05/30/2024
(I wrote my journal in Word and this is the best way I could find to share it on Facebook)
The Journal of Cara Fortner:
My Time at The Grand Tsubaki Shrine
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Today has been incredible.
I arrived last night, having been picked up at the airport in Nagoya by Sato-san, a young Shinto priest, dressed in a nice suit. He drove us to the hotel I am staying in that is associated with the Grand Tsubaki Shrine. I slept the whole drive. I slept well on the flights here, too. Almost 7 hours on the flight to Tokyo, so today I have actually been holding up well, in terms of jet lag.
I met Sato-san this morning at 7:45 right outside the hotel and we walked the 100 meters to the shrine. We performed a purifying ritual (left hand, right hand, and mouth in the running water fountain) at the entrance to the shrine and met Hitoshi-san on the way up to the main building and he walked with us. I was introduced to two lovely young priests, Mana-san and Kotomi-san, who helped me get into my multi-layered wardrobe. We attended the first of many services which run continuously until 5pm, this one started at 8:45am. Before we get to the sanctuary, we must purify ourselves again with another fountain and before we enter the sanctuary we bow twice, clap our hands twice, and bow again. The Guji, or head priest, led this first service and the many priests at the shrine took turns leading it throughout the day. The priest performing the ritual is dressed in a special outfit and has a large, shiny, netted black hat on. He and all the people in the sanctuary chant words they all seem to know by heart – and there were a lot of words (I was given a pamphlet with the words).
After the first service, we all met in the main office for their regular morning meeting and Hitoshi-san gave me the grand tour of the shrine grounds. There is so much and it is strikingly beautiful. We went to the tea house, which he told me was a gift from the owner of Panasonic. I also learned that having a tea house at a Shinto shrine is a rare treat. I learned that snakes are symbols of wealth and there are three little shrines to snakes throughout the grounds. There is also a shrine to Ame-no-uzume, which is used often for weddings as she is the kami of marital matches and of dance. She is also the wife of the main kami, Sarutohiko, to whom the shrine is dedicated. He is the kami of guidance and is said to have guided the heavenly kami to earth. Hitoshi-san and I come to another shrine, which he says is used mainly for memorials, this shrine is full of Buddhas. There is a complicated history between Buddhism, Shinto, and the Japanese government, but today, thankfully, religion is separate from the government and Buddhism and Shintoism share spaces well, though not all or even most other Shinto shrines have a memorial space like the one at Tsubaki. Tsubaki, btw, is named after the camellia flower because some important dude had a dream that 1000 camellia flowers bloomed at the shrine; so there’s one half-remembered factoid for ya.
Anyway… continuing on my tour, Hitoshi-san brings me to an area with many little statues, which he tells me are headstones that had been gathered from all over the grounds and placed together next to a little shrine with an ancient stone with a Buddha carved into it. Hitoshi-san told me that around 500 years ago there had been Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in this spot, but they were destroyed and the people were killed. This was an effort of unification of Japan by a famous sh**un. Unification on the heels of death and destruction is not well-won and I appreciate the complicated grief associated with the history here.
We head back to the office and Hitoshi-san hands me a few books on Shinto and I get to reading. Not many people here speak English, but people are friendly and translation services on our phones are so handy. I eat lunch in the office staff break room and then I go back to reading. Hitoshi-san asks if I will help Kotomi-san with preparations for a big festival happening tomorrow, I am eager to be of help. Our task is to tie distinctly folded pieces of paper to branches of evergreen trees which will be given as offerings/hopes to the kami. Kotomi-san speaks as much English as I speak Japanese…very little…but she is not hindered in her desire to connect and communicate with me, for which I am extremely grateful. We chat, as best we can, with major use of our phones. At one point my task changes and I am now wiping the leaves of the branches clean. This work took hours. At the end of my day at the shrine I took a stroll around the grounds by myself. It’s been misty and cool weather, which I really enjoyed.
Kotomi-san and Mana-san joined me for dinner at the hotel where I’m staying. They are kind and made me feel so welcomed by doing this. We talked about a lot of things and I told Mana-san the story of manna from heaven which, as the story in the Hebrew Bible goes, sustained the Jewish people as they wandered in the wilderness, she was very glad to learn this.
