7月 2020

The Carpenter and Oniroku

A long, long time ago, in a certain village, there flowed a large river. You could always hear a roaring sound as it rushed past. The people of the village always experienced difficulty in getting across the river to the other side. They tried to build a bridge, time after time. But, no matter how often they did, the bridge was washed away. So the villagers went to see Hikozo, the best carpenter in the village, and asked him to build a bridge.

“Hikozo, won’t you be so kind as to build a bridge across the river? Whoever builds one, it just ends in failure. You’re the only person who can do it!”

Hikozo went to the river to think about this request. “Oh, it flows so fast. With a river flowing as strongly as this one does, it would be hard to build a bridge. But, even so, without a bridge we villagers have a problem. I’ll have to find some clever way of doing this.”

As Hikozo was thinking about the problem along these lines, suddenly a monster appeared from out of the middle of the river.

“Oh, there’s a monster!” The startled Hikozo began to run away.

“Hey, hey, don’t run away. By the way, what have you been muttering about while staring at the river?”

The surprised Hikozo answered, “Um, I’ve been asked to build a bridge across this river, but I don’t know how I can do it.”

“Build a bridge across this river, you say? That’s impossible. If it was me, I could do it. But there’s no way that a human being could.”

“But without a bridge the villagers are in trouble. Couldn’t you please help us out?” Hikozo asked the monster.

“Well, I suppose I could build it for you, but would you give me your two eyeballs in exchange?”

“No, I don’t want to do that. I wouldn’t be able to see anything then, would I?”

“OK then, guess what my name is. If you get it, I won’t take your eyeballs. Come here again three days from now. If you can guess my name right, I’ll build your bridge for you.” So saying, the monster disappeared back into the river.

Hikozo went home to think about the situation. “I wonder what the monster’s name might be? Onikichi, Onisuke, Onihei…. hmm, I’ve no idea!” Hikozo thought and thought about the problem for three whole days, but no matter how hard he thought, he just didn’t know the answer.

“Well, in this case, it can’t be helped. It’s for the people of the village. There’s no choice but to have the monster build the bridge, in exchange for my eyeballs.”

Just then, he heard some children outside his house singing a song. “The monster Oniroku likes eyeballs…. The carpenter Hikozo loses his eyeballs…”

“Oh, so his name’s Oniroku! Great, now I know.”

Hikozo went back to the river. The same monster appeared again.

“Hey, do you know what my name is?”

“Um, Onisuke?”

“No, no, you’re wrong!”

“Well then, is it Onihei?”

“No, no, you’re wrong!”

“How about Onihachi?”

“No, no, bad luck! Well, you’d better just give up, you’ll never get it. Hurry up and give me your eyeballs!” Saying so, the monster put out his hand toward Hikozo.

At that moment, Hikozo cried out in a loud voice, “Your name is Oniroku!”

“Oh, no!”

The moment that his name was called out, the surprised monster disappeared back into the river. Some time after he had gone from sight, a splendid bridge appeared over the bridge, out of the blue. So that’s how a bridge got built over the river. Needless to say, the villagers were all delighted!

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Container Hotel

Yokohama, said to be Japan’s busiest seaport, is a city by the bay. This seaside resort is made of shipping containers that have been painted white and opened to staying guests. The “Bayside Marina Hotel Yokohama,” in the city’s Kanazawa Ward, consists of 31 container “cabins.” Some containers are stacked vertically, and some are stand-alone. Each functions as a single maisonnette-style room offering a view of boats in the nearby harbor. The hotel is located about one hour from the center of Tokyo.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Hi-tech Overnight Bus

Hi-tech Overnight Bus

Hi-tech Overnight Bus

To many, overnight intercity buses have such negative images as “tiring,” “cramped” and “lacking in privacy.” While they are popular with students due to their lower prices, most adults prefer to travel via Shinkansen trains or by air. Bus fare between Tokyo and Osaka, around 4,000 yen, is less than one-third that of a one-way ticket aboard the Shinkansen. To attract more business travelers and females, in recent years buses have adopted more deluxe designs and comfortable seating. The four seats per row have been reduced to three, and for added privacy curtains have been provided. The seats can be reclined to as much as 145 degrees. In the newest type, seats feature enclosures like a cocoon, in a two row configuration, with each seat equipped with its own TV monitor (see photo). Also equipped with wireless LAN Internet connections, a one-way trip between Tokyo and Osaka costs 9,800 yen, still cheaper than the Shinkansen. This bus was also named recipient of a Good Design Award in 2010.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

