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Kyoto's Imamiya Shrine, izakaya, sumo chanko nabe, harvest moon, Daigo-ji Temple!

September is a big month for sumo and youth!

The topics covered in this post include:

Kyoto’s Exquisite Imamiya Shrine & the Silk Road

A shrine is above all a place or house. The habitation of an auspicious spirit. The home of a god. No exception, the large and important Imamiya Shrine in northwest Kyoto (a few hundred meters or yards north of the revered Daitokuji Zen complex) has been revered as the habitation of a health-giving spirit since before 794. Ancient chronicles such as the Nihonshoki and Kojiki record numerous occasions of restored health and spontaneous healings here, and these 'healings' seem to have been wild and trance-like affairs.

The Shrine itself encompasses a large, wooded area in the northwestern corner of Kyoto. The first view of the precinct through the main gate invites one to imagine what a Druidic glen must have looked like. The focal point of the grounds is securely established by an unusually large bugaku stage behind which lies the deceptively delicate-looking main shrine, the rooftops of which seem to plunge without warning from out the hardwood forest behind it.

Nishijin’s Silk Road connection: Orihime-sha at Imamiya Shrine: Though Imamiya Shrine has several sub-shrines, the most prominent by far is the Orihime-sha. It is easy to spot as there is a distinctive statue in front of it in the shape of a weaving loom shuttle. This sub-shrine is home to the goddess of fabric and sewing, and is popular with the nearby neighborhood of Nishijin, which is famous for its high quality silk textiles (and for being the end of the eastern end of the Silk Road). People pray at Orihime-sha to better their artistic skills and to ask for success in creative trades.

Most of the shrine precinct is filled with a masterfully eclectic variety of roof styles. These roofs, in their seven or eight variations, turn massive shapes into delightful arabesques. The view of the main shrine, framed by the empty Bugaku stage, will reveal in a moment the understated profundity of traditional Japanese architecture.

To the east of the main shrine is a charming array of diverting side paths and minor shrines, often at odd angles to the central design of the grounds. Casks of offeratory sake are stacked here and there, while a bonfire ground waits for the next torching of worn-out and powerless tokens and talismans. These meandering courses take one into surroundings of anywhere from 500 to 900 years old and it is easy to see why Japan's largest maker of samurai dramas and historical epics often uses Imamiya Shrine for locations.

There are several attractions that are unique to Imamiya Shrine. But the most amazing is the 400-year-old tea house style restaurants less than 50 meters from the shrine’s SE gate (after crossing the curved stone bridge) are two longstanding restaurants adjacent to the shrine. These restaurant’s specialty are aburimochi - skewered, roasted rice cakes. The two restaurants, Ichiwa and Kazariya, have been open since 1000 AD and 1656 AD respectively. And there has been an intense rivalry between them for over 400 years!

For 100 yen, you can buy your fortune from a fortune-dispensing machine. Truant junior high school students taunting each other over their dismal fortunes are a common sight, for there are only three possible fortunes: good, so-so, and 'you-better-start-praying. The abysmal fortunes are tied onto trees and tree-like structures fronting the shrine, which explains the abundance of bright paper 'blossoms' decorating the grounds. As for the good fortunes, they, of course, go home with their lucky recipients.

Izakaya restaurants: deep menus, lively life & shadows too!

Besides peaceful gardens, temples, and shrines, Kyoto abounds in elegant kaiseki restaurants, where beautifully-furnished rooms, simple flower arrangements, and esoteric scrolls complement the artistic masterpieces on your plate. The prices at such places can be eye-openers, too. Don't you wonder where the ordinary person goes for a good time?

There are places where people whoop it up, laugh their cares away, and just have fun. Called izakaya (ee-zah-kah-yah), they are basically drinking spots, but since in Japan no one drinks without eating, they also offer a great variety of morsels to snack on. The idea is to sample as many tastes as possible, becoming — slowly, but surely — satisfied (and tipsy).

Izakaya counter seating is usually elbow to elbow. From your table or booth away from the counter a busy waiter or waitress will be quick to take your first order, but after that you might need to shout out “Sumimasen!” (Excuse me!) to get his or her attention. No, they won't throw you out — this is standard izakaya practice, so let rip!

One of the best value izakaya in Kyoto are the Kushihachi main branches near Kyoto University and just down the road from the Golden Pavilion. Kushihachi specializes in things fried on skewers, but they also offer many other things, including big salads, sashimi, and grilled chicken. They also have marvelous tempura ice-cream. The place is unbelievably popular. You can make reservations (in Japanese). The best Kushihachi branches in Kyoto are Hakubaicho (a kilometer south of the Golden Pavilion) and Hyakumanben (a stone’s throw from Kyoto University).

The famous Chanko stews eaten by sumo wrestlers

Ordinary folk would have a hard time understanding this title, but not we sumo fans! "Huge", "humongous", and "gargantuan" are some words that you might use to describe sumo wrestlers that is until you see one. When you do, then you realize that "mountainous" is really the only appropriate term, and even that does not convey the impact.

