Sakura reminds Japanese of many scenes we experienced Japanese have distinctive images to Sakura, which is different from the feelings to other flowers, not only just its pink color’s beautifulness but many things. As I described in the previous post namely “Sakura in Japan; Cherry blossoms”, most of us Japanese love it and the full […]
Celebration and Prayer Japanese tend to make a prayer of Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines at several occasions as the passage rites from the birth to the end of life. Japanese traditional rites of passage describing in this article have relation with the Japanese frame of mind rooted in Buddhism and Shinto. As these two […]
Good impression of tourists – Cleanness One of the first impressions of foreign tourist conceive when they arrive in Japan is, I believe, cleanness of the airports. Through the arrival gate, immigration desk, the walkway along shops, exit to the taxi or bus or railway, many people may be impressed to see almost everything being […]
Making a handwritten copy of Buddhist scriptures At the ground of Buddhist temples you may find the poster advising worshipers to make transcription of Buddhist sutras, and some temples offer visitors to experience the session of SHAKYO写経, where they teach them how to do it as well as explain the essence of Buddhism. Transcription of […]
Bon holidays In Japan, we have a custom having consecutive holidays before and after 15th of August, called BON-YASUMI ; Bon holidays. It is for about four days or for about one week. Many companies and shops, big or small, close their offices during this period to let their employees to be away from the […]
It is the word Japanese recall their home town Four Japanese words “ふ・る・さ・と; fu-ru-sa-to” contains, I assume, emotional and uniquely Japanese feeling about home town. When you look up its meaning in the Japanese-English dictionary, you find “home town”, “one’s home city”, “one’s land” and etc. Surely they are correct, however, it has more than […]
Who could get it originally in the past? and who can get now? SHUIN 朱印 or GO 1 SHUIN 御朱印 is the certificate of one’s visit to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine with offering prayer, on which the dark orange seal is stamped with the name of the principal image of the temple or […]
One of common religious act among Japanese Many of Japanese, who are at certain period of years, “YAKU-DODHI厄年”, go to Buddhist temples or Japanese Shinto shrines to receive “KITO祈祷, the prayer service”, to ward off their bad luck or to avoid problems to be happened to them. This custom is traditionally believed in Japan. (Please […]
The concept is unique and widely believed among Japanese Right after the New Year Bells’ tolling, Japanese rush to Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines to pray for their happiness in the year, which is called “HATSU-MOUDE”, and on that occasion some men and women at the age of specific period, so-called ”YAKU-DOSHI厄年, pray for “YAKU-YOKE厄除”avoiding […]
Where do you find its word ? In Japan there are sports and cultural activities named with “DO 道” such as “JUDO柔道”, “KENDO剣道”, some others in sports field and “KADO華道”, “SADO茶道”, others in cultural exercises, while in the world similar sports and activities exist, like wrestling, fencing and flower arrangement, tea ceremony. Between each those […]