SAKURA OR "FIRE TREES"?

Sakura or "Fire Trees"


Not so long ago I happened to mention the term “fire tree” in referring to some of the bright autumn tree colors that are appearing all over both the United States, Canada, and also Japan. One friend asked me which was more beautiful, sakura or “fire trees”. Such an interesting question! One that made me stop and think.

The short answer is “I have absolutely no idea!” For myself, I think I find autumn colors and “fire trees” the most dramatic; also, autumn is my favorite season of the year. I guess the real answer is subjective; that is, it depends on a person’s individual viewpoint.

In a real way, sakura blossoms (as well as ume or plumb) represent the rebirth of things, at the very beginning of spring, and the colors, a new beginning, and in bushido (the samurai philosophical code) it takes on the meaning of the perfection and imperfection of all things and the transience of all things, life especially, because once the blossoms appear, within a very short time, they whither and blow away.

Autumn leaves, especially maple trees, which come in such a wide variety of colors, from deep crimsons, flaming reds, regal golds, and yellows, come at the end of the year, when nature and things are in a sense, “passing away.” The end of a season, the end of life. So each has its own symbolism, and its own beauty. But each also has its own culture as well.

During the Heian Period (794 – 1191), the Japanese nobility sought to follow many traditional practices from China, including the social trend of flower viewing (hanami), where the imperial households, poets, singers, and other scholars, and aristocrats, would gather and celebrate under the blossoms. In Japan, the cherry trees (sakura) were planted and cultivated for their beauty, particularly as ornamentation for the imperial grounds, temples, and such of Kyoto, as early as 794 A.D. if not early. In China, the ume (plum) was held in very high regard along side of apricots and peaches, but in Japan, by the middle of the 9th century, the sakura had replaced all the other blossoms as the “favored species.”

Sakura blossom viewing is so important in Japan, and so looked forward to, that every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen or “cherry blossom front” as it moves northward up the chain of the Japanese islands with the approach of warmer weather. Reports on television and radio of the progress of the sakura zensen are frequent and usually follow regular news broadcasts! The blossoming begins in Okinawa, typically in late January, and usually reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. I then proceeds into the areas of higher altitude and also northward, arriving in the far northern island of Hokkaido a few weeks later.

Japanese people pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in huge numbers at parks, shrines and temples, in the company of both family and friends, to actually hold flower-viewing parties. Hanami festivals celebrating the beauty of the sakura offer many people a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The actual custom of hanami can be traced back many centuries in Japan. Actually the classic Japanese historic writings known as Nihon Shoki, written in the 8th century, reports hanami festivals being held as early as the 3rd century A.D.


Also of interest is that most Japanese schools and public buildings have sakura trees outside of them. Since both the fiscal (business) year and the school year both begin in April, in many parts of the main island of Honshu, the first day of work or school coincides with the sakura season.

Even in the United States, there are many who are “devout” cherry blossom viewers, especially in and around the nations capitol, Washington, D.C., where ornamental cherry trees are in abundance and the short blossoming time is spectacular.

Momijigari (from the Japanese words momiji for “red leaves” or “maple tree” and kari which means “hunting”) is the Japanese tradition of going out to visit scenic areas and viewing the leaves changing color in autumn. Many Japanese take part in this with the cities of Nikko and Kyoto being perhaps the most popular destinations. The tradition is said to have again originated in the Heian era, as a cultural activity and is one of the reasons that so many deciduous trees (those whose leaves change color) can be found in the region of Kyoto.


In the United States, the custom is known as “leaf peeping” in areas where foliage changes color. “Leaf peepers” as they are often called, are those who participate in photographing and/or viewing the often-dramatic autumn leaves. “Leafing” as the custom is also known, is a bit tricky sometimes because in many areas, the leaves are only visible for a very limited number of weeks, with “prime time” often just lasting one to three weeks.


So which is more beautiful? I guess it depends on whom you talk to, when, and where. Go out in the fall, and back out at the end of winter, look around and see what you think!

LET'S VISIT SEKIGAHARA!

Sekigahara

Sekigahara is a rural town on the southwestern edge of Gifu Prefecture with a small population of about 9000 people. The town and surrounding area was the site of the epic Battle of Sekigahara or Sekigahara gassen (関ヶ原合戦) (see below) between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, the representative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son and designated successor, Toyotomi Hideyori. Ieyasu’s victory on 21 October 1600 signified the end of the Sengoku Era and the beginning of the Edo Period in Japanese history, with the feudal Tokugawa shogunate unifying all of Japan and moving the nation’s capitol from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo). As a consequence, the town is filled with ruins, memorials and shrines to the dead, even down to place names such as Kurochigawa (“Black Blood River”), where the Tokugawa forces washed the cut-off heads of those fallen in battle.