First Class Rail Seats

First Class Rail Seats

Shinkansen bullet trains have become icons of Japan’s advanced rail technology. Now first class seating on a 300 kilometer-per- hour super express has been introduced. Named “Gran Class,” the term has been coined from the French word for “great” and the English word “class.” In addition to expanded pitch and width of the seat cushions, the car capacity is limited to just 18 people (arrayed in six rows of three seats each). In addition to individual reading lamps, seats are equipped with a motorized reclining mechanism, outlets for mobile communications, footrests and so on. In addition to a personal attendant, each Gran Class car offers such perks as boxed meals composed of ingredients from the trains’ routes of travel, plus blankets, slippers, eye masks, and complimentary reading matters.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Factory Beauty in Japan

The Beauty of Inorganic Structures

The 1972 film “Solaris,” by the late Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky showed scenes of a city of the future, the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. With its inorganic concrete, it evokes a futuristic imagery, as becomes evident on tours that go around to view it. Like chemical processing plants and other man-made creations, it has inspired publication of books of photographs, and bus tours have been organized to take in its “beauty.” Apparently times have changed from its image back in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was associated with traffic congestion and air pollution.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

What is “Sensu?”

扇子

“sensu”

A sensu, a folding fan made of bamboo ribs covered with Japanese paper, is fan-shaped when opened and like a bamboo stick closed. It is said that the uchiwa (round fan) brought from China was remodeled into the sensu by Japanese and that the folding style was reintroduced to China and brought all the way to Europe. There is a phrase, “hidari uchiwa de kurasu.” Hidari means left and kurasu means live. So like using an uchiwa with your left hand, this phrase means “living in comfort” or “lead an easy life.” You can say this expression to someone who won a lottery.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

The Deep Relationship Between Wine and Shinto Shrines

The Shibuya district of Tokyo is known as Japan’s Mecca for youth fashion trends. The Meiji Jingu shrine, located nearby, is where three million people converge each New Year to offer prayers. Within the shrine’s main complex, where the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken used to pay ceremonial visits, stand this array of 60 wine barrels from France’s Bourgogne region. Emperor Meiji, who reigned from 1867 to 1912, enjoyed Japanese sake and other alcoholic beverages. After being diagnosed with diabetes, he switched to wine on the recommendation of his physician, because wine was believed to be less taxing on his physique. The Tokyo representative office of Bourgogne began to offer the barrels to the shrine from 2006. Of course they are empty.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

What is “Sakuramochi”? Where Was the First Cherry Leaf Used to Wrap Sakura Mochi From?

Speaking of sakura mochi (rice cake stuffed with sweet bean paste and wrapped in cherry leaves), its particular aroma created by the salted cherry leaves stimulates one’s appetite.  But who was it that first preserved cherry leaves in salt and used them to wrap mochi?

It was Shinroku Yamamoto, the gatekeeper of Chomeiji Temple in Tokyo.  The front gate of Chomeiji Temple opened up onto the bank of the Sumida River.  The area was commonly called Sumizutsumi.  And, since Sumizutsumi was well known for its cherry trees, spring was always crowded with people viewing the cherry blossoms.  When the blossoms were finished, the leaves would become luxuriant and would presently begin to fall.  The gatekeeper Shinroku would diligently sweep up the fallen cherry leaves keeping the temple grounds neat and tidy.  However, the leaves would keep falling one after another.  Shinroku was stumped because he always had to keep sweeping.

Up to his knees in leaves and thinking to himself that it would be a waste to simply throw away the many leaves, Shinroku hit upon the idea of pickling and preserving the cherry leaves.  Thinking further, Shinroku was struck with the idea that the preserved cheery leaves could be used to wrap mochi whereby the indescribable aroma of the cherry leaves would be transferred to the mochi creating a refined, elegant flavor.  It is said that this idea was the origin of sakura mochi.

In 1717, Shinroku began selling his thought up sakura mochi at the front gate of Chomeiji Temple.  As might be expected of a site busy with cherry blossom viewers, the sakura mochi instantly became popular, and even became a specialty of Sumizutsumi.  As an example of how popular sakura mochi was, “Toen Shosetsu,” a book of anecdotes published in 1825, relates that in the previous year 387,500 sakura mochi were sold and that the number of cherry leaves prepared for the mochi reached 775,000.

The sakura mochi first begun by Shinroku is still being sold at the front of Sumizutsumi as “Yamamotoya no Sakura Mochi.”

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Town of Dolls in Konosu, Saitama, Japan

Town of Dolls

Each March 3, Hina Matsuri (the Girl’s Festival or the Dolls Festival), families celebrate the growth and good health of their daughters by displaying Hina (which literally means a chick) dolls at home. Traditionally the dolls, dressed in ancient Japanese court attire, were usually displayed on a platform five or six stages. But because nowadays the dolls are rather expensive and take up a lot of space in the home, more families tend to buy only a single pair of male and female dolls, or do nothing special on the Hina Matsuri.