It’s been a great day, and I am exhausted.
Friday, May 17, 2024
Today was harder than yesterday, I did not sleep well and I was fighting the jetlag all day. I also felt strongly my otherness today and missed home. I wish so much that I can speak Japanese, I love people and I want to talk with them and find myself struggling with knowing how to connect and feeling terrible when I am asked a question and I cannot help (this happened twice today, once at the shrine and once at the hotel). But, I did find comfort in one of the norito (prayers) I have been reading: “restore me to my original brightness and grant me strength that I may overcome life's difficulties and live in harmony with the divine way of Great Nature.” I really appreciate the concept, which is core in Shinto, that people are at their truest selves, good. There is a Japanese saying, “In their heart of hearts no one is really evil.”
There was a large festival to the dragon kami, who is enshrined in a large pine tree at the entrance to the grounds. The office was a flurry this morning as people were focused and stressing over the details of the morning. I watched as around 200 people came to pay their respects and make a supplication using the branches I had helped to prep yesterday. I also enjoyed the dance, and I noticed the three priests sitting kept their eyes focused on the ground ahead of them and did not watch the dancer and wondered if this was purposeful. I also wonder if the dance is ever done by males, so far I have only seen the ladies who are in red, not priests, perform these dances. And also always very seriously, never a smile. I find it interesting that a faith that seems to emphasize happiness seems to lack joy in its expression of worship. I think the seriousness is a place to put people’s concern, their hopes are met with true concern and seriousness so that once the ritual is done they can become more joyful.
I met a few new people today, Ochiai-san, Yumiko, Yukiko and others whose names I cannot remember. I am definitely struggling to remember names, but I am trying. I attended another worship service in the main shrine and realized it is different than the morning service. I had thought they were all the same. I had wanted to see Mana-san or Kotomi-san perform the ritual, as they are female priests and I hadn’t seen anything yet where a woman was the lead. The worship is so embodied for the priest and feels almost like watching a performance if it weren’t for the many bows we take. I wonder about liturgy in light of this style, which is a priest facing the enshrined kami and chanting, followed by drumming. I keep being reminded of Jewish worship style, which is also a lot of chanting in a language I don’t speak, often accompanied by drumming, but it is also exalting God.
Today I downloaded the Google app which has a tool called “lens” which translates the words it sees through the camera. This has been super exciting for me as now I can read all the signs and anything I want! I spent some time reading the prayers people wrote out on decorative wooden signs and was moved reading them. So many were for passing exams, which surprised me. I gave these prayers my intention and care and hope that it helps in some way.
I bought two amulets for my daughters from the shop at the shrine for Ame no Uzume. I spent time reading all the amulets and am struck by the emphasis on luck and it all seems very superstitious to my Western self. I found myself wondering about charity and if the shrine gives back to the community in other ways, or if the faith has any call at all to social justice. I had the song, “Anthem,” by Leonard Cohen running through my head all day, and especially as I swept the leaves out of the gravel pathways. “Forget your perfect offering,” I kept singing to myself while I felt more and more compelled to gather every single leaf. The emphasis on purity is something I am doing my best to be open to without being judgmental of, though my critical mind is always at work.
Also, I noticed there are no benches or places to sit on the grounds! This would not fly in the States. My feet hurt but I am grateful for another day in this beautiful place.
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Today I had the privilege of witnessing a traditional Japanese wedding inside the shrine to Ame no Ozume. Mana-san led the service and there were two mikosan (young, unmarried women who are kind of like worship associates) who danced the traditional dance. The bride’s gown was like nothing I have seen before, the headdress was large and like a hood more than anything else.
I had a lot of time to read today and I learned about the lineage of the priests (the head preists, Gujis, to be specific) at the Tsubaki shrine. I learned about the war’s impact on Shinto’s trustworthiness to the people, having been associated with the government for a time. I learned that women were allowed to become priests only during the war, when all the men had gone off to fight, though there had been a time before where women were priests and leaders before it became dominated by men.
