Kinkaku-ji - 金閣寺 , Rokuon-ji 鹿苑寺

A golden pagoda
Reflected on a rippled pool
Radiant warm day

金閣寺
小波池で反射する
光っている日

-This is Kinkaku-ji Temple in March '06. Kinkakuji a different type of landmark in Japan. When visiting other landmark's I've always been impressed with how the focus of the landmark blends in with its surroundings. For example, Kiyomizu-dera not only blends in with the mountainside, but the other buildings, temples, shrines, all fit together and complement each other. Kinkaku-ji is a stark contrast to its surroundings and other buildings and gardens.

二千六年の３月、これは金閣寺です。　　金閣寺はほとんどの景色はちがうと思う。　　別の景色へ訪問している間僕はいつも関心させた。　　その建物とあたり所は同じ。　　でも、きんかくじとあたり所は違います。　　たとえば、　清水寺や山や別の建物は同じ登場と思います。　　金閣寺と金閣寺のあたりは反対ですぞ。　　

Don't misunderstand, It is definitely a must see and very impressive. But to me it seemed to lack the substance of other destinations. It is by far one of the most visually engaging landmarks I've visited.

僕の言葉を誤解するな。　　それはとてもおもろい。　　でも、とてもかっこいと思っているのにそれは実質がありますんかな。　　

Originally Kinkaku-ji (also known as Rokuon-ji 鹿苑寺 Deer Garden Temple) was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikage Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu's son converted it to a temple of the Rinzai Zen sect. It has been burnt down several times during military conflicts. Its most recent razing was in 1950 by a disgruntled monk who torched the building then attempted suicide. You can read more about Kinkaku-ji here.

千三百九十七年、　金閣寺はまずに立てた。　　最初にあしかげよしみつ将軍の引退の家です。　　あしかげの息子はりんざいの寺にならさせられました。　　いくつか回、金閣寺は燃やしました。　　最後回は１９５０年です。　　怒っている僧は金閣寺を焦がされました。　　ここに読んで下さい。

For a video clip of Kinkaku-ji and Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond) click here。
ここにビデオを見える.


To take a walking tour of the grounds cick here.
ここに金閣寺の歩く旅行をする



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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Okiku's Well ー お菊の井戸

お菊様
音は美しいのに
声が静か

Okiku-sama
Although it's beautiful
Your voice quiet

これは最初の俳句は日本語をまずに書いた。　　良いですか？　この井戸は姫路城の中にある。　　お菊の井戸という。　　この物語はとても悲しいものですよ。　　お菊さんは名誉に値人だから彼女の悪人の課長はおきくさんを殺した。　　お菊さんは死んだ後で彼女の体はこの井戸の中に投げた。　　後で沖の声を着ていった。　　でも、課長の不名誉が発見した。　　井戸からお菊さんの体は移した。　　お菊さんの名声は回復した。

もし、もう写真を見たいたらここに叩いたください。
For more photo's click here.

This is the first time I've written a Haiku in Japanese first. Pretty good huh? :) This well is inside of Himeji Castle. It is called Okiku's Well. The story behind the well is a very sad one. A servant, Okiku, discovered a plot against the daimyo by her villainous master. When her master learned of her honerable intentions to turn him in he had her killed. She was framed and accused of breaking a prized dish. Her body was thrown into this well.

Her voice could be heard counting the pieces of the broken dish, "one piece, two piece, three..." Once her master was defeated her honor was returned and her body removed from the well. Once she was enshrined as a goddess in Junisho Shrine　the voice went quiet.

Wells 井戸 have a special place in Japanese lore. They are often associated with hauntings and the spirit world. If you don't belive me watch The Ring... (No not the American Version.... Ringu the original J-Horror version.)

