Free guides to Japan

There are many temples and shrines for marriage in Japan. Perhaps the most famous one is Izumo Shrine in Shimane, in the western part of Japan. But Wakamatsu Kannon, which is located in Tendo City of Yamagata Prefecture, is also famous for matchmaking.

It is said that the temple was founded during the Nara period, about 1300 years ago by the high priest Gyoki. According to legend, while Gyoki was wandering in the eastern area of Japan, he heard the sound of a bell. He followed the sound, climbed a mountain and perceived Kannon Bodhisattva. He founded a temple there; it is the origin of Wakamatsu Kannon.

The temple’s official name is Reiryu-zan Jakusho-ji Temple but the local people call it “Wakamatsu Kannon” or “Wakamatsu-sama”. Wakamatsu Kannon is believed to have strong miracle power and is mentioned in Hanagasa Ondo, a song for the Hanagasa Matsuri or Flower Hat Festival. Wakamatsu Kannon is celebrated in the song,”Blessing is Wakamatsu-sama”. Furthermore, as Kannon Bodhisattva is the Goddess of Mercy, Wakamatsu Kannon helps not only those who want to get married but also those who crave good health, academic achievement and business prosperity, etc. Many people visit the temple, asking for good luck.

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In the Murayama area of Yamagata, located in the northern part of Japan, there is a custom which is called “mukasari ema”. Mukasari means “marriage” in local dialect. Mukasari ema are the paintings of marriage. But the bride or groom was not in this world when the painting was made. Mukasari ema are for children or young people who passed away before marriage.

Parents who lost their children make mukasari ema. They count the age of their deceased children, and imagine “My child might have got married by now.” A picture of the wedding is made and offered to a temple. Parents pray that their children would find their spouse in the after world so that they won’t feel lonely. There is a rule to make mukasari ema. The face of the imaginary spouse should not be modeled on a living person, otherwise, this person might be taken away to the next world.

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After passing through the Nio-mon Gate, the number of cedar trees lessened and the landscape widened. I saw many caves and odd figured rocks. I thought these caves and rocks made Mt. Houju-san special, a place leading to the different world.

Godai-do Hall is the most popular building of Yamadera. It is an observation deck that is built on the cliff, commanding a fine view. I enjoyed the splendid scenery of the mountain and the village below. Some guidebooks say there are statues of Myo-o, guardian of Buddhism in Godai-do Hall but I did not see any statues there. Instead, I saw many senjafuda or pilgrim’s stickers on the wall.

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I paid 300 yen at San-mon Gate and started my ascent. Soon after that, a statue with horrible face caught my eye. It was the statue of Datsueba. Datsueba is a hag who is believed to be on the bank of the Sanzu River, which lies between this world and the next. She strips the dead people of their clothes. In the old days, pilgrimages changed their clothes here and offered these clothes to the statue of Datsueba and then climbed the mountain in new garments.

The stone steps make a winding path. Surrounded by ancient Japanese cedar trees, the path was rather dim. As I climbed the steps, I saw small stone statues, lanterns and carvings on the rocks here and there. These objects and the shade of the trees made a solemn atmosphere and reminded me that Mt. Houju-san had been a sacred place, known as the mountain where the souls of the dead gather, the boundary between this world and the next.

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Yamadera is an old temple in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The temple’s official name is Risshaku-ji Temple but Yamadera is more familiar for many Japanese. Yamadera means “mountain temple”. About 40 temple facilities are scattered on the slope of Mt. Houju-san, 1015 stone steps continue from the foot to the top of the mountain and the whole mountain is the precincts of the temple. The mountain and the buildings make the scenery looks like an ink painting which is very beautiful and attracts many visitors. Yamadera exactly represents what it is.

The temple starts with Kompon Chudo, the main hall. It is said that the temple was founded in 860, during the Heian Era by a high priest Ennin Jikaku-Daishi and the original main hall was built then. Over history, the hall was destroyed and rebuilt. The current building was made in 1356, in the Muromachi Period.

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From the end of April to early May, koinobori are seen throughout Japan. Koinobori are carp streamers made of cloth or paper. In Japan, May 5th is Children’s Day, which is a national holiday. But in the past this day was called the Boys’ Festival, so that nowadays families with boys hoist carp streamers and display samurai armor and helmet in their homes, hoping for the boy’s health and strength.

It is believed that carp are strong enough to climb up waterfalls, and legend says that there is a big gate at the upper part of the Yellow River in China. This gate is called the “Dragon Gate” and it is said that carp which pass this gate will become dragons. This is why carp symbolize strength and promotion in the Boy’s Festival.

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I went to Gokuraku-en, a Japanese garden located in Tendo City, Yamagata in Japan.
Like many Japanese gardens, Gokuraku-en consists of ponds, artificial hills and countless rocks and trees. The garden was made in the early Showa period, in the 1930s, when Japan was in the great depression and many people lost their jobs. A rich local business person made this garden to help poor people by hiring them. Gokuraku-en is the garden of philanthropy.

This garden is not as large as other famous gardens in Japan such as Kenroku-en Garden or Hama-Rikyu Imperial Gift Garden, but Gokuraku-en impressed me because it has two unique features that are not found in most other Japanese gardens.

The first feature is that proverbs by famous historical people such as Emperor Meiji, Date Masamune, and Kaibara Ekiken can be found carved on stones of the garden. For instance, the proverbs, “The seed of bankruptcy is sown during your heyday” or “Good luck needs prudence, bad luck needs patience”. These sayings can be useful even today.

The other interesting feature is the stone lanterns which are varied in their shape and size as compared to conventional ones. This garden has many stone lanterns, each has a different and unique shape.

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Tendo is a quiet city located in Yamagata, in the northern part of Honshu, Japan. It takes about 3 hours from Tokyo Station by the Yamagata Shinkansen Line.

In this city, an event called “Ningen shogi” is held at the top of Mt. Maizuru, which is located in the middle of the city. In Japanese, ningen means human and shogi is the word for Japanese chess.

A giant board is set on the top of the mountain. Forty people, who are volunteers and local high school students, play the role of chess pieces dressed in samurai warriors costumes. The life sized shogi pieces move on the board according to the command of the professional shogi players.

Several professional shogi players are invited for this event. Two players play the shogi game, directing the pieces which way to move, while three commentators discuss the move, using a smaller shogi board.

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