日本の文化，政治，防衛，宗教，そして防衛力に関して，多くの日本人が多くの時間を割いて教えてくれることにもう一度感謝しなければならない．高位の神官から海上自衛隊の司令官，政府高官，最も尊敬すべき日本のジャーナリスト，ビジネスで成功を収めている人々，そして私のように普通の人々，皆、さまざまな日本の重要な要素について私に説明するために忙しい時間を割いてくれる．
2、3日前，私は重要な明治神宮を訪れた．しかしそのまえに神社本庁にて二人の神官に会った．金曜日にあった人は新しい友人であるが神官になるべく勉強中であった．昨日，彼女はテストに合格し神官になったと今日メールをもらった．おめでとう！
４人でミーティングをした．神官の二名，Iwahashi KatsujiさんとHioki Haruhikoさん．それから私の友人，彼女は２４時間後に神官となる，そして私．
文献では神道は日本の宗教であるという．しかし私が話した神官は，皆，神道は西洋が理解しているような宗教では無いと教えてくれた．神道は深く日本の文化と結びついていて表面的なものではない．例えば多くの日本人は神道信者か仏教徒である．
ある仏教の僧侶は仏教はキリスト教のような意味での宗教とは違うと教えてくれた．しかし仏教の話に首を突っ込むのはやめておこう — これはまたまったく別の哲学の宇宙だ．神道に話を戻す．
だれが神道を始めたのか神官も知らないそうだ．それが作られたものなのかどうかも．それ自身で成長してきたものだろう．何の文献ものこっていない．神道にバイブルやコーランは存在しない．普通、宗教は他の国に移植される．しかし神道は移植しない．なぜなら神道はそれ自体が文化だからだ．
キリスト教，仏教，イスラム教，ユダヤ教，ヒンズー教，は世界中に広まっている．それらは特別な文化に属しているわけでは無い．韓国，フィリピン，ロシア，ドイツ，ノルウェー，日本，そしてアメリカ人のキリスト教徒がいる．しかし神道は日本人のみだ．神道の宣教師はいない．神道はリクルートしないのだ．
神道を知ることは日本人になること．ある人が私に言った．教義は無い．十戒も無い．たとえば神道の神官は結婚もすればアルコールも飲む．ある夜，日本の友人からメールをもらったことがある．そこには神道の神官と酒を飲んでいるところだと書かれてあった．
私がこれまでに出会った神官たちは世俗を超越している振りをしない。（翻訳訂正2015.9、thank you for the information on the Yahoo!）— これまでに世界中で会った人たちと違って．神道の神官は儀式を執り行うが，その多くはタクシードライバーから自衛隊員，医者，主夫，などの他の仕事も持っている．もちろんフルタイムの神官もいる．神社は神道の聖地である．しかしある神官が指摘してくれたが，これは定まらない解釈ではっきりとしたものではない．
神社（Jinja）は神社（Jinja）ある．
普通，聖地（shrine）は墓地などと関連がある．墓地は個人的な聖地のようなものだ．しかし神社は墓地を持たない．だれも神社に葬られていない．（だれとも，そんなに長く話してはいないが．）
靖国神社（Yasukuni Shrine）というよりも，正確には靖国神社（Yasukuni Jinja）というのが正しい．しかし神社（Jija）という言葉を多くの人は知らない．それで日本人は理解していない人と話すときに神社をShrineと訳す．
ちなみに神社の発音は忍者のようだ．金曜日の会話の時に神官のKatsujiは一度カンザスに住んでいたことがあると話してくれた．彼にアメリカ人がうまく対応してくれたかどうか聞いてみた．彼はYESと言った．カンザスでとてもハッピーだったと．（最高のアメリカ人はカンザス出身のこともある．なのでこれは驚くに当たらない．しかしは私は，アメリカ人がKatsujiとうまくやってくれたことがうれしい．最高のアメリカ人はフロリダ出身者だ．私はそこの生まれだ）．
Katsujiの英語は多くのアメリカ人のそれよりも実際に良い．彼には多くのボキャブラリーがあり高い学歴レベルの英語を話す．カンザスでの面白い話をしてくれた．多くの人が彼に忍者のことを聞いたそうだ．実際に忍者のことを知りたがっていたのだ．Katsujiは現代の日本に忍者は残っていないと言ったそうだ．しかし何人かのアメリカ人は彼を信じてくれなかったそうだ．忍者なんか見たことが無いと彼らに言うと，それが忍者が存在する証明だと考えたらしい（やれやれ）
いずれにしろ…