I came to Japan with very few preconceptions. Although I knew that samurai were a thing of the past, I didn't yet know anything about sumo. Just after I arrived, I was told to sit on my bags and wait while my friend went to get train tickets. From the corner of my eye, I saw six of the most massive guys I'd ever seen in my life coming in my direction. Dressed in kimono and wearing the 10-cm tall wooden clogs called geta, they were all lean muscle and possibly larger than any American football player. Engrossed in their own conversation, the six-foot-plus, ponytailed men walked by, as I tried to drag my jaw off the ground and back to its normal position.

They were sumo trainees. To visualize their seniors, imagine hanging hundreds of pounds of excess weight onto those muscled frames, and then try to calculate how many calories are needed to maintain such bodies. It's a lot more calories than I'm supposed to eat.

In the world of sumo, calories come in the form of chanko-nabe. This communal hot-pot consists of a base of water, stock, miso, or sake lees, to which any combination of meat, fish, and vegetables is added. Eaten by the wrestlers for lunch, chanko-nabe is country fare designed on the tried and true principles for building strong, healthy bodies. It's full of such vegetables as seri (a native herb), kikuna (edible chrysanthemum leaves), and Chinese cabbage, which supply an abundance of fiber as well as vitamins and minerals, and fortified with poultry, pork, beef, and seasonal fish.

In the old days, the flesh of four-footed animals was never added to the pot. The term yotsu-ashi, or four-legged, called to mind the image of a sumo wrestler with his hands touching the floor of the ring and thus losing the match in a most undignified way. Today the tradition lies in the gutter with the discarded fish bones. Are modern wrestlers less sensitive? A distinctive addition to chanko-nabe, the one which supposedly separates it from other forms of nabe, is a meatball made of ground chicken meat. The reasoning behind this one is still to be excavated.

Starches are not ignored. Kuzu-kiri, a wonderful noodle made from kudzu starch, and pieces of mochi, steamed and pounded rice, are usually included. What I like best, however, is zosui, the rice porridge made with the broth that remains after the nabe has been consumed. Flavored with eggs and green onions, this extra delight rounds off the whole meal.

How did chanko-nabe originate? One theory goes that at the beginning of the Edo period, the Chinese-style wok was introduced to Japan via Nagasaki. Sumo wrestlers who had come to Nagasaki to take part in tournaments happened to eat food prepared in these pans, called chan-quo in Chinese. The wrestlers adopted them for their own culinary creation, which they named after the pan in which it was cooked.

Kyoto and Tokyo have quite a few restaurants specializing in chanko-nabe, but the version served is no doubt tamer than that eaten by the mountainous men.

The harvest moon in Japan, so many options!

No place could better suited for full moon viewing than timeless Kyoto. Of all the year’s 12 full moons, the September full moon, or harvest moon, is considered to be the most sublime. In times past, and even today, it was not uncommon for people to set up small tables by the window to enjoy the full moon light while eating tsukimi dango (rice and sweet been dumplings made specially for the occasion), and satoimo (taro, a tropical root). Sprays of susuki (pampas grass), which resembles the rice plant, and other autumn grasses are displayed on the verandah, along with neat clusters of tiny rice dumplings. On a more public level, celebrations are held in temples and shrines.

Here are some of the better locations to view this great event. Daikaku-ji Temple (a little NE of Arashiyama by taxi): In celebration of the harvest moon, this amazing temple hosts an annual concert of traditional koto (harp) and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) music, and the poetic past time of boating on the lake by moonlight can still be enjoyed. An elegant tea ceremony is performed on gorgeous boats in the shapes of dragons and birds. For an exquisite experience, observe the full moon from a boat. On the shore, booths sell beer and food. Shimogamo Shrine: After a ceremonial offering of tsukimi-dango (rice dumplings) and Japanese pampas grass to the shrine deity, a performance of bugaku, or classical court dance, with the performers dressed in sumptuous traditional costumes, is given. A tea ceremony is also held. Normally free of charge, however due to economic difficulties the shrine asks that as many people as possible participate in the tea ceremony (cost about Yen 650). Hirano Shrine: On the evening of the full moon, a performance of koto (Japanese harp) and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) music is given. Many night stalls selling souvenirs and food are set up in the shrine precincts. The atmosphere is festive and just a little boisterous. On the 12th from 18:00. Entry is free.

For many Japanese tea connoisseur’s, autumn is considered to be the finest time of the year to hold a tea ceremony; the stifling hot weather has passed, and the autumn mood is sublime. The basic form and aesthetic of today’s Japanese tea ceremony is largely credited to Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), who was inspired to develop a form based entirely around natural materials native to Japan—earthen walls, tatami, wood, and bamboo. Rikyu's way of tea stands as a refined, yet simple, ritual of perfection that incorporates virtually every Japanese art—flowers, ceramics, lacquer, food. At its highest levels the Japanese tea ceremony becomes a spiritual act reaching out with dignified stillness to calm and pacify the heart and mind.

