Japanese Devils Beat You For Good Luck on Setsubun

Setsubun is a Japanese Spring Ritual where on the 3rd of February Japanese drive bad luck in the form of devils from their homes. At many temples and shrines throughout Japan, Setsubun activities take place. At Ishite-ji Temple in Matsuyama city on the island of Shikoku they have an interesting twist on the typical Setsubun activity of driving away devils.

 

Usually on Setsubun devils known as Oni are driven away by beans thrown at them. Japanese say at the same time “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” which means “devils out, good luck in!” At Ishite-ji Temple, the devils actually bring the good luck to people in the shape of bamboo staffs that they use to beat people lightly in a rhythmic cadence.

 

The staff they use is a variation of a keisaku stick which is used in meditation sessions of Zen Buddhism. Keisaku is a “warning stick” wielded by a Zen priest known as a Jikijitsu who is in charge of the zazen meditation sessions at Zen Temples. If a student is falling asleep the Jikijisu will administer a beating on the student’s back. The keisaku’s bark is actually worse than its bite as it sounds much lounder than it actually feels. In fact, students will often request a “beating” to keep themselves awake and to relieve muscle cramps. Another name for the keisaku stick is called kyosaku which means “encouragement stick.”

 

The “beatings” administered by the Setsubun devils at Ishite-ji Temple are anything but painful and are for the purpose of giving the “beaten” good luck. So instead of driving the devils away like they do at many other Setsubun events, people actually run to the devils and let them beat them for the good luck aspect of Setsubun.

For Photos:

http://therovingroninreport.blogspot.jp/2013/02/japanese-devils-beat-people-for-good.html

 

Wakakusayama Yaki – Japanese Mountain Fire Festival in Nara

Wakakusayama Yaki is an annual Japanese fire festival in winter where they burn the dead grass on Mt. Wakakusa. The origins of the festival are unclear. The most popular explanation is that the fire festival came out of a territorial dispute between two local temples. Others say the fire was more practical in driving off wild animals and insects.

 

Whatever the origin, it’s a sight to see. Before the fire, they set off 200 fireworks. They also have a live show which being Japan is always entertaining and amusing.

For more photos:

http://therovingroninreport.blogspot.jp/2013/02/wakakusayama-yaki-japanese-mountain.html

Giant Japanese Snake Festival

To honor this year’s Chinese Zodiac animal the Snake, I offer this look at an interesting unique festival from the small town of Sekikawa in Niigata prefecture where they parade an enormous snake made of bamboo and straw. The snake is 82.8 meters long or about 271.6 feet and weighs about 2 tons requiring 500 people to carry it and is in the Guinness Book of World Record as longest snake made of bamboo and straw (wasn’t aware there was such a category).

The festival is a type of Obon celebration – a time when the Japanese remember the spirits of the dead. It also is reminder of a terrible flood which hit Sekikawa in 1967 costing a number of people their lives. The date was August 28th which is why the snake is the exact length of 82.8 to reflect that.

As to why a giant snake, one has to dig further back into the misty past of Sekikawa. Legends say the area was troubled by a giant snake which had been a cursed woodcutter’s wife.

Some centuries ago, a local woodcutter was attacked by a giant snake while he was out gathering woods. Giant snakes have been a common theme in myth and legend and perhaps represent a memory of large snakes which once lived in Japan long ago. The woodcutter killed the snake and deciding on not letting a chance meal go to waste brought it home to eat.

The woodcutter told his wife not to eat any of the snake meat till he returned from gathering more wood. The wife disobeyed him and ate a little of the snake meat. It was so delicious she couldn’t stop eating of it and she ate the entire snake. Then she developed a powerful thirst. No amount of water could quench it. She drained all the water supply at her home and then the village’s supply too. She went to river to slake her unnatural thirst but to no avail. It was there that the wife transformed into a giant snake herself. She left her family and the village forever – or so it seemed.

Some time later after her family had passed away a biwa player was passing through the area. He stopped to rest and while he did so he decided to practice his skills. The snake wife heard his music and was charmed by it. She approached the biwa player and praised his skill. The biwa player being blind as many biwa players were in those days thought he was being addressed by one of the local women. There was a strange musty smell in the air but he thought nothing of it.

The snake wife asked him where he was going and he told her to the village which is now Sekikawa. She warned him not to do so. She revealed to him what she was and that she planned to destroy the village. She only told him this because she was enchanted by his music and wished to spare him. The snake wife then told him not to warn the villagers or he would pay with his life.

