Kamakura Revisited

We revisited Kamakura a few weeks ago. We started out a bit late, so this time we took the most direct route and arrived at Kita-Kamakura in about 15 minutes. It is only 2 train stops from our apartment. Kita-Kamakura (North Kamakura) is the place where most of the extravagant Zen Temples are located. We chose two locations to see on that day, with one of them being the largest and most important Zen Temple in Kamakura, and the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, Kencho-ji Temple.

Once through the temple's main gates, one notices a feeling of stillness and tranquility that set in. It may just be the simple fact that the walk to the temple is along a very busy road that allows little pedestrian space and is crammed next to the main road with cars and trucks flying by only a few feet from where we walk. However once you enter the temple grounds and walk away from the enterance, the sound of the traffic dies out and the images of the congested street are replaced by the tranquil magnificance of the Buddist Halls and accompanying gardens.

The above picture is of the front rock garden in the court yard of the Main Hall (Hojo) I hope the meticulous appearence of the court yard captures the tranquility of the temple grounds.

Setsubun - The Bean Throwing Festival

February 3rd was Setsubun or the "Bean Throwing Festival" in Japan. It is held on the day before spring (on the Lunar New Year).

On this day, people buy roasted soy beans and throw them out the front door to ward off evil spirits. There are some rules to this about having the correct number of beans, usually equal to the thrower's age, and you have to chant "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!", which is translated as "Demons out! Luck in!". Often the father of the house will dress up as a devil and the children will pelt him with beans driving him and his evil ways away. How luck rushes into the house at this time, I am not entirely sure. Everyone then is allowed to eat the same number of beans as their age, plus one. (I didn't know this and ate quite a few...they are tasty you see. I am not sure what to expect in forms of luck...maybe a shed-load of luck for me!!)

There are also celebrations at Shrines and Temples where people throw beans and pray for good luck. Some people go as far as hanging holy leaves or dead fish heads at the enterence of their house to ward off evil, and undoutedly everyone else in the neighborhood! Most likely the luck they attract will be in the form of stray cats (which are bringers of good luck) attracted to the fish heads, but this is only my observation. Yuki was quick to point out that she has never seen this, so please don't get the idea that everyone is doing strange things with fish heads in Japan.

Luckily for us, no one in our apartment building hung dead fish heads at the enterence of their flat. We did find soya beans scattered in the hall and even threw a few there ourselves. Yuki told me that we had to do this at each possible entry point so we ran around to the windows, threw dried beans and told the devil where to go. (I am expecting a good crop of soya plants come summer....and just outside my window!!)

Another interesting custom on this day is to eat a massive.....really massive sushi maki. A sushi maki is along cylinder sushi. Green nori seaweed paper on the outside, followed by rice and various fillings in the center. The ones I picked up from the convience store on my way home were filled with cooked sweet egg, tuna, pickles and cucumber. We weren't allowed to cut these big makis up in the way that one normally eats maki. Instead we ate them in big bites facing south - south/east, as this was the lucky direction. Having no compass in our flat, it was an estimated south-south/east and I hope we haven't called upon the demons in the river below in our incorrect sushi-eating. Just in case, I am armed with beans and will be sure to send them back!!