Читать книгу The Little Book of Japan - Charlotte Anderson - Страница 8

A monk serving as gardener at the Buddhist temple Myoman-ji in Kyoto rakes representative patterns in the gravel of the dry landscape garden.

Many aspects of Japan, richly endowed with nature and with a unique culture, have become widely recognized around the world as symbols of the country. Among the creative arts there is a reputation for perfection and for the practitioners’ investment of decades of effort toward mastery. Certain icons are valued not only for their intrinsic beauty but for the fact that they were found to be worthy of appreciation. In some cases, that appreciation itself evolved into a kind of honored art form.

bonsai

Bonsai refers to the skill and art of dwarfing trees and bushes as well as to the potted plants themselves. Originating in China as a thousand-year-old aristocratic art form of a miniature tray landscape, bonsai was introduced to Japan around the twelfth century, at about the time Zen Buddhism was adopted.

Bonsai is considered a creation of the microcosm of nature. Practitioners require a decade to learn the basics of maintenance, which involves root and branch pruning, wiring and shaping of branches, repotting and watering. With proper care, the trees can eventually become a treasured family heirloom over many generations, carrying memories of family ancestors and evoking a sense of continuity and eternity. As an ever-changing piece of nature, a bonsai plant is considered to be a living artwork. To be properly appreciated, four elements have to be considered: the choice of pot or tray, the spread of the roots, the shape of the trunk and the balance of the branches.

A mini bonsai pine at a hobbyist exhibition.

An old bonsai treasure is exhibited at Meiji Shrine’s Spring Grand Festival in Tokyo.

A family-operated nursery, one of a group of eleven at Bonsai Village, Omiya.

An array from the bonsai collection of the Tokyo garden Happo-en.

Gardeners work at Bonsai Village, eleven nurseries dating from the early twentieth century.

A Chinese juniper is part of a Tokyo hobbyist mini bonsai exhibit.

A bear willow (kuma yanagi) on display at a Tokyo hobbyist mini bonsai exhibit.

castles

During the feudal era (1185–1868), when the ablest of samurai rose to lead their own domains as daimyo or overlords, owing their allegiance to the great shogun ruler, simple hilltop fortresses were transformed into architecturally impressive castles called shiro, not only magnificent residences but also formidable governing centers of castle towns.

Castles once numbered in the hundreds across the country. Some daimyo owned several in their domains. Out of a sense of self-protection, at one point the shogun restricted each daimyo to only one in the main locale of his residence. Under the “one castle per province” policy, many had to be dismantled by their owners.

Time also took its toll and many castles fell into disrepair, particularly once the nation entered “modern times” following the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), and they seemed to remind people of the happily bygone feudalistic days. Others were lost to bombing during World War II because they had often been occupied by the military to store munitions, and thus became “targets.” Castle ruins remain in many provincial towns, but actual still-standing castles with intact towers (tenshukaku) number only twelve today.

The number of tenshukaku symbolized a daimyo ’s power. Sometimes extra gables were added to confuse the enemy about the castle’s actual size. The construction could appear quite decorative, with windows of various shapes, beautiful tiling, family crests, ornamental gates, doors with decorative iron-work—touches one might not expect warriors to appreciate. But samurai were often well trained in aesthetics through such activities as the tea ceremony, calligraphy, gardening, poetry and Noh drama as a respite from the martial aspect of their lives.

Japan’s remaining castles are carefully tended as symbols of Japan’s rich cultural heritage and to encourage both domestic and international tourism.

Ironwork reinforces and decorates a gate and door at Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo.

Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture.

Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture.

A swan paddles along the moat of Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture.

Himeji Castle framed by weeping willow fronds.

Korakuen Castle reflected in the Asahi River in Okayama.

Korakuen Castle in Okayama, nicknamed “Crow Castle” for its dark color.

Triangular shooting apertures line a castle staircase.

Gables not only added beauty to castle architecture but sometimes served to confuse attacking enemies about the number of floors within.

A pine tree stands in front of a stone castle foundation.

Partially restored Himeji Castle, nicknamed “Heron Castle” for its white color, is seen here over tiled castle walls.

cherry blossoms

Ever since wild flowering cherry trees found growing in the foothills around Nara and Kyoto were transplanted to the Heian capital’s formal gardens over a thousand years ago, spring in Japan has never been the same. As cloud-like canopies of cherry blossoms (sakura) spread across gardens, parks and riverbanks, a certain giddiness overtakes the land and celebration becomes the order of the day. Once only an aristocratic diversion, by the seventeenth century the common people too had discovered the pleasures of honorable flower viewing or o-hanami. By the millions, the population happily succumbs to the irresistible allure of this harbinger of spring. Issa, haiku poet of old, once put brush to paper with this sentiment:

We human beings

Squirming about among

The flowers that bloom.