Special thanks to K. Kageyama who made these photographs possible.
感謝している！

All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Yagyu Village

Feeling so close
Separated only by time
Strolling with Samurai

近く気持ち
時間だけ分けた
侍と散歩する

Tour Yagyu!
柳生ざとの旅行

-As promised here is the tour of Yagyu Village (Yagyu zato). I toured Yagyu Zato in the summer of '08 with a group of close friends. It almost didn't happen. Originally the plan was to hike the 7 mile Yagyu Kaido (Yagyu Highway) that runs from Nara East to Yagyu. The path follows the ancient road to the village. Along the way are numerous historical sites, including the stone struck in half by Yagyu Muneyoshi while fighting a Tengu. The village is hidden in the mountains East of Nara. My Japanese friends are always impressed I know anything about it.
If you hadn't, make sure to visit Dave Lowry's article on Yagyu.

Though we didn't have time for the hike, we rode a bus into the hills and made the whirlwind tour. Our arrival back at the bus stop was just in time to snap a photo of the tree and climb on the bus.

Another interesting thing of note. During our trip we saw a group of Japanese Security Forces training in the mountains. Oddly enough it was my tour guide's first sighting of JSF too. Historic!

For my first post on Yagyu look at Defiance.


All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Nightingale Floor - Uguisubari (鴬張り)

A welcome sound
To hear the birds sing
across the nightingale floor

鳥を聞く
歓迎すべき音
鴬張りを渡る

-I have had the distinct pleasure of walking over the nightingale floor at Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Having read the Tales of the Otori "Across The Nightingale Floor" I was well prepared for the experience. Of course as I walked over it I had visions of Ninja's dancing in my head. Naturally I tried to walk across it silently... to no avail.

A nightingale floor is designed specifically for security reasons. The floorboards of a hallway are designed to squeak as you walk across it. The nails for the floor boards pass through a metal clip. As you walk on them the floors chirp like a bird. (Thus the clever name!) Therefore, alerting the occupants of the adjacent room of your approach. You can read more about the floor by clicking here. You can have a listen to the floor by clicking here. The person recording the clip was maybe a little excessive in the amount of squeaking.....

Nijo Castle was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Started by the 1st Tokugawa shogun in 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was finished by the Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu, in 1626. Read More about the Castle and its history by clicking here.

-This photo was taken from the base of the ruins of the Castle's main Donjon. The Donjon was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. It is common in Japanese landmarks that photographs are not allowed in the enclosed (Inside) portions of the buildings. Everything else is fair game. Fortunately because of the open floor designs, most of the building can be photographed. Unfortunately, the area in Nijo Castle with the nightingale floor is off limits.





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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Tengu 天狗

Tengu for certain
Lurking among misty trees
Finishing breakfast

必ず天狗
霧の木に潜んで
朝食終わる

Early morning mist
Around the mountain village
Glistening roof tile

早い霧
山町を囲む
瓦きらめく

Rising early
Narrow streets lead out of town
Look there! Goblins!

早く起きる
田舎に狭い道
あち見って！　天狗！

-This is looking into the hills surrounding the quiet town of Kamigori, West of Himeji. It's difficult to capture the essence of a place or a time in 17 (give or take) syllables. Leaving this Rainy morning for an ancient samurai hamlet of Ohara. (More on Ohara to follow). It was easy to imagine Tengu prowling the hillsides. Tengu, as these Mountain Goblins are called, hide in the mountains waiting for unsuspecting travellors. One may have the opportunity to learn the secrets of swordsmanship from a Tengu... or be unlucky enough to be breakfast.
-Many thanks to Yukari N. for making this photo possible.



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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Ryoan-ji Temple 竜安寺

On soft seas of stone
Silence playing among the waves
Fifteen islands lay

石で柔らかい海
並で静かが遊んでいる
十五島

-Ryoanji is one of the most celebrated temples of Kyoto. It is most famous for its rock garden, (Karesansui). It also serves as a burial ground for seven emperors of Japan. For a very brief overview visit Wikipedia. The rock garden itself is impossible to capture in one frame from the visitor deck. So I've included a link to a video that I've taken. It is rumored that a person cannot see all of the stone islands at the same time regardless of where they stand. I can neither confirm nor deny this claim, but it sounds good to me.