I was asked to stay for a group of people who were important to the Guji, whom I still have yet to speak with. I am feeling shy around him, he is busy and important. I feel a need to identify myself more and my UU faith, knowing this will be so hard with limited time, a very busy staff, and a language barrier, but I keep thinking about why this scholarship was created in the first place…. Because the Guji thinks the West can benefit from Shinto. As I observe more of the rituals I wonder if the West would benefit from Shinto, without destroying it. The concept of kanagara is wonderful with its expression of our true connection to nature. The way it has been integrated into the fiber of Japanese lives is commendable, enviable, and something I do believe we would benefit from. The religiosity and stoicism of the rituals to an enshrined diety, however, will be difficult pills for a barely spiritually-conscious America to swallow.
Here's hoping I sleep better tonight!
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Today started with cleaning. Kotomi-san collected me, helped me with my kimono and showed me to the area we would be cleaning. We had buckets of water and washcloths that we used to wipe down the wooden parts of the walls and doors inside the main building. Cleanliness is such an important aspect of Shinto, tied to purity, and everybody helps. The priests, the attendants, everybody cleans. There is probably some schedule of cleaning as it seems very regimented.
Today was rainy out and this caused some disruption to the plans for the shrine, including a group of archers who were supposed to give a demonstration outside at a more prominent area and instead they did it down at the archery “field” which has a small area with a roof. It was interesting watching the archer, his presentation was slow, intentional, and seriousness. This seems to be part and parcel of the Japanese experience, or maybe the Shinto expression—stoic and thoughtful intention.
I visited the memorial shrine with all the Buddhas again today. It is the most familiar-feeling place to me on the grounds as Buddhism has a special place in my heart. I prayed for a little while then had a nice conversation with Nakanishi-san, a nice man who sells the amulets at this shrine. His English was pretty good and he showed me the heart symbol which is all over the building and in the round bells used in rituals, he tells me it is mean to be a boar’s eye which fears fire and it is used as a means to keep bad things away. He also tells me that his family is Buddhist and that this shrine, though full of Buddhas, is very Shinto. I enjoyed our conversation.
I spent more time reading today and then I swept more outside. The leaves are not easy to sweep up with the brooms and it seems that as soon as I am done with an area more leaves fall, but such is life. The cleanliness is important to the shrine and I am happy to help and be of some use. I am still feeling my “otherness” but am more comfortable with it. I asked Ochiai-san if it would be ok for me to hike the mountain tomorrow and he said maybe. There are regularly accidents on the mountain and hiking alone can be dangerous, and getting to the top takes about 2.5 hours so it is no small hike. I assured him I am not a novice hiker and that I might not attempt the hike to the top. He said to come tomorrow prepared for the hike and we can ask the head priest and get her opinion.
I hope the answer is yes!
Monday, May 20, 2024
The answer was no : (
But it worked out. Ochiai-san told me to take some time for myself today after a group of priests from another shrine visited. I took a two-hour nap, watched a horror movie, ate dinner then went for a two hour walk into the next town over. I discovered another shrine there, actually there are shrines all over, including in people’s yards, some impeccably kept in beautiful gardens. The main shrine there had a nature trail I was happy to find since my hike this morning received the kibosh. It was getting dark, though, and I didn’t want to be there alone in the dark. I kept thinking also about the latest question on the internet about whether a woman alone in the woods would rather encounter a bear or a strange man. I know the popular response has been that women would rather encounter the bear because men have been so historically violent to women in so many ways, but I kept thinking how afraid I would be if I encountered a bear, and how unafraid I would be if I encountered a man. It’s privilege, I know, but it is my truth. Actually, I would have welcomed the sight of a stranger on this trail, even if it were a man, as it was eerily quiet and had a feel to it very different from my own Virginia woods.
I am still battling the loneliness and know that travelling alone is not generally for me, but I keep landing in gratitude for being here and I am trying to embrace the isolated feeling as one which puts me in a position to better relate to others who find themselves alone.