ある神社には神官がいない．ある神社には多くの神官がいる．ある神官は多くの神社に仕える．ある神社は巨大だ．別のは小さい．第二次大戦後女性も神官になれるようになった．戦時中多くの神官が戦い戦死した．それゆえ神官が不足したのだ．日本人は現実的な人々だ．
血は不純を連想させるので月経が問題となっていた（多くの文化や宗教で似たようなことがある — しかしもともと我々の体内は血で満たされているので，このことを不思議に思う．）いずれにしろKatsujiが言うには，およそ２万人の神官がいて，その10%が女性とのことだ．（私の友人を含めて．） このことについては正確に調べなくては．修正も必要になるだろう．正しいものに正しい言葉を．多くの言語を話す国際的な読者に書いているときには，これは時に難しいものだ．理屈抜きで．
神道に神は一つではない．神というのは神霊（spirit）あるいは神性（diety）に対する我々の見方だ．数え切れないほどの神がいる．全てが神聖だ．母なる地球．人は死ねば神となる，良い人生を送れば — ここでやめておく（これ以上は神道のエキスパートの解説が必要だ．）
人は死ねば誰でも平等だ．尊敬された皇帝か，アーティスト，漁師，犯罪者さえも，全て平等だ．面白いことがある — ロサンゼルスの第442連合戦闘団祈念碑を訪れたとき，数千の名前の横には階級など無かった．祈念碑に名前だけがあった．死にあたって，彼ら（我々）の仕事は生きている者を守ることだ．
追記：第442連合戦闘団は日系アメリカ人でのみ構成された第二次大戦中の部隊だ．これはUSの歴史上，もっとも勲章を与えられた部隊である．それは信じられないことだ．USの歴史上，勲章をえることのできたトップ100の部隊に名を連ねることさえ，信じられないことと言うのに．ナンバーワンであるということは，実際，ぞっとする．-- つまり，それは非常に多くの人が戦死したということだ．しかし彼らは信じられないほどの合衆国を守るというスピリットで死んだ．今，彼らはロサンゼルスに合祀されている．
近年，中国と何人かの韓国人は，日本の首相が靖国神社を訪れるのではないかと大騒ぎしている．東京裁判というカンガルー裁判により戦争犯罪者とされた．何人かの戦争犯罪者は，実際，韓国人だ．
中国政府は，まるで日本が好戦的で有るかのようにもっともらしく言う．どちらかと言えば，中国人は自分自身を恐れた方が良い．中国人ほど中国人を殺した民族は無い．中国は自己大量殺戮をした．靖国に祭られているのは神道に従い全て平等と見なされている．
だれも戦争犯罪を崇拝することはない．
韓国人をたきつけて反日感情を植え付けて、我々の同盟関係を分断し征服をたくらんでいるのは中国政府だ．中国は犯罪国であり、犯罪的嘘つきで、それを絶対に止めようとしない．
お詫びしなくてはいけない．今、ジャーナリストを待たせている．このことは予期していなかった．かれはワシントンからやってきた．私は彼に中国がたくらんでいることについて話さなければならない．彼はそれを既に知っている．しかし、かれは慰安婦の要素については知らないのではないか．
今、これを編集する時間がない．タイプミスは容赦ください．
寄付の受付： http://michaelyonjp.blogspot.jp/2015/03/blog-post.html
Japan -- Meeting with Shinto Priests at Jinja-Honcho (Association of Shinto Shrines.)
(I wrote this with one pass and no edit -- big hurry today -- please excuse any typos.)
It is important again to thank many Japanese for taking so much time to help educate me on Japanese culture, politics, security, religion, and military.
Everyone from high Shinto Priests, Admirals, the highest level of government on many occasions, the most respected journalists in Japan, very successful business people, and normal people like me, have all taken time from their busy lives to explain important aspects of Japan.
