Ise

Good night dear followers of Japan.

   Today, I decided to end my journey in Japan.
   Since the program ended, I have spent all of my time in the Naiku, talking with people and observing them through everything they do. It is not the way I would choose to spent my last days in Japan, but I do have a master thesis to write and I need information that can only come while observing the people.
   Truly speaking, that was my main goal when I decided to come to Japan. I made questionnaires so thtat I could deliver them to the people in the Naiku and collect valuable information. Unfortunately, some people did not colaborate with me. It seems that seeing a foreigner (which is very rare in Naiku) holding a lot of paperwork and asking questions, makes them very unconfortable. I was warned about this, but confirming it was not a good experience.
   For that reason, I decided to explore the Naiku by myself and observe the people and what they do inside. Also, I decided to ask them questions, without any paperwork in my hands. It was quite different, and I got very good results. Actually, extremly good results! After asking some questions about the Ise Pilgrimage (Ise-mairi) and about the people, I came to a conclusion that completely destroyed my questionnaires. With that, my vision about the Ise-mairi also changed entirely.
   Unfortunately I will not share such conclusions here, for various reasons. After all, that is why I'm writting a master thesis. So, if you guys are interested you can read it after I finish it! I hope you understand.

   In the end, I wrote this post to tell you that my journey is over. I still have my day tomorrow but that will take me, again, to the Naiku for more field-studying. I just wanted to tell you guys that, after all, there is nothing interesting going on, for you guys, in my free days.
   If everything goes well, I shall leave Japan in less than 3 days. I wonder what will the feeling be like, because I still have to say goodbye to all the foreigners I met. Fortunately, I have a pretty long flight with them!

   To my dear followers, thank you very much for reading and for coming to my blog. Again, if you want to contact me just go to my profile on the left side and send me an email or find me on facebook. Hope you guys learned somethings from this blog, as much as I did while writting in it.
   Once again, thank you for reading!

  Diogo here, signing off.
  Sayonara!

So it ends...

Good evening followers of this blog

   Today is March 13th and there is only one day left of this Ise course. Tomorrow it will be the last day that we are going to meet with the teachers and with all the responsibles for the Ise-Program. But lets talk about what happened in this ''last day''.

   Why do I call it the last day? Because it was today that all our duties were completed. My blog responsability ends today and so did the classes and the reports.
   If you read my previous posts, you might remember that I was also occupied with a presentation that I had to deliver today.

   In the picture above, you can see the presentation-room, big and filled with students, volunteers and teachers. I was the fifth person, out of 13, to give my apresentation, which lasted 10 minutes. I decided to talk about my Ise Pilgrimage Master Thesis (which Im writting) and compare it with the Naiku. This idea brought me some interesting points of view, which I will surely write about.

   The presentation went well, and we were all very glad that everything went well for everybody. I must say, I miss my portuguese presentations. I don't dislike them, but they were never my favourite thing. Now I truly miss them.....

   After our presentations, we decided to give some native-presents to the volunteers and the main program responsibles. While I'm writting this post, they must be at home, eating their foreigner chocolates and candies. 

   We caught them by surprise but they did enjoyed it. Unfortunately, some of them realized that everything was going to end soon and they couldn't hold their tears. I was quite surprised to see that level of affection, because I never tought that 3 weeks would be enough for them to really like us. People have that impression that japanese people are cold people, but they are not, at all. They may appear to be that way, but you can truly connect with them....and I do mean truly TRULY connect with them. 

   After this emotional moment we went for a dinner with everyone, including the Ise mayor once again, and returned to our dorms at 9:00 pm. One hour later we had a little '''chill-time'' in a friends room, where we stayed for 90 minutes. 

   It was a day that everyone feared, because some of us got sick during this week and a presentation made in japanese is hard for everyone. Fortunately, we all succeeded.

   My trusthworthy followers, althought my program will end tomorrow morning, with a farewell ceremony, I will still remain in Japan until March 18th, where I will depart back to Portugal. However, I'm thinking about updating this blog during those days, also. Please look forward to it. They shall be our last 4 days in Japan. 

   About my course, I did learned a lot! I know my master thesis will grow with the information I gathered, and with the rest that I still plan to collect. I have never stayed in a foreign country this long and I wonder how will that affect my return. Can't wait for it, though...because I know that I will only realize what I truly did here after I leave. 

   Until then, lets enjoy Japan! 

   I give my thanks to all the teachers and volunteers for this unique experience!! Thank you so so much!! Also, to my friendly english neighours: Lars, Thomas, Sara, Angelika, Izabela, Natham, Maarten, Maximillian, Mujeeb, Joanna, Thalia and Olga - It was nice meeting you guys! Thank you for making this experience even better! I will never forget it. 

Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tune for more!  

One time every 20 years

Good morning my tursthworthy followers

   Today, I write to you earlier than usual, while most of you should be asleep by now. I apologise, once more, for yesterday small post.
   So, lets resume our schedule.