A battle monument at the Sekigahara Museum.

The battle as well as the circumstances and intrigue leading up to the battle are fictionalized in the novel (and television serial movie) Shogun by James Clavell, telling of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rise to fame (under the character’s name of “Toronaga”), through the Battle of Sekigahara and the gruesome death of Ishida (“Ishido” in the novel), who was captured as he ran away from the battlefield and executed by having his head slowly cut off by a wooden saw.

Sekighara Shrine

You can get to Sekigahara on the JR Tokaido Main Line, which passes through Sekigahara on its way between Osaka and Nagoya. The closes Shinkansen (Bullet Train) station is in Maibara. One of two hourly Hikari services from Tokyo stop here and then you can transfer to the Tokaido Line local for the 3-hour trip to Sekigahara.

Battle Re-enactment.

While Sekigahara is of major importance historically to the Japanese (much like the American Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg), and there is a steady flow of Japanese history buffs and school groups, foreign visitors are not common. Among the things to see there are:

• Folk History Museum: Despite the misleading name, the museum concentrates mostly on the Battle of Sekigahara, charting the course of events with informative maps and interactive exhibits.



• Field Camp Ground: Just across the road from the museum is the spot where Tokugawa Ieyasu held a council meeting after the battle and was presented with the heads of the enemy’s leaders. A small shrine marks the spot.



• Memorial posts: These have been set up at most major battle sites but are only in Japanese.

Some of the people visiting the Sekigahara Festival.

A high school Taiko drum group performs .

Another of Sekigahara’s attractions (although non-martial) is the abundance of fireflies in the area. Lake Mishima is home to a particularly famous firefly view spot housing hundreds if not thousands on a good day. In fact, a firefly festival is held here in the early summer.

You can even have Tokugawa's lunch from the day of the battle!

Each year at this time, the town holds a festival and re-enactment of the Battle of Sekigahara, which draws thousands of people from all over Japan. Hundreds of people as well from as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu come in costume to participate in the event. There is music, folk dancing and great food as well. If you are so inclined, you can even have the same lunch that Tokugawa Ieyasu or Ishida Mitsunari had on the day of the battle as well as sample the typical food of a samurai soldier. Samurai in full costume, including armor are everywhere and it is an exciting and fun time for everyone. Lots of things for the kids as well, in fact, many kids participate in the official activities!

The kids have a better solution to the battle, at the end, all the enemies become kitties!

One of the kids groups participating in the Sekigahara Festival.

Men and women alike participate in the festivities and re-enactment.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Honda Tadakatsu and friends.

Ishida Mitsunari and friends go for ice cream!

The Battle of Sekigahara

The Battle of Sekigahara or “The Realm Divide) was a decisive battle fought on October 21, 1600, and the battle was the culmination of the Sekigahara Campaign and saw the defeat of the “Western Army” (geographically, the Southern Army). The battle was fought around a small village called Sekigahara that sat at a major crossroads, in the shadows of Mt. Sasao, Mt. Matsuo, and Mt. Nangu. In actuality, the choice of battlefields was inadvertent. Ishida Mitsunari had hoped to confront the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu somewhere farther east, because Tokugawa’s primary had been Sawayama Castle. Ieyasu’s quick march west forced Mitsunari to offer him a fight that Tokugawa was thus more willing to accept, although the ground ultimately chosen did favor Mitsunari to some degree.

The Western Army troops occupied the high ground around Mt. Nangu and Mt. Matsuo, with Ishida Mitsunari himself positioned somewhat northwest of Sekigahara with Mt. Saso to his side. Ieyasu’s men were deployed along the Nakasendo (a major highway), with the advance guard facing Mitsunari; thus, exposed to an attack on their flanks, particularly by the western troops on Mt. Matsuo. Fortunately for Ieyasu, those men were under the command of Kobayakawa Hideake, who had already decided to betray his western allies.

