Abiraunken

February 18th and 19th we found ourselves on another lovely trip, this time to the small mountain town of Koya-san. We had been there in August while Evan was visiting, but this time were able to spend the night in a Buddhist temple. It was settled in 819 by a monk named Kobo Daishi Kukai and is known as the world's headquarters for Singun Buddhism. As you can imagine it is supremely majestic and peaceful.

View from the train

It was again arranged by WhyNot!? Japan, which we are discovering is our niche. We met up at 8:30AM on Saturday morning with a group of 40. In the beginning I was weary of traveling in a tour group and everyone kept mostly to themselves on the two hour beautiful train ride into the snowy mountains. After introductions and an independent lunch of katsudon at a small local restaurant with newly aquired friends, the entire group met up again for a walk through Okuno-in, the famous cemetery. This can be considered the main sight of Koya-san, with over 200,000 grave stones, gorinto (5 tiered stupa), ojizo-san (Buddhist statues wearing bibs and watching over children in the after life) and century old cedar trees. Anyone who was anyone in the last thousand years is memorialized there. It was quite different from our experience in August, with a fresh layer of snow protecting the memorials and statues. At the end of the 2km path is Kobu Daishi's Mausoleum. Kobu Daishi Kukai was the monk, scholar, poet and artist who founded the Shingon or 'true word' school of Buddhism as well as Koya-san. He entered nirvana and attained buddhahood in 835. He is resting in eternal meditation and fed two ceremonial meals a day, thus making this the religious heart of Koyasan. It's not every day that you get to be in the presence of someone who is over 1,000 years old.

Okuno-in: the cemetery and sacred area

Okuno-in

Cedar Trees

Gorinto (Five-tiered Stupa) Built as memorials, the shapes of the tiers and sanscrit letters inscribed within represent the five elements of Buddhism; from the bottom up: earth, water, fire, wind, and space. 

The path

Snow Blanket

Ojizo-san
Jizo is believed to watch over and protect children in the afterlife. The bibs are placed by those who have lost children, with a prayer that Ojizo-san will act as a surrogate parent, as well as for the long lives of living children. 

Cleansing the Buddhas with ice cold water. You're Welcome.

Ice Fountain

As we arrived back to Henjo-Koin, the temple we were lodging in, we checked into our same sex rooms (it is a temple after all) and prepared for the onsen, or shared bath. I wasn't entirely excited to join but thought better of it as I dipped myself into steaming water. One of the girls I was rooming with, Jojo from Florida, has lived in Japan for the past four years and turned out to be a useful source of wisdom for my second experience in an onsen. You enter the bathroom de-robed, this one was very small, hot and steamy making it altogether impossible to see anything. This makes the entire routine much more relaxing knowing that others can see as little of you as you can of them. There are washing stations lined along two walls where you sit on a foot high plastic stool and cleanse yourself with a hand held faucet before entering the water. Afterwards we sat in the tub for about 15 minutes before getting out and rinsing again. I have discovered that onsens are much more enjoyable when you have an idea of what is going on and with friends to chit chat with as your skin softens.

After our cleanse we had some time to enjoy our roommates company over a cup of green tea in our tatami filled room overlooking the snow covered garden. This was short lived as dinner began at 6PM sharp. My roommates and I sported the comfy robes left for us in our room to the dinner room. I was glad to see Rob and one of his roomies were the only others who made the same decision. Four rows of cushions stretched along the long walls and we faced others as we sat down for our shojin-ryoori; Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Monks walked around filling our cups with green tea and our bowls with white rice as needed. Oishii desu (delicious)!

Hallway to our rooms (Thanks Jojo!)

Frozen Garden

Our room (Thanks Jojo!)

Our futons (Thanks Jojo for the pictures!)

From dinner we moved into the room next door to begin Ajikan meditation. I was very much excited for this portion of the trip as I am always interested in learning new practices of meditation. The purpose of Ajikan is to integrate yourself with Buddha. There is a character "ah" that you are supposed to focus on while imagining yourself as Buddha and Buddha as yourself. Sitting in a room with 39 other people, many of whom have zero meditation background, was rather distracting. We were given about 15 minutes of instruction before the head monk dinged his bell and ditched out for the remaining 45 minutes. I found my mind wandering and could feel those around me grow restless. I ended up resorting to a meditation I learned in the past and got myself back on track. The main thing I took from this routine was the importance of kindness. We must remember to be kind to others, as Buddha would do, pass this on to others and remember the good of the world. I found that message to one that would stick with me.

Immediately following meditation began the all you can drink party. A few of the young apprentice monks even joined in. We may have gone to bed a bit too late for the 6:30AM rise for a ceremony. It was also -9C in the room that held the ceremony. We sat on the floor on our knees and the head monk begins chanting and dinging his bell. It was very beautiful and calming, even though I didn't fully understand the purpose. I'm pretty sure he does this every single morning. It lasted long enough for my legs to go completely numb. He then gave us a quick tour of the room which was filled with statues of Buddha and artifacts galore.

