Kagura: A Glimpse into Japanese Mythology

 I have always been extremely interested in mythology and folklore. It started in my teens where I started reading about European mythology (Norse, Celtic, Greek and Roman). This interest continued to my university years where I picked Celtic civilisation as my minor subject in my degree.

Living in Ireland I did not have any exposure to Japanese mythology and folklore. Since coming here I’m eager to learn what I can. I have decided to make a series of blog posts about this topic.

I am by no means an expert in this topic but I will do my best to share the knowledge I have learned and share my observations from a western perspective. In this blog post I will introduce the art form of Kagura and I will share a famous tale that is often re-enacted in Kagura performances.

Kagura

The first glimpse I had into Japanese mythology and folklore was when I went to Kagura festivals in early autumn 2019. Kagura is a sacred Japanese dance normally performed at Shinto shrines across Japan especially in spring and autumn seasons. The dance is accompanied by music played by a wooden flute and a large drum.

 

It is rare to find Kagura in urban areas, generally the performances are in the countryside which means most tourists visiting japan will not be exposed to it. Shimane prefecture and Kyushu are probably the most famous places you can see Kagura performances in Japan

Some performances re-enact epic tales about the Kami (Japanese gods) defeating demons or beasts. Most of these stories come from an 8^th century text called the Kojiki. The performers wear elaborate costumes and masks which are made locally by experts in the community.

Susanno – The slaying of Yamata no Orochi

One of the most famous stories I have seen being retold in Kagura performances features a Kami called Susanno. In this story Susanno meets a distressed elderly couple. The couple explain that 7 of their 8 daughters have been sacrificed to a monstrous serpent and they fear that they will also lose their last daughter.

A woodblock painting of Susanno slaying Orochi by Toyohara Chikanobu 

The serpent they speak of is called Yamata no Orochi. This serpent is said to have 8 heads, 8 tails and bloody red eyes. Its body was said to be large enough to cover 8 valleys, it also had moss and cedar trees that grew upon it.

Susanno promises to defeat the serpent but in return requests the last daughter’s hand in marriage if he succeeds. The family agrees, Susanno turns the daughter into a hair comb and places it into his hair to keep the daughter protected. Susanno then requests that the family prepare the strongest sake they can make and to divide it into 8 large barrels.

The sake is prepared and left out for Orochi, and villagers hide and wait for him to arrive. Sure enough the serpent arrives and is delighted to see the sake left out.  The serpent drinks the sake, becomes very drunk and eventually falls asleep. Susanno takes this opportunity to attack and chops the beast into pieces. In doing this Susanno finds a legendary sword inside its tail. This sword "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi" later becomes one of the 3 treasures of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. After Orochi is slain, Susanno returns the daughter to her human form and marries the maiden as agreed.

My observations of the story

This is one of my favourite examples of heroic literature. The story has some similarities to the Greek tale of Perseus and Medusa. In this tale, Medusa is a monstrous gorgon who has live snakes on her head. She is described as having piercing eyes that can turn you into stone if you look into them. Perseus defeats Medusa in exchange for the marriage of the maiden in distress. Additionally Perseus does not defeat her with brute force, instead he devises a cunning plan to use a mirror  causing her to look into her own eyes and turning to stone.

 

 

Nikko - My favourite place in Japan

 Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture is a 2.5 hour train trip from Tokyo and is my favourite place I’ve been to so far in Japan. I have been there twice now, the first time I visited it by myself when I was backpacking across Japan in 2018 and I visited Nikko again in 2019 with my partner.

The accommodation:

On both occasions I stayed in a traditional Japanese Inn, “Annex turtle Hotori-An”. The room cost about 110 Euro a night. The bedrooms have tatami flooring, futons and sliding doors. The bathrooms are shared with other guests. There is a private onsen which is absolutely gorgeous, as it looks over the forest and the Daiya river. Breakfast is included in the price and contains a boiled egg and a mixed assortment of fruit. As part of the stay you are given a yukata which you can wear freely around the Inn to help you feel relaxed.

Kanmangafuchi – A peaceful walk in a small gorge

Immediately outside the Inn there is a hiking stroll following the Daiya river. On my first stay in Nikko I woke up at 7am, had breakfast and decided to take the hiking trail. I walked around a curving path which was decorated with approximately 70 Jizo statues ( more affectionately called Ojizosan by most Japanese). The statues were dressed in red bibs and red crochet caps. 

At the time of my stay I had no idea what Jizo statues were. This was my first time seeing these statues but there are in fact 1000s of them around temples, shrines and hiking trails across Japan.  After talking with my Japanese friends I discovered that Jizo statues are devoted to Jizo Bosatsu, a deity in Japanese Buddhism. This deity protects children, and the statues are said to grant wishes for safe childbirth and to protect children from illness. The hiking trail follows the river through a forestry area for about an hour and ends at a beautiful small gorge. 

Toshoga temple and the five story Pagoda

One of the main attractions in Nikko is Toshoga temple. The five story Pagoda is seen at the entrance gate.  The temple itself has many elaborate wood carvings, with one of the most famous being the “see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil” monkeys.

Kegon Waterfall

I’ve seen plenty of waterfalls since I came to Japan but Kegon falls, with a height of 97 metres is the most breath-taking. To access the waterfall you can get a bus for about 10 euro up a winding mountainous road.