Although written long ago, Issa could just as well have been writing of each year’s jostling, merry crowds at Tokyo’s Ueno Park, Kyoto’s Heian Shrine, or any of a multitude of celebrated viewing spots across the country.

The advancing “wave” of blooming trees from Okinawa in the far south to Hokkaido in the north, its stages enthusiastically reported by the media, can last nearly two months, although the life span of the delicate blossoms is actually little more than a week. Aside from its astonishing beauty, it is this very brevity that endears the flower to the Japanese. It is the most perfect of blooms, they say, possessing much-valued purity and simplicity. And when the petals fall, they seem to poignantly embody Buddhist thought about the ephemeral nature of life.

Blooms at Kyoto’s Heian Shrine.

A majestic tree in Kyoto’s Imperial Park.

A cluster of blossoms (kawazuzakura) in Izu.

A weeping cherry tree at Kyoto’s Heian Shrine.

Visitors celebrate o-hanami in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture.

Early blooming kawazu-zakura in Izu.

A red drum bridge spanning a castle moat in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, is a stark contrast to the pale pink of blossoms.

Fallen petals float on a pond in Ueno Park, Tokyo.

Petals float in a water basin (chozubachi) in a Kyoto garden.

gardens

Japanese garden art remains unsurpassed throughout the world. From earliest times, magnificent trees and rocks were seen as dwelling places of the divine. The predecessor of the garden concept was the early place of worship—a sacred clearing in a grove of trees. As early as the eighth century, evidenced by poetry of the time, gardens imitating natural vistas were constructed along the lines of T’ang gardens observed by court emissaries to China. The Japanese have been creating wonderful gardens (niwa) ever since.

In time, Buddhism, thanks to its greatly expanding popularity and imperial and aristocratic patrons, accumulated great power and wealth. With their substantial means, temples commissioned fine works of sacred art—sculptures, scrolls and paintings. Wondrous gardens were also created. These cultivated spots stood in contrast to the areas of abundant and untamed nature that then surrounded them.

Frequently created by the priests and monks themselves, many of the gardens sought to present a glimpse of Paradise on Earth. Rare rocks and careful plantings created beautiful scenes infused with several layers of meaning. Some gardens emphasized changing landscapes as a viewer moved along a designated path. Others were meant to be seen through the enhancing frame of a window or open door, bringing adjacent or sometimes distant vistas into the overall “picture” in a technique known as shakkei or “borrowed scenery.”

Some of the most intriguing Japanese gardens are those predominantly without growing things, in particular the Zen-inspired dry karesansui gardens, “mountains and waters without water,” that are simply and sparely styled from rocks, pebbles or raked sand to represent rivers or seas.

Some “well-dressed” gardens can have their own accessories. Ishidoro are stone lanterns that light the pathways of stroll gardens after dark.

The flickering candles cast a delightful play of light and shadow as they enhance enjoyment of the scene. In temple gardens, such lanterns had often been given as votive offerings.

Stone is also utilized as the practical and appealing natural material for chozubachi or water basins. The jewel-like water ripples gently with a breeze and reflects the sky above and surrounding trees to multiply the joy of nature.

The round window (yoshino mado) of the teahouse Muji-an looks out on the gardens of Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu, Shikoku.

The garden at Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane Prefecture.

The garden of the Kyoto residence-museum of the late great garden designer Mirei Shigenori.

The dry landscape garden at Kyoto’s Kanchi-in, a subtemple of To-ji.

A sea of raked gravel at Kyoto’s Buddhist temple Zuiho-in.

The sand cone in the dry landscape garden at Ryosoku-in symbolizes Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology.

Stones represent a flowing stream at Kyoto’s Shinnyo-in Temple.

A pavilion at the edge of the pond at Happo-en Garden in Tokyo’s Shirokanedai.

Stepping stones cross a corner of a pond at Tokyo’s Kiyosumi Teien.

A stone chozubachi water basin and bamboo ladle accessorize a garden in Kyoto.

A footpath styled from old millstones once used for grinding buckwheat (soba) crosses the pond at Isui-en in Nara.

A cherry tree in full bloom adds to the grace of the “Full Moon Bridge” at Ritsurin Koen park in Takamatsu, Shikoku.

A zigzag yatsuhashi boardwalk over iris beds at Korakuen in Okayama.

