Morimura Yasumasa A Requiem: Art on Top of the Battlefield

What was your 20th century like?

Morimura Yasumasa is an artist known for self-portrait photos in which he poses as models in famous paintings or movie actresses. In an exhibition titled "A Requiem: Art on Top of the Battlefield" held at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Morimura poses as famous male figures from the 20th century. Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler, Guevara, and Mishima Yukio in the poster above are all Morimura.



What will you make of his requiem of the 20th century?

Duration: ~2011.4.10
Closed on Mondays(except for March 21) and on March 22
Hours:
Sunday to Thursday 10:00-18:00 (entrance permitted until 17:30)/
Friday and Saturday 10:00-20:00 (entrance permitted until 19:30)
Admission: Adults 12ooyen, University Students 900yen, Seniors(65 and older) and High School Students 600yen, Junior High School and Elem. School Students are Free
Access: click here

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Events around Deer Park (Feb. 2011)

Around Nara Park:

Feb.1(tue)- March 10(thr) Shika-yose (Deer Herding)

With a sound of horn deer gathers to get feeds. Horn plays the Pastoral Symphony by Beethoven.

10:00~10:15 @Tobihino Field (open field near the main approach of Kasuga Grand Shrine)

Feb. 3(thr) Setsubun

Setsubun is a day before a new season, but in general it refers to only one day – the eve of spring. At the turn of seasons evils are believed to come out. On Setsubun beans are scattered through out the country to drive away evils.

@February Hall in Todaiji Temple

14:00 ~ Scattering Beans.

18:00~ Hoshikuyo – a ritual to pray upon one’s guardian stars for peace and happiness of that year. 135 stone lanterns along the way from near Great Buddha Hall to February Hall are lit.

@Tamukeyama Hachiman Shrine (in the precinct of Todaiji Temple)

11:00~ Onda Festival – a ritual to pray for agricultural fertility. In this ritual, rice planting process is performed in Noh style. Afterwards beans are scattered.

@Kofukuji Temple

18:30~ A ritual ceremony to pray for peace and happiness

19:00~ Driving away demons and scattering beans

@Kasuga Grand Shrine

17:30~ Offertory of Bugaku, traditional Japanese court music and dances

18:00~ All 3000 lanterns are lit.

*With donation of 3000yen or more, you can light up a lantern by yourself.

20:30 Gates closed.

@Gangoji Temple

12:00~ Ceremony in the Main Hall

13:00~ Homa Ritual and Ascetic Training (walking over fire)

*You can join the ascetic training of walking over fire if you wish.

15:00~ Scattering Beans

@Daianji Temple

14:00~ Homa Ritual

15:00~ Scattering Beans

*Amazake, sweet low-alcoholic drink, is offered to visitors.

Feb. 8(tue) Special Viewing of Kannon Bodhisattva

10:00~17:00 @ Jiganji Temple (10min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station)

This Kannon Bodhisattva statue is open to the public twice a year. A ceremony is held from 8:00.

Feb. 8(tue)-Feb. 14(mon) Nara Rurie

During Nara Rurie, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple and Kasuga Grand Shrine are open till 20:30. Pathways connecting these three locations are illuminated by various lanterns ranging from traditional stone lanterns to modern artistic lanterns.

*Light-up and Night Time Opening Hours*

=Light-ups & illumination: 17:30 – 20:30

=Fireworks: around 18:00 (*only on Feb. 8)

=Todaiji Temple: 17:30 – 20:30

March Hall is open. *Great Buddha Hall is not open.

Free live music at near by Ukigumo-enchi Park starting 19:00 on Feb 8.

=Kofukuji Temple: 17:30 – 20:30

Eastern Golden Hall and Kofukuji National Treasure House are open.

Five Storied Pagoda is lit up.

=Kasuga Grand Shrine: 17:30 – 20:30

Main shrine is open. All lanterns are lit. There are about 3000 lanterns.