The biwa player left very afraid. However, instead of running off he decided to go to Sekikawa and warn them. He told the chief of the village his tale. Some say the biwa player vanished because he was a helpful spirit but others say he died from the snake wife’s magic for having told her secret.

The villagers eventually were able to kill the snake wife and they enshrined the biwa players personal effects in the local temple.

Centuries later in modern times it was thought after the flood that perhaps the old snake wife’s spirit was restless so the festival was held to appease her possibly angry spirit.

The festival began in 1980s and every year they parade two large snakes around the town. A smaller one is carried/dragged by children while the principle snake of 82.8 meters is carried by 500 people.

I was fortunate to bump into a local prominent citizen of the town who told me the story in his own words. He says he remembered the biwa player’s items being on display when he was boy though they aren’t now. I later had dinner with him and wife and several friends of his from Niigata City. Apparently for people of the town there are those who believe the story to be true – to a degree. It is interesting though the number of giant snake stories that abound in the ancient myths and the old legends of times closer to now.

Who knows? But as to the moral of the story with the woman who was changed into a giant snake for eating the snake her husband told her not to, I guess it would be -“Women, don’t eat a man’s snake without his permission” or something to that effect.

For more photos check here

Giant Japanese Snake of Bamboo

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The woodcutter who killed a giant snake then his wife became one

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Happy New Years 2013 From Tokyo!!!

Scenes from New Years Eve celebrations in Tokyo from the traditional at Zojo-ji Temple to avant garde cosplay at Tokyo Decadance in Shinjuku.

Happy New Years!

Merry Christmas from Japanese Girls!

Brought to you by Santa Samurai:

Japanese Girls Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Random cute sexy Japanese girls wishing everyone a Merry Christmas

The Fate of Mayan Prophecy Books After December 21st

I don’t know about you but I’m going to miss this plucky little doomsday prophecy. It’s been around for so long longer than a lot of us in fact.

Even back when 2000/2001 was being hyped as the End of the World there was still the safeguard for doomsday prophets of 2012 that if Jesus didn’t get us, Kukulkan would.

This prophecy was doomsday gold. It had an exact date and it was vouched for by a mysterious vanished civilization renowned for its intellectual prowess. How could they be wrong? In fact they weren’t wrong it was just modern dimwits and opportunists who misunderstood them.

On the positive side, if anything at least it got people interested in Mayan history and culture.

I’m just a little sad it’s over and done. It’s been around all my life and now it’s finished. Countless number of books and documentaries were done on it and on the other side you countless number of jokes referring to it. I just don’t think any future doomsday prophecy is going have the same panache as this one did.

So long Mayan Calendar Prophecy! It was a good ride with a lot of laughs and a few scares. You will be missed!

 

Mayan Apocalypse Comes to Japan!?!?

Officially the end of the world by the Mayan Calendar will not come until late morning December 21st in the Western Hemisphere according to Mayan time not New Zealand time. Already some apocalyptic signs have appeared in Japan as the day there turned December 21st.

It may be nothing or it may be something. Either way I just wanted wish everyone a Merry Mayan Apocalypse as the sun devours the earth causing your blood to boil till it bursts from your charred skinned while your eyes melt like gooey marshmellows in your blackened skull!

I also updated the Mayan/Aztec Calendar with cheerful Christmas Trees to give the coming apocalypse a more festive feeling.

Merry Mayan Apocalypse!!!

May you and yours have a Merry Mayan Apocalypse as the sun devours the earth and your blood boils until it bursts out of your charred skin and your eyes melt into your blackened skull!

Legendary Shack Shakers – Last Show (?) in Nashville

Legendary Shack Shakers are a punk blues agriDustrial band with a little bit of everything thrown in from rockabilly to gothic rock to Delta blues to Texas polka. Originally hailing from Paducah, Kentucky, the band has been together in some form or fashion for over 15 years touring with the Reverend Horton Heat, Hank Williams III, and Robert Plant.

Their current drummer recently developed a heart condition and actually flat-lined a couple of times. Legendary Shack Shakers decided to hold a benefit show for him in Nashville and make it their last show; however, J.D. Wilkes founding member and frontman said that the Legendary Shack Shakers will rise again.

This video is clips from their last show(?) at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville along with interviews with some of the band members past and present.

Legendary Shack Shakers –
http://www.theshackshakers.com/
http://www.facebook.com/legendaryshackshakers

To help Drummer Brett Whitcare with his medical bills –
http://www.brettwhitacre.net/