Kyoto Vignettes

yesterday is today is tomorrow.






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The Mountain Goddess, the Stonefish, and the Laughing Men

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On February 7 each year, local men in Owase, a small city in Mie prefecture sandwiched by mountains and ocean, perform an *interesting* ritual to ensure good weather and abundant crops in the year ahead. First, the men first carve giant phalluses and model farming tools from local cedar and bamboo. Second, they stuff their pockets with stonefish (okoze), an unsightly and highly venomous creature. Proceeding to a small  worship hall in a grove of cinnamon trees, they offer the wooden implements and sake to the mountain goddess while laughing boisterously and mocking the hideous fish. "BAHAAHAHAHAHAHA," the men roar. "This is no fish at all!" According to local lore, when the sea god and the mountain god competed to see who could collect more "fruits" in their respective realms, the sea god emerged victorious thanks to the help of stonefish. The losing mountain god, a jealous female deity who detests "real" women, must therefore be specially ...
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Purification, Flames, and a Frenzy of Men

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On the night of February 6 each year, upwards of 2,000 men brave the cold of winter to perform the Otō Matsuri, a wild rite of purification and renewal—by fire—designed to supplicate the mountain god(s) and pave the way for an auspicious year. In principle, the men have followed a strict code of abstinence for a week leading up to the event: performing daily water ablutions and bathing (naked) in the ocean; consuming only white-colored foods such as tofu, polished rice, and white fish cakes; and swearing off all contact with women. Today, the purification protocol extends for some only to the day of the event. Their minds and bodies pure, the “nobori-ko” (lit. “ascending children”), as they are called, don white clothing (robe, hood, headband), wrap straw ropes around their chest (7, 5, or 3 times, depending), and strap on straw sandals. Completing the get-up is a hand-held torch made of cypress wood, carved in the shape of a five-sided pyramid and stuffed with wood shavings. The ...
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Gods and Mountains: Icons, Temples, and Pilgrimage

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My day job is rather unique...I read and write about Buddhism - history, art history, philosophy, texts, social issues, architecture, food, etc. - as I work toward my doctorate in Buddhist Studies at UCLA. One of the best parts of this journey is my yearly trip to Japan, and I thought some of you might find it interesting to know what's in store for 2010. You can read all about previous adventures in my old blog posts from 2007, 2008, and 2009. This next one's gonna be incredible...check it out! 2010 Buddhism & Art Exploration Seminar in Japan
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