When taking part in the Japanese tea ceremony, first bow (while seated) and then lift the chawan (tea bowl) set before you with your right hand, and place it on the palm of your left hand. Rotate the chawan clockwise 180 degrees with the right hand in three separate movements. Then, after a short pause, drink the tea in two or three stages. After drinking the tea, wipe the part of the chawan you touched with your lips with your right hand and rotate the chawan counterclockwise 180 degrees, and return it to the host. If you are served a sweet during the tea ceremony, it will always be before you are served the tea. When in doubt, observe those around you, or behave as calmly and dignified as you can. Do what comes natural to you, in the end, there are no fixed rules in the tea ceremony.

Daigo-ji Temple: warlords & February rice cakes!

Daigo-ji, headquarters of the Daigo branch of the Shingon Buddhist sect, is Kyoto's largest temple. Legend has it that the priest Shobo, later known as Rigen Daishi, encountered the guardian deity of the area and decided that the sacred mountain of Daigo would be a perfect place in which to propagate Buddhist teachings. In 874 he built himself a shelter on top of Mount Kasatori (now known as Mount Daigo), where he devoted himself to the carving of two Kannon statues. The statues completed, he built two structures, the Juntei-do and the Nyoirin-do, to house them.

The temple complex is divided into two sections — Kami-Daigo, the area on top of the mountain where Shobo enshrined his two Kannon statues, and Shimo-Daigo, the expanse at the foot of the mountain — connected by a narrow, three kilometer-long, mountain path.

By the beginning of the sixteenth century, the temple had fallen into disrepair, but warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi was to change that. Hideyoshi set about restoring the temple to its former glory, and began with the sub-temple of Sanpo-in. It was here, on March 15th, 1598, that he held his famous cherry blossom viewing party.

Sanpo-in's main building, the Omote Shoin, was built with Hideyoshi's support. Representative of Momoyama-period shoin-style architecture, it has been designated a National Treasure. Its most impressive feature is its magnificent thatched roof.

The garden at Sanpo-in is one of Japan's six most famous gardens. Unlike the majority of temple rock gardens, this garden, paid for by Hideyoshi, was designed to be enjoyed while walking through it. Many of its over seven hundred stones originally graced the grounds of Jurakudai, Hideyoshi's "Palace of Accumulated Pleasures". Like that short-lived palace, this is a place to stimulate and delight the senses. (Kyoto city is currently collaborating with the Mexican government to produce a replica of the Sanpo-in garden in Kyoto's sister city, Guadalajara.)

Next to the entrance to the Sanpo-in is the impressive Karamon, which also began life at Hideyoshi's Jurakudai. Elegantly-simple, the wooden gate employs bold paulownia and chrysanthemum motifs.

The only structure in Daigo-ji to have survived the numerous civil wars that racked Kyoto in the fifteenth century, and another of Shimo-Daigo's major attractions, is the Goju-no-To, or Five-storied Pagoda. This 380 meter-tall National Treasure, completed in 951, is said to be the oldest building in Kyoto Prefecture, and the third oldest pagoda in Japan, out-ranked only by the pagodas of Horyu-ji and Muro-ji.

The path to Kami-Daigo is narrow and winding. Although the magnificent view from the top of the mountain would be ample reward for having endured the strenuous one-hour climb, most of the people making their way up the slope are pilgrims on their way to Juntei-do, the first building that Shobo built, and now the eleventh of the thirty-three sacred Kannon shrines in western Japan. Although the present building was built as recently as 1968, the enshrined Kannon is the original one.

The oldest building in this upper complex is Yakushi-do, renowned for its elegant cypress-bark roof. Partially renovated in 1121, both the building and the statue of Yakushi-Nyorai it enshrines are National Treasures.

Since Hideyoshi's famous party, Daigo-ji has been famous as a place for cherry blossom viewing. The temple is also famous for the Godai-Rikison Ninno-e festival, held every year on February 23rd. This event is held in honor of the five angry Myo-o gods, statues of whom are housed in Godai-do Temple in upper Daigo. From the 15th to the 21st, ceremonies are performed here to invest Ofuda, charms featuring illustrations of the five deities, with the power to prevent fires, earthquakes, robberies, and other inconveniences. There are further Ofuda-blessing ceremonies in the Kondo at 9 am and 1 pm on the 23rd, where the charms will be on sale for ¥1,000.

One of the festival's most eagerly-awaited events starts at noon on the 23rd of February, when contestants compete to see who can lift and hold two enormous mounds of mochi (steamed and pounded rice) for the longest time. Men have to lift 150 kilos, women 90 kilos. Anyone can enter. If you would like to test your strength, apply at the temple around 9 am on the day.