Hiroko: There are so many points in this reflection on plum and plum blossoms that I don't know where to begin. I have mentioned that I lived many years in western Japan so you won't be surprised to learn that I visited Dazaifu Ten-man-gu many times - and saw in each corner of the courtyard red and white plums - including the white one i…
Hiroko: There are so many points in this reflection on plum and plum blossoms that I don't know where to begin. I have mentioned that I lived many years in western Japan so you won't be surprised to learn that I visited Dazaifu Ten-man-gu many times - and saw in each corner of the courtyard red and white plums - including the white one in front of the Shrine you have included with your essay. And in the shopping/stalls - one can purchase Ume-gae-mochi (from renowned Nakamura-ya) which is one of my favourite Japanese "cakes" (along with momiji manju on Miyajima - especially from the tea shop Fujii-ya). Over my final five years in Japan I walked the Hagi Ōkan section between Yamaguchi-city and Hagi some nine times - by myself - with friends or small groups. Never in the summer (too many snakes it was said) - but in the autumn, winter - including tramping through snow to just below the knee) and in the spring. I was one very cold day walking to the bottom of a lengthy section of four or five km - no sign of habitation or farming - through the forest - when I smelt the plum blossom from a little orchard field. I know my spirits lifted at once - aware that spring really was on its way. Hurrah! Further on - on the outskirts of Hagi - a whole park with various colours of plum bursting into blossom. Yes indeed - mad is the person who prunes the cherry - but mad, too, the one who does NOT prune the plum! SUGAWARA Michizane-kō on his journey into exile reached Hōfu which now has a major Shrine dedicated to him - friends were part of its priestly staff - and was then commencing to cross the western Seto Inland Sea to Usa in present-day Ōita-ken to go overland to Dazaifu when a storm blew up and his vessel with retinue was blown off course to Kajigaeshi (now a part of Ube-city - further along the coast westwards from Hōfu) waiting out the storm before - in calmer waters - crossing to Usa and on to Dazaifu. There is a small Shrine at Kaji-gae-eshi (literally I think - Turn Back the Oars - you'll translate it better) and every entrance exam time it is visited by students writing their "ema" with wishes for exam success or with specifics about which high school or which university they want to enter. Not long before I left Japan I was invited to take part in the grand Hadaka-Matsuri (Gojinko-sai) associated with Hōfu Tenman-gū - which was - in that year 2008 - I think the 1205th occurrence of that festival. And yes - plum trees planted all around the Shrine, too. Of course. Jim
Hiroko: There are so many points in this reflection on plum and plum blossoms that I don't know where to begin. I have mentioned that I lived many years in western Japan so you won't be surprised to learn that I visited Dazaifu Ten-man-gu many times - and saw in each corner of the courtyard red and white plums - including the white one in front of the Shrine you have included with your essay. And in the shopping/stalls - one can purchase Ume-gae-mochi (from renowned Nakamura-ya) which is one of my favourite Japanese "cakes" (along with momiji manju on Miyajima - especially from the tea shop Fujii-ya). Over my final five years in Japan I walked the Hagi Ōkan section between Yamaguchi-city and Hagi some nine times - by myself - with friends or small groups. Never in the summer (too many snakes it was said) - but in the autumn, winter - including tramping through snow to just below the knee) and in the spring. I was one very cold day walking to the bottom of a lengthy section of four or five km - no sign of habitation or farming - through the forest - when I smelt the plum blossom from a little orchard field. I know my spirits lifted at once - aware that spring really was on its way. Hurrah! Further on - on the outskirts of Hagi - a whole park with various colours of plum bursting into blossom. Yes indeed - mad is the person who prunes the cherry - but mad, too, the one who does NOT prune the plum! SUGAWARA Michizane-kō on his journey into exile reached Hōfu which now has a major Shrine dedicated to him - friends were part of its priestly staff - and was then commencing to cross the western Seto Inland Sea to Usa in present-day Ōita-ken to go overland to Dazaifu when a storm blew up and his vessel with retinue was blown off course to Kajigaeshi (now a part of Ube-city - further along the coast westwards from Hōfu) waiting out the storm before - in calmer waters - crossing to Usa and on to Dazaifu. There is a small Shrine at Kaji-gae-eshi (literally I think - Turn Back the Oars - you'll translate it better) and every entrance exam time it is visited by students writing their "ema" with wishes for exam success or with specifics about which high school or which university they want to enter. Not long before I left Japan I was invited to take part in the grand Hadaka-Matsuri (Gojinko-sai) associated with Hōfu Tenman-gū - which was - in that year 2008 - I think the 1205th occurrence of that festival. And yes - plum trees planted all around the Shrine, too. Of course. Jim