kami. The story is set during the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, the 21st Emperor from the Kofun Period and goes as follows. Now I want to say that this story has a lot of similarities, for those who known it, with the Folktale The Bamboo Cutters Daughter. But to give you some idea, the character of Kaguya has the same name in both tales and her origins and again the same.

There was once a couple who were sad as they had no child. This couple living at the foot of mount Fuji. Then one day they found themselves happiness, they found a little girl hidden in the bamboo grove behind their home. Seemingly having appeared from nowhere. This girl was special, shining with light and so they called her Princess Glory, or Kaguya-hime in Japanese. She grew up to be the most beautiful woman and news reached a local governor of her beauty. And so he approached her and they courted for some time before finally marrying.

Many years later, once the old couple had passed and been lain to rest she revealed to her now husband that she was not of this world, all this time he had been married to the Immortal Lady of Mount Fuji. She had come all those years ago to give the old couple happiness, and now they were gone from the land of the living nothing tied her now to this place. And so she had to return to her palace at the mountains summit.

Now it is interest to note here that, as we have said, Fuji may have been derived from the word for Immortal, and here we have a kami who name includes the world Immortal. The Immortal Lady of Mount Fuji.

The governor, her husband didn’t wish her to leave, and so she said he could see her if he climbed to the summit. And failing that he could look at her using a box of incense which she left him as a parting gift. And so she returned to the mountain, leaving her husband alone.

He used the box but could only see an indistinct shadowy form and so he endeavoured to climb the mountain. At the summit he found a lake, with an island in its centre, and upon it the palace of Kaguya-hime. But, the vapour which rose from the lake only gave him the most fleeting glimpses of his wife, and so disappointed and alone, he clutched the box to his heart and jump from the precipice of the mountain to his death.

The Elixir of Life

The story goes there was once an Emperor of China, who heard that Mount Fuji came into being in one night. From this he instantly believed that Mount Fuji must contain the Elixir of Life. And so he set sail to Japan with a number of handsome youths and maidens for Japan. They sailed through storms which luckily eventually abated and before them they could see the rising slopes of Fuji. They ascended the mountain, near it summit the Emperor running ahead, wanting to be the first one to take a drink from the Elixir of Life so that he may never grow old. But later, once his companions caught up with him they only found his body lying on its back with a smile upon his face. He had found his Life Eternal, but would carry it out in the land of the dead.

Poem Notes

Yamabe no Akahito (山部 赤人 / 山邊 赤人) lived during the first half of the 8th century. During his life he acted as a courtier as well as bureaucrat giving his service to the Emperor Shomu.

Not much else is really known about his life. We know he was ranked as one of the Four Great Poets of the man’yōshū Period and was listed by Kinto as one of the the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses. All together he has 13 chōka poems and 37 tanka poems in the man’yōshū.

Feature Image: Umegawa in Sagami Province, one of the Thirty Six Views Of Mount Fuji, Hokusai.

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