The actual fighting on a rainy dawn and the outcome at that time was very much in doubt. The advanced Tokugawa units attacked and became heavily engaged with contingents under the command of Ukita Hideie, Otani Yoshitsugo, and Konishi Yukinaga. No true advantage was gained until the defection of Kobayakawa at about noon. Hideaki commanded one of the strongest of the western army forces present, and turned the tide in Tokugawa Ieyasu’s favor. In the meanwhile, the 25,000-plus western forces arrayed on the slopes of Mt. Nangu under the Mori and Chosokabe clans were largely inactive. Kikkawa Tsunie, commanding the front line forces, had himself decide not to fight Ieyasu and it was his lack of mobility that forced those to his rear to do the same.

Ultimately, the western forces began to break and general collapse and disaray followed. By the end of the day’s killing, Ishida Mitsunari’s forces had scattered and as many as 60,000 heads had been taken. Tokugawa's victory was owed in a large part then to Kobayakawa’s defection and the Mori inactivity. Ishida and Konishi Yukinaga were later captured and executed.

LET'S VISIT TAKAYAMA: PART 1

LET'S VISIT TAKAYAMA!

If you like Kyoto, you will love Hida-Takayama (高山市) ! Hida (飛騨) is the northern section of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. The name “Hida” comes from the fact that it was formerly part of Hida Province, before the formation of prefectures following the Meiji Restoration. While there are no official borders to the region, it includes the four towns of Takayama, Hida, Gero, and Shirakawa.

Takayama is often referred to as “Hida-Takayama” to differentiate it from Takayama in Gunma Prefecture, and Takayama in Nagano Prefecture. But for our purposes we just refer to it as “Takayama”. There is no place like it!. Takayama means “tall mountain” and because the city is located in what has come to be known as the “Japanese Alps”, as you stand and turn in a circle, that is exactly what you will see – tall mountains. There is a lot of snow in the winter and skiing is great! In fact, sometimes the snow is so heavy that the rail line and main highway are cut off for a day or two. But not to worry – there are lots of warm places to stay (both modern and traditional), lots of things to do, and lots and lots of great food to eat!

The city, actually more like a “city/county” kind of like Los Angeles, consists of Takayama and nine other towns and villages from the former Ono and Yoshiki districts. The city if famous for it’s background in carpentry; indeed, it is said that carpenters from Takayama worked on the Imperial Palace in Kyoto back in the Heian Period as well as temples both in Kyoto and Nara. The town and its culture took shape late in the 16th century and it was in the beginning of the 17th century that the town came under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Due however to the high mountains which separate it from other areas of Japan, Takayama remained rather isolated’ thus, allowing it to develop its own culture. The city, in addition to carpentry is noted for its elegant lacquerware, pottery, and furniture. So when you visit Takayama be prepared to shop, shop, shop!

Takayama is known as well for its local food which includes mountain vegetables, wasakana or river fish, beef, soba, delicious ramen, and some great sake! So even if you are here in Takayama in the dead of winter, and the roads are closed, you can warm your body and spirit with great cuisine!

There is so much to see and do that we cannot describe it all here today. One thing you really want to do is to visit the eastern part of the city where there is a walking tour, called the Higashiyama Walking Course higashiyama-hokodo), which goes past many beautiful shrines and temples in Shiroyama Park. There are major festivals each year as well: Sanno Matsuri in the Spring and Hashiman Matsuri in Autumn. These are two of the most popular festivals in all of Japan!

AUTUMN IN TAKAYAMA

AUTUMN IN TAKAYAMA

One of the most beautiful places on earth in Autumn is Takayama, sometimes called Hida-Takayama, which is located in the northeastern corner of Gifu Prefecture. The fall colors as you can see are breathtaking!

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Copyright 2008 by Hayato Tokugawa and East Meets West Fine Arts. All rights reserved.

KOKOKEI STATION

KOKOKEI STATION

These photos were taken from Kokokei station in Gifu prefecture , showing the surrounding landscape, including Amagahashi Bridge (The bridge of the Heavens). In Japanese Kokokei means “old tiger valley/gulch”; but of course, there are not tigers living there. The valley is so named because it closely resembles the area of Mt. Lu[1] in China.

Even in Japan, people tell an old story about Mt. Lu. It seems that once upon a time (all stories should start that way right?) there was a monk named Hui-Yuan[2] who lived on Mt. Lu and had not left the area for over thirty years. One day, his friends Riku Shushei[3] and To Enmei[4] came to see him. It was a great gathering and such a wonderful day for all of the old friends. When it came time for his friends to leave at the end of the day, Hui-Yuan walked with them to the bridge named Kokei to see them off.

