We got to sleep in today!!! Whoooo! Well, we were only able to sleep until around seven o'clock this morning, but it was something. At this point, every second of sleep counts. #allsleepmatters
After breakfast, we were separated by roundtables (RT) before boarding buses. It was a twenty minute drive to Izumo Taisha, one of the most influential and prominent Shinto shrines in Japan. On the way the religion RT, fondly called “Rem Rem,” gave a presentation on Shinto religious characteristics and told us how the world was created according to Shinto philosophy. The story is quite interesting, so I'll share it here on the blog. Before the world existed there were two gods named Izanami, a female deity, and Izanagi, her male counterpart. When these gods used a tool to stir the ocean, several drops of water dripped off their utensil and formed several of the island of Japan. Although Izanami and Izanagi saw that the newly created landmass was good, they were still not content, so they took to their marriage bed. Izanami later gave birth to the rest of the islands one by one. This story is just one of the grand bits of Japanese mythology that we learned about today. We also heard the story about how the gates of hell were sealed with a stone and about how the one of the gods added land to Japan by stealing it from the Korean Peninsula. Shimane prefecture is bursting with ancient stories passed down from generation to generation. There is a deep relationship between religion, history, and life here, resulting in a sense of mystery and intrigue. I, personally, (and I'm sure many others share this feeling) believe that this connection with the local culture and its past is very important and inspiring. We were lucky to be able to learn about this all in person.
In addition to being a famous shrine, Izumo Taisha has a long history and many interesting features. It's official name is Izumo Oyashiro, and it houses Okuninishi-no-kami, the god of relationship building and interpersonal relationships between humans. Because of this god's area of expertise, girls often come to this shrine to pray for marriage or their relationship status. This is prefect for all the JASC-love/relationships.
Since JASC is one of the best programs in the world (...maybe I'm biased...),we were given special access to parts of the shrine that few people aside from the monks ever see. We were privileged enough to be invited to observe a worship ceremony. The entire event, though nearly thirty minutes long, included only one priest, a priestess, and two drummers, all in long traditional robes. After a few moments of Taiko style drumming, the priest chanted a gorgeous melody from a scroll and systematically waved a specially designed flag towards the alter. Then a brightly dressed priestess walked in a tight circle multiple time while holding a rattle composed of a cone shape with bells hanging off of it and a handle draped with long, sweeping ribbons in bold colors. At certain points in her circle, the woman would twist her wrist, sending the shrill sound of bells throughout the large worship hall. After walking in many circles, she shook the rattle in our direction, which I assume was either a purification ritual or a way of blessing us.
After attending the ceremonial event, we were invited behind another special gate. Before we could enter, our leaders had to offer a tribute to Okuninishi-no-kami. This is a very special process that deviates from the norm. Our leaders wore white robes and held a small branch in their hands. We all bowed twice, clapped our hands four times, prayed, and then bowed once more. This process is unusual because the normal process to pray at a Shinto shrine in Japan involves one bow, two claps, and then another single bow. We also received a bit of sake to drink once we entered through the gate. A monk later gave us an informational tour regarding some of the unique characteristics of Izumo Taisha. This included explaining how the roof is made with bark and an overview on the complexities of the shrine's architectural designs. Once the tour ended, we all headed to a restaurant to eat Shimane's special soba!! It was so good. It was also wonderfully cool on such a hot day. Many of us treated ourselves to some refreshing ice cream in an attempt to find further relief from the heat.
We then returned to our lodgings and began the American culture presentation. This was done by a few people who had volunteered long before JASC officially started. The presenters talked to us about certain aspects of racism and then organized us all into smaller groups and mediated discussions. Because JASC has a large amount of diversity amongst its delegates, it was interesting and sometimes saddening to hear people's experiences with prejudice and discrimination. We were also prompted to talk about other race/sexuality related issues such as America's Affirmative Action legislation and the line between harmless jokes and micro-aggression. While it was all engaging, the portion I found especially interesting was the conversation about the relationship between one's personal identity and social labeling. I learned more about the labeling that takes place everywhere, even in the U.S. census, and the sheer amount of labels that Japan and the America have, whether they are meant in an innocent or derogatory manner. Though it was a sensitive issue, all of the delegates worked hard to create a non-judgmental and caring atmosphere, which enabled depth in the conversation because no one felt it was necessary to withhold their opinions.
Once the culture segment ended, the delegates formed their separate RTs and began topic specific discussions like normal. RT time sped by, and soon it was time for dinner. While we typically savor each bite of our meals (food is wonderful), tonight we rushed each bite. The difference between tonight and every other night was the impending talent show!!! We raced through dinner in record time in order to find a spare moment to perfect our skills. It was well worth it too. Everyone spent the evening in awe. Delegates and RTs preformed standup comedy and dance routines. Groups also sang and played incredible musical numbers. Each segment was so creative and skillful, and now the extent of JASC talent has been revealed.
From learning about Japanese mythology, attending a Shinto worship ceremony, engaging in deep discussions, and participating in the talent show (not to mention everything else in between), it was a long and exhausting day. Every day in JASC is a new adventure. Tomorrow will be no exception. So with that in mind, I'm heading to bed. Over and out!
