What's Tohoku in Japan_3?

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Tsunekichi Abe
• type : traditional Zao
• tall : 15cm(6inch)
• max width : 8cm(3inch)

Isabella Bird's View of Tohoku

Isabella Lucy Bird says in her author,"Unbeaten Tracks in Japan"(below *notes marked by me),

The plain of Yonezawa(*town in Tohoku),with the prosperous town of Yonezawa in the south,and the frequented watering-place of Akayu(*spa spot in Tohoku) in the north,is a perfect garden of Eden,"tilled with a pencil instead of a plough,"growing in rich profusion rice,cotton,maize,tobacco,hemp,indigo,beans,egg-plants,walnuts,melons,cucumbers,persimmons,apricots,pomegranates;a smiling and plenteous land,an Asiatic Arcadia,...(LETTER XVIII)

Of-course,she doesn't blindly praise them.She also write much about the situation of poor peasants or wretched places "every daimiyo'(*local lord) town that I have seen has an air of decay"(LETTER XIX).But,

Shinjo(*town in Tohoku) has a large trade in rice, silk,and hemp,and ought not to be as poor as it looks(LETTER XIX)

I can see rugged people of the day in Tohoku in it.And when I read this book,"the scales fell from my eyes" - "the scales" for me was my "pre-existing bias" - the bias of "poor and pitiable Tohoku".Surely "tilled with a pencil instead of a plough",but this was common landscape in other regions in Japan as well.She described some shops provided "villainous forgeries of European eatables and drinkables" in Tohoku,but it even gave me a surprise - they had some knowledge about European food or drink even in rustic Tohoku- although "they would be hurtful enough" - although I also agree to this.

I think her view is relatively objective because she didn't need to have the same "scales" just as we have.So I conclude - "Tohoku was poor,but it was as poor as the other regions".

Then,why they suffered from starving later? - there are many analysis by authorities,but roughly speaking,"the government didn't put a priority on 'welfare' in the broad sense of the term -  including improvement of regional gap or adjustment of industrial structure" - although it is another matter whether such policy was feasible or not at that time.

True Intent of My Boss

"Poor Tohoku" - the reason why I talked about it is not simply because of complaint about unfair treatment - most modern people in Tohoku even seem lack of concern -,but rather because of "defogger" - which enables us to see it clearly and even to offer new insight into it.In that sense,Isabella Bird'book expanded my knowledge about old Tohoku - such as the custom of 'Touji',hot spring cure or aspect of old Japanese inns - first of all,she visited many places where I haven't visited yet! 

Anyway,there was a sequel to my boss's joke.After our wedding ceremony,I asked him -he got much drunk - "was your joke a little risky,wasn't it?"

He replied,"Sure,but that was the result of consideration.I often hear some Aizu people still dislike Yamaguchi people.If I had kept my mouth shut about my hometown,and they had been told from the others about it,what would have happened?" I said,"I don't know".


he acted as if he fell himself to the ground."they might have bawled at me 'you,coward!'and cut me with katana,Japanese sword" - apart from his drunk clowning,he made consideration accordingly.And he added,"cause...Aizu was the region of 'Bushido' - yes,Aizu was famous for its strict Bushido,the precept of samurai,warrior.

I said,"hmm,I see.But if they had raged about your joke,what would you have done?"
He said to me with a grin "you already said,'I commit Seppuku!'.Maybe they would accept it because you-and-me is subordinate-boss relationship.And Bushido values 'loyalty to master'".

He already prepared his risk-hedge! - too regretfully,I should have said another precept of Bushido to him.

"But Bushido also says,'if your master is stupid and unreasonable,you should rectify him'". 

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What's Tohoku in Japan_2?

What's Boshin War?

The above image was quoted from Wikipedia,"Boshin War" and the area drawn with green broken line in it is Tohoku region.

Before taking about it,I'll briefly summarize the modern history of Japan.