A couple of days ago, I visited the important Meiji Jingu (shrine), but before that, I met with two Shinto priests at the Jinja-Honcho.
The person who took me on Friday, a new friend, was studying to become a Shinto priestess. Yesterday she passed her test and emailed today that she is now a Shinto priestess. Congratulations!
So there were four of us in the meeting. Two priests, Iwahashi Katsuji, and Hioki Haruhiko. And my friend who 24 hours later would also become a priest. And I.
It is impossible to attempt to understand Japan without some basic idea of Shinto, and so I have met with priests on numerous occasions for long talks.
Some literature will say that Shinto is the religion of Japan, but the priests all have told me that Shinto is not a religion as is understood in the west. Shinto is deeply entwined in the Japanese culture, and is not something painted atop the culture. Many Japanese are Shinto and Buddhist, for example.
Even some Buddhists monks have also told me that Buddhism is not really a religion in the sense of Christianity. But not to go into this trail with Buddhism -- which is an entirely other galaxy of philosophy. Back to Shinto.
According to the Priests, nobody knows who founded Shinto, or if it was founded at all. It may have sort of just grown on its own. There is no book. No Shinto Bible or Koran.
Religions can be transplanted. Shinto does not transplant because Shinto is per se part of the culture.
Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism are spread over thousands of cultures around the world. These religions do not belong to any particular culture. There are Korean, Filipino, Russian, German, Norwegian, Japanese, and American Christians.
But Shinto is Japanese. There are no Shinto missionaries. Shinto does not recruit.
To follow Shinto is to become Japanese, as some folks have told me.
There is no dogma. No Ten Commandments. Shinto Priests can marry and drink alcohol, for example. One night, I got an email from Japan from a friend. He said he was out having drinks with a Shinto Priest.
The Shinto Priests I have met do not pretend to be higher than the world -- the ones I have met are of the world.
Many Shinto Priests perform the Priestly duties but have another job, ranging from taxi driver to military officer to medical doctor to housewife. Others are full time Priests.
A jinja is a Shinto shrine, but as the priests pointed out, shrine is a shaky interpretation and not exact.
Jinja is jinja.
A shrine normally is associated with something, such as a graveyard. A gravestone is a kind of personal shrine. But a jinja does not have graves. Nobody is buried in the jinjas (well, not so far as I have been told).
So when we hear Yasukini Shrine, it is more accurate to say Yasukuni Jinja, but most people do not understand the word jinja. So Japanese will translate jinja to shrine when talking with people who do not understand.
On a side note, jinja rhymes with ninja. The Priest Katsuji told me during Friday's talk that he once lived in Kansas. I asked if Americans treated him well, and he said yes, he was very happy in Kansas. (Some of the best Americans come from Kansas, so this was not a surprise, but I was happy that Americans treated Katsuji well. The best Americans actually come from Florida, where I am from.)
Katsuji's English is actually better than that of many Americans. He speaks at a high university level with a strong vocabulary. He told a funny story about Kansas, saying that many people asked him about the ninjas. They wanted to know about ninjas.
Katsuji said he told them that there are no ninjas left. He said that some Americans did not believe him. When he told them that he had never seen a ninja, some Americans thought that was proof that ninjas exist. (Good grief!)
Anyway...
There are tens of thousands of jinjas around Japan.
Some jinjas have no priest, and some have many priests. Some priests service many jinjas. Some jinjas are gigantic. Others are tiny.
Women have been allowed to become priests since after World War II. Many priests fought in the wars and were killed, so there was a shortage. Japanese are practical people.
There was an issue with menstruation and that can be problematic for some rituals as the blood is deemed impure. (Similar in many cultures/religions -- we are all filled with blood so this always perplexes me.)
In any case, Katsuji said there are about 20,000 priests, and about 10% are women. (Including my friend!)
I must get this all accurate or I am sure to be corrected. One thing I enjoy about Japanese culture is their ideas for precision. The right word for the right thing, which can be tough when writing for an international readership who speak many languages. No excuses.