Visit Ryoan-ji
竜安寺を訪問する




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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

60 Japanese Phrases...

In keeping with the format.... Here is a link I traced from Japan Navigator.

It has 60 of the most popular Japanese phrases of '08. It includes a good explanation for each, some are pretty funny.

Click Here




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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Asahi!! あさひ！

Karaoke
Spurned on by Asahi!
Put it on my tab

からおけ
あさひで前に進めた
勘定に置け


-There we many a legendary night's drinking to be had in Japan. The funniest was drinking in a Karaoke bar in Kinosaki Onsen. Following an hour of raucus singing and drinking we were slapped with a tab of over a hundred dollars... An evening worth every dime. I might add that we were the only ones in the bar, so our outragous American behavior went 'mostly' unnoticed!
This by the way, is the coolest 'can' of beer I've ever seen!

日本で沢山伝説てきな夜があった。　　からおけの居酒屋では一番おかしい夜ですね。　　一時間のうるさく飲んだ前、このお勘定は千円より。　　そのよるはとても便利です！　　居酒屋の中にわたしたちだけいますね。。。それから。。。誰もはうるさいアメリカンを見ませんでした。　ビルにといえば、これは一番かっこいビルカンを見ています！

ー僕の悪い日本語のためにごめんなさい！

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No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Fog 靄

Walking in the mist
My breath mingles with nature's
Seeing them entwine

靄に歩く
息と自然の息混ざる
もつれ見ている



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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Koi 鯉

Swimming through my mind
Carelessly waiving a tail
until we're out of sight

心で泳ぐ
尻尾を不注意に振る
まで消えた

-Photo taken while walking to the Gonzaemon Ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen.

ーきのさき温泉市でごんざえもん旅館に歩きながら写真を撮った。



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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Escape 逃げる

Proud face antlers bold
fleet footed couple poised
breath released hooves fly

高慢な顔大胆な先
二つ落ち着き、足の速い、
息を釈放して足飛ぶ


-This is the final in a series of three deer haiku and photographs. The photographs are courtesy of B. Walton, from his ranch.

ーこの写真は三番の最後写真です。　　ワルトン・ボイドさんは写真をとった。　　たのしんでください。


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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
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Four point、 四つ先

Four pointed majesty
No fear of pursuing eyes
Silent Flight in white

四つ先の平価
用心深い目が怖くない
静かで白く逃げる

-This is the second in a series of three deer haiku and photographs. The photographs are courtesy of B. Walton, from his ranch. We'll just pretend that the photo is of a four point, and his tail is up and he's bounding off into the distance! A great photo regardless.

ーこの写真は三番の二番目です。　　又ワルトン・ボイドさんは写真をとった。　（彼は僕の義理のお父さんです。　　けれども写真の男じきは二つ先です。　これはとても大丈夫。　　また、鹿の尻尾が下げたね。　　でも、このしゃしんはとてもいいね。　


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No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Pursuit

A crushed branch
The stalk silent slow enduring
He leaves unchallenged

枝押しつぶした
静かでゆっくりでもつにこっそり追う
進発挑戦しない


-This is the first of a series of three deer haiku and photographs. The photographs are courtesy of B. Walton, from his ranch. While the original scenes inspiring the haiku are but memories... I hope to match them sufficiently.

ーこの写真は三番の一番目です。　この連続は鹿です。　　ワルトン・ボイドさんは写真をとった。　　このしゃしんを古い思い出でも、写真と俳句は安心になりたいんです。　　鹿ハンチングの後でこの俳句を書いた。　　ハンチングをしている間、大きいの鹿を見た。　　僕はめっちゃ近い過ぎる。　ぼくの心はどきどきした。。　鉄砲をすることできませんでした。　　とても嬉しかった。　僕はとても驚いた。　　でも、大きい雄ジカがゆっくりく出た。　


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Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Rakushisha, Cottage of Fallen Persimmones

Sore soles
battered path to Okochi
Rakushisha!

