Japan – Asenjo-ji Temple, Meditation, Ikebana, Home concert, and Okonumiyaki

I mentioned in a previous post that I participated in some sumo wrestling, and here’s the proof! (I tried using distraction as a ploy, but that didn’t work! This guy was as sturdy as a tree!)

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What an amazing day we had today! After breakfast, we rode in our bus to the Arashiyama area, a serene and peaceful scenic place. We boarded a punt boat that would take us down the Oi river to visit the Asenjo-ji Temple.

A punt boat is a flat-bottomed boat designed for use in small rivers and shallow water. The men (punters) of the boat, propel the punt boat by pushing against the river bed with a pole. We were lucky that the river wasn’t too deep today, since if it was, the poles would not be long enough to push into the river bed to propel the punt boat along.

The scenery along the river was bucolic, with the different shades of green in the trees as spring is just beginning to blossom. There were ducks that followed our boat along the way, and they had gorgeous feathering. We also saw some cormorant in the river as well.

After about a 20 minute ride, we arrived at our destination – the Senko-ji Temple, to meet, meditate, and chant sutra with the monk who lives there.

We had to climb up 240 steep winding steps to the top of the mountain, a feat not for the faint of heart. We all made it, stopping a few times along the way to catch our breath, and to admire the foliage.

At the top, we were all given the opportunity to ring the temple bell three times, by drawing back the rope and beam hammer to make a beautiful sound that carried over the surrounding mountains. We climbed the last few steps and were greeted by the monk. We removed our shoes, and entered the reception hall, where we sat on benches to listen to the monk, who told us about Zen Buddhism and the concept of seeing one’s true nature by trying to understand there is no “I” – that our true nature is empty and willing to accept.

The monk told us how he has trained for years to try to become enlightened, and then he chanted sutra, while giving thanks for our safe travel to Japan, and for our safe return to home. He then guided us through meditation. We sat quietly, practiced our breathing, and focused on a spot three feet in front of us. We breathed in and out slowly to the count of ten, and then we started the count again. We tried to empty our minds of all thoughts. It was very peaceful and gave us all a sense of calm.

We then were given matcha powder with hot water, and after frothing it, we drank it along with a sweet candy, made of red bean paste. (Just want to say, once again, I excelled at frothing, since the monk went by me, peered into my mug and said, “Very good!” I mean c’mon…the monk even said I did good!! 😂)

After our enlightening visit with the monk, we had lunch and then it was off to learn about the history of Ikebana, the art of flower arranging, from a professional Ikebana instructor. Our instructor was a renown Japanese florist, who specializes in the art. Some of his arrangements have been requested by very popular and influential people in Japan.

The florist owner talked to us about flower arrangements, how to arrange the flowers with regard to height, color, length, and of course, incorporating simplicity.

We worked in pairs, so Allan and I worked together, and we were given a bowl, a vase frog, and a clipper. The instructor then presented us with branches of pussy willow, chrysanthemum stems, tulips, and some greenery. He taught us how to open certain flowers, like the chrysanthemums, by rubbing a finger into their centers, how to bend the pussy willow branches, and how to cut the bottoms of all the flowers and greenery…some on an angle like the pussy willow, some straight across like the tulips. He also told us that using sake, will extend the life of the arrangement much longer than using plain water. Huh!

Allan and I had fun positioning the flowers, measuring the length of the pussy willow so that it was about two and a half times the width of the bowl, bending the pussy willow branches into a pleasing arc, and then filling in the other flowers, keeping in mind simplicity.

When we finished our arrangement, the instructor critiqued our efforts. He told us that he loved the way our pussy willows curved and our placement of the other flowers. The only suggestion he had was to cut the other flowers down a bit more. We did that and our final creation met with his approval. It was a very informative lesson, and the knowledge I learned will apply when I’m arranging flowers in the future.

We rode back to our hotel and only had time for a quick bathroom break, as some of us had opted to attend a concert, and we had to take the city bus to get there. The bus was very easy to navigate; you get on the back of the bus, and when your stop comes, you press the button alerting the bus driver you want to get off, and then you walk to the front of the bus with your pass, tap it, and get off. We used the same pass that we were given for the subway rides that we had taken.

We arrived at the home where our private concert would be, and we were greeted by the musicians, a man and his wife. The wife played the koto, a string musical instrument with 13 strings, and she knelt down by the instrument and played the most beautiful and serene song – the notes zen-like. She has been playing the koto for over 65 years and she also teaches how to play it, to try to keep the tradition alive.

She also played the shamisen, a three stringed instrument that originally used to accompany kabuki. The instrument had a long thin neck, and had a beautiful sound when strummed.

The man then came out in costume and played the Shakuhachi, a Japanese flute made of bamboo. This type of music was traditionally performed at the imperial court. He played some songs for us and finished with Amazing Grace, and as the last notes of the haunting melody floated in the air, we were all hypnotized by this unique instrument.

They then played a piece together, composed by a young man who wanted to depict the ocean in song, and we were encouraged to sit back and use our imaginations to feel what the song was saying to us. It was beautiful, and you could almost feel the waves of the ocean crashing, and then receding, leaving its footprint in the sand.

It was a unique experience and we were so happy we were given the opportunity to be part of it.

After the concert, we took the bus back, and 6 of us went to a nearby restaurant to eat Okonumiyaki, a type of pizza/pancake consisting of a batter and cabbage. It is particularly popular in the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka.

And what a feast it was! First, we were served delicious fried potatoes, followed by grilled octopus, with shrimp, pickled cabbage, and bonito flakes, made of smoked skipjack tuna.
Then came some grilled beef that was flavored expertly, followed by grilled chicken. And then since we were sitting right at the grill, we watched the chef prepare our Okonumiyaki. After grilling the pancake-like batter, with eggs and cabbage, he topped it with a thick and sweet Worcestershire sauce and drizzled mayo for the finishing touch. It was delicious, and I was sorry we had eaten so much before hand, because we were rather stuffed and couldn’t appreciate our Okonumiyaki to the fullest.

And then, as unbelievable as it was, the chef prepared for us yakisoba noodles (fried noodles), with sautéed bacon. It tasted just like a delicious Italian pasta with a garlic flavor, and even though we were really stuffed, we made room for this delicious dish!

The chef ended with making us French toast with ice cream. I know – how could we possibly eat any more???? But eat it we did, and it was delicious. The French toast has a custard quality to it, and paired with the ice cream, it was the perfect end to the evening.

What a day it was! From start to finish, an amazing opportunity to delve into the culture of Japan and all its wonderful sounds, tastes, and beauty.