1. 1603 to 1868 :Era of Edo - feudal regime by Tokugawa Shogunate
2. 1868 to 1945 :Era of "Imperial Japan" -until the defeat in WWⅡ
3. 1945 to Present:Era of modern Japan

Disaffected people -mainly people in south-west region in Japan,who knew the global dynamics of the day - overturned the Tokugawa feudal regime and established the new government of constitutional monarchy in 1868 - "Imperial Japan".

Boshin War occurred in 1868-1869,which was a string of wars to overturn Tokugawa and to hunt down its supporters.And Tohoku was much involved in it as "rebels".

Most clans in Tohoku were allied together right after the surrender of Tokugawa.The alley was originally intended not for "fight against the new government",but for "petition for them" - to ask them for mercy to Aizu clan and Shonai clan,both in Tohoku,positively involved on the side of Tokugawa.Both clans declared the intention to yield to the new government after the surrender of Tokugawa -but "it was too late".

The new government refused the petition.Instead,they even ordered the other clans in Tohoku to hunt down Aizu because they regarded Aizu as "the worst war criminal" - actually,Aizu had strongly fought against them until the surrender of Tokugawa.So Aizu was the most punishable enemy to them.

Finally,Aizu totally surrendered after strong and cruel wars and the other clans in Tohoku also surrendered.And It was Choshu clan that had the strong initiative in the new government.

(Actually,even still,this is one of "touchy subjects" in Japan - here are too many historic contexts and too many miserable stories that "may or may not be true".I intend to note only minimum level of facts).

So,my boss's joke was based on this historical incident -"I come from Yamaguchi prefecture,old name 'Choshu' and I know you come from Fukushima,old name 'Aizu'.We were mutual enemies about 100 years ago,But now here,we've just signed a peace cord!!".

The Image of  "Poor Tohoku"

This brought a negative image about Tohoku to many other Japanese -"uncivilized".They thought that Tohoku people were so barbaric that they went against the tide of the new government.Actually,there were many old records left in which their customs or manners or even their dialect were described as uncivilized - this is just a stereotype of "Losers are always in the wrong".

What is worse was that several natural disasters struck Tohoku in 1910s-1930s,and the people starved.These determined the image of "poor Tohoku" - "To show pity is felt as a sign of contempt because one has clearly ceased to be an object of fear as soon as one is pitied"(Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche," the wanderer and his shadow") - quite literally,most Japanese mindsets for Tohoku changed to "pity".

But "really always poor?" - there is an old book about Tohoku,written by an English writer who traveled in Tohoku in 1878,in the early in the era of Imperial Japan - "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" by Isabella Lucy Bird.

It taught me another aspect of Tohoku.I'll talk about it next time.

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What's "Tohoku" in Japan?

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Kin-ichiro Sasaki
• type : traditional Nukuyu
• tall : 31cm(12inch)
• max width : 7cm(3inch)

The other day,one of my friends who know I love kokeshi - I'm not so naive as to tell anyone about my kokeshi-liking.Because it comes to light among my friends,they will surely wonder about,and quiz me - some of them might even take me away "in order to reform me".Anyway,she asked me,"kokeshi is really cute! but Tohoku was poor at that time?" I replied,"Yes,they 'were' poor,but I'm 'still' poor" - actually,I just had little time to talk to her.But then,I thought about her question,"Here we go again..'poor Tohoku'".Of-course,I know very well she meant no offence.

"Tohoku" - the word has originally a meaning of geographic direction "north-east" in Japanese,and it has another meaning of "north-east region in Japan".The word "region" includes not only geographic areas,but also areas with its own customs or historical background.And most Japanese think "Tohoku has harsh weather,and the people was always poor" just as she thought -  because we have learnt it at school.I also believed it - until I read other books about it. Apart from "whether poor or not" - I'll talk about it some time - I have a little funny experience.

