#nara

20260711

The Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai Translation of

ONE THOUSAND POEMS. With a New Foreword by Donald Keene

From the Preface

On Buddhism influence

When Buddhism was officially imported, it produced repercussions far more profound than those caused earlier by the introduction of Confucianism. Buddhism came as a distinctly new religion to confront the native cult of Shinto, whereas Confucianism was largely a system of moral teachings.

Buddha was, it was contended, a strange god from a strange land who would compete with the deities of the nation. Acceptance of Buddhism would incur the displeasure of those gods of old and invite calamities to fall upon the country. In the face of bitter opposition and dire warnings, Prince Shotoku displayed both wisdom and statesmanship by accepting Buddhism, as he had accepted Confucianism before, when he installed the alien god in the pantheon of native deities.

The prince himself welcomed and fervently embraced the new faith so that it might be made, together with the continental culture behind it, an important factor in national progress and enlightenment. It is this progressive policy of tolerance that won over, as it did repeatedly thereafter, the temporary opposition from conservative and reactionary forces, and laid the foundation of the Japan that was to be.

From the Taika era to the Tempyo era, the above policy of Prince Shotoku was followed. What was expected, then, of Buddhism was that it should provide the country with guardian deities and patrons of national well-being and progress. In this spirit, “provincial temples” and also the Great Buddha at Nara, which constitute the most conspicuous monuments of those times, were constructed.

Similarly, the Sutras of the Golden Light (Konkomyo-gyo) and of the Benign King (Ninno-gyo) were, in all probability, taught, read, and copied more widely than any other of the numerous Buddhist books. After all, these were more or less cultural enterprises, differing little from the compilation of books and the decoration of the capital for the basic purpose of rendering Japan a happier land to live in.

The external manifestations and proselytizing methods thus preceded the spiritual penetration of Buddhism. The view of earthly existence as one of sorrow and pain, the ardent desire inspired thereby for deliverance, the idea of karma, and the practice arising therefrom of pious dedication—these phases of the new religion receive few direct references in the Manyoshu, although Buddhist thoughts and allusions are scattered here and there.

Clothes

Let us turn first to clothing. The common materials in use were fabrics of taku (paper-mulberry fibre) and hemp. In the finer class stood silk, while the coarsest material was cloth woven of kuzu-vine fibre (Pueraria thunbergiana). Furs were rarely worn.

Most fabrics were plain, but there also existed the much-prized native weave of striped patterns called shizu, along with various richly figured silks obtained through weaving methods previously imported from Korea and China, such as aya (twill) and nishiki (brocade), or even a gauze “shining like the wings of a dragonfly.”

A primitive mode of dyeing was retained in suriginu (“rubbed cloths”), so called because they were produced by rubbing fabrics with seasonal flowers or leaves such as bush clover (Lespedeza bicolor), iris, and “mountain indigo” (Mercurialis leiocarpa). At the same time, dyes for red, purple, green, blue, black, and numerous intermediate shades were available, making it possible to produce fabrics in many colors. Although common people were usually clad in plain white, colored garments were by no means rare.

The court prescribed different hues and shades for officials and nobles according to rank, so one can imagine the processions of vivid colors moving through the broad avenues of the capital.

The style of dress differed before and after the introduction of Tang customs. Most commonly, both men and women wore a tight-sleeved, relatively short coat. This coat could be unlined, lined, or padded depending on the season. Over it, both sexes wore loose trousers called hakama. Women also added a long skirt (mo) or allowed the ends of their girdle to hang down.

Among special accessories, the osuhi—probably a type of cape or shawl—was worn by both men and women. During travel or religious observance, kyui (leg ties) were used by soldiers, travelers, and workers to bind their hakama at the knees, while women wore hire (scarves) draped over their shoulders.

As for personal adornments, gems or beads of various shapes and colors had been widely used since early times. These were worn as necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, especially by women. Poets often described scenes such as young girls dancing with clinking bracelet gems, or the “Weaver Maid” at work with jeweled bangles on