There is loads to do in this area but unfortunately I didn’t have time to fully explore this part of Nikko, for example, there is a cable car you can take with views of the area including Kegon waterfall. There is also a theme park “Edo wonderland” where you can learn about the Edo period in Japan,

Kinugawa river boat tour

As you may have noticed from my previous post about Yanagawa I absolutely love river tours. The one in Nikko is absolutely stunning. This boat tour lasts about 40 minutes and cost about 25 euro. Two boatmen guide the boat down the river where you can see scenic views of the gorge surrounding the river. There are some rapids along the tour but safety jackets are provided to keep everyone safe.   When I took the bout tour the river was a light olive colour which I have never seen anywhere else.

If you are feeling more adventurous there are also areas around the river to go rafting or canoeing. It is best to book these experiences a day or two in advance. The bookings for all these water excursions need to be arranged in Japanese so you should ask the staff at your accommodation to help you make a booking.

Concluding thoughts

I’m not sure why exactly Nikko stands out to me so much. It may have been because Nikko was the first area I visited in Japan that had a more rural feeling that is drastically different to the bustling cities of Tokyo and Osaka. I would love to return for a third time, ideally in November to experience Nikko in the autumn foliage. If you are planning a trip to Tokyo I would highly recommend a night or two stay in Nikko.

Yanagawa - A Peaceful Boat Cruise

 In August 2020 I set off with some of my friends to Yanagawa in Fukuoka prefecture. Yanagawa is famous for its eel dishes but we were more interested in exploring the canals of the city. Originally Yanagawa was a farming village, large canals were built for irrigation. Today the area is a famous tourism spot in which tourists can rent a donkobune, a low flat boat navigated via a long pole. The boats are similar to the gondolas seen in Italy. The boat rides cost about 15 euro per person and lasts about 80 minutes.

 

It took us 1.5 hours to drive there by car. We booked the donkobune ride for 6.30pm, as the sun was coming down. It was very quiet at this time as most tourists visit the area during the day and take the train back to Fukuoka city in the evening. We were extremely lucky as we had the whole canal to ourselves. We brought dinner with us, we made ourselves a karaage bento (fried chicken with boiled rice). 

There was a small table in the center of the boat which we used to eat and have a couple of drinks. The captain entered the boat and stood at the back, he navigated the canal by using a large pole. Throughout the ride he pointed out historical parts of the city. At the front was a paper lantern so we could clearly see when the sun went down.

 

The highlight of the evening was when we passed some waterfront shops which sold snacks, sweet sake and souvenirs. The shops were closing down as it was late in the evening but one of the owners came out to greet us as we passed by. As we went under a wide bridge the captain ducked down and began to sing a traditional song. There is an echo under the bridge so his voice could be clearly heard. Overall the experience was very memorable, if you ever come to Kyushu I'd highly recommend coming here. 

Every March there is a large festival in Yanagawa called the "Ohina-sama Water Parade". During this festival young girls dress up in elaborate kimonos and  ride down the canals. unfortunately due to the corona virus this festival has been cancelled for the 2 years that I have lived here. Hopefully I will experience it in March 2022.

Living in a Sleepy Town in Fukuoka Japan

 My husband and I live in a small town in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. When I was first placed here two years ago I was a little hesitant, however, after being here for some time I’m delighted with my placement. We are about 1.5 hours from Fukuoka city which is the largest city in Kyushu and about 1 hour from Beppu, the famous onsen city.

When I say small town, there is actually 25000 people living here. This is a huge population in comparison to the small town in Ireland (Boyle, County Roscommon), that I grew up in, which has a population of 2500. Despite this the town seems so much more rural than Boyle.

The main signs of life is from the schools in the area. Large amounts of students can be seen on their commute to and from school every day, but outside of this the town is in a quite slumber. We have two convenience stores, a Family Mart and a 7/11, a 100 yen store, a few grocery stores and a couple of small restaurants dotted around the town.

We live on the second floor of a small apartment complex. In the summer months we can hear the cicadas screaming outside the front of the apartment. At night time we are lulled to sleep by the sounds of the chirping of the crickets. At the back of the apartment there is a small pond so we can hear the low vibrations and croaks of the bull frogs and the general chirps and squabbles from the birds.

When I moved here first the sounds of the wildlife were distracting rather than peaceful. I remember the cicadas were so loud that they woke me from my sleep. I find the croaking frogs very entertaining and they still put me in a fit of giggles most evenings.

One of my favourite things to do is to take a wander around the outskirts of the town. There are a couple of small shinto shrines hidden around which normally have some cats hanging around eating some food that locals have left out for them. When I find them I feel like I’m in a studio Ghibli movie.

There are plenty of beautiful rice paddies scattered around the landscape. Coming from Ireland I have little knowledge of growing rice so it is nice to see the stages during the four seasons. It reminds me of Irish bogs and the steps you have to take when cutting turf.

I enjoy looking at the different types of architecture around the town from the traditional kawara roofs ( clay tile roofs) to western style houses that look like doll houses taken directly from the set of the Truman show. Some of the houses are very worn down and look like they have been abandoned, however, much to our surprise we have noticed that most of these homes are actually occupied.

This town has many similarities to rural towns in Ireland. The majority of the population appears to be from the older generation or young families. Most of the youth in this area finish school and move to larger cites. I suppose there are little job opportunities which causes many to leave the area. Also most people living here can drive and prefer to do their shopping and to socialize in the larger neighbouring towns and cities.

Despite it being a sleepy town, we are both really happy with our surroundings. Most foreigners that visit Japan only get to experience living in big cities and have very little experience of living in a more rural location. The people that live here are extremely kind and patient with us and our extremely poor knowledge of the Japanese language. More importantly we feel that we have experienced a different side of Japan, not the Japan that can be found in holiday brochures.