Tomorrow I am going to Kyoto with Ochiai-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing the city, I have heard it is beautiful. We will be checking out a few shrines and seeing some sights. He asked me if there was any place in particular that I would like to see and I didn’t have any place, he said he knew some, so we will see what tomorrow brings!
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
The day started at 7:30 when Ochiai-san picked me up in front of the keitan (hotel/guest house) and we headed to Kyoto. We stopped at a rest stop to see the largest lake in Japan then continued into the city where we started at a shrine Ochiai was very excited to visit. He had never visited it before and was so glad. I shared a lot of the story of the day through pictures on my Facebook profile (Cara the Seminarian). We visited a few shrines and Buddhist Temples. The city was full of people, I heard so many Americans! I really enjoyed my time in the city and the conversation throughout the day with Ochiai-san.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Today was back at the shrine. I am still terrible at putting on the costume they wear and I always seem to do it wrong, After morning service I grabbed a rake and a broom and got to work cleaning up the leaves down by the koi pond. Hitoshi-san was very glad I did this. I spent all morning working hard at cleaning a lot of leaves, it gave me a lot of time to be in contemplation. I am looking forward to coming home, I miss my family and my busy life full of responsibilities, though this time here is good, it has given me so much time and solitude to think and learn. I am so grateful, even if I am missing home.
I spent the afternoon reading about the shrine in Ise I will be going to tomorrow with Hitoshi-san. It is a shrine to a very important kamisama, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. She used to be enshrined at the palace, the home of the emperor, but was moved to Ise (decided by a vision from a princess), along with her sacred mirror. They rebuild the shrine buildings every 20 years. Talking to Takaaki Sato-san this evening, he said they do it in order to teach the younger generations the old ways of building. I will learn more tomorrow.
I also continued to read the only book I have yet to finish of the ones they gave me. I read about the 3-5-7 festival held in November, celebrating the children of those ages (or those close to it) and imagined doing something similar at a church back home. It was a blessing of the children, they got little goody bags, and they knew it was a solemn moment. The solemnity in the rituals is really striking to me. It seems there is a lot of flexibility in Shinto and not a lot of hang-ups about the details, at least in the meaning of things. Ochiai-san called Shinto “vague,” and there is truth to this from what I am reading, though in my observation of the shrine, there is dedication and commitment to the ritual.
The worship elements are very interesting and constant. You start by rinsing your hands and mouth at a fountain before heading into the first sanctuary space where a priest chants the Oharae (their main prayer) while facing away from the people, towards the kamisama (Sarutohiko). The priest then bangs the drums (my favorite part) in a rhythm that is always the same each time, it reminds me of someone walking with big steps, then on tippy toes, and back and forth. She then takes the wooden dowel, which has many folded paper streamers in the shape of lightning bolts hanging from it and swishes it first at something (I can’t remember what she starts with) and she ends by swishing it at everyone in the room. Then we are pure enough to go into the next room, where the whole thing happens again, but it also has bells (jingle bells on a stick), and a dance with a recording of a flute duet and a man singing. (I learned that different elements of the ritual are only available to those who have paid for them). The style of music is not easy on Western ears but is full of emotion. The flutes play with the scales typical of Asian music and they often do not move together on the same beat, giving it a feeling of fluid movement and, keeping with the tone of the ritual, it is very serious. The dance is performed by a miko (a young, unmarried woman who seems to be like a worship associate who has her own administrative duties and there is a team of them). The dance is slow and methodical.
I am enjoying saying hi to people, the language barrier bothering me a little less. People are friendly and usually happy to see me. Some have definitely stared at me in disbelief, jaw on the ground. A large white woman in a white kimono costume of the shrine. I’ve been with my twin sister in rural China before, I’m not unfamiliar with these looks. I make sure to wear the nametag they gave me, which I learned through my app says I am a trainee. I am training, and wondering how I might incorporate what I am learning into worship at home. I am cognizant of and cautiously navigating around appropriation, but I am keeping in mind that I am here because of a long-held relationship between the shrine and Shinto leaders and the UUA. Shinto wants to be known in the West.
