Monthly Archives: August 2011

Nagano and Nojiriko (Uga and Togakushi Shrines)

Posted on August 22, 2011 by John D.

Over the weekend I was able to visit Lake Nojiri, 20 km north of Nagano on the border with Niigata.  It’s in a beautiful setting, about 3 by 2 km in size and with a backdrop of mountains over which … Continue reading →

Posted in Nagano, Shrine visits | 1 Comment

Shinto haiku (Hailstones group)

Posted on August 18, 2011 by John D.

In 2007 the Kyoto-based Hailstone Haiku Circle to which I belong published a volume of Shinto poems entitled Seasons of the Gods, co-edited by the group’s leader Stephen Gill with three others.  Here is a selection. **************************** new year… stars on … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | Leave a comment

Day of the Dead (Obon and ancestral spirits)

Posted on August 16, 2011 by John D.

It’s the last day of Obon, and the spirits of the dead are preparing to leave Kyoto on their journey back to the otherworld.  What is it with Japanese and spirits?  Ghostly figures haunt their imagination, and Noh is filled … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestor worship, Death, Festivals, Syncretism | 4 Comments

Yasukuni Jinja

Posted on August 15, 2011 by John D.

Today is August 15, which is the day of Japan’s surrender in WW2.  It is also the day that in recent years government ministers have visited Yasukuni to pay respects to the war dead (including 14 Class A war criminals … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Shrine visits | 3 Comments

Is Shinto a religion?

Posted on August 14, 2011 by John D.

Is Shinto a religion? it’s an intriguing question that cuts across the arbitrary categorisatiions of East and West. It is often claimed that Shinto is not so much a religion as a part of Japanese life.  For example, you will … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

The Mystery of Himiko

Posted on August 12, 2011 by John D.

In the third century a Chinese envoy wrote of a visit to the land of Wa (as Japan was known).  At the time the country was divided into many small states, and he described how one of them called Yamatai was … Continue reading →

Posted in Mythology, Shamanic connections | 2 Comments

Hibara Jinja and Amaterasu

Posted on August 11, 2011 by John D.

What happened to Amaterasu when she was banished from the imperial palace?  It’s an intriguing question that goes to the heart of the imperial connection and the mythical descent from the sun goddess. Some time ago I made a trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Mythology, Shrine visits | 1 Comment

Shinto for non-Japanese

Posted on August 10, 2011 by John D.

A video called White Shamans, Plastic Medicine Men presents the debate about whether Native American religions can or should be practised by those of other ethnicities.  The same debate applies equally to the transfer of Shinto to the West.  We stand at the … Continue reading →

Posted in International | 2 Comments

First sight of a torii (Lafcadio Hearn)

Posted on August 9, 2011 by John D.

In Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan (1894), Lafcadio Hearn shares his delight at discovering the folk customs of the Matsue region (Shimane prefecture). It was his honeymoon period and he is enchanted by all he sees.  The book is available online … Continue reading →

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Shinto: The Way of the Gods (W.G. Aston)

Posted on August 8, 2011 by John D.

‘Shinto: The Way of the Gods’ by W.G. Aston     London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1905  390 pages, medium size.   ISBN 1-4179-4872-8  $23.07 Together with Ernest Satow and B.H. Chamberlain, W.G. Aston (1841-1911) was one of the early giants of Japanese … Continue reading →

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