Things
and events which are seen and practiced specially in Takayama(Hida Region).
ART
Ikebana
The art of arranging flowers with an aesthetic
attainment unique to the Japanese. In its earlier stage of development,
it was closely related to the tea ceremony as a special way of decorating
the tea room.
Shodo
The Japanese art of calligraphy, which is basically
the writing of Chinese characters with a brush in shade of the ink, the
movement of the writing brush and the combination of brush strokes. It
is practiced to cultivate one's inner self.
Chanoyu
It is the art of serving powdered tea which was
originally a monastic custom of Zen Buddhism. Today, it is regarded as
a form of artistic discipline for mental composure as well as for elegant
manners and etiquette.
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WRITING FORMS
Hiragana
The cursive form of Kana syllabary writing, used
for writing authentically Japanese words or as particles.
Katakana
The angular form of Kana syllabary writing, mainly
used for writing foreign or loan words.
Kanji
The Chinese idiographs
or characters on which the Japanese writing system is based. Each Kanji
is a symbol for a concept and is used for writing content words or root
elements with other parts supplement by Kana, or Japanese phonetic symbols.
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RELIGION
Shinto
The indigenous religion of Japan based upon the
worship of nature, ancestors and ancient heroes. It was the state religion
after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 till the end of World War II in 1945.
Bukkyo
Buddhism founded in India and introduced through
China and Korea to Japan in the 6th century. It teaches the way to self-perfection
and enlightenment and has exerted a great influence on the spiritual life
of the Japanese.
Juzu
It is the Buddhist rosary which has 108 beads representing
108 worldly sins. Pople hold the rosaries over their joined hands as they
recite invocations.
Jizo
A popular deity in the folk belief of the Japanese.
It is the patron saint of travelers, children and pregnant women, and its
statues are seen along roads in rural districts.
Omamori
A good luck talisman made of paper, cloth or wood.
It is worn or kept in a suitable place for protection from illness, accidents,
and disasters.
Omikuji
The oracles written on pieces of white paper telling
one's fortune. People buy them at shrines and some temples, and tie them
to the branches of trees in the precincts, praying that good fortune may
come true and bad fortune may be driven away.
Ema
Long ago, farmers in Takayama took good care of
their horses and cows because these animals had a very improtant role in
farming. On August 10th of every year, the farmers took their horses and
cows to Matsukura-yama hill where they prayed for the good health of the
aminals. As time went by, the farmers began to take drawings of horses
(ema) to the hill instead of the actual horses. Now, no one takes his/her
horses nor cows to the hill, but many people besides farmers join in the
tradition by decorating with "ema". The horse drawings are placed
at the entrance of the house, facing into the home, to draw happinessand
good luck into the house for the family.
Junishi
They are the twelve signs of the Priental zodiac
cycle introduced from China. It includes nine mammals, one bird, one reptile
and one imaginary creature. In their proper order, they are mouse, ox,
tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog, and wild
boar.
Difference between shrines
and temples
Among several ways to distinguish between a Shinto
shrine and a Buddhist temple, the easiest one is to see if there are, at
the entrance to the precincts, one or more Torii which are the gates composed
of two pillars with beams. If you find one, you are in a Shinto shrine.
Checking if there are Buddhist images in the main hall is also another
way to distinguish between them.
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GENERL ARTICLES
Origami
The traditional Japanese art of folding paper into
various shapes such as birds, animals and flowers. They are made with square,
colored pieces of paper.
Sarubobo "Monkey Baby
Long time ago, mothers and grandmothers made dolls
for their youngsters who had to spend most of the winter in the house because
of heavy snow. The dolls, resembling monkey babies, were handed down to
the present time. But now, the dolls are used for decoration rather than
children's toys.
Teruteru Bozu
Literally means "shiny-shiny Buddhist priest".
They are paper dolls made by school children before going on school excursions
as a charm for fine weather.
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KEYWORDS NO.2