Manman Temple 萬満時

 Manmanji, orginally called Dainichiji when it was built in 1226, is a Rinzai sect temple in Matsudo City. it’s a short walk from the east exit of Mabashi Station on the Joban Line. The temple is notable for Muromachi Period statuary including the two great Deva Kings at the gate.

I missed the Deva Kings because I came too late in the day to see them. However, I did meet Fudomyo and his companions.

Beating the heat in historical Tsuchiura City

This week, we wanted to get out of town, beat the heat and humidity of 梅雨, “tsuyu”, the rainy season, and see a little more of the beauty of Chibaraki, the region that spans 埼玉県, Saitama, 千葉県, Chiba, and 茨城県 Ibaraki Prefectures.

Today’s adventure took us a mere 30 minutes up t常磐線, the Joban Line to 土浦市, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture. These days, you can drive National Route 6 from Tokyo to Mito, or ride the Joban Line. In the old days, following much the same terrain, was the 水戸海道, Mito Kaido, the route that was punctuated by 宿場, shukuba, post stations, that were promoted by the Edo government to encourage trade from the capital to the provinces. Today, Route 6 cuts through Matsudo and Kashiwa cities in the form of a two-lane road. Where the road passes through Tsuchiura City, it becomes a shopping street with classic 蔵, kura, the merchant store houses that were a common sight in the Edo Period.

We walked about 10 minutes from the west exit of Tsuchiura City to Nakajo Avenue, the row of Edo era buildings along the route to Mito. Amongst the buildings are an old liquor shop, merchant storehouse known as 「大徳」, “Daitoku” and little shrines and temples that line the way to the castle.

Tsuchiura’s castle is popularly known as 亀城, Kijo, or Turtle Castle. This fortification rests on flat land, which necessitated a “water castle” defense with moats and canals. Within the castle compound stood samurai and merchant houses. In the Meiji Period, the castle compound contained offices of the city and prefecture. Today, only the inner moat, a few small canals, and the Yagura Gate and some smaller gates remain of this great castle town.

We also saw some poor monkeys languishing in the heat and humidity, housed in cages just north of the Honmaru, the innermost part of the castle. The trickle of water from the castle’s well, the ponds and fountains and the moat populated with fish and turtles were a great relief from the heat. The monkeys flopped out on the concrete and stared at us upside down.

We wandered about to 神龍時 Kanryuji?, the temple to the north of the castle, and to a few other smaller ones. The breeze was a relief, as was the splash of water in the fountains and waterways that were once part of the water castle’s defenses.

Just past the temple, we also found the Tsukuba Rin Rin Road, the former rail line that is now a 40 kilometer bike path. You can read more about it in this Alien Times article.  I’ll attempt it once I get a bag for my mountain bike. Bikes are welcome on the Joban Line, but the front wheel must be removed (to turn the handle bars) and bagged. I haven’t done it for some time, but train some train conductors will make you buy a basic fare for your bike, while others will just wave you through.

Another way to keep cool in Tsuchiura City is to get out on the lake and watch the 帆引き船, hobikisen, the unique kite-like boats that were invented in the 1880s for pulling fish nets. You can see demonstrations of hobikisen a few times in the summer and again in the autumn.

For dinner, we picked up a box of ツェッペリンカレーZeppelin Curry. This popular and tasty pork curry, which includes the local produce, lotus root, was made to commemorate the 1929 visit of the Graf Zeppelin to Tsuchiura City. On a summer day, the bulk of the Zeppelin hove into view over Tsuchiura and startled those who hadn’t heard the radio or read the newspaper. The Zeppelin stayed for a few days before crossing the Pacific to the US.

Kashiwa’s secret treasures

At 手賀沼公園 Teganuma Park on my evening ride, I saw a girl walking along with a camera, and I went one way, she went the other. But at the edge of the park, we were both drawn to this wisteria. I managed to capture the evening sun in the wisteria blossoms with my iPhone. On the trip back into the center of town, I noticed more purple hanging blossoms amongst the trees in the park on the south side of the marsh. So beautiful.

This afternoon, I headed out on the bike again, this time to visit some temples off the beaten track but still in Kashiwa City. My objective, 観音寺 Kannondera Temple, is in the 逆井 Sakasai area of Kashiwa.

I was perusing the maps of Kashiwa when I discovered this temple, which is noted for its ボタン botan, or peony garden display. Although today the skies threatened to rain, I supposed this would be the best and perhaps last chance to see peonies, which can fall apart under a downpour.The temple is only about 20 minutes south west of Kashiwa Station by bicycle.

