Ise, a sacred place for Japanese people

Japan's sacred place, Ise Jingu

Ise Jingu is a sacred place for the Japanese with a history of over 2000 years.
The buildings themselves are rebuilt every 20 years,
so the techniques and traditions are passed on.

In August 2022, I visited Ise Jingu for the first time in 24 years. Ise Jingu is a shrine located in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan, with a history of over 2000 years. Since ancient times, Ise Jingu has been a sacred place for Japanese people to visit at least once in their lifetime. 

Ise Jingu is an old place, but it is new because the shrine buildings are rebuilt once every 20 years. Therefore, in preparation for construction twenty years from now, tree planting for building materials is carried out systematically, and the techniques of shrine carpenters are passed on to grandfathers, fathers, and grandchildren. At Ise Jingu, it is customary to go to the Geku first and then the Naiku.

Futamigaura, a seaside sanctuary for purification

Large and small rocks sticking together like a married couple. "Futami Okitama Shrine" is enshrined on the Futamigaura coast where "Wedded rock (Meoto-iwa)" rises. Before going to Ise Jingu, it is a formal worship since ancient times to visit Ise Jingu with a purified body and mind. 

I felt an overwhelming sacred atmosphere.
Is it also a portal to higher dimensions?

In this tour, due to scheduling conflicts, we visited the shrine after the Geku. The sun had just risen, and the sanctuary was filled with fresh air. I missed it, but my daughter found a UFO (unidentified flying object)  in the sky. I sensed that she was surrounded by a mysterious atmosphere, but it may have been connected to a higher dimension of consciousness.

Isuzu River

The Isuzu River is so transparent that
even the stones at the bottom of the river can be clearly seen.
It's deep, so when you put your hand in the river,
it's important to get on your knees so you don't fall.

The Isuzu River flows through the entrance to the Naiku. The bridge over the river can be said to be a bridge connecting the sacred world from the everyday world. A bridge is a metaphor that connects this world with the other world. If you wash your hands at the Isuzu River before worshiping, you will be able to purify yourself for the purpose of worship.

Oharaimachi/Okage Yokochou

Oharaimachi is a street that runs straight from Ise Jingu Naiku to Sarutahiko Shrine. Okage Yokocho is located in the middle of Oharaimachi. Both streets are lined with food stalls and souvenir shops. After visiting the inner shrine, it feels good to walk along this street while eating dumplings and soy milk soft serve ice cream.

At Henbaya (Japanese sweets shop),
you can buy tea sweets on the 1st floor and drink tea slowly on the 2nd floor.

The azuki bean jelly (yokan) was delicious.

Sarutahiko Shrine

If you come all the way to Ise, you should also pay a visit to Sarutahiko Shrine. The shrine enshrines the god of guidance. It seems to be a good idea to tell God about your life's resolutions. I expressed my ambition that I would like to be aware of myself as a member of the universe as an earthling.

Sarutahiko Shrine is dedicated to the god of guidance.

At the end

Japanese shrines are more majestic in the nature that surrounds them than in the buildings, and Ise Jingu is the largest. Thanks to that, I tuned the waves from big trees, rivers, and rocks.

Musashi‐mitake‐jinja shrine, mysterious area in Tokyo

Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine, mysterious area in Tokyo

There is a mysterious area that can be reached in two and a half hours by orange JR Chuo Line（from Tokyo or Shinjuku to Mitake）, bus (from Mitake to Takimoto station), and Mitake Tozan Railway（from Takimoto station to Mitakesan Station）from central Tokyo. It is Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine and its surroundings.　

 Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine is located on the summit of Mt. Mitake
with an altitude of 929m and is a symbol of mountain worship.

From Ome Station onwards,
the number of trains decreases,
and the time flows slowly.

Early in the morning on weekends, 

passengers head for Mt. Ontake using the train.

Behind the main shrine of Musashi Mitake Shrine,
there are many historic shrines.
It is a good idea to visit each one.

Stroll around Mt. Mitake

After getting off the Mitake Tozan Railway at Mitakesan Station, it takes about 30 minutes to walk to  Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine. 

