©1986 Lawrence I. Charters
Off Duty, October 1986, pp. 8-10.
Autumn in Japan is a season of stunning colors in the countryside and spectacular traditional festivals in the cities.
Those who suffer with allergies have long known the world is plotting against them. “Bet you can’t wait for summer!” they say, and you think, “Bet you’re wrong!” Ah, the wonders of Kleenex! “Come to Japan in April, when the cherry blossoms are out!” they say, and you think, “Forget it!”
April isn’t bad (the cherry blossoms are nice) but Japan’s best-kept secrets are October and November. Instead of naked trees just beginning to bud, the country is covered with richly colored forests of green, red, yellow and brown. The air seems cleaner and clearer, and for some it’s a chance to breathe easy for the first time in half a year. True, there is an occasional nasty bite to the wind, a reminder of approaching winter. But this, too, is something to cherish: unlike California, Texas, or Florida, Japan has four seasons, each with a character all its own, reminders of the majesty of life and nature.
Just across Tokyo Bay from Yokosuka, on the Boso Peninsula is the ancient temple of Nihonji. Here, high on the side of a mountain, generations of monks came to find solitude. Here, where sea, sky and earth come together is the place to discover Japan’s autumn.
Nihonji’s most obvious attraction is a magnificent collection of over 1,500 Buddhist statues, ranging in size from less than a foot high to a massive 102-foot Daihutsu, or Great Buddha. Carved from stone, Nihonji’s Daibutsu-the largest in Japan-dwarfs the more famous Daibutsu in Kamakura, and is tribute to what devotion and hand tools can accomplish.
Harder to describe is the numbing beauty of the area. The land drops right down to the sea, and at almost any point you can see groves of giant bamboo, wind-torn clouds, and endless expanses of ocean. With the approach of winter, this already humbling vista is graced with the spectacular reds, yellows and oranges of autumn, adding a whole new spectrum to the usual grays, blues and greens. It is at once both grand and intimate; a treasure to remember and a photo to leave them in wonder back home.
There are other reasons to visit the Boso Peninsula in fall. Though it’s only an easy trip by auto ferry from Kurihama, in southern Yokosuka, it feels almost like another country. The noise, confusion and haste of metropolitan Tokyo is left behind; this part of Chiba prefecture is rural, quiet, sedate. Instead of endless kilometers of congested streets and countless buildings, there are lazy, winding roads and terraced rice paddies.
Southern Chiba is also one of the best places in Japan to get lost. But Nihonji temple is only a kilometer or two from the ferry terminal, and easy to find: take a right on Route 127, then look for the mountain road on the left after passing through a tunnel. On the other hand, if you do get lost, you won’t care; this is the Japan you probably always wanted to see, with rice-stalk stacks, tiled-roof farm houses, and a look and feel far more authentically Asian than you’ll find in the Ginza.
October is right in the middle of Japan’s holiday season, a practice round for November and December. Sports Day (Taiku no-hi) is October 10, and if you live off base don’t be surprised if the neighborhood association knocks on your door and invites you for a hike, or a neighborhood Olympics, or maybe a baseball game and picnic in the local park. Don’t even hesitate: accept! You may not know a thing about sports, but most of them don’t either and like most Japanese holidays, the joy comes from being together and participating.
October 10 is also Chinese Independence Day, honoring the fall of the Manchu dynasty in 1911. If you visit Taiwan, Singapore, or almost anywhere else in Asia at this time, be prepared for some serious celebrating. The author was born on this day and his sixth birthday in Taiwan was memorable; not even the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary can compare.
While not a Japanese holiday, the Chinese community in Japan usually holds a celebration, and this is a great time to visit Yokohama and its superb Chinese restaurants. Some Japanese joke that they serve only Chinese food in heaven, and after visiting Yokohama you’ll uderstand why.
Toshogu Shrine, the incredibly ornate tribute to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan’s most important shogun, holds a major festival on October 17, complete with a large samurai parade. Between the festival arid the vivid fall colors of the surrounding Nikko National Park, this is an almost irresistible attraction.
If you can spring free to see Kyoto, visit during the Jidai Festival on October 22. A fairly recent innovation (only a hundred years old or so), the Jidai Festival honors the 1,100 years of history and culture that separate the reigns of the first and last emperors to call Kyoto their capital. Usually translated as the “Festival of Eras,” the highlight of the festival is an elaborate parade featuring hundreds of participants in costumes from every period of Kyoto’s long history.
Host for the festival is Heian Shrine, built in the 19th century as a replica of an ancient Chinese imperial palace. Enclosed in the green tile roofs and bright orange walls are the spirits of the first and last emperors, and during the festival their spirits are transported by mikoshi (portable shrines) through the streets of the city. If you have a chance, take a walk through the garden behind the shrine; while the emperors are out seeing the town, you can visit a garden definitely worthy of an emperor or two.
Sasebo residents should try and get away to Nagasaki for the Okunchi festival on October 8-9. Dragon floats and dragon dances play a major role, and at times there is a definite “un-Japanese” feel to the festival. This is not really surprising, as for centuries Nagasaki was Japan’s door to the rest of the world, and the celebration reflects heavy Okinawan and Chinese influence.
While it may seem early, Sasebo residents should also start making arrangements for the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka, to be held November 9-23. Rather than grumble about all the sumo tournaments in Tokyo, plan on seeing this one, the last grand tournament of the year. This has been a landmark year for this 2,000-year-old sport, and the chance to see this final tournament is something you shouldn’t pass up.
As this is written, details are still up in the air, but sometime in October the Yokosuka Naval Base will host its annual Friendship Day. For the last couple of years, the “Day” was held over both Saturday and Sunday, and tens of thousands of people took advantage of the open house to pour over the base, look at ships on display, join in parades, and eat and drink tons of goodies. Bring film and a smile, and you’ll find everything else is provided.
Tokyo’s International Trade Center in Harumi will host Data Show ’86 on October 28-31. As the name suggests, this is a show for high-tech fanatics, and if you work it right you might even convince the boss to send you on duty time. Items on exhibit range from inexpensive personal computers to exotic telecommunications systems, computer-aided design systems, and elaborate automated manufacturing equipment.
Novices to this type of show should come early, collect a couple of plastic bags (given out by the exhibitors), and then wander around gathering literature and samples. Whatever you do, don’t actually read any of the material; success at this kind of show is measured in the pounds (or kilograms) of brochures you acquire. You’ll see some amazing gadgets, and have bedtime reading material for weeks. Although much of it is in Japanese, English is the language of science and most of the important stuff will look familiar.
Sad to say, some people don’t get much pleasure from watching electrons. If this is the case, try the 31st annual College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ) Print Show, held at the American Club October 17-19. This is one of the premier art shows in Japan, and features a large selection of traditional and modern prints by some of Japan’s top artists, both native and foreign. Unlike Data Show ’86, CWAJ will let you purchase things at the show (profits are used for scholarships), so be prepared. The American Club is located behind the Soviet Embassy, halfway between the Roppongi and Kamiyacho subway stations on the Hibiya Line.
Finally, a Broadway musical will be coming to Tokyo in November and December, and you should start looking for tickets now. Dreamgirls will be at Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan from November 7-19 and December 13-21, and at Showa Women’s College Hitomi Memorial Hall from November 21-December 10. Ticket prices range from 5,000 to 15,000 yen. For more information call 03-237-9999.