Tradition

It goes without saying that Japan is a country rich in tradition. Traditional dress can still be seen in a public setting. The traditional foods are still served (although many variations can also be found). The traditional ceremonies and festivals are still performed and widely celebrated. I am in Japan at a great time of year. Last month was the Kurama Fire Festival, which remains very traditional and culturally untouched (except for the hoards of Japanese and foreign visitors with cameras of every shape and size, pushing their way to the front of the crowd, the front of the train, and the front of the action). Pictures of that festival can be found on my Picasa site. This month, several temples and shrines open their doors for several days to visitors. In an attempt to preserve the rich culture that these invaluable places hold, they are virtually untouched from their original states, and are open to guests only two times per year. Also in November, on the 15th, is a tradition in which children that turn 3,5, or 7 participate in. It is called Shichi-Go-San, and throughout Japan you can see children dressed in hakama and kimono (many times for the first time- as tradition has been since the nobles began this in the Heian Period). Since November 15th falls on various days, it is celebrated the weekend closest to the date. We saw children dressed up all over Kyoto as their right of passage was celebrated.

So in this country of rich historical tradition, how does the new balance with the old? I also visited the Kyoto Station bulding last weekend- the first weekend in November. I was surprised to find an enormous Christmas tree, glittering decorations, and American holiday music playing. It seemed that the new was impeding on the old; creating a tension between the traditional Buddhist and Shinto traditions and the new traditions that are rooted in Christian and other world religious beliefs. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Japan is a country that embraces new and old with equal excitement. Tokyo and Osaka are great examples of this phenomenon. Modern skyscrapers share ground with ancient temples. Gay pride parades attract just as many visitors as traditional festivals. The Japanese have learned to live in the past, present and future simultaneously. The little girl at Fushimi Inari illustrates this perfectly- a kimono for the past and a balloon to represent a more modern childhood. Her parents ready with a camera and several cell phones to document the traditional ceremony added to the modernity of this thousand year old tradition.