©1986 Lawrence I. Charters
Off Duty, September 1986, pp. JPN10-11.
Lots to see and experience this month: mounted archers, harvest festivals and Candice Bergen to take you around Kyoto.
Kamakura, the ancient capital city just outside Tokyo, came to prominence through the sword. The samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo, through ruthless determination and great good luck, beat down all rivals and became Japan’s first military governor, or shogun, in 1192. His family’s successes were so remarkable they became the subject of the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji, by Lady Murasaki.
In appreciation for the divine protection he received, Yoritomo moved a minor Shinto shrine to the center of his base of operations in 1191. He also redesigned the city, setting up a long avenue from the sea to the shrine at the crest of a hill, leaving little doubt as to the importance of the shrine in his eyes. Since that time Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, dedicated to Hachiman, the god of war, has dominated the city of Kamakura, both culturally and
physically.
Because of Minamoto patronage, the god Hachiman grew in popularity over the years, and today over 20,000 Hachiman shrines are scattered throughout Japan. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu’s annual festival, held Sept. 14-17, looks like a grander version of any Shinto festival, and not the least warlike — except for yabusame.
A form of mounted archery, yabusame requires great skill to guide a galloping horse with the knees while drawing and firing a bow nearly a foot taller than the archer. Racing down a track between crowds of spectators, the archer is trying to hit small wooden targets mounted off to the side, but he seems just as likely to zero in on an over-eager photographer.
If you can get away for the festival, by all means do so. Even if you miss the yabusame, there will be grand processions of portable shrines, exotic temple dances, music, and the usual collection of roadside stalls and swarms of children in adorable costumes. Come early; this is Kamakura’s biggest annual event, and it takes time to appreciate all that is happening.
Chiyonofuii, the only yokozuna (grand champion) currently active in sumo, will try for his sixth straight championship in the Aki Basho (Autumn Grand Tournament) Sept. 14-28. This will be the last tournament in Tokyo this year (Sasebo residents have a shot at the November tournament in Kyushu), and it promises to be anything but boring.
Even if you don’t think wrestling is interesting, you should give sumo a try. Sumo rules are simple: if you step out of the ring first, or any part or the body other than the soles of the feet touch the ring floor, you lose. This simplicity, combined with the elaborate ceremony before each match, the great size, agility, and amazing speed of the sumotori, and the sheer age of the sport — sumo claims to be older than Christianity — all help make “the sport of Emperors” unique.
Chiyonofuji, the only current Yokozuna (grand champion), performs his ring entrance ceremony, flanked by his sword bearer on the left and the dew sweeper on the right. The gyoji (referee), in ancient priestly robes, is in the foreground. Photo by Lawrence I. Charters, scanned from the print.
As with all Tokyo tournaments, tickets are very difficult to obtain. The New Sanno Hotel information desk (phone 229-7200) hopes to have a limited number, with prices ranging from ¥1000 to ¥5000. Call as soon as possible; you can’t show up at the Kokugikan (National Sumo Stadium) without a ticket and expect to get one there.
Two national holidays fall in September, Keiro no hi (Respect for the Aged Day) on Sept. 15 and Shunbun no hi (Autumn Equinox) on Sept. 23. Respect for the Aged Day falls conveniently during Hachimangu’s festival, so expect a larger Monday crowd in Kamakura than usual. The holiday is set aside for honoring grandparents and older relatives, and is usually an excellent time for taking pictures of families in kimono.
As in Europe, the Autumn Equinox marks the end of summer, and used to be a major event in farming communities since it marked the start of harvest season. While this origin is somewhat obscured in highly urbanized modern Japan, rural communities, and even some city areas that were rice fields not long ago, still hold harvest festivals. In Japan, the holiday also honors ancestors, and many families travel to their traditional clan homes to pay their respects. Remember that businesses, particularly government offices and banks, will be operating on holiday schedules during both these holidays.
September is a good time for general sightseeing, and advance technology now makes it easier. If you’ve always wanted to visit Kyoto on your own, but also wanted an experienced guide to point out some of the more interesting details, you can now have it both ways, thanks to CDer Tour Guide.
This “guide” consists of a lightweight battery-operated compact laser disk player and two compact discs describing 30 of the more popular tourist attractions. Narrated by Candice Bergen, the discs cover Japanese culture and customs as well as details of major temples and shrines. Because of the sound quality and random-access playback of the compact disc, the units have become a big hit, and the ¥2,800 per day rental is quite reasonable. Unfortunately, the discs are not for sale, but you can rent them from the Hiyako Hotel, Shin Hiyako, Kyoto Royal, and the Kyoto Grand.
If you want to visit farther afield, be prepared for difficulties. Those looking for Space Available travel out of Japan should be aware the runway at Yokota Air Base is under repair. As this is the major Space-A facility for Japan, you should either delay your travel plans or check out any available commercial discount fares. Because of the runway repair, there will be no flights from Yokota from Sept. 20 to Nov. 18 and from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16. Limited flights, mostly to local destinations, will be available at the Naval Air Facility in Atsugi.