足痛い
おこちまでつぶす道
らくししゃ！


Tour Rakushisha　
らくししゃの旅行







Poem's found on stones throughout Rakushisha

Master of Persimmons
treetops are close to　　　
Arashiyama　　　　　　　　
かきぬしや
こずえわちかき
あらしやま
-Mukai Kyorai (1651-1704)

Summer Rains
Trace of a poem card　　
torn off the wall　　　　　　
さみだれや
しきしへぎたる
壁のあと
ーMatsu Basho, Saga Dairy. 1691

I've visited
The world's smallest　　
Kyorai's gravestone　　
およそてんかに
きょらいほどの
小さきはかにまいりけり
ーTakahama Kyoshi, 1908

Left Behind
the autumn wind　　　　
single gravestone　　　　
あきかぜに
ふきのこされて
はかひとつ
-Shaku Hyosai

Spring Rain
heaven and earth here　
the monument
春の雨
あめつちここに
はいじんと
-Hirasawa Ko

Basho's parting thoughts leaving Rakushisha.

Tomorrow I leave the hut　　　　　　　　　
of the fallen persimmons
and nostalgia hangs over my heart
-Matsuo Basho, Saga Dairy, 1691.

-My brief experience at Rakushisha was in the middle of what turned out to be a whirlwind tour of Arashiyama on foot. It started at Arashiyama Station and ended about 12 miles later in a Ramen shop! The time at Rakushisha was brief but it left a lasting impression on everyone I was with. These pictures do little justice to the small and private plot of land. It is incredibly quiet with exception to the birds and the rhythmic cycle of the Shishi-Odoshi.

-Rakushisha was the home to Mukai Kyorai (1651-1704). Kyorai was a disciple of Matsuo Basho. The cottage received its name when a storm from Arashiyama destroyed a crop of Persimmons that Kyorai had already sold and received payment. Matsuo Basho visited the cottage on three occassions, 1698, 1691, and 1694 . (Just two more than me!) Rakushisha has been rebuilt since Kyorai's days, however, it is extremely authentic in its presence.

Tour Rakushisha　らくししゃの旅行

-Some photo's from this album are courtesy of Daneah G, (The Thinking Chick)

-For an excellent overview of Rakushisha and translations of the Poetry Stones visit Japan Navigator. (The best blog of Japan on the web.)
-For a quick look into Rakushisha, -Click Here


All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Oarless

World moves by
Rocking slowly past
Oar-locks empty

世界動いて
ゆっくりくゆれて行く
櫂じゃない

-Okay, Okay... This picture isn't in Japan.. It's my blog I can bend the rules right? This is taken in Suzhou China in '06 at the 'Humble Administrators Garden'. The Haiku was written one sunny day sitting on a lawn remembering the event. (Which is how many of my Haiku originate.) Looking at the picture... The boat doesn't have oarlocks!! HA!


All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Matcha

While reading Issa
Drinking my favorite tea
Pondering mortality

いっさを読みながら
一番お茶を飲んでいる
死ぬ定めかな

-This is a service of Matcha Tea in a tea-house on the Shiro-kawa in Kyoto. Twice now I've enjoyed afternoon tea on the Shiro-kawa (White River, Named so because of the color stones it brings from it's source). It is an incredibly relaxing and beautiful spot. Much of my time there is spent wishing I had more time to spend there. Or more precisely, how I wish the moment would never end.


All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.

Defiance

Contrasting summit
Knotted dominance reaching
Limbs stretched to sky

ちがい山頂
結び目圧倒的
空に枝を差す

-This Photo was taken in Yagyu Village, Nara Japan. The tree was planted bya disciple of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu School of Swordfighting, Yagyu Jubei ~1600. For a tour well versed tour of Yagyu visit Dave Lowry's post. Keep an eye out for my photo tour to be posted in the future.

奈良県のやぎゅざとに僕は写真をとった。　　千六百年ぐらいに柳生十兵衛はこの木を植えた。　もし良いけんかくしたいだとこのサイトを訪問する。

All photo's, original works, and comments are my personal property. Please be respectful of the effort I've taken.

Your comments are welcome, be polite:
No throwing pebbles in my pool of zen.