Mori no Takigi Noh

Last week I had the pleasure of a first Noh experience.
Noh is the classic stage art of Japan, evolved from a variety of sacred rituals, popular and aristocratic forms, that has been performed since the 14th century.
The chanted and danced Noh plays, which often have tragic or spiritual themes, are performed alternatively with the lighter and often comic Kyogen plays.


My friend summarized the plot of the two plays for me, but basically I didn't know anything about Noh before that performance. The good thing is that you don't need to know Japanese to appreciate Noh (most of it is not understandable even to Japanese people), but it does require concentration and to some extent, emotional involvement. I most certainly did not get everything, but I think I gathered as much as the average interested beginner may gather. Enough to make me want to know more about it and see more plays.

The first play was based on a very popular legend. The main characters actually existed but stories about their lives differ due to mystification and embellishment by Japanese folklore.

Medieval days. After a major conflict with the Shogun of Kamakura, his brother Minamoto no Yoshitsune becomes persona non grata and has to flee. He escapes North, but the Shogun orders anyone who sees his brother to kill him. Yoshitsune is accompanied by his servant Benkei, a strong, smart and loyal chap.
During their trek they are stopped at a gate, where people think they recognize the outlaw, now disguised as a porter. Follows a long debate and dispute between Benkei and the suspicious villagers, during which the servant famously hits the master on the head to avoid breaking his disguise and save him.

The two will eventually be accepted by the community but decide to continue their trip toward safer places (what a metaphor for life. One battle won, a new one beginning...).
The play ends here, although History tells that they both died in a dramatic way.
Yoshitsune was forced to commit seppuku along with his wife and daughter in an encircled castle, while Benkei, trying to defend him, was arrow-riddled at the gate. The legend says that he was standing still a long time after his death ("The Standing Death of Benkei")....Which reminds me, I think I saw such a scene in Kill Bill, but that's a different story.

We were not sitting very close to the stage, but thanks to my super-zoom at maximum I was able to take a few photos. As usual, there is more to see in "my pictures".

Buying Fish

Let's face it: I'm not so good at buying fish. Somehow I ALWAYS manage to come home with the wrong type of fish.
It is supposed to be rather easy. People shop mostly in supermarkets, where they can find nearly anything and even pre-cut fish is of good quality.
I sometimes need to buy fish that requires little or no cooking, and that's when I pick the one that is only OK for making broth!
Time to learn a few tricks:







Photo number one is Swordfish and photo number two is Tuna.

1- The price. One of them is 1.7X more expensive for roughly the same weight, in spite of the promotional offer (see -6-). This is already a strong hint.

2- Date of processing (same day for both).

3- Good until. One of them is good for only one day and the other one can be kept for two days. Another hint.

4- Indicates that it has been frozen. This is found on both labels, fine.

5- Those are the Kanji "for sashimi". Can be eaten raw. This can only be seen on the label for fish#2 ------> this is our fish!

I guess I'll have to learn a few Kanji by heart if I want to buy appropriate fish or meat.

Talented?

Jumping up and down, up and down. I don't know if they are any good, but the small one who can barely reach his instrument is irresistible.




The following clip is not related, but this must be the cutest bird ever! (seen last week on QI)

Kamakura

Little trip to Kamakura, south west of Tokyo, two hours from home.

Kamakura had the status of political center (some might say capital) of Japan in the 13th century. This means that, as you probably guessed it by now, it has numerous temples and shrines.
Our first steps led us to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, the largest Shinto shrine in an otherwise largely Buddhist Kamakura, where we were lucky enough to witness a traditional wedding ceremony.

During its diplomatic height Kamakura eagerly took in Chinese culture, especially Zen Buddhist religion, architecture and sculpture. A characteristic of Zen temples is the linear arrangement of their buildings, joined by long stone paths and stairways.



The most popular attraction of Kamakura is probably Kotokuin, home of the Great bronze Buddha statue, second largest in Japan with 13.5 meters.
Cast in the 13th century, the statue was originally housed in a giant temple hall that was washed away by a tsunami.
We were allowed to step inside the statue and to touch the nearly burning walls that have accumulated the heat of a whole summer.


We walked a lot that day, and our final destination was Hasedera. There are several "attractions" in Hasedera, including Japan's largest wooden statue of Kannon, or, more impressive to me, Sentai Jizo (the thousand Jizo). Along the step leading to the main hall there are countless statuettes of Jizo, the guardian deity of children. It is therefore a place dedicated to "lost children", or stillborn babies and aborted fetuses.

from Hasedera you can also enjoy a view on Kamakura city and bay, a somewhat standard Japanese panorama, if I may say.

There are many more photos of Kamakura in my "pictures" link, check it out!