At the entrance of the garden I met this couple.

The timing was just right – the peonies were in full bloom,

and the rain was just starting.

The main building had the　不動明王 Fudomyo mantra on it, のまく　さまんだ　ばざらだん　かん.

The gardener took shelter after she weeded around the tall stuppa.

On the way home I stopped in at 妙連寺 Myorenji Temple, but there was a ceremony with a film crew in attendance, and the gate man sleeping on the job.

Further on my way, at 少林寺 Shorinji Temple, where I have read there is zazen sessions, there were a few peonies, too. Shorinji Temple is home to Kashiwa City’s oldest Buddhist statue, which was installed 450 years ago.

I stopped by Hiryu, the green grocer/izakaya below Nadogaya Hospital, and there was a big box of citrus fruit from Ehime Prefecture, where I used to live.  The grocer charged me a mere ￥190 for five of them. They’re sweet and tart and good for breakfast.

秩父 Chichibu Day Pilgrimage

This week is Golden Week in Japan, the series of consecutive national holidays that commemorate the Showa Emperor’s reign, Children’s Day and Greenery Day.

On Monday, I got itchy feet. This holiday presents an opportunity for an extended holiday, but everybody is on the road or packing the trains, so I had decided not to go anywhere to avoid the crowds. Monday evening, I got on my bike and rambled out to Matsudo to discover a good route to 21st Century Park, a big draw there. On the way back in the dark, I thought, I really ought to get farther away, into the mountains or down to the beach, no matter the crowds.

So, we headed out just after 6am on Tuesday morning for Chichibu, the mountainous region of Saitama Prefecture. The JR trains were not terribly crowded, but when we had to stand on the Seibu Railway trains on the way from Hanno to Chichibu. The trains were packed with families in full mountaineering gear – hiking poles, over-engineered sports wear, packing huge bags. Were they all going the same way? As we got deeper into the mountains, parties got off the trains and hit the trails into the mountains. Were we missing something?

JNTO provides some good maps of Chichibu and Okutama, which I had studied up on. But I couldn’t find any good travel information on tea houses, temple histories or the like. It’s meager in English.

At Chichibu Station, we got a wad of maps, almost all in Japanese, and chose a four-hour walking route on the west side of the Arakawa River. On our route were a number of temples which belong to the  秩父三十四観音霊場 Chichibu 34 Kannon Reijo, the 34 temples dedicated to Kannon that comprise one third of the big pilgrimage of 100 temples that, if completed in the proper order, save the pilgrim from hell.

On the route, starting from Chichibu Station we encountered temple #16, Saikouji, a Shingon Buddhist temple which has a u-shaped hall containing statues of Buddhas and deities representing the 88 temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage. Each of the temples are indicated by ancient markers and more modern municipal sign posts. Curiously, we found the old signs and stones more reliable than the flashy new brass-adorned cedar posts.

Our next stop took us across the Harp Bridge over the Arakawa to some picturesque hillside farms, where we made the mistake of following the new signposts, wandered through farm pastures and gardens, rejoined our path at a road-side tea house, gorged on strawberries, greeted the goats and rabbits, and made our way down to temple #22, Dojido, with a gate flanked by the wind and thunder gods.

There the wind was strong enough that it took several attempts to light insense to put in the big burner in front of the temple.

At the gate, an enormous cherry tree was still blooming. After Dojido, we followed a narrow path past farm fields, rice paddies, a cemetery, over the main road, and back into the maze of gardens that we had rambled through by accident.

Our next goal was Ongakuji, #23, which overlooks the valley and has a great bell. We wandered between farm houses, up steep hillsides through cedar forests, and were surprised when the trail ran out and left us standing in some farmer’s front garden.

Just when we thought we had lost the path, I spotted an animal in the road, bigger than a cat, gray coated and wiry looking. A fox! The fox startled, and pelted down a hilside trail. When I saw the head of the trail, I realized this was the route. The fox is a messenger of Oinari, the god of rice and all industry.

We saw

the

view from Ongakuji, watered, and took in the atmosphere. Some streamers of origimi balloons hung on the temple door.

From the veranda of the temple, we could see the valley and hear the uguisu birds in the trees, and heard some drumming and fireworks in the distance. Far below, children were playing in the Arakawa River, and we could hear their screams and laughter because of the breeze blowing off the river.

We drank water, wandered through a park, rejoined the pilgrim path, and clambered over streams, through bamboo thickets and meadows and got thoroughly lost again.

