Let's go to temple & shrines! ： Nezu Shrine (Tokyo)

Hi everyone!

If you are not particularly interested in Japanese traditional culture, almost all the shrines and temples may look the same, or similar, to you. Most of my students cannot even tell which one is temple and which is shrine.

I'm not blaming you at all. It is natural. I still remember an American guy said to me, "When I saw a gorgeous temple or shrine for the first time, I thought wow, it's great. But after visiting two or three, I was getting tired. They are the same anyway. Now I think you should not visit more than two temples or shrines on the same day."

Well, I agree. One per day is probably enough, but there are so many interesting shrines and temples worth visiting. Even today these religious places are considered as power spots. If you are a spiritual person, you may feel something.

Unfortunately I'm not very religious person and don't care about spiritualism either. Even so, I feel like visiting such places occasionally to wish happiness and health for someone, or for no special reason.

The other day, I visited the Nezu Shrine in Tokyo, well-known for the big festival that takes place in September. It is also famous for its azalea garden and many people come and see the flowers in April and May, but usually the shrine is very calm and quiet despite its historical value.

This is the torii gate of Nezu Shrine. Torii is built at the entrancence of the shinto shrine to mark a sacred precinct. If you see a structure like this, the place is not a Buddhist temple but a shinto shrine.

Shinto is Japanese indigenous religion that worships holy spirits or deities called "kami." In Shinto they say there are 8 millions of kami in this world, implying there are too many to count. It resembles Greek myth a little, but not all the shinto dieties take human forms. In many cases they are the spirits of ancestors, or even just concepts important to people such as fertility and prosperity, therefore invisible.        

The main shrine building of Nezu Shrine was built at the present location in 1706 by order of the fifth Tokugawa shogun Tsunayoshi. 

The deity enshrined there is Susanoo no Mikoto, the rowdy god of  storm. According to the myth, Susanoo is a brave hero who successfully killed Yamata no Orochi, the eight-forked serpent which was devouring villagers. Many ancient warlords worshipped this deity and prayed for the victory in wars. It is believed today that you'll be protected from evil spirits after visiting this temple.

This is the image of Suranoo no Mikoto. Looks a little like a hippie though...

Actually, while vast urban area in Tokyo was burnt down by the Great Tokyo Air Raids in 1945, this shrine miraculously survived, and it has been designated as the nation's important cultural property.  Some people say the shrine was able to keep off  bad luck by the protection of the deity.

If you want to be protected from evil and disasters, why don't you buy a charm at the shrine? 

This "Romon" or two-story gate with a roof is also the country's important cultural asset.

In the precinct, there is another smaller shrine called Otome Inari, where Uka no Mitama no Mikoto (what a long name!), a god of crops and commerce, is enshrined. At Inari shrines, a pair of fox figures are placed, instead of komainu (guardian dogs).

.

As many merchants who worship this god of commerce have offered torii gates, some Inari shrines have a vermillion tunnel called Senbon Torii (thousands of torii gate) like this. Very mysterious looking...

1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
tel: 03-3822-0753
5min. from Nezu or Sendagi station on the subway Chiyoda Line, or Todai-mae station on the subway Nanboku line.

ここからは、日本語で。
From here I'll write in Japanese.

みなさん、こんにちは。

もし日本の伝統的な文化にあまり興味がなければ、寺と神社の違いもわからないですよね。

伝統的　でんとうてき　traditional
文化　　ぶんか　culture
興味（きょうみ）がある　　be interested in
寺　てら　　Buddhist temples
神社　じんじゃ　shinto shrine
違い　　ちがい　difference

日本には見るべき寺や神社がたくさんありますので、これから時々紹介していきます。

見るべき　（みる～）　should　see
時々　ときどき　　occasionally
紹介（しょうかい）する　　to introduce

今日は東京にある根津神社をご紹介。9月に行われる祭りと、４～５月に満開になるつつじの庭で有名ですが、普段はとても静かです。

根津神社　　ねづじんじゃ　　Nezu Shrine
行われる　　おこなわれる　　to take place
満開　　まんかい　　to be in full bloom
つつじ　　azalea
庭　　にわ　　garden
有名　　ゆうめい　　famous
普段　　ふだん　　usually
静か　　しずか　　quiet

根津神社が今の場所に建てられたのは1706年、将軍徳川綱吉の命令によるものでした。

場所　　ばしょ　　location
建てられる　　たてられる　　to be constructed
年　　～ねん　year
将軍　　しょうぐん　　shogun
徳川綱吉　　とくがわ　つなよし　name of the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