Free live music at Manyo Botanical Garden starting 19:00 on Feb 9 and 10. Feb 10 is traditional Japanese music. Garden is located along the main approach.

Nara National Museum is also open till 21:00 (*but enter before 20:30).

Feb. 15(tue) Nehan-e

February 15 is the day Sakyamuni Buddha died and entered nirvana or Nehan. Ritual ceremonies are held to commemorate this day.

10:00~ @ Honbo in Kofukuji Temple

*Amazake, sweet low-alcoholic drink, is offered to visitors.

Around Horyuji and Nishino-kyo:

Feb. 1(tue) – 3(thr) Syuni-e

Syuni-e literary means “a ritual ceremony held in February”. On behalf of all the people, monks repent sins to Buddha. Some Syuni-e are held in March following the lunar calendar.

@ Saiendo Hall in Horyuji Temple

(Feb.1&2) 13:00~ / (Feb.3) 17:00~ Syuni-e

(Feb.3) 19:00~ Tsuina-siki

*Tsuina means “driving away evils”. In this ceremony three demon figures are drove out from the Hall.

Feb.5(sat) Sanzo-e

10:00~ @ Sanzoin Hall in Horyuji Temple

A ceremony is held to commemorate Sanzo or Xuanzang, a famous Chinese Buddhist monk. He is also popularly known as one of fictional heroes of “Journey to the West” or “Monkey”.

Feb. 11(fri) Sunakake Festival

@ Hirose Shrine (30min walk or 10min drive from JR Horyuji Station)

This is a festival to pray for agricultural fertility. The highlight of this festival is Sunakake – that is throwing and pouring sands at each other. Visitors are welcome to join in Sunakake. Sand symbolizes rain - harder the sand throwing, greater the rainfall and thus richer the harvest.

11:00~ Ceremoney – rice planting play like ceremoney

13:30~ Offertory of Drum Music

14:00~ Sunakake (done 8 times, each is 5 min long)

Feb. 15(tue) Nehan-e

February 15 is the day Sakyamuni Buddha died and entered nirvana or Nehan. Ritual ceremonies are held to commemorate this day.

@ Raido Hall in Toshodaiji Temple

13:30~@ Daikodo in Horyuji Temple

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

The Beauty of Iron Sword Guards

Look at the picture. What do you think they are? (for larger view click here) Hint ... samurai warrior.


This is a picture of iron sword guards. They are exhibited at Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum in Kyoto. Have a close look at them, and find out their elaborate designs and how fashionable samurai warriors were to the detail!

Duration: ~2011.2.20
Time:10:00-17:00(enter before 16:30)
Admission: Adults 500yen, Students (with ID) 300yen, Children(6-12 years old) 200yen, Children under 5 years old are free
Access : click here

~from the exhibition's poster~
Iron sword guards are made by poring melting iron into molds ... that is what many people think. Not true for most of them. Iron sword guards making is much like that of sword blades, formed through numerous heating and hammering. Hardened guard bodies are then sculpted using chisels and hammers.

Sculpting a hardened iron takes a great endeavour. It would take a few weeks to make one iron sword guard, one to two months if the design requires fine, detailed sculpting. Iron sword guards with relief are marvelous iron sculptures.

Enjoy this exhibition, and do remember while enjoying the difficulty and perseverance of sculpting hardened irons.
~~

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

57 Stages of the Tokaido

Reading the title, if you thought "Wasn't it 53 Stages of the Tokaido that Hiroshige, the ukiyo-e artist, created?" - you are right. "57 Stages of the Tokaido" is an exhibition held now in Mikimoto Pearl Island.

Hiroshige's 53 Stages of the Tokaido depicts 53 stages along Tokaido, a road connecting Edo (current Tokyo) and Kyo (current Kyoto) . 4 more stages of Kyokaido, a road connecting Kyo and Osaka, was added to Tokaido to connect Edo (political centre) and Osaka(economic centre) in 1619 - creating 57 stages to Tokaido.