Thursday May 22, 2024
Today I went to Ise with Hitoshi-san. It is said that Japanese people are supposed to make it to Ise once in their lives to see the shrines there to Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. The first shrine (jingu) we went to was called Geku and all the sacred buildings for the kamisama get torn down and rebuilt every 20 years. At this jingu there is also the kami of wind and Toyo’uke, a kami who is housed with Amaterasu as her companion, who is the kami of well-being, food, shelter, and cloth (sounds like a pretty good companion)! We went to a museum there before we left and the dedication to preserving the ancient traditions is really inspiring and admirable.
The second jingu we went to is called Naiku, and this is the most popular one. There is a large marketplace outside the shrine where I got a lot of gifts for people back home (I am hoping that it doesn’t make my suitcase too heavy!). The market and the jingu are on a river that is very clean, there is a kami enshrined here who is the kami of waterfalls. Hitoshi-san said that a “rough” version of Amaterasu is at this shrine. The kami can be “cloned” or “copied,” and brought to other places to be worshiped there. Ochiai-san explained it to me that it is like sharing a flame from one candle to another. The trees at this shrine were particularly stunning, cedar trees that must be a thousand years old! I also learned here, after seeing so many owls everywhere, that the name for owl in Japanese is “fukurou,” which means “no hardship;” they are another symbol of protection. I bought one for myself and my new office I’ll be occupying for my internship.
After the jingu we ate special sweets and had roasted green tea at the original shop in the market that the area is known for. We then had beef and tuna sushi and I tried a local pilsner, which was ok, not as good as Asahi. We then shopped and grabbed some abalone on a stick. Abalone is the most common offerings made to Amaterasu at this jingu, according to Hitoshi-san, and it was the first time and likely last time I will ever eat it. After we were done at the market, we went to the top of the mountain right next to the shrine where a Buddhist temple is. This temple was absolutely beautiful and was full of memorials to people who had passed, there were ancient graveyards and large planks of wood with people’s names on them, lined up one after another. It was very somber being there with all the souls who had passed. Hitoshi-san told me that it is believed in Ise that all the people from there go to this mountain when they die. The view from the top of the mountain was incredible and I was glad to finally see the ocean on this trip!
The day was good, and I am tired.
Friday, May 24, 2024
Not a lot happened today. I spent a lot of time sweeping which gave me time to think and a feeling of usefulness. I did end up walking up just a bit of the mountain today, not far at all, but was able to see the campsite and an area that looks like it should have a river running through it and no longer does.
Saturday May 25, 2024
Today I got to have a special meeting with the Guji (head priest) with Ochiai there to translate. I had many questions for him, and we spent around an hour and a half in discussion. I asked about women priests and my not having witnessed them in the front sanctuary, he said “of course” they are allowed to perform rituals there. I asked twice why the kamisama are hidden and I didn’t really get an answer. I asked about the mythology and his response seems to be what is very common here, that it really doesn’t matter whether people believe it to be true or not, it’s not the point. In fact, most people who follow Shinto do not even know the story of Izanagi and Izanami. I asked him what his hope for Shinto is and he said that it is for people to show love to one another. I share this same hope for my faith. I also asked about sharing what I’ve learned here, especially my interest in the worship elements, and he gave me permission to film the rituals. There are signs everywhere saying no phones, so I was very happy to get this permission. I asked about justice and charity and if Shinto takes any stance of certain political issues like gay marriage, abortion, voting rights. He answered that there is a separation from the government and that they are not supposed to. I asked about su***de in Japan, having read what his father-in-law, the 96th Guji wrote about it, and wondered if Shinto makes too high demands for perfection. He said that they try to care for the people who come to them, they take their wishes (as they call them) and hear their struggles and offer them to the kamisama, hoping it will help with their pain. Guji then gave me a watch as a gift, something all UU candidates who’ve come on scholarship here have received. He also gave me a bunch of stickers with the symbol for the “flow of nature” with the square, circle, and triangle in it which represent the solid, liquid, and gaseous states. This is an important symbol in Shinto, and I have been eyeing the stickers wondering if I should buy some and I am glad to have received them as a gift!