The air is fresh in the early morning forest bathing. It is also good to listen to the chirping of wild birds. 

The dense fog that rolls in from the trees is very mysterious. 

There is a huge zelkova tree on the way.　It is called Mitake no Jindai Keyaki.  According to one theory, the tree is over 1000 years old.

This giant zelkova tree is considered a sacred tree.

There are many temple lodgings in the mountains in this area, so staying overnight is recommended if you want to take your time and explore the area. In addition to the shrine, there are various destinations such as Rock Garden, Ayahiro Waterfall, Nanayo Waterfall, Mitakedaira, etc. 

The vivid green and soft moss is mysterious and beautiful.

Mitake Gorge Trail

Here along Mitake Gorge Trail,
large rocks and precipices combine
with greenery and clear streams,
creating an abundance of nature.

On the way back, it is good to walk instead of using the bus.
After exiting the torii gate at the entrance of the mountain,
there is a promenade along the Mitake Valley.

There is a Mitake Gorge Trail. It takes 3 hours to walk the entire course.  The sidewalk is narrow, so be careful not to fall. 

The sidewalk is narrow, so be careful not to fall.

The valley is also a mecca for rafting (rapid rafting on rubber boats) and canoeing. Thankfully, there are toilets along the way. 

There are several toilets along the trail.
The toilets are well maintained and comfortable.

There are also cafes and restaurants along the valley where you can enjoy the scenery. I especially recommend Sawanoien. There are sake breweries, sake tasting, kaiseki cuisine (a traditional Japanese multi-course meal), cafes, and galleries, etc.

There is an entrance to Sawanoien
from Mitake Gorge Trail near Sawanoi Station.

It's easy and comfortable to buy a meal ticket for
rice balls, oden, udon, soy milk, sake, etc.
from a vending machine,
and eat at a table with a parasol
while enjoying the natural scenery.

At this garden’s café,
you can enjoy soymilk latte and soymilk cheesecake
while overlooking the clear stream.

Summary

The area around Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine is a mysterious area that is easily accessible from central Tokyo. When I go there, I feel like the unnatural time that I was used to is returned to nature. Life is not that long, so I want to spend more time enjoying the nature of the earth.

Gluten-free meal with rice

Gluten free

"Gluten-free diet" has become a hot topic in Japan as a diet practiced by professional tennis player Novak Djokovic. Gluten is an ingredient made by adding water to flour and kneading it. I heard that eating flour makes me feel tired and gains weight, so I try to avoid flour as much as possible.

Usually, it takes a lot of labor, fertilizers and pesticides
to make flour. Is it natural?

After eating a dish that uses flour, I get heavier.
Does that mean I'm full or bad for digestion?

Use rice instead of flour

Originally I love cooking with flour. Pizza, spaghetti, pies, etc. But if you use a blender to grind the rice into small pieces, you can use it like flour.

Ingenuity that does not use eggs and flour

I often make okonomiyaki with rice flour. Okonomiyaki is usually made by dissolving chopped vegetables, eggs, and flour in water and baking. But I don't use eggs for the okonomiyaki I make. Add salt when making rice flour from rice in a blender. Salt has a hardening effect. Then mix the kudzu powder. Kudzu powder is also a component of traditional cold remedies. I like cheese, so I put cheese on it and eat it with melted cheese. Rice is usually cooked and eaten, but if it is made into rice flour, it becomes like wheat flour, so it is very useful for gluten-free meals.

Gluten-free diet for my proper weight

What made me happy about continuing my gluten-free diet was that I was able to maintain my proper weight. Thanks to that, I don't have to think about weight management these days.

What if you want to eat pasta once in a while?

Last week, I ate Italian food for the first time in a long time. It's my favorite Italian restaurant. It was delicious, but I was so heavy that I had a hard time walking after eating. After about a week, I returned to my original condition. Still, I wanted to eat delicious Italian food. So, in order to maximize the happiness of my life, I decided to use rice as a basis and impose a rule on myself that I could eat flour several times a month. It's best to do everything in moderation.

I sometimes want to eat delicious Italian food.
Moderately OK.