But here at Konosu City Office in Saitama Prefecture, a huge display of dolls — as many as 4,538 — is arrayed on a massive tiered stand of 30 levels, which stands 6.7 meters at its highest point. Konosu City has a history of doll-making going back over 380 years and started this festival in 2005. It attracts many visitors to the city. A kokeshi (a wooden doll characterized by its simple shape with a uniformly cylindrical body and a round head) might be more famous as a Japanese doll, but these Hina dolls are also worth a closer look. The annual festival is usually held from mid-February to March 5.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Most Scary Japanese Fairy Tale: Three Paper Talismans

Most Scary Japanese Fairy Tale: Three Paper Talismans

Three Paper Talismans

(originated from Aomori Prefecture)

An apprentice priest lived in a certain temple. One day he was told by the chief priest to go over the mountains to the neighboring village on an errand.

“In the mountains, there is an old hag, onibaba, who eats people. Take these three ofuda paper talismans with you. If you say out loud what you wish for, it will definitely come true.”

After the errand in the neighboring village, the young priest walked back along the mountain path. After a while, he came across an old woman sitting by the side of the road.

“Young priest, young priest, can’t you lend me a hand? My legs hurt and I can’t walk and so I can’t get home,” said the old woman.

The young priest got hold of the old woman’s hand and pulled her up.

“It’s over there.” So saying, the old woman showed the young priest the way.

But the path kept taking them further and further into mountain country. Then, at last, they came to a ramshackle old hovel deep in the mountains.

“Thank you. But it will soon be dark. The road is dangerous at night, so you should stay here overnight.” Since the old woman told him to do so, the apprentice priest had no choice but to spend the night at the old woman’s place.

In the middle of the night, the apprentice priest suddenly woke up. He could hear a scraping sound, scrape, scrape. When he peeped into the next room through a hole in the fusuma sliding door, he could see that the kind old woman, who had seemed so nice, had turned into an old hag, and what was she doing? Sharpening a knife!

“Oh no, I bet she’s going to eat me!” thought the apprentice priest. “I know. I’ll say I have to go to the toilet, and then run out of here.”

“Lady, lady, I need to pee.” The apprentice priest called out to the old woman.

“Well, if you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go, I suppose. I’ll tie this rope around you so you don’t get lost. Off you go to the toilet then.”

Once the apprentice priest had got inside the toilet, he untied the rope fastened round his waist and tied it instead around the main pillar. Then he stuck one of the paper talismans the priest had given him onto the pillar.

“Please, if that onibaba hag says anything, reply with “Not yet, not yet!” he begged the paper. Then the apprentice priest quietly climbed out of the window and ran away.

Whenever the old hag said something, the reply came back, “Not yet, not yet!”

“Haven’t you finished yet, young apprentice?” “Not yet, not yet!”

So things passed for a while. And the apprentice got further and further away.

“Stop fooling around! How long are you going to be in there?” But when the old hag forced the door of the toilet open, nobody was there.

“That terrible apprentice!” The onibaba hag chased after the apprentice in a great fury.

She was so fast, so fast, that before you knew it she was closing in on the young apprentice. When she’d got so close that she could almost reach out and touch him, the apprentice priest threw down the secondtalisman, saying, “Please make a big river.”

And then, right before the old hag’s eyes, a big river appeared. The old hag would have to cross it.

“Drat! That nasty little apprentice priest!”

While this was going on, the apprentice priest ran further and further away.

Instead of swimming across the river, the old hag drank the river completely dry, and chased the apprentice priest with even more speed than before. In just a little more time, her hand would be able to reach his back! But just then, the apprentice priest threw down the last talisman and said, “Please make a big fire!”

Suddenly a big fire appeared, and the old hag couldn’t go any further, unable to catch up with the young apprentice. But she spewed out the river water she had drunk and put out the fire completely.

In the meantime, the young apprentice had used this chance and managed to run as far as the temple where the priest was. He told the priest, “Priest, priest, it’s terrible! I’ll get eaten by the old hag!”

“It’s all right, don’t worry, just hide in that closet,” said the priest.

As soon as the young apprentice had hidden in the closet, the old hag rushed onto the scene.

“Hey, priest, didn’t that apprentice come running into here?”

“No, no one came here.”

“Liar! If you tell lies, you’ll get eaten yourself!”

“Well then, let’s compare our skills. If I lose, you can eat me, OK? Right, let’s see, can you change yourself into a bean? I bet it’s really hard to change yourself into something as small as that!”

Hearing this, the old hag said, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a bean. Nothing to it!”

Saying this, she turned a somersault. And then, quick as a flash, she changed herself into a tiny little bean.

Seeing this, the priest quickly put out his hand, grabbed the bean, and threw it into his mouth. Then he ate it up, munch, munch, crunch and crunch.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前