A monk rakes the dry landscape garden at Myoman-ji Temple in Kyoto.

Leafy shadows dapple the Kyoto temple garden at Hoso-in.

Snow carpets the Abbot’s Hall garden in Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto.

Exceptional rocks are set on a ground of raked gray gravel at a subtemple garden within Kyoto’s Myoshin-ji complex.

A grass covered recreation of Mount Fuji punctuates Kumamoto’s stroll garden Suizen-ji Joju-en on the island of Kyushu.

The “Dragon in the Clouds” garden by Mirei Shigemori at the Ryogin-an Temple in Kyoto.

Traditional straw rope snow guards (yukizuri) are suspended above pine trees at Kanazawa’s famous Kenrokuen garden.

Lush greenery surrounds a chozubachi water basin at Kyoto’s Sanzen-in Temple.

One of Japan’s best-known dry landscape gardens belongs to Kyoto’s Ryoan-ji Temple.

geishas and maikos

The word geisha means “art person.” It is little known that the original geisha were men. Geisha are highly trained and skilled in the traditional arts of entertainment—lighthearted games, playing musical instruments (particularly the three-stringed shamisen) and traditional Japanese dancing—while wittily conversing and graciously serving food and drinks. It is a career in which they are able to work to quite an advanced age. In the distant past, girls sometimes began their training very young, at age ten or so, but today’s mandatory education laws mean that girls must complete middle school and so are unable to begin such intensive training until about fifteen. These days, when greater choices are available for women, being a geisha is not such a popular career.

Geisha dress splendidly in the most gorgeous kimono and obi sashes, making their appearance like party confections, adding to the extraordinary overall artistic effect.

Geisha, or geiko in the local Kyoto dialect, and their maiko apprentices, are symbols of that city, which was an ancient capital of Japan where traditions are still strongly upheld.

Geisha and maiko live together, sorority style, with a mama-san in charge in a house called an okiya. They are hired to accompany and entertain clients at parties in certain teahouses and restaurants. Their company is quite costly, and is calculated “per stick,” as traditionally a certain sum is charged for each period of time needed for a stick of incense to burn down, roughly ten minutes.

During Hassaku, a geisha dressed in a formal black kimono and hair ornament suitable to the month of August, pays respect to her teachers.

This geisha wears a silver, coral and gemstone sash clasp (obidome) for a festive occasion.

A group of geisha attend an outdoor tea ceremony.

The napes of maiko are traditionally accented with a design in white makeup.

A maiko pays a New Year visit to a teahouse or o-chaya.

A bedecked maiko busies herself serving ceremonial tea at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto during the plum blossom festival.

Maiko place dedicatory chrysanthemum flowers in memory of a renowned Kyoto poet during the Kanikakuni Sai festival.

White face makeup and scarlet lips are the hallmarks of a maiko.

The hair ornament (kanzashi) of a maiko in seasonal autumn colors.

A maiko passes through the architecturally preserved Gion Shimbashi, an area with numerous traditional restaurants and teahouses.

koi

Nishikigoi or brocaded carp, better known as koi, are ornamental domesticated carp selectively bred from dull gray Eurasian wild carp species for their colors and patterns and type of scalation. They are popular inhabitants of garden ponds, admired for their beauty, graceful movements and longevity, while requiring little care. They have very acute senses of hearing and smell and zoom-like eyes. They also possess a submarine-like ability to maneuver in water.

Koi are symbols of strength and perseverance, and because they are able to swim against streams and even up waterfalls are often called “warrior fish.” Thus, the carp is symbolic for Boy’s Day, depicted in the form as koi nobori, streamers that fly in the wind, in the hope that one’s sons will grow up with courage and strength.

Collectors call koi “living jewels” for their variety of vivid colors from tiny sacs of pigments and crystals in their skin cells. They are aesthetically ranked based on their beauty of color and pattern, and can be very costly. They are collected by wealthy enthusiasts who enjoy participating in koi competitions.

A lone orange koi skirts the rock slabs in the pond of Tokyo’s New Otani Hotel garden.

A koi pond beautifies a Kyoto teashop garden.

The koi at the back with the tancho kohaku (red-crested crane/rising sun flag) marking is the obvious star of this collection.

