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1. Faith from ancient Japan（the sun and the moon, morning and night）

In Japan, surrounded by the sea and 75% of the land is mountains and forests, the nature is not the life-threatening existence but extremely familiar thing that brings blessings in our lives. People recognized the existence of deities in nature such as mountains, rivers, waterfalls and huge stones which has been worshiped. The sun has been especially worshiped as the existence to bring blessings to all the things. The imperial ancestral deity is Amaterasu Omikami, the deity of the Sun. The moon which lights the darkness at night also has been worshiped as the special existence as well. Mt.Mikasa which is the object of worship in Kasuga Taisha shrine locates at the east where people can view from anywhere in Nara city. The sun and the moon rise from the Mt.Mikasa so that has been worshiped from 8^th century. Abeno Nakamaro, the envoy to Tang Dynasty, went to ancient China and died while reminiscing his home and wrote a poem which has well known today.

 

2. The introduction of Buddhism and the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism in Nara

Shinto which has origins in nature-worship had no specific doctrine. From the middle of the 6^th century, Buddhism had been brought from China and Korean peninsula by the naturalized citizen and it officially recognized from Kudara (ancient Korea) before the temples had been constructed everywhere and Shotokutaishi who had worshipped Buddhism gave a role to protect the nation with its idea. In the 8th century, ancient Shintoism had raised its presence by incorporating the idea of Buddhism. During the process, people believed an idea (called Honji Suijakusetsu) in which foreign religion Buddhism came to Japan changing their figures to be adopted to the Japanese idea, Shintoism. Its faith had become popular which the temples incorporated shrines and vice versa such as Kohfukuji temple to Kasuga Taisha shrine, Todaiji temple to Tamukeyama Hachimangu shrine, Daigorinji temple to Mt.Miwa, Jinguji temple to the typical shrines.

 

3. Shosoin treasures and the handing down the restoration techniques by craftworkers

In 752, the Emperor Shomu constructed the great Buddha containing a wish to protect the nation. The Emperor Shomu offered the precious treasures which had come from the Silk Road at the great Buddha unveiling ceremony. Then the Empress Komyo offered some items which had been treasured by the emperor to the great Buddha after his death to pray for his soul. Shosoin is the place to store those treasures that has been strictly protected with royal seal by the emperors and repaired and passed down by representative craftworkers. They have learned ancient high techniques and improve their skills. That’s why the techniques such as Bachiru works which had been lost in Tang dynasty passed down to this day in Nara.

 

4. The origin of Noh performance and the Way of Tea

Noh and the way of tea are entertainments which is deeply connected in Nara in the 14^th century. The origin of Noh is unknown but it is thought it derived from Gigaku or Sangaku which came from peninsula and Tang dynasty in the 7th century. Sangaku had infused with Japanese original entertainment and became Sarugaku which had been popular among common people and were offered at temples and shrines. In the middle times, the temples and shrines such as Kohfukuji temple and Kasuga Taisha shrine had its own entertainment team and they were called Yamato (the ancient name of Nara) Sarugaku Yonza (literally meaning 4 teams). One of the teams, Yuukiza, had Kanami and Zeami who were well-known as the founders of Noh performances and beloved by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (the 3^rd Shogunate of Muromachi in the 14^th century). The others were also origins of representative Noh performances today, Kongo, Hosho and Konparu.  The way of tea also derived from customs of drinking tea which came from Tang dynasty in the 8^th century. Then in the 13^th century, Matcha and Zen philosophy were introduced with Chinese articles from Tang dynasty which had grabbed the interests of lords, warriors and intellectuals. In the 14^th -16^th century, Ashikaga shogunate preferred the tea style with Chinese articles but common people preferred simply enjoying a bowl of tea in front of the temples and shrines. They were integrated to make it simple and unique tea utensils were used to entertain the guests to make the tea in front of them. The way was called Wabi-Cha style which was originated by Shuko who was a monk in Nara and which was developed by Sen Rikyu in Sakai, Osaka, very close region to Nara.

 

5. About Daijoin Monzeki

Daijoin Monzeki was constructed in 1087 as the special sub-temple in where resided the head priests of Kohfukuji temple, the most powerful temple in Nara.

It was central area for religions and politics in Nara which had been cherished as Mozeki temples that its head priests were from Shogunate, Imperial family or nobles as same as another sub-temple Ichijoin.

In the middle of the 15^th century, the head priest Jinson reconstructed the palace and created the gardens to restore from the devastation by revolt. It is said Jinson selected the present place to get plenty of room for restoration and that is apart from the central area of Chukondo Hall and the Five-storied pagoda in Kohfukuji temple. After a movement to abolish Buddhism in the 20^th century, Nara Hotel has managed it as the garden of the Former Daijoin Temple.

 

6. The garden of the former Daijoin Temple

There is a palace at the west of the garden and a pond with the island located at the east and this is called a style of stroll garden with a pond which had been popular among the nobles from the 12^th century. Zenami who attended on 8^th shogunate Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490) and known as the master gardener designed this garden that has been known as the best garden in capital city, Nara. It was recorded in the book Jinson wrote that representative nobles gathered to enjoy Noh performances after the reconstruction. In the garden there was a tea room named Gansuitei (Hassouan, now exists in the Nara National Museum) which was favored Furuta Oribe, the warrior and tea practitioner and disciple of Sen Rikyu and they had held the tea gatherings. It was said 3 tea room in Yamato (ancient name of Nara) Gansuitei, Rokusouan (now exists in the Tokyo National Museum) and Okiroku (been destroyed after reconstructed in Tokyo).  Furuichi Harimanokami Choin, the first disciple of the tea master Murata Shuko was the liegeman for Daijoin in where the cultural gatherings were held.

 

7. The stay in Nara

In the early morning, the sun rises from Mt.Mikasa which is the east side from the Kohfukuji temple. It lights the vermillion-colored pillars of Chukondo there and it makes a magnificent scenery which would be almost same as what see ancient people living 1300 years ago. Then people visit to Kasuga Taisha shrine to worship and also Sangatsudo, Nigatsudo in Todaiji temple to see the downtown of Nara city in the daytime. There are less visitors in the morning and they can feel eternal time from long history in Nara as they stay overnight.