Ajikan Meditation; the 'Aaa' character

The room we meditated in, with the room we ate and drank in through the doors

Otsutome (Buddhist Ceremony)
The head monk chants Buddhist sutras in this room, the main temple hall. 

After this we were served a monk's breakfast. I honestly didn't eat much aside from the miso and rice because I was fighting off a cold, but what I did have was amazingly delicious. An hour later we begin the 'washing floor race'. I think it was merely an excuse to get us to do some work. Turns out it's traditional and often seen in anime. I was suddenly able to recall a scene from My Neighbor Totoro. We broke into two teams and assembled shoeless in the hall which was cold enough to be considered outdoors. It was a relay where we ran pushing a damp rag through the hallway and passed it on to a teammate waiting at the other end. I decided to go barefoot because socks seemed to make it extra slippery on the hard wood floor. It was mighty painful and afterwards it felt like I was walking on cushions. We then enjoyed Shakyu, the copying of sutras. They say that doing this brings peace and harmony to the mind and body.

We then walked as a group to the Danjo Garan complex, the center of Koya-San and then split up for lunch and free time to explore Mt. Koya on our own. The Danjo Garan complex is the other most important area on Koya-san. The name Garan is derived from Sanskrit and means a quiet and secluded place where Buddhist monks may train. We entered Daito, the Great Pagoda. Kobo Daishi planned this as the center of his monastic complex. In the center is a statue of Buddha Mahavairochana and it is surrounded by 16 bodhisattvas painted on pillars. They are portrayed sitting on lotus flowers with their hands held in the mudra we learned the previous night at meditation. This structure was built in 816 and not completed until 70 years later. The amount of time and work put into it definitely shows.

Daito (The Great Pagoda) in the Danjo Garan Complex

We had a lovely walk back to the center of town for lunch and decide to check out the basement of a museum we were in the day before. As we stepped foot at the bottom it was pitch black and you must trust the rail clutched in your hand to know where to go. Every few paces there is a small window and even smaller amount of light with a statue in it. I believe the purpose is to preserve the artifacts by keeping them out of light, but it's also disorienting at the same time. From here we check out one more Inari Shrine, which is gorgeous in the early afternoon sunshine and layer of snow. The last thing I did at the temple we stayed in was have the head monk stamp and paint calligraphy in a new memory book.

In front of a random shop

The museum with the darkest basement

The darkest basement

Inari Shrine

The beloved head monk

Our train ride back was on a special tourist train where the seats faced the side so you can watch the view. It was beautiful and sunny and a perfect finale. It was an amazing trip, too much to write. We met many amazing people, made new friends, and experienced so much. The town was gorgeous and peaceful with a powdered sugar dusting of snow. Most importantly I was reminded and retaught the importance of being kind and nice to others, ourselves and our world.

Once we arrived back in Osaka, I met one of my mom's cousins, Christophe from Switzerland. He works out of Abu Dhabi as a pilot and had a few days in Osaka.

Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!

Devils out! Fortune in!

February 3rd marks another traditional Japanese holiday. This one, called Setsubun, is how we in Japan prepare for the lunar new year. First let me tell you of my experience at Hotouku Kindergarten.

In the morning, all the students were hauled out to the playground sporting their self designed and created oni (demon) headdresses. The principal shared many words of what is possibly inspiration, but I didn't understand. As he finished his speech a loud thumping began reverberating through the intercom. All of the children were looking around in dreaded apprehension for the event they were about to embark on. After a few agonizing minutes a gym teacher and bus driver emerged as costumed head to toe oni, clubs clutched in the palms. It was at this point that the running and screaming began as the oni chased the children around the playground, scaring the evil spirits right out of them. Earlier in the morning we were all given a handful, or two, of roasted soybeans which were now being pelted at oni. Mind that some of the students are as young as three years olds and can't comprehend that fact that these are merely their beloved caretakers. They were crying and screaming for their mamas while being chased around the dirt courtyard. Many sought refuge by huddling near their teachers. The older kids were of course, quite enjoying the opportunity to hurdle beans to keep the evil spirits at bay. This continued for a good 20-30 minutes before the oni snuck back into the school, possibly waiting in a classroom to catch their breath and frighten students as they return. As we sat down for lunch I was gently instructed by Nami to eat as many soybeans as there have been years in my life, another attempt to ward off bad spirits and luck.

The explanation I was given at school didn't quite satisfy my curiosity as to why this was happening, other than being told it was to purify our homes and ourselves of evil spirits in preparation for spring. I learned the following information with some help from Kansai Scene, our favorite local English magazine about life in Kansai.

In both Chinese and Japanese philosophy it is believed that during the changing of the seasons the border between the spirit world and our own thins, making it easier to pass between the two. This then becomes the prime time to expel those wicked spirits and influences that have been plaguing us through the long cold months.