My wife and I had a matchmaker "at a wedding ceremony" - it was not a "real matchmaker",but "ceremonial and temporary matchmaker". Originally,matchmakers are the ones who arrange introduction or give advice on marital life in Japan,but they are also often needed only for a kind of special guest in Japanese marriage ceremony style - this is a kind of custom in Japan,although it is not as popular as it used to be.We asked my boss for our ceremonial matchmaker in our marriage - this style of  "asking one's boss for ceremonial matchmaker in marriage" was also popular custom in Japanese domestic companies.He accepted it.

On the day of our marriage ceremony,we introduced him to my wife's parents and relatives.After a short formal greeting,my boss said to them.  

"I come from Yamaguchi prefecture,old name 'Choshu' and I know you come from Fukushima,old name 'Aizu'.We were mutual enemies about 100 years ago,But now here,we've just signed a peace cord!!"

All of those present dropped their jaws -"What is he talking about?" After a moment,I just got it! - his joke.But I was a little slow to realize it - one of my wife's relatives was already set for his reply .

"Sure,but it's something in the past.Now,Japan is a peaceful country,and I have also some friends in Yamaguchi,who are fellows in my company.So,please never mind it.We don't bear grudge any more...".

my uncle-in-low took it seriously!! I had to take an "urgent counter-measure".I said to him.

"I come from nearby Kyoto.So,I'm so afraid you force me to commit "Harakiri" as a member of  Choshu sides.But I'm so sorry I don't know the ritual of it because my ancestor wasn't Samurai". - I didn't know whether this was really effective for him.But fortunately,I'm alive now.

What's the origin of this story? - "Boshin War",a kind of civil war in Japan.And this was one of essential elements to understand "Tohoku".I'll talk about it next time.But still - I love his joke,but I have to say,he was also infamous for ill-timed joker in our office. 

 

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Relax in onsen!

[kokeshi description]

• artisan : Tomio Takahashi
• type : Togatta
• tall : 47cm(18.5inch)
• max width : 13cm(5inch)
• max circumference : 41cm(16inch)

"Touji" a Kind of Balneotherapy

Kokeshi was born in onsen, hot spa area of Tohoku where craft workers had settled in.


Modern Japanese go to onsen for their leisure usually in a couple of days. It is so good, but this is somewhat different from the way of our ancestors.



They rather would use onsen as balneotherapy. This is called "touji(or "toji") in Japanese. So,some people still now go onsen for their cures -if you google such words as "onsen + cancer"etc, you can find some interesting articles. But I am not in position to say yes or no to them.



Touji had and still has the following.

• long stay -usually almost for a month
• self-catering in simple cabin near spa spot
• many kinds of bathing based on their conditions

You may remember some kind of people if you have been to onsen. Some of them take short-time bath(usually for 5-10minutes) over again and again- as if they are doing hard interval training like long-distance athletes towards the Olympic games. Some of them just lie on the floor like tuna -you can see them which are lined up in Tsukiji fish market. Actually they take shower of hot spa steam. And others take "nonstop-onsen", without a rest as if they seems to be boiled octopus.

(and for some reason, they are also often "bald")

Kokeshi in Onsen

All these are just rough sketch of touji treatment.


(I think the third nonstop-onsen treatment is not good for health. And if you try to come to onsen for your care, you had better consult with doctors or some kind of onsen therapists beforehands.)


And the point is, kokeshi has been popular as this custom of touji has been popular. Originally the custom of touji had been only among privileges such as Mikado, Shogun and so such. And most onsen spots are located too far and deep in the mountain to go. To become common needs improvement of the basis. I think that the background of its popularity was due to the significant development of the society at that time.


By the way, Japanese has the custom that they give their new born babies first bath -this is called "ubuyu" in Japanese. So,kokeshi might take an onsen-ubuyu when they was born. Moreover, it is said that some onsen make your skin more beautiful. I get there, this is the just secret that kokeshi keep their looks!!(*) -Anyway, now I will admire Mao Asada for her challenge although she didn't win the gold medal. I think what she need is to take some time off -to relax in peaceful and comfortable place and...to take an onsen!



(*)No water with kokeshi! We have to keep wood works away from water.

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