   Monday the 10th, we had a very special ceremony at 9:00 a.m in the Geku (Outter Shrine).

Reconstructed worship building.

   If you remember it, the Geku is one of the 2 most important Shrines in the Ise-Jingû. Believers will enter the gate (Torii), walk the sando (path to the main building) and reach the worship building, which stands in front of the Honden (restricted building where the kami is enshrined).

   In the picture above, you can see the entrance to the worship building area, where photos are not aloud once on the inside. Beyond that pictures Torii, you can see a small building, which is as far as anyone can go, to pray. On the left and right sides of that same building, there's a fence where you can see the big courtyard and a big Torii that stands beyond it. On the far side of that courtyard (lets call it area A), you can see a bigger wooden fence, with a closed gold-decorated door, in the middle, that leads to the area where the Honden lies hidden (lets called area B). Obviously, that area is also restricted to high Shinto priests and the Imperial Family. Or isn't it?

   Actually, the area B is very restricted, but it's possible to go into the area A. I do not know what you have to do to go in there, but apparently only organized groups are aloud inside. Everyone has to be wearing very formal clothes, especially man which are not aloud inside if they are not wearing a tie. 

   

   We went inside, to stand before the Kami.

    

   We left our things at the entrance and we followed a Shinto priest into the big courtyard (area A). In it, there were only 2 enormous trees, one Torii, a little building and a wide area of emptiness. While standing in the middle, we remained in rows of 6 people (2 rows total) and we followed the usual prayer gestures required in a Shinto shrine. Everything lasted almost 3 minutes. 

   For me, it was a very very special experience, indeed. I don't remember if it was windy, I don't remember if I could hear the other people talking far behind me. Honestly, I can only remember the emptiness of a very strange area, that didn't actually feel empty at all. Whatever was in there I do not know, but once you stand still, you can only look forward and see the closed gold-decorated door, expecting it to open anytime. However, the Kami doesn't have a physical form....it doens't need a door anyway.

   After we leave the area A, we were escorted through another path around the Honden wooden fence. After a 2 minute walk, we reached what used to be the old Honden. 

Old worship building.

   That old sacred building was the former ''worship building + Honden''. 5 months ago, it was as sacred as the new one that we just visited (which is an exact replica of the this Old one). Since the old building does not hold the Kami anymore, we were allowed in the area A and B of the Old shrine. It was not has amazing as the first one, because something felt ''missing''. Nonetheless, it was an opportunity to look close into what the Honden really looks like. The new shrine, where we prayed, will serve the Kami for the next 20 years, while the old one will be demolished in the next months. You are only allowed to see the Old shrine in a 3 month window, which is an enourmes previlige. Pictures were also not permited.

   This was the most special event in the entire week, and maybe in the entire month aswell. A very unique feeling, no doubt.

   Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did. It was truly different.

Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!

A lot to see

Good evening my dear followers!

  I deeply apologise for this late blog entry. As you might know, I will have a presentation in japanese in less than 2 days and I have to translate a lot of things. For that reason, I will not post anything in particular today. But I will not leave you guys empty handed.
   I decided to post some pictures here, that I consider to be some of my favoutires, since most of you like them a lot. Please enjoy them, and, once again, my apologies.

Todai-ji

Shinto wedding.

Fom Ise to Nara

Doll-day (3rd March)

Little house-dog

Back to Ise

Kyoto Hotel

Stupendous view in Nara

A bit of Kyoto

What lies between 2 cities

Nara city

   Tomorrow I will post normally. Please look forward to it.


   Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!

Metropolitan Weekend

Good afternoon fans of Japan!

   One more day of discovery has ended and this one was pretty cold. Although we had the sun shinning and not even one drop of rain, the wind was strong and the coldest one, so far. Even snow started to fall, but, unfortunately, it was only for a couple of minutes and I didn't see it.

   Today I decided to show you a little bit of the biggest metropolis that we have seen, in the last 15 days in Japan: the city of Kyoto.

   It takes 2 hours to get to Kyoto, from Ise, and by the time we were arriving, I could only think about seeing the high buildings. Honestly, I am not a fan of big cities, but 2 weeks in smaller towns made me wish for a higher level of urbanization. As you can see in the pictures above, I got my wish fuffiled, 

   However, the best moments, of these big metropolitan areas, happen during the night.

   In the first 3 pictures above, you can see the big Kyoto train station which is attached to a 12 storey mall, with hundreads of shops and restaurants. Once you leave the train, it's very difficult to tell where the station ends and the mall begins, because of all the stairs and hallways and the hundreads of people walking everywhere. In the beggining, I even believed that the station had 12 floors. 

   Unfortunately we only had one night to enjoy Kyoto, which we did, thanks to some small ''Ilumination'' shows.

                               

   And, of course, the most famous night entertainment in Japan: Karaoke

   I truly recommend every single foreigner in Kyoto (or in another Japan city) to go to Karaoke, it's very amusing and fun! 