Today is also misogi, a highly anticipated event on this trip—ritual purification in a waterfall. It is performed at night, and I am currently in my room waiting to meet the rest of the group. They all meet monthly on the last Saturday of the month and start by reciting norito together and then hear a lecture from Guji and other priests. I learned, also, that if I were on my period that I would not be allowed to do misogi, which makes me sad. There are plenty of ways in which menstrual blood can be contained and not be a problem. I was whisked away when the lecture was about to start to be shown how to wear the misogi costume. This costume is a one size fits “all,” so of course it doesn’t fit me. That’s ok, I will wear part of my regular costume that I wear at the shrine. You are not supposed to wear underwear during this and the robe that I was supposed to wear is white and sheer. I was prepared to do it but am sort of relieved it doesn’t fit. I want to do as is the tradition but my Western issues with my body run deep. I am nervous about misogi, there are a lot of moving parts and words I am to recite in Japanese that I am not sure I will remember correctly, I hope the kamisama and the others there will be forgiving.
So…misogi was incredible! The scene was something like I’ve never witnessed. Men and women standing in a stone courtyard full of lit candles and a bright torch, men in loin cloths and women in robes. People perform movements and gestures together and repeat the words the Guji says (amplified by a mic). The energy was building all around us, I was amped up which helped me deal with my nerves and the chilly air. There are stone steps leading down to the base of the waterfall. Ochiai-san indicates that I should follow him down the steps into the pool at the base of the waterfall. Everyone continues shaking our hands, listening and watching as others take their turns under the waterfall. I was so worried about the words, I had to chant them on my own and I struggle with Japanese. I asked Ochiai-san if I could say them in English and he was like, “no…remember kotodama.” I nodded and understood, I would do my best. On my way in I knocked over a table and a candle and felt so embarrassed. I don’t think I have ever been this nervous before, but Ochiai-san was a comforting presence, he went before me and delivered an abridged chant, giving me permission to do so, too. But at this point I’d been chanting the words repeatedly in my head so no changing it now! I did it and it felt great!
Afterwards I went to the changing room and got back into my regular costume/kimono and went to the office to wait. We then did Chinkon together, which is a seated ritual with movements and chanting. It was great. I felt relieved and invigorated. I also didn’t sleep that night, I was too wound up. I sent Ochiai-san an email at 5:30 am, still not having slept a wink, telling him I will be late but will be there in time for the rice planting ceremony at 12:30.
I have two days left here. Time has flown and just as I am getting my footing I will be going home. What a ride this has been, what an incredible opportunity. I am so glad to be a part of our UU tradition which honors and respects the need for these kinds of relationships and learning. I will be sad to leave.
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Today I tried to sleep in, I probably got about three hours of sleep. Misogi was such an experience, it stayed with me all night and will stay with me a long time, I think. The Keitan was busy with many people, and I see Mana-san there, she seems to be fielding people and their questions. I got to the shrine around 11am and there were so many people there! So many families and many photographers. There were also new images of Sarutohiko and Ame-no-uzume up at the main shrine. The rice planting festival is a very big deal here. I knew it started at 12:30 so I walked down to the Buddhist shrine and archery area to sweep some leaves and do a little praying. Around noon I put the broom away and made my way back up to the main shrine where there was so much excitement and anticipation. I knew I had missed some information about where I should be, but I was grateful to perceive the beginning of the festival through the eyes of one of the townspeople, on the outside of the sanctuary.
I watched as a procession started coming up the main pathway towards the sanctuary where Sarutohiko is enshrined. The priest leading the procession is holding a special spear and behind him is the Guji and other priests. The Guji has his own special umbrella carried by a man who seems very dedicated to his job. The mikosan come behind the clergy and then there are what seem to be rice farmers, dressed in special robes and straw hats with the Tsubaki symbol on them. There are other people, too, whose roles I don’t know. I watch from the outside, observing the townspeople while listening to what is happening just out of sight in the sanctuary. Ochiai-san walks by and notices me and beckons me to come in. I sit in the back of the sanctuary and watch as the priests each take a rice plant and ceremoniously hand them to the mikosan. I cannot help to notice the images of fertility between the ph***ic spear and the definite distinction of male priests handing seedlings to the female mikosan in a ceremony celebrating the growth of rice, the growth and abundance of many out of just one. And yes, once again, only male priests at the special ceremony. I wonder if it is to keep with the imagery of fertility or maybe it is that they are the most experienced. I am not satisfied with Guji’s answer that women are “of course” welcome in these spaces as priests.