The bean throwing tradition comes from the Muromachi period (15th and 16th C.) which have similarities to a Noh Drama.  In the play, an old woman is visited by a mysterious stranger carrying a magic mallet. With the mallet, he proceeds to make an exceptionally beautiful kimono. Desiring both the mallet and kimono, the woman gets the man drunk until he realizes what is going on and reveals himself in his true form, as a demon. In her panic the woman reaches for the nearest weapon to defend herself, a handful of dried beans, and is somehow able to drive off the ogre. In this way she loses the things she coveted, but also loses the evil emotion of greed and gains the purity of wisdom.

One tradition I didn't have the chance to participate in is one from the Edo period. Each year in the lunar calender is associated with an auspicious compass direction. To combat this one is suppose to stand towards said direction while eating an entire makizushi, or uncut sushi roll. Some say this ceremony stems from an Osaka geisha who performed this ritual as a sort of love spell. Although uncertain about her reasons, rice and seaweed are considered to be natural gifts from the land and sea. Eating them during such a time most likely cleanses us from the inside out.

These festivities not only occur in kindergartens and schools, but also at homes with the man of the house donning an oni mask to scare their families and rid their homes of these sinister spirits. There are also celebrations at temples and shrines throughout the country. Our favorite aquarium even features diving oni who clean the tanks for the days leading up to Setsubun. I can't say whether it's from this cleansing day or just that the cold, snowless winter is weighing on me, but I have never been more ready for the warming months of spring and the delicate blossoms that accompany them.

Skiing

On January 21-22 we went on a weekend ski trip. It was arranged by a company called Why Not!? Japan, which sponsors events to promote cultural exchange between native Japanese and the international community in our area. We caught a bus at midnight on Friday night in Kyoto, and right away we knew we were going to have a good time. Everyone on the bus was extremely nice and we quickly made many friends, especially with a young British couple sitting in the seats directly behind us. Everyone was drinking, chatting and getting excited for the weekend ahead. Our only complaint would be the frequent stops that made what should have been a 4 1/2 hour ride take 6 1/2 hours, we are now very familiar with Japanese truck stops.

Upon arriving to the snow capped mountain town of Hida our exhaustion faded away and we were ready to 'shred the gnar'. We checked into our lodge, a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn), got our gear and took the slow chairlift to the top of the bunny hill. It took about 10 seconds to reach the base again, this place was not exactly Colorado, but we were still excited and having a great time. It was unseasonably warm so the snow wasn't in very good condition, towards the base slush would be a better word, but hey we were skiing, making friends and loving life.

After a day on the foggy slopes we went to experience our first dip in an onsen, the traditional public bath. We went to our respective sides and joined hordes of naked Japanese people in the cozy hot waters. After spending all night on a bus followed by a full day of skiing, I was exhausted and dehydrated beyond belief. The hot water probably didn't help with the dehydration. We went back to our room, pulled the futons and buckwheat pillows out of the closet and had bit of a lie down before the night's group festivities, a banquet followed by an all you can drink party. I woke up completely disoriented and delirious, with one of my notorious high altitude headaches. At this point I decided to go for supper, skip the party and come straight back to bed to rest up for another day of snow sports.

Of course that doesn't happen. After gorging myself on a delicious feast of all sorts of yummy Japanese foods and refilling my 5 ounce water cup more times than I can count, I was rejuvenated and ready to have fun with our merry group of 120 people from all corners of the globe. We ended up staying in the hall long after the official party stops and the free beer stops flowing. We decided to call it a night and start up the slope towards our lodging with Simon and Libby, the British couple who sat behind us on the bus who we ended up hanging out with pretty much all weekend. We made it to the door and all decided we were having too much fun to stop so early, turn around and went straight back down the hill to where dinner and the party were. There was a beer vending machine there and the plan was to hang out in one of our rooms and have one more. We arrived and the vending machine area has turned into a makeshift speakeasy, with its mechanical bartenders. We stayed much longer than we planned, meeting even more new friends. We had somehow managed to not meet any other Americans up to this point but it turned out that the first guy we talked to was from Denver and attended CU. After an hour or two we finally retire to our futons.

At 7:00 we are served breakfast at the ryokan; miso soup, white rice, meatballs, a mini omelette and a potato patty. Everything you need for a balanced breakfast. I'm not feeling the best after last night's festivities, but quickly learn that snowboarding is the best remedy, although the slow lifts certainly are not. Libby takes the day off due to a bad knee from the day before and we ride to the peak with Simon to explore the back side. There is lots of fresh snow and it's much nicer than the previous day. The visibility is also much improved. We got lots of good runs in and packed it in around noon for a much needed water and advil break. As soon as my head hit the futon I realized that I was done for the day. We relaxed until check out time and had some ramen before the long journey home on what feels like the Japanese equivalent of I-70.

Getting ready to go.

Our room.

It was a bit foggy.

The outside of our ryokan.

The bunny slope.

I swear there's a mountain back there.

The bus ride back, we are a few rows from the back on the left.

On the train back to Hirakata after the bus dropped us off in Kyoto, we are tired.