There are various kinds of rice

Actually, there are various types of rice. I learned that light varieties of rice for natural farming are good. The Japanese began to prefer chewy rice after the war. And chewy rice requires fertilizer. It interferes with the natural activity of soil microorganisms. That's why I get light varieties of rice sent directly from the farmers. Such farmers have a deep understanding of the providence of nature. There are few such farmers, but I want them to continue. Flour may be good for the body if it is an old variety.

The types of rice are roughly divided
into light type and chewy type.

                              

Conclusion

A gluten-free diet is easier to achieve with rice. I realized that a gluten-free diet is certainly good for your health. Moreover, it helps to maintain a proper weight. But I eat delicious Italian food several times a month. This is because you can't enjoy happiness unless you do it moderately. Older varieties of rice are better. Rice varieties that require a lot of fertilizer are unnatural.

Midsummer Tokyo shrine

A shrine where people gather even on a midsummer day

On Saturday, June 25, in central Tokyo, the maximum temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius. Even so, worshipers were scattered around at Tokyo Daijingu, a shrine famous for its marriage. There were about 10 chairs with straw cushions on wooden logs in the precincts, and there was a shade on the ceiling. Furthermore, fog was sprayed from above. So people enjoyed the refreshing space. The end of June was the turnaround of the year, and there was also a set of Chinowa-kuguri to remove the evil.

For the remaining six months, I once again swore to myself that I should be honest with myself.

Fog is sprayed from above
at the outdoor resting corner of Tokyo Daijingu,
and it is refreshing even in the summer.

What the privatization of water has brought about

Japan's water in crisis

Japan has many mountains and rivers, so it has been blessed with water. Japan, where tap water is used as drinking water, is rare in the world. It guarantees a minimum of abundance. But the water in Japan is at stake. In the first place, private operation of the water supply business begins with the enactment of the revised Water Supply Law in December 2018. The water supply that had been operated by local governments until then is being privatized. Privatized water services cost more than people's lives.

Japan has abundant forests and rivers,
and has developed technology
while valuing the environment.

Water companies will not repair after an earthquake

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred around 14:46 on March 11, 2011. One week has passed since the earthquake, and the water outage managed by the local government in Miyagi Prefecture has been resolved. However, water outages have continued for a long time in the housing complex in Sendai City, where private businesses manage water supply. Awareness of water is fundamentally different between local governments that protect residents and companies that emphasize profitability. I hope that the current situation of water privatization will change.

Industrial water without environmental measures

In February 2022, it was announced that Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC would "advance" in Kumamoto Prefecture. 

Kumamoto has abundant groundwater, and that groundwater is the basis of cultivation. It seems that the Japanese government has decided to provide TSMC with this precious groundwater free of charge. There are semiconductor manufacturers in Japan as well, but industrial wastewater generated during the production process takes environmental measures. Therefore, Japanese products are costly. If TSMC discharges polluted water without environmental measures, Kumamoto's agricultural products are hopeless.

Japan's clean and abundant groundwater is
the basis of safe vegetables and crops.
Such a relationship with nature itself is ecological.

Summary

Water is a treasure nurtured by nature. Water is an important ecological element such as forests, microorganisms and small animals. To pollute the earth and water is to despise the human race itself. It cannot be converted into money. Be sensitive to things around you that aren't other people's affairs. And let's do what we can.

Beyond Agriculture that Lasted more than 10,000 Years

Mankind stands at a crossroads

Even though human beings are a nuisance to the earth, the earth accepts humans.　However, it's about to reach its limit. It is beyond the permissible limit, and I think that human beings will disappear from the earth as it is.　It's time to change common sense.

Beyond common sense of agriculture

It's time to change common sense. One of them is agriculture. Humans have engaged in agriculture for more than 10,000 years. By clearing the forest, they have grown wheat, rice and vegetables. And plowing became a living business. At that point, people were eager to artificially control nature. The more artificially controlled it is, the more labor it takes and the less vital it is.

Normally Japanese farming uses many fertilizers and pesticides. On the other hand, some farmers grow safe crops. However, their farming work is generally more difficult than conventional farming. Because they don't use chemicals, they have to pull out weeds and crush insects by hand.