   But this was just our free-time moments in the city. By no means this is the portrait of the entire metropolitan area, there is so much more that, unfortunately, one weekend can not cover. While in Kyoto, we had a private demonstration of Noh theater, we visited the Gion Shrine and one art museum. Again, those locations deserve their own posts, which I hope to write about, soon. 

   I appologise for the small posts that I have been writting lately. In a few days I will have a presentation that I need to prepare and that has become my top priority. I will still post everyday, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I'am not going lazy with this blog. 

   Hope you have enjoyed this post (check the photo section for more). 

   Today was, probably, the most special day in my entire trip. Why, exactly? Well, I will let you guys know about it tomorrow. Please look forward to it.

Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!

My ''deer'' Japan...

Hello hello my fellow followers!

   I am back!

   That's right, almost two days away in Nara and Kyoto and now I have finally returned to my dear Ise house. Honestly, is good to be back.

   So, Nara and Kyoto: 2 famous cities in Japan, the first for its remarkable Shrine and Temple grounds from the Nara period, and the second one for its traditional and yet metropolitan side. We visited many Shrines and Temples, especially in Nara. 

   But, since there were so many things that I saw, I want to dedicate one post to each of those things.

   Starting by my favourite thing in this entire weekend: Deers

  

   Indeed, their were my favourite experience in this entire weekend, at the Todai-ji (Temple) and the Kasuga Taisha (Shrine). But what is so special about deers? Certainly most of you have already seen deers. However, how many of you have interacted with them like this? 

   A total of 350 deers live within the Nara Shrines and Temples, in their natural environment. As you can see in the pictures above, they are not afraid of people. They walk normally, they follow those who have food or even a piece of paper, they lick your clothes, they enjoy being petted and, a lot of them, even seem to know how to bow, with their necks, after receiving some food. You do not see these deers running from anything. 

   These animals are said to be linked to the Kasuga Shrine, a Shinto building with more than a 1 000 years old, home of 4 Kami. In the past, it was stated that whoever harmed or killed one these messengers of the Kami would face the death penalty. Today, their reputation has messangers still remain and so does the law, except the punishment is no longer that severe.  

Kasuga Taisha

   It's interesting to see the long affiliation that these animals have with the people. In one second you walk behind a person and in the next second that person moves away and you see a big deer coming your way, forcing you to move away aswell. There is really no peace, once you are having a picnic with deers around you. They are not agressive, just really really hungry deers. You do not want to run away with food in your hands, seriously.   

   I wonder how many years it took for these deers to trust the people like this, or how many prayers? 

   They were, really, everywhere and it was a different experience, thanks to them. 

   I am now going to start my last week in this course. It will end in 4 days, but I will only return home at 18th of March. Until then, I still have more things to write about my weekend in Nara and Kyoto, aswell as my last experiences in Japan. Please look forward to them.

   Hope you have enjoyed reading this post. Tomorrow is a special ceremony day, in which we will return to the Geku, as special guests to enter the Honden. 

Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!

Tasty Japan

Good evening my dear followers

   One more day ended for me, but it was not long, this time. Today there was no rain. The sun was shinning, but the morning cold still persisted. The day was filled with classes, with no tours.

   After giving it a little bit tought, I decided to show you guys some of the dishes (that you haven't seen yet) that I have tasted so far, while in Japan.
   Starting with a noodle dish.

   I don't know much about japanese food, but I do know that noodles are made from dough, which is then cut in all type of diferent forms and boiled in hot water. It does seem like a thick pasta and it usually comes with some vegetables. Normally, noodles are meant to be dipped in a variety of sauces. A very famous dish in japan, like sushi.

   Next, we move to a drink called Karupisu

   The look of this drink suggests something similar to milk, or yogurt, which is very close to the truth. Actually, this drink is a soft acidic drink, made with water, nonfat dry milk and lactic acid. The taste is like a soft yogurt in the beggining, and then quickly turns into a sweep milky taste in your throat. Quite nice and fresh, I must say.

   Next, in move to some casual dishes from a Beer-house that I went on Wednesday.

Fresh salad with ham.

Big sausage

Bread with cheese (meant to be melted)

Fries with fry oysters.

Fresh oysters.

   As you can see, it was pretty much a buffet-type of restaurant, but it was not meant for food, but for beer. In here, you could decide to go on a beer run, which makes you pay a price and then you can have has much beer as you wish. This restaurant had 15 types of beer and some of my friends wanted to try them all. I personally tried a beer called Shinto Beer. It didn't have that strong flavour in your throat, it was rather light and sweet aswell. 

   Here is the environment of a night well spent.

                                

   It is needless to say that some of my friends got drunk, funny-drunks I admit. No doubt, an interesting gastronomic and social japanese experience. Many would love to repeat it.

   Unfortunately today's post is short because my weekend is going to be a busy weekend. I will spend it in a trip to Nara and Kyoto, which will make me unavailable to post in this blog. 

   However, do not worry, because Sunday night I will be back and a post will follow up my return, on that same day. Please look forward to it, as I am to post it, because I will bring many many pictures and videos! 

Diogo here, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!