A cluster of koi display the whole range of typical colors and markings.

otaku culture

Otaku, in modern Japanese slang equivalent to a “geek”but more generally an obsessive fan of some form of entertainment, hobby or topic, is part of the new pop culture sweeping Japan—even the world. Originating centuries ago in Japan in the form of humorous, random, anthropomorphized animal sketches and developed further during the later woodblock print (ukiyo-e) boom, this new culture, rather than being directed from “above,” as with most other aspects of culture, is directed from “below.” It ranges from an interest in comics (manga), TV and film animation, collecting plastic figures from those worlds and killing time in manga cafes, to the surprising concepts of costume play (cosplay), maid (meido) cafes and karaoke rooms. It is basically a search by the lonely for self-identity, with fantasies of their own, fired by a variety of consumer goods and mascot memorabilia. In these ways, the mind escapes from the stresses of modern life, particularly by those who lack social skills or are seemingly socially unfit. All this is supported by conventions, summits and festivals held worldwide.

Many popular characters are drawn from Japan’s rich stock of figures from history and religion, who in this modern way are educating and passing on their wisdom about life.

One of the important creators is thought of as “the god of manga.” Hundreds of museums, galleries and theme parks have arisen nationwide, triggering melancholic and nostalgic history through anime tourism guides and “pilgrimage” maps to the actual sites portrayed in the stories, known as “sacred places” or spiritual “power spots.”

A child entertains himself in a room of the Toei Animation Gallery in Tokyo.

Maids (meido) practice serving in a “maid cafe” in Ikebukuro.

Character dolls of all sizes, and posters are popular goods in shops all around Akihabara.

Stacks of newly released manga comics await buyers in Ikebukuro’s Animate store.

A huge Gundam figure is displayed at the Anime Gallery.

A boy chooses a toy from a vending machine in an Akihabara shop.

Kyoto’s Manga Museum has a research library of publications organized by year.

A woman studies a museum poster advertising a major exhibition about Buddha, with antiquities, which includes a popular manga about Buddha’s life.

Animate is a famous anime store in Higashi Ikebukuro.

mount fuji

Majestic Mount Fuji, a dormant volcano for three centuries, stands at 3,776 meters and is visible from hundreds of kilometers away. Its name translates as ”unique mountain,”“an authority” or “immortality.”

Popularly called Fujiyama by foreigners but by the Japanese always a respectful Fuji-san, “the most venerable of all,” Mount Fuji is a symbol of the nation. With its ideal cone shape and the inner forces of a volcano, it creates magical looking clouds and diamond-like sun shapes around its crater. Long beloved by artists, its ever-changing daily appearances also make it a magnet for passionate photographers.

The pilgrimage to worship the mountain goddess or, nowadays, secular climbing, attracts some 200,000 climbers in the short climbing season each summer.

Expansive tea fields against their impressive backdrop in Shizuoka.

The iconic mountain seen from the shore near Kamakura.

Carp streamers (koi nobori) decorate the landscape for Boy’s Day.

An illustration in an anime museum pavilion at Fujikyu Highlands.

A painting on the façade of a hot spring in Yamagata’s Gin-zan Gorge.

An aerial view of Mount Fuji dappled with summer clouds.

A summer view of the Fujikyu Highlands area.

Barrels of saké donated to Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine feature the iconic mountain.

sushi

Sushi consists of a lightly vinegared ball of rice seasoned with wasabi horseradish and topped with raw seafood or, occasionally, a vegetable such as onion sprouts (me-negi) or the recently trendy pickle sushi or even some California avocado.

The classic hand-formed shape originated in the Edo era (1603– 1868) and is now called Edo-maezushi (“In-front-of-Edo sushi”) after the sea waters at the edge of the city. Making this sushi requires a great deal of training and skill. It is therefore usually not prepared at home where other variations might be made, such as rolled sushi (maki-zushi) or cones of seaweed wrapped around selected filling ingredients (temaki-zushi) by family members at the table.

Going to a sushi bar is a large part of the pleasure of this food. It is marvelous to watch the skilled sushiya-san wield his knives and shape the sushi, as he (and it usually is a he) banters with his customers. For classic sushi, home delivery is very practical. Almost every family keeps a phone number for their favorite sushi bar handy for such occasions when they feel like eating sushi or when they need to feed visitors.

Kaiten-zushi, literally “ conveyor belt sushi,” has become very popular because it is a fun way to eat and is very reasonably priced. There is even one place where the conveyor belt sushi is made by a robot!

An assortment of seafood sushi served on a bamboo board.

An advertisement for kaiten-zushi or conveyor belt sushi, on what is claimed to be the longest belt (26 meters) in the world, in a Nara sushi bar.

Plates of sushi are placed on the longest sushi bar conveyor belt in the world.

Sushi rolls with assorted fillings.

Hotate; ebi; maguro; ikura, kani, uni.

tattoos