After the ceremony in the sanctuary has finished, we line up outside to process down to the rice paddy which belongs to the shrine. There is a lot that has been set up down there, Kotomi-san, and others, are at a table with what I think are gifts, or maybe things to buy. There is an altar and a worship space just outside the paddy and within the paddy area there is a place for dancing and tents and chairs set up. They also have bottled tea available for people, knowing they will be thirsty. At the ceremony at the paddy, people are invited up to represent the different groups and I realize that people in the audience clap with the people who represent them as they go up and make an offering. I went up when I heard my name, knowing I’d be called, “America, UUA, Cara Fortner.” The little old ladies who were near me smiled brightly and urged me forward. Little old Japanese ladies are perhaps the warmest people I have ever met, and I have been grateful for their smiles of ease, not caring if I understood their words. I felt comfortable going up and offering the branch to the kamisama, I know how to do it now. I also felt pride knowing that I am representing the UUA at a very important event to these people. After the ceremony the gate to the paddy is opened and people take their places, the people with the straw hats line up and start the process of planting the rice plants. I found it interesting that the women were the ones bent over doing the most strenuous work, while the men stood behind them giving them the plants to put into the ground. I thought maybe they would switch at some point, but they didn’t. I find the delineation between male and female to be so strong here, there is no “gender neutral,” everything for women is different than for men, even school children’s hats are different for girls than for boys. The faith of Shinto may not speak to dualism in terms of good and evil, but the stark distinction between male and female is quite dualistic.
The importance of this rice planting ceremony has not been lost on me. The ladies who work at the Keitan were part of the dancing troupe, board members of the shrine were in the procession, the rice planters were people from this community. This event is dedicated to the power of Great Nature and our dependence on it and it is a special event for the community to come together. I thought about my own community and how the people there could use an infusion of blessing on their work plus a charge to keep Great Nature, that upon which our lives depend, at the core of the choices we make in the work that we do. We so need this reminder.
Tomorrow is my last day and it seems so sudden. I will greatly miss these people and hope to bring my family back here someday.
Monday, May 27, 2024
Today was my last day at the Grand Tsubaki Shrine and I know by tomorrow it will feel like a distant memory, a dream, maybe. This time has been such a blessing and an incredible opportunity for me, and I am just so grateful to have experienced it. The people have all been so nice and welcoming and I will carry them with me into my future ministry. My faith is centered in people, in our ability to love and to see one another in mutuality for the good and tender souls we each are. Shinto has shown me how Great Nature, when worshipped, becomes internalized within people and our ways of living and thinking. This, more than anything else, is what I want to hold on to from my time here, that nature is divine, as we are divine, and should be thoughtfully, ritually cultivated and integrated into expressions in worship.
I spent the day saying goodbye to the shrines and the kamisama and, of course, to the wonderful people I’ve met. I spent a lot of time in prayer today, visiting each kamisama and the Buddhist memorial building. I also made sure to attend a few of the ceremonies today, I have now seen so many of the different priests recite the Oharae and play the drum and each one has their own cadence and style. The ritual and worship elements have mesmerized me, and I cannot wait to show my people back home. I also gave out the necklaces I brought with me, which have blessings in them which read, “May your faith always move you towards love,” in English on one side and in Japanese on the other. I wish I had one to give to everyone, but I only had eight. Udea Kazuyo is a very kind lady who works at the shrine and who has always shown me such kindness and warmth, I wanted to let her know how important that was to me. Nakanishi, the man who works at the Buddhist also stood out to me as we had a good discussion over the meaning of faith, especially as it is not the same as religion. So many people here have left such an impression.
People have always been my favorite, it makes sense that they continue to be in Japan. I hope one day to return with my family and show them this amazing and beautiful place filled with kind and generous people.
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