奉られている神さまは嵐の神、スサノオノミコトです。神話によると、スサノオは頭が8つある蛇を退治した英雄です。その強い力で災難からお参りした人を守ってくれるそうです。

奉（まつ）られている　　enshrined
神（かみ）さま　　deity
嵐　　あらし　　storm
蛇　へビ　　serpent
英雄　　えいゆう　　hero
災難　　さいなん　　disasters
お参（まい）りする　to visit shrines
守（まも）る　　to protect

根津神社内には、乙女稲荷という別の神社があります。赤い鳥居がトンネルのように並んでいて、面白いです。

乙女稲荷　　おとめいなり　　the name of the shrine
赤い　あかい　　red
鳥居　とりい
面白い　　おもしろい　interesting

Traditional Japanese sweets I'd like to recommend 1: taiyaki

Hi everyone!

Have you ever tried 鯛焼き（たいやき、taiyaki) , or a fish-shaped pancake with anko somewhere? Don't worry, it has no fish in it, and doesn't have fishy smell either.

The "skin" part is made of flour, baking soda, sugar and water, very close to regular waffle or pancake batter, and the filling is commonly anko, or sweet red bean paste.

I personally like anko, but I'm not sure if you like it. Many of my students from "Western world" say they don't find it tasty, while Asians generally love it.

If sweet bean paste does not stimulate your appetite, you can ask for different fillings if they have, such as custard cream, sweet potato cream and chocolate cream.

Taiyaki is perfect snack to nibble when you are a little hungry between meals. It is tasty, cheap -- usually priced at 100-150 yen, and you can easily find the taiyaki shops near railway stations,  in the supermarkets or department stores. 

You can take taiyaki home and warm it up using microwave and toaster-oven (use the microwave first to warm inside and then put in the taster-oven so that the surface becomes a little crispy), but eating the freshly made hot one on the spot is the best. 

By the way, do you know that taiyaki are modeled after sea breams? "Tai" of taiyaki is sea bream, and "yaki" is grilled or baked in Japanese; therefore, taiyaki literally means baked sea-breams.

Sea breams are special fish for Japanese and they have been traditionally served on the auspicious (medetai in Japanese) occasions such as weddings and new year's day, because the sound "tai" reminds us of "medetai". Yes, it is just a pan. I'm wondering if our ancestors found sea breams especially delicious, though it has been always expensive.   

I've never made taiyaki at home, but it is not difficult to make if you have the mold. (Fish shaped taiyaki pan are available on the internet.) My friend occasionally makes taiyaki, using pancake mix as the batter and canned anko, and is always satisfied with the results.

Don't think of making anko from scratch, as it is very time-consuming. In Japan anko is sold in can or plastic bags at any supermarkets and even at some convenience stores, but if you are living abroad and hardly find those thing, why don't you put Nutella or your favorite jam as alternative? My friend says it is pretty good! 

ここからは日本語で。

みなさん、こんにちは。

「鯛焼き」を食べたことがありますか？魚の形をした日本の伝統的なお菓子で、普通は中にあんこが入っています。でも、あんこだけではなく、カスタードやチョコレートクリームを入れる鯛焼き屋もありますよ。

鯛焼き　　たいやき
伝統的 な　　でんとうてきな　　traditional
形　　かたち　　shape
お菓子　おかし　　sweets
普通は　　commonly, normally

～の代（か）わりに 　instead of


一つ100円から150円で買えるし、鯛焼き屋はスーパーやデパートの中など、あちらこちらにあるし、ちょっとお腹が空いたときに食べるにはぴったりです。

あちらこちら　everywhere
お腹（なか）が空（す）く 　　to get hungry
ぴったり　　suitable

鯛は「めでたい」という言葉を連想させるので、日本では結婚式やお正月など、特別なときに食べられます。

鯛　たい　　sea breams
言葉　ことば　word
めでたい　　auspicious
連想する　　れんそうする　　associate something with...
結婚式　　けっこんしき　　wedding celemony
正月　　しょうがつ　　new year's day
特別　　とくべつ　　special

鯛焼きは、型があればうちでも簡単に作ることができます。私は作ったことがないけど、友だちは時々作ると言います。でもあんこは作るのが大変だから、缶詰のあんこを使ったほうがいいですよ。

型　かた　mold
簡単　かんたん　　easily
大変　たいへん　　hard, difficult
缶詰　かんづめの　　canned