Masanobu Fukuoka's natural way of life

Natural farming practiced by Masanobu Fukuoka（1913-2008) has no artificial control. So he doesn't pull weeds or kill insects. His farm is like a forest, with a wide variety of flora and fauna. And his own dwelling is so small and spartan that it blends into the forest. His way of life, which he leaves to nature, is like a hermit. He sowed clay dumplings made from various seeds in the soil. Clay prevents the seeds from drying out and protects them until they sprout. And each seed naturally sprouts at the right time. He actually tried to green the desert with dumplings of more than 100 kinds of various species in more than a dozen countries such as Greece, Spain, Thailand, Kenya, India, Somalia, China and Africa.

　

Source: Masanobu Fukuoka Talks About the One Straw Revolution

"drying mud seed balls in the shed" by Suyash Dwivedi is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Project by SONY, Synecoculture™ and Augmented Ecosystems

According to SONY SCL, Synecoculture™ is as follows:

Synecoculture is a method of farming that produces useful plants while making multifaceted use of the self-organizing ability of the earth’s ecosystem.  It is characterized by a comprehensive ecosystem utilization method that considers not only food production but also the impacts on the environment and health.

 More specifically, "Synecoculture is a method of open-field agriculture that - without the use of any plowing, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, or anything else except for seeds and saplings - allows for the creation and management of ecosystems that bring out essential qualities of the plants growing in natural state, and produces practically useful crops in ecologically optimized environment." (Source: Synecoculture Manual)

Renewing agriculture to rebuild a broken environment Sony Computer Science Laboratories,Inc.(Sony) (5:46)

I hope the project will spread to the world as soon as possible before the destruction of humankind is certain.

Conclusion

Nature exerts a powerful self-organizing power in a wide variety of combinations. And it is ideal for people to live with nature. If we understand and practice that, I think that human beings will continue to live on the earth.

How Japan regained traditional salt after the war

Salt produced by traditional Japanese methods has been banned for a long time

In 1972, the traditional Japanese salt pans were completely abolished by law. Since then, the salt produced domestically from seawater has been switched to the modern industrial salt manufacturing method, and consumers have been able to remove the components such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium contained in traditional sea salt as impurities.  This event triggered a group of Japanese scholars who are worried about their health and consumers who are interested in food, and started a movement to revive natural salt.

Revival of traditional salt manufacturing and further challenges

The research that began with the clearing of the wilderness was a series of difficulties, but after trial and error, they succeeded in reviving the first sun-sea salt in Japan in 1977. 

However, the Japanese government did not approve the sale of sun-sea salt. And they had to dispose of the sun-sea salt they had made. Therefore, they applied to the government for permission to "distribute members as a sample for research" instead of "selling", and it was finally approved. This was often featured in various media such as television, national newspapers, radio and magazines. The response was great, and the number of members who distributed traditional salt increased dramatically.

The ultimate revival of traditional salt

Without giving up, they repeated daily research and negotiations with the country, and finally in 1984, they revived the traditional sea salt that was concentrated in salt pans and burned in a flat kettle. This salt contains various salts in a well-balanced manner.

Natural salt is finally available in stores

In 1985, the national law to monopolize salt was amended, and the development of traditional Japanese high-salt foods such as miso, soy sauce, pickled plums and pickles began. And in 1989, they founded a traditional salt company.　

Finally, in 1997, a quarter of a century after the total abolition of salt farms, the salt monopoly law was abolished, and the production and sale of salt in Japan was liberalized. In 2002, the salt monopoly law was completely abolished and salt imports were liberalized. Nowadays, a wide variety of salt is on the shelves.

Summary

After the war, traditional salt rich in minerals was banned in Japan. It is the result of the efforts of courageous people to be able to buy traditional salt, which tastes good and is indispensable for health management, at stores.

Traditional salt, rich in minerals, tastes good and is essential for health care. I use it not only for cooking but also for brushing my teeth. 

I pay tribute to the many ancestors who have contributed to the revival of traditional salt.

Source: https://www.uminosei.com/yomimono/uminosei/story/