We spotted a sign on the road, a yakiniku shop called “Yahei”. In the mid afternoon, we were the only customers, and enjoyed some grilled pork, kimchi and umeboshi.

The hostess drew us a simple map to indicate how to get to #24 and #25. After our meal, she pointed us in the right direction and again, we were surprised by the winding trails that again took us through gardens and farm fields. We lost the thread but made it to #24, Hosenji, a Rinzai sect temple at the top of a tall set of stairs.

In front of the offertory box, two middle-aged men in bicycle tights were praying. I hung back and rested a bit on a bench until they were done.

As I made my offering, they asked me how long I had been in Japan and why I came here. I blurted out, “To learn about Buddhism and the martial way.” One of them said, “Oh, you mean like ninja,  at that school in Noda City, right?” I was taken aback. So few Japanese people know anything about the Bujinkan martial arts. It was actually refreshing to meet Japanese who know about this. I told them I’m on break, and getting out to discover more about Japan. Hence, coming to Chichibu. They turned out to be local guys from the valley.

Everywhere, we saw flowers, but many are not native. The most common is the 芝桜, which literally means grass cherry. In English, it’s flox, which originates from America. The image many people have of Chichibu is of the vast field of shibazakura at Hitsujiyama Park near the train station. I ran my hand over some flox growing above a rock wall and was surprised at the feathery texture of the flowers. I’m growing some in my garden here in Kashiwa. We spotted iceplant, too, a hardy African plant that also has bright pink blossoms. No matter that these plants were as alien as I am to this landscape. They were pretty.

Our last stop was #25, a temple that was looking a little rough. The wall to the east of the temple was covered in fresh concrete, and a new road skirted the front gate. The temple itself was listing and visibly sideways.  It appears that the land is not stable under the ancient temple.

Two painters were working under a pine tree, making the most of the late afternoon sun shining through the forest behind the temple. The front of the temple is covered in pilgrim’s name stickers documenting their visits.  The sound of trickling water and bird song was all I could hear. Total peace and a respite from Tokyo hell for a day.

Hondoji and Bamboo shoots

Last weekend, The Dreamer, who is new to Nagareyama, and I went on a field trip to see 本土時 Hondoji, the Nichiren Buddhist temple famous for its four-season garden.

When you walk out of the north exit of 北小金 Kitakogane Station on the Joban local line, it is less than a ten minute walk to the temple. Marking the beginning of the avenue of trees leading to the temple you will see two stone pillars.

The cherry trees were just finished.  The irises haven’t started yet. But we got to enjoy all the variety of greens and textures. The tree-lined street has a soba shop, a tea house or two, and an omiyage stand selling pickles and local produce.

 

 

 

 

The Dreamer brought her temple pilgrim book called 朱印帖 shuinchou, and the priest in training wrote in large kanji 妙法 myouhou.  Myouhou means wonderful truth, and is part of the chant, Namu myouhou renge kyou,  central to Nichiren Buddhism. The caretaker made us a cup of tea and a snack while the ink dried and we talked about the community around the temple. People come and volunteer in the garden. There are talks on Nichiren Buddhism and a few times a year, a tour of the temple.

On the avenue approach to the temple, there was a man with a pickup truck selling 竹の子 takenoko. For 400 yen, he gave me a huge bamboo shoot, a bag of rice bran, and simple instructions on how to cook it. The shoot didn’t smell like I had thought. It took about 30 minutes in the tea kettle, cooling off overnight in the water for it to take on the characteristic smell. It’s really good sliced up and scattered in scrambled eggs in the morning. I made eggplant, cucumber, carrot and bamboo shoot stirfry seasoned with Chinese chili sauce and garlic.

 

 

布施弁天堂 Fuse Benten Hall

In October, 布施弁財天　Fuse Benzaiten and the 東海寺 Tokaiji in Kashiwa City are celebrating the founding of the temple complex 1200 years ago. The gate is a rebuild, but supposedly the sutra repository in the east corner of the temple complex is original.

The temple claims that Kukai, the great Buddhist scholar-poet founded the temple in the year 807. The temple is dedicated to Benzaiten, the Japanese name for the Indian goddess Saraswati, patron of flow and beauty, represented by water and flowers.

Above the main gate, there is a signboard with a three-character inscription. Around the edge of the signboard is a series of small images, some repeating, some one-off images. What is it? A rebus puzzle composed of objects reprensenting syllables of the Japanese language. I first saw this rebus technique at a Kamakura temple where an entire sutra was transcribed in these pictures. But what does it say? I don’t know. Do you? Leave a comment with your interpretation!