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Notes on video lecture:
Nature in Japanese Daily Life
Notes taken by Edward Tanguay on November 18, 2016 (go to class or lectures)
Choose from these words to fill the blanks below:
Western, tolerance, rocks, celebrated, 2000, sunlight, wisdom, violent, Edo, Confucianism, preserved, snow, Bull, twenty, beauty, harmony, forced, temples, Omikami, turtle, indigenous, eight, ancestors, puppies, Tokyo
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polytheistic religions
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recognize multiple divine beings
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Japan
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when we think of Japanese life, we think of           , skyscrapers, many people, luxurious European-inspired shops in the Ginza quarter
•
on the other hand, in Kyoto, the former Japanese capital, we encounter a different universe
•
traditional               
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shrines
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beautiful landscapes with mountains and rivers
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the people's ancient lifestyle seems to be                   
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a mixture of modern and tradition objects in the same space and time
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this can be seen as chaos or               
•
harmony is a very important notion in Japanese aesthetics
•
or we can say that Japanese people live in an chaotic harmony, or in a harmonious chaos
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for Japanese people, traditional buildings can be located just beside a               -inspired and contemporary building
•
it was surprising at first, but these newcomers become accepted
•
each element, person, animal, object has its place, its meaning and its             
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Buddhism
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arrived in Japan at the end of the 5th century CE
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                         consider as a series of life disciplines, was developed during the Edo period
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       period (1603 and 1868)
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Shinto
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the                      faith of the Japanese people
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Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism
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Kami
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spirit
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divinity
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800 gods
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Japanese have a sense of balance and                    toward religion
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although nobody in Japan is obliged to adhere to Shintoism, it is considered to be Japan's authentic religion
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Torii gates
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New Year's Day, January 1, is very important for Japanese people
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the first rays of                  are important
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the sun is represented by the Goddess Amaterasu no               
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the incarnation of th origins of all life on earth
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regarded as one of the most important divinities in the Shinto religion
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elements of nature
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for each element of nature, there is at least one divine spirit linked to it
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inspire daily life
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Oinari-san (fox)
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god's messenger who bring people wise and intelligent commercial skills
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dog
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celebrated as the protector of mothers to be because it safely gives birth to many                itself
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Tenjin-sama, or Sacred         
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related to intelligence and success
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Kaeru (to return), frog
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symbolizes a safe return trip home
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crane and             
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symbols of long life
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Meoto-iwa (couple of           )
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pair of rocks in the sea
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incarnation of the kami Izanami no mikoto and Izanagi no mikoto
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they gave birth to the over          small islands that formed Japan
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each element of nature is related to a divinity
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see, land, thunder, wind, the sun, the moon
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these often play a role in Japanese fairy tales, e.g.          and rivers
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Ise Grand shrine
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in the Mie prefecture
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Shinto divinities are                     
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the goddess of the Sun
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the prince of the Moon
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the goddess of food
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pilgrims come by and pay tribute
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every              years these divinities move to new houses
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they prepare for            years before the move
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reasons nature has come to be so respected in Japan
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the Japanese are              to deal with it often
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see                nature acts as an expression of anger of nature
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or anger of their                   
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typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, cold weather, and lack of sunlight
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rice needs warm weather and quality water
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strong rains bring dirty water
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Japanese              to live in and with Nature
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human beings are tolerated by nature

Ideas and Concepts:

Japanese religious vocabulary via this evening's Oriental Beliefs course:

"A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred.

The road leading to a Shinto shrine is almost always straddled by one or more torii, which are therefore the easiest way to distinguish a shrine from a Buddhist temple.

Other torii can be found farther into the shrine to represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary, core of the shrine.

One of the most famous torii is located on the coast of the island of Itsukushima near Hiroshima. Its design was established in 1168, when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori. The shrine was devoted to the worship of goddesses to whom Kiyomori owed thanks, he felt, for his success in life.

The shrine was designed and built on pier-like structures over the bay so that it would appear to be floating on the water, separate from the sacred island, and so it could be approached by the devout via boat."
Visions of chaotic harmony via this evening's Oriental Beliefs course:

"When we think of Japanese life, we often think of Tokyo: skyscrapers, many people, and luxurious European-inspired shops in the Ginza quarter.

On the other hand, in Kyoto, the former Japanese capital, we encounter a different universe. We find traditional temples, shrines, and beautiful landscapes with mountains and rivers. Despite modern living, the people's ancient lifestyle seems to be preserved.

In Kyoto, there is a mixture of modern and tradition objects in the same space and time. This can be seen as chaos or harmony, both of which are important notions in Japanese aesthetics. One could say that Japanese people live in chaotic harmony, or in a harmonious chaos.

For Japanese people, traditional buildings can be located just beside a Western-inspired and contemporary building. It was surprising at first, but these newcomers gradually became accepted. Each element, person, animal, object has its place, its meaning and its beauty."
Goddess of the day, via this evening's Oriental Beliefs course:

"Amaterasu-ōmikami is a major deity of Japan's Shinto religion. She is seen as the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. The name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning:shining in heaven.

Amaterasu appears to be the Japanese expression of a historical pan-Asiatic solar goddess. Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, is the sister of Susanoo, the god of storms and the sea, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. Amaterasu and her two siblings were born from Izanagi while he was purifying himself after entering Yomi, the underworld, after which they painted the landscape to create ancient Japan.

She became the ruler of the sun and the heavens along with her brother, Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon and ruler of the night. Originally, Amaterasu shared the sky with Tsukuyomi, her husband and brother until, out of disgust, he killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi. This killing upset Amaterasu so much, that it caused her to label Tsukuyomi an evil god and split away from him, thus separating night from day.

The Ise Shrine located in Ise, Honshū, Japan houses the inner shrine, Naiku, dedicated to Amaterasu. Her sacred mirror, Yata no Kagami, is said to be kept at this shrine as one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. At this shrine, a ceremony known as Shikinen Sengu is held every 20 years to honor Amaterasu. The main shrine buildings are destroyed and rebuilt at a location adjacent to the site. New clothing and food is then offered to the goddess. This practice is a part of the Shinto faith and has been practiced since the year 690."
The Oinari-san fox, messenger of prosperity from the gods, via this evening's Oriental Beliefs course:

"In the Shinto religion, kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshiped. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, as well as beings and the qualities that these beings express.

They are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi, the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards.

Kami are believed to be hidden from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own, or shinkai, the world of the kami. To be in harmony with the awe-inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi, the way of the kami.

Inari Ōkami is the Japanese kami of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea, agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and the Oinari-san Fox is Inari Ōkami's messenger who brings people wise and intelligent commercial skills.

There are approximately 20,000 Oinari-san Fox shrines nationwide, usually displayed decked in a red bib, which according to Japanese folk belief, expels demons and illness. This belief came during the outbreak of smallpox in Japan, around 720 AD. The disease was very dangerous, and if the ill person's skin turned purple, it was considered serious. But if the skin turned red, it was believed the patient would recover."
Nature in Japanese Daily Life