Now, Hui-Yuan had made a commitment long ago, never to leave Mt. Lu, and had had never crossed the Kokei bridge, but he was having such a good time talking to his friends, even as he walked with them as they made their way to leave, he paid no attention to where he was. Suddenly he heard the loud roar of a tiger, which brought him reality. In the excitement of seeing his friends off, he had accidentally crossed Kokei and thus had descended from Mt. Lu, breaking his promise never to leave.

Well, that was long ago and far away, yet if you visit the area and leave the train here at Kokokei Station, you will be transported to a world that is very much like what you might see in an old Chinese brush painting or sumi-e; and, after getting off the train and it has left, all you will hear only the sound of the river.

[1] Mt. Lu or Mount Lushan (廬山) is a mountan located south of the city of Jiujiang in Jiangzi Province, near Lake Poyang and it was on its north slope where Hui-Yuin founded the Pure Land Buddhism in 402 A.D.
[2] Huiyuan (慧遠) or Hui-Yuan (334 AD – 416 AD) was a Chinese Buddhist teacher who began studying Zhuangtzi and Laozi at an early age as well as the teachings of Confucius; however, at the age of 21 he was converted to Buddhism by Dao An. Inspired by what he had learned, he left his family a began to teach on his own, later living at Forest Temple, which he founded on Mount Lu. In 404, he organized a group of monks and lay people into a Mahayana sect known as Pure Land Buddhism, the Pure Land being the western paradise of the Buddha Amaitabha.
[3] Riku Shushei was a Taoist scholar.
[4] To En Mei , also known as Tao Qian (陶潛) or Tao Ch’ien or Tao Yuanming (365 AD – 427 AD) was one of the most influential of the pre-Tang Dynasty poets. He came from a notable family which had unfortunately descended into poverty. As a youth, he was torn between his personal ambitions and a desire to retreat into solitude. He served in a series of minor governmental posts but at a time when his sister had tragically died and corruption and infighting in the Jin Court was at is peak, En Mei decided that for him, life was too short to compromise his principles and he resigned. As he put it, he would not “bow like a servant in return for five bushels of grain (later to become a common saying of proverb, Swallowing one’s pride in exchange for a meager existence. Approximately 130 of his poems have survived to modern times and apart from his poems, he is perhaps best nown for his short, wonderful depiction (in prose) of a land hidden from the outside world called Peach Blossom Spring (桃花源) or Tao Hua Yuan, which has become the standard term in Chinese for utopia.

INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS FESTIVAL, MINO, JAPAN

INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS FESTIVAL, MINO, JAPAN

The Tono (東濃) Region is the southeastern portion of Gifu Prefecture in central Honshū, Japan’s “main” island.  The borders of this region are not officially set but it is considered to consist of the cities of Tajimi (including Mino), Toki, Mizunami, Ena and Nakatsugawa (and sometimes Kani, depending on who you talk with).  The Toki River forms a border with Nagano Prefecture on the east and Aichi Prefecture to the south.  Interestingly, this region of about 358,000 people is almost 15% of the prefecture’s total population.

 

The cities of Tajimi, Toku and Mizunami, indeed the entire region, has flourished as one of the most famous ceramic production areas in Japan with production of unglazed earthenware dating as far back as the 7^th century A.D.  Since that time the industry has developed and grown, having particular growth and success during the Azuchi-Momayama Period[1] of the late 16^th century.  In particular the magnificent Oribe[2], Shino[3] and Kizeto[4] distinguish this time in Tono.  From this time on, ceramics developed not only as a function and role in daily life but as an artistic way of expression.  Today, building on the rich experiences and techniques of their ancestors, the artisans of Tajimi and the Mino district continue to produce a myriad of ceramic products, which include both Japanese-style as well as European style crockery, ties and hundreds if hot thousands of other items and products. 

 

The first International Ceramics Festival, Mino, Japan, was held in 1986 with the purpose of presenting to the world the magnificence of Mino-yaki or Mino ceramics, while at the same time promoting the exchange of ideas and information about the design, techniques, and culture of ceramics.  This month, marks the 8^th International Ceramics Festival at Mino.  There were a record 3,284 entries from 56 countries from around the world, proving that this festival has indeed come to represent ceramics on a global scale.  Of those entries, 857 passed the first stage and of those 192 were selected this year as award winning works and “honorable mentions”.  With the opening of this festival, Mino has been acknowledged with pride as a great national asset to Japan.

 

Whether the festival is in progress or not, a visitor to Ceramic Park Mino (about 10 minutes from our house) can enjoy hundreds of rich, beautiful, and sometimes strange or mysterious ceramic arts produced by both local and world artists.