There is not one God in Shinto. A kami is our idea of a spirit, or deity. There are endless kamis. Everything is holy. Mother earth. A person can become a kami when he dies if he lived a good life -- I will stop there. (Need Shinto experts to explain more on that.)
When people die, all are equal. It does not matter if he was the esteemed Emperor, or an artist, a fisherman, or even a criminal. All are equal.
This is interesting -- when I visited the 442nd memorial in Los Angeles, there were no ranks beside the thousands of names. Just names on the memorial.
In death, their (our) job is to protect the living.
Side note: The 442nd was a World War II unit comprised of Japanese-Americans. It is the most decorated unit in US history. That is incredible. To be in the top 100 most decorated units in US history would be an incredible thing. To be number 1 is actually a horrific thing -- it means that very many died, but they died with incredible spirit defending the United States. Now they are all enshrined in Los Angeles.
I will have to cut this short as a journalist just flew to Tokyo and wants to grab dinner. Let's close with something about Yasukuni Jinja.
In recent years Chinese and some Koreans have been going crazy that the Japanese Prime Minister will actually visit Yasukuni Jinja. They say that Japanese are worshipping war criminals.
About 2.5 million people and animals are enshrined at Yasukuni, including Koreans and Taiwanese, as example. Some were deemed war criminals due to the kangaroo courts known as the Tokyo Trials. Some war criminals actually were Korean.
The Chinese government makes it out to be as if the Japanese are evoking spirits of war. If anything, the Chinese should be afraid of themselves. Nobody kills more Chinese than Chinese. Chinese made a self-genocide.
All those enshrined at Yasukuni are considered equal as this is the Shinto way.
Nobody is worshipping war criminals.
That is just the Chinese government exciting the Koreans and germinating hatred so that China can divide and conquer. China is a criminal country and criminals lie and never stop.
My apology. The journalist is waiting and I did not expect this. He is in from Washington and I want to tell him what the Chinese are up to. He already knows it, actually, but I think he does not know about the comfort women component.
I do not even have time to edit the above. Please excuse any typos.
7 comments:
Thank you,thank you!!
I had a feeling that our loneliness was healed. Thank you!
Kami (Shinto's God) dwells in all things of the nature. It's called "Yaoyorozu-no-kami" (8 millions gods). It may seem primitive animism. In actually it's said that the origin is able to be traced to the Jomon period. And, as you know Japan is good at holding the tradition and to refine it.
The origin of Lacquerware was China, but it was decline at there. Although even in Japan, there will be obsolete others, many tradition is maintained. Superficially, It decline and doesn't appear in the center stage in many case. But one day, it is frequently linked with other things and revived as something new.
This is a mediocre opinion, but it seems that mind of Japanese that to care about something toward the nature is influenced by the climate. Japan is basically warming and soil is rich. Desert does not exist in there. There are many river and it is island nation surrounded by sea. From these, people has been able to receive a lot of grace. And there is color of clear four seasons. However, at the same time, it is mountainous land and there are many natural disasters like typhoon, earthquakes, tsunami, eruption.
Thank you for your efforts in seeking the truth of Comfort Women issue. We appreciate it very much. We can't thank you enough.
Thank you so much, your words will explain our Japanese soul, which is very difficult to understand for foreign people.
I have a cousin who used to work at a Shinto shrine. I once asked her about the Shinto abhorrence to blood and she told me that blood is considered to be equivalent to "vital energy" and any blood found outside the living body symbolizes or is suggestive of death and so must be avoided. After my uncle (her father) died, she was not allowed to come back to her job for 3 months, until she was rid of the impurity of death.
靖国問題に言及するには、まず神道が何であるかを知らなくてはならないと仰っていました。個人的な見解ではなく、神社本庁とのミーティングが実現でき、また、正しい見解を世界に向けて発信してくださることの有難さに心からの感謝を。
Why Japanese Prime Minister can't go to Yasukuni Jinja.
Thank you for your understanding of shinto. Japaense PM should go to Ysukuni Jinja and pray for all victims, and of course for fallen soldiers. Japanese have right to go and pray for fallen soldiers.
Japanese should pray for fallen soldiers. If they didn't protect Japan, I wasn't born in Japan.They gave me the life here in Japan. They protected future Japan and Japaense.
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