"Magical Japanese Yamabushi ascetics" Interview

This is a segment of a video report with the interview of Mr. Shuetsu Ito, an authentic Yamagata Yamabushi. Discovery with the magical and mysterious Japanese Yamabushi ascetics of Yamagata, Japan -Foreign Press Center Japan October 2009-

Japan Yamagata region holy mountains with a long tradition of nature worship.

http://fpcj.jp/modules/news6/index.php?page=article&storyid=125
http://www.dewasanzan.jp/english/info.html

Among beautiful mountains in Japan Yamagata region is Dewa-sanzan, the three mountains of Dewa, (Gassan, Hagurosan, and Yudonosan) worshiped as sacred mountains. In ancient times Japanese people lived close to nature, thanked nature for its gifts, and nurtured worship of nature in their minds, related to the animism religion at the origin.

Dewa-sanzan has the tradition of Shugendo, mountain asceticism, and mountain worship, with its origins dating as far as 1400 years ago. The Shugendo is an ancient Japanese religion in which nature is worshiped as a God. In the Heian period (794-1185) when Buddhist and Shinto beliefs intermingled, the three mountains were used as a place of learning for plural religions including the Yamabushi, mountain ascetics.

The faith that draws people to the three mountains reached its peak in the Edo period (1603-1867). People had no vacations but they enjoyed journeying into the nature and visit Japanese Temples and Shrines, Priest Shokai Miyano said in a lecture. His teachings are said to be more efficient to put your life back in order than any psychoanalyst or any Dr. Prozac.


Explanations and places to visit:

Dewa sanzan - Hagurosan (Tsuruoka City)

-Three holy mountains symbolize a long tradition of nature worship -

Dewa-sanzan, the three mountains of Dewa, is the collective name for Gassan, Hagurosan, and Yudonosan, mountains that are regarded as sacred. In ancient times people believed that ancestral spirits lived in mountains and gave water to protect them they lived in nature with a feeling of awe.

Places to visit in Hagurosan:

- Haraigawa River and Suga-no-taki waterfall

Flowing down from Gassan, the Haraigawa River with a red lacquered bridge was used as the pure water where pilgrims to the three mountains bathed before climbing the mountains.

- Five-story pagoda designated as a National Treasure

Built in the Heian period, about 1000 years ago (some time in the 920s), on the orders of Masakado Taira, then rebuilt about 600 years ago, the pagoda still stands gracefully in the midst of cedar trees.

- Jiji-sugi, the old man cedar

Standing next to the five-story pagoda, this old cedar is said to be 1000 years old and is designated as a national natural treasure.

- Sanjin gosaiden, or the worship hall to the three gods at the summit of Hagurosan
With the striking thatched roof, 28 meter high and 2.1 meters thick, and a splendid red-lacquered structure that remains a characteristic of the age when Buddhist and Shinto beliefs intermingled, the shrine jointly enshrines the three gods of Gassan, Hagurosan, and Yudonosan. The pond in front of the shrine, called "kagami ike", or mirror pond, has been revered as a holy pond from ancient times, the center of the faith. Many copper mirrors that people threw in as offerings in the Heian, Kamakura, and Edo period, were discovered in the pond.

- Saikan, a pilgrims lodge

Keeping the traditional style of vegetarian cuisine in Hagurosan, the lodge serves meals with ingredients including mountain vegetables and bamboo harvested at the foot of the three mountains of Dewa. It still respects the old way of seasoning. This kind of food was served to Matsuo Basho, the famous poet of the Edo period, when he came to visit the Saikan on his famous trip to northern Japan, Oku-no-Hosomichi.

- Pilgrimage road lined with Japanese cedar trees, sugi

Both sides of the 1.7-km pilgrimage road to the summit are lined with ancient cedar trees and the long stone staircase has 2,446 steps in tota!! You feel the crisp air and mysterious atmosphere in total silence. A famous French travel guide book, "MICHELIN Green Guide Japon" has awarded the road its highest ranking of three stars.

We did the trip with our Yamabushi guide and it was extraordinary experience of an other Japan, elevating mind and spirit and body. More physical personal journey than a session of Zen Buddhism: "It should be a "must doing" while visiting Japan", a long time resident foreign correspondent journalist says! Report organized by The Foreign Press Center of Japan (FPCJ) Ms. Koizumi and Yoshida in cooperation with Yamagata Prefecture and Yamagata University.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Japan
• Travel
• Mystery
• Yamabushi
• Yamagata
• Nature
• Religion
• Shrine
• Animism
• Asceticism
• Buddhism
• Shintoism
• FPC
• Report

[bagwa5]

where's the whole interview/video?

[ImperialistRunningDo]

is he carrying a bell? I keep hearing something ringing....