 

For further reference please visit the following:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pottery_and_porcelain

 

http://www.rdpslides.com/ccf/FAQ00002.htm

 

http://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/pref/s11355/sankeisitu/sangyo_web/english/ceramics.html

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[1] The Azuchi-Momoyama Period (安土桃山時代) came at the end of the Warring States Period of Japanese history when the political unification that preceded the Tokugawa Shogunate took place.  The period spans the years from about 1568 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi imposed order upon the chaos that had existed in Japan since the collapse of the Ashikaga Shogunate in.  The name of this period is taken from Nobunaga’s castle, Azuchi Castle, which is located in the town of Azuchi in Shiga Prefecture, and Hidyoshi’s castle (Momoyama Castle) in Kyoto.

[2] Oribe ware (織部焼), or oribe-yaki, is a type of Japanese ceramics generally identified for its use of green copper glaze and bold painted designs.  It was the first use of colored stoneware glaze by Japanese potters and is one of the Mino styles, originating in the late 16^th century, taking its name from Master Furuta Oribe (1544 – 1615).

Oribe is a style of noted for its extensive variations.  There is great variety in the type of ceramics as well as the surface treatment of pieces.  Like many types of Japanese ceramics, bowls and dishes are common, but Oribe ware also includes lidded jars and handled food containers as well.  The clay used typically has a high iron content and is “thrown” by hand on a potter’s wheel or by drape molding.  The surface of an Oribe piece is then painted and decorated with lively designs which may be images of nature, geometric patterns, or a combination of the two.  White and clear glazes are also characteristically used.  For the brilliant green color, Oribe ware is fired in an oxygen rich environment at 1220° C.  If these conditions are lacking, the glaze may in the end turn to brown or red.

[3] Shino ware (志野焼), shono-yaki, is another type of Japanese ceramics most identifiable for thick white glazes, red scorch marks, and a texture of small holes.  Another one of the “Mino styles”, it dates back to the late 16^th century along with the Oribe style>  Like other “Mino wares”, the Shino style is based on older styles  with changes in shape, decoration, and finish.  Forms of Shino ware are commonly squat and cylindrical, as well as thick but lightweight.  Items common to this style included dishes, bowls and utensils used for tea ceremonies.

Pieces can be gray, red, or white, painted with iron oxide or decorated with glaze.  Shino  pieces tend to be fired at temperatures lower than those of the Oribe style and for a much longer period of time, followed by a very slow cooling process.  These conditions do not permit the glaze to completely melt resulting in a thick layer that often has a “crawling pattern.

Shino also refers to a classic Japanese glaze which ranges (as was noted above) from gray to white, to orange and often contains spodumene or some other source of lithium and/or nepheline syenite.  The orange color is achieved with thinner glaze coatings when fluxes in the glaze activate the iron content in the clay of the piece.  In the West, shino glazes are extremely popular and sought after by potters, particularly those that break from off-white to orange, often with unique effects caused by the trapping of carbon.

 

[4] Kizeto ware or Kizeto-yaki uses a glaze made from feldspar and ash with traces of iron.  It is distinctive for its yellow color and is often highlighted with designs using small amounts of Oribe glaze.  Kizeto ware is most often associated with  objects made for tea ceremonies and ikebana or the art of flower arranging.

Shino Cup

Shino Vase

Oribe Dish

WELCOME TO GIFU PREFECTURE, JAPAN

Welcome to Japan and to Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県,). Gifu Prefecture is a Japanese state that is located in the Chūbu or central region of Honshū, Japan’s main island. There are both cities and quaint, picturesque villages here, and our capital city is also called Gifu. Our area has long played an important role as the “crossroads” of Japan, connecting the eastern part of the land to the western part by way of such routes as the Nakasendō (one of the two routes during Japan’s Edo Period that connected the Tokugawa Shogun government in Edo (now Tokyo) with the Imperial Court in Kyoto). During Japan’s Sengoku Period, or the “Warring States Period” (mid-15th century to the beginning of the 17th century), it was said “control Gifu and you control Japan”

The area is beautiful mountains, valleys, rivers and streams, steeped in nature as well as Japanese history, art, and culture. This is where we live, work, teach, play, and raise our family. We hope you will visit us here often and we try to show you just some of what makes Gifu Prefecture such a wonderful and scenic place to live and to visit, and we hope that someday, you will also come to pay a visit our fantastic state.