In "57 Stages of the Tokaido", Kogen Mizutani recreates Hiroshige's "53 Stages of the Tokaido" using various seashells. Mizutani is Japan's leading seashell craftsman. 5 original works depicting stages of Kyokaido and the terminal Kyobashi in Osaka are exhibited too. This exhibition also marks a completion of his 14 years long work on recreating stages of Tokaido.


Place: Pearl Museum in Mikimoto Pearl Island(Access)
Duration: ~2011.4.3
Hours: 8:30~17:00(Jan. to March), 8:30~17:30(April to Oct)
Admission (for Mikimoto Pearl Island): Adults 1500yen, Elementary & Junior High School students 750yen

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Spirit of Ink and Brush

One of my homework during winter vacation back in my elementary school days was to write down a New Year's resolution using ink and brush. I don't write it with ink and brush anymore, but New Year reminds me of ink and brush.

The most celebrated artist of ink brush is Wang Xizhi(303-361). He is a Chinese calligrapher lived in Jin Dynasty, and also known as the Sage of Calligraphy.

In Kyoto National Museum, an exhibition titled "Spirit of Ink and Brush - the World of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphies" is held. In this exhibition 110 works of calligraphy and Chinese paintings, including 10 National Treasures and 23 Important Cultural Properties, are on display. Works of Wang Xizhi are included too!




















Duration: ~2011.2.20
Closed on Mondays
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Entrance Until 5:30 p.m.)
Fridays 9:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Entrance Until 7:30 p.m.)
Admission: Adults 1200yen, High School/Univ. Students 800yen, Elem./Junior High Sch. Students 400yen

*****

Ink is one of Nara's traditional industry. Including more than 400 years old Ink company, Kobaien, you will walk by several ink and brush shops in our daily tours.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to Everyone!

Many thanks to all the guests who attended Nara Walk tour last year. And to the guests we may meet this year... we hope to serve you soon!

This year is a year of RABBIT. A year of Rabbit is said to be a year of advancement. A rabbit's jumping ability may be one of the reason to think this way.

What happened in the past years of rabbit?
In 1903, year of rabbit, the first Tour de France was held. The same year the Ford Motors was established. The same year the Wright brothers succeeded in their first flight. In 1927, year of rabbit, BBC was established. The same year Charles Lindbergh succeeded in the world's first nonstop flight across the Atlantic. 1975, year of rabbit, Microsoft was established. 1999, year of rabbit, Euro started.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Events around Nara Park (Jan. 2011)

Enjoy New Year and New Year Events in Nara!

Around Nara Park:

Jan.1 (sat) Hatsumode

The first visit to a shrine/temple in a year is called Hatsumode. Hatusmode is usually done from Jan. 1 to 7. Visit to a famous shrine/temple is very crowded especially from Jan.1 to Jan. 3.

@ Kasuga Grand Shrine

0:00 ~ Gates open with a sound of a drum.

@ Todaiji Temple

0:00 ~ 8:00 The Great Buddha Hall is free of admission. The window on the Great Buddha Hall, through which the Buddha’s face appears, opens.

0:00 ~ Sutra chanting at the February Hall. About 135 stone lanterns are lit to light the way from the Great Buddha Hall to the February Hall.

Jan. 2 (sun) Kofukuji Temple’s monks’ visit to Kasuga Grand Shrine

10:00 ~ Monks at Kofukuji Temple make a New Year’s visit to Kasuga Grand Shrine. Sutras are chanted at the Middle Gate of Kasuga Grand Shrine and at Wakamiya Shrine as an offertory to deities. Monks’ colorful robes are eye-catching.

Jan. 3 (mon) Kagura-hajime-siki in Kasuga Grand Shrine

11:00 ~ Kagura is Shinto’s offertory music and dances. At Kagura-hajime-siki, the first Kagura of a year is offered to deities to pray for a peace of a nation and to wish for a safe offertory of Kagura to deities throughout the year.

Jan. 7 (fri) Syusyo-e in Todaiji Temple

13:00 ~ 14:40 @ the Great Buddha Hall

Syusyo-e is a Buddhist ritual held in the New Year season to pray for a peace and wellness of that year.

Jan. 10 (mon) Ebisu Festival in Kasuga Grand Shrine

9:00 ~ 15:00 @ Sarake Shrine near Wakamiya Shrine

Ebisu Festival on Jan 10 is especially popular in Kansai area. Ebisu is a deity for commerce. On this day, people go to an Ebisu Shrine to get lucky bamboo branches.

Jan. 10 (mon) Bugaku-hajime-siki in Kasuga Grand Shrine

13:00 ~ @ the Garden of Apple

Bugaku is traditional Japanese court music and dances. At Bugaku-hajime-siki, the first Bugaku of a year is offered to deities to wish for a safe offertory of Bugaku to deities throughout the year.

Jan. 10 (mon) Coming of Age Day

Coming of Age Day is a national holiday to welcome youth turning into 20 years old as an adult member of a community. On this day, most municipal governments hold a ceremony, and you’ll see many 20-year-olds dressed up in Kimono to attend the ceremony.

Jan. 15 (sat) New Year Tea Ceremony with XL Size Tea-Cup in Saidaiji Temple

10:00 ~ 15:00 Enjoy tea with your neighbor ... more precisely, with the help of your neighbor. The tea cup used in this tea ceremony is 30cm in diameter! You share the drink with your neighbor too. Drink Fee: 1000yen per person.

Jan. 22 (sat) Mountain-burning event at Mt. Wakakusa

18:00 Fireworks marking the beginning of the event

18:15 Fire up the mountain

A picturesque event of Nara - see the burning red Mt. Wakakusa lighting up under fireworks.

Jan. 23 (sun) Tonndo in Kasuga Grand Shrine

9:00 ~ 15:00 @ Tobihino Field (an open field near the main approach of Kasuga Grand Shrine)

Tonndo concludes New Year’s events. In Tondo, New Year ornaments and old lucky charms, brought to a shrine/temple by visitors during New Year season, are burned up.

Jan. 23 (sun) Cancer Prevention – Bamboo Sake Festival in Daianji Temple

8:00 ~16:00 Daianji Temple is known for cancer prevention. Sasa-zake (Bamboo Sake) offered at this temple is believed to prevent and/or cure people from Cancer. Sake is poured from a bamboo cylinder and drank with a bamboo cup. Sasa-zake 500yen.

Nishinokyo and Horyuji Area:

Jan. 1 (sat) Syusho-e

Syusyo-e is a Buddhist ritual held in the New Year season to pray for a peace and wellness of that year.

＠Toshodaiji Temple

0:00 ~ (also on Jan.3, 18:00 ~)

@Yakushiji Temple

0:00 ~

(2:00 ~ Beginning of YearSsermon; 9:00 ~ till Jan. 3 New Year Sutra Copying Session; 13:30 ~ till Jan.3 New Year’s Sermon)

Jan. 1 (sat) ~ Jan. 3 (mon) Worship of a Buddha’s Relic in Horyuji Temple

13:00 ~ @ Shari-den Hall (near the Hall of Dream)

In this ritual one very legendary relic is worshiped. Prince Shotoku, the father of Japanese Buddhism, has many legends. When he was 2, he said a prayer and a Buddha’s relic appeared on his palm. On these days, you can see this legendary relic. Also hidden pictures depicting Prince Shotoku’s life are open to the public.

Jan. 8 (sat) Reading of the Great Prajna Sutra in Yakushiji Temple

11:00 ~ Reading of the Great Prajna Sutra is held every month on 8^th day. The main object of worship in Yakushiji Temple is Yakushi (Medicine) Buddha. 8^th day is a day for Yakushi Buddha in Yakushiji Temple.

Jan. 15 (sat) Reading of the Great Prajna Sutra in Toshodaiji Temple

The Great Prajna Sutra consists of 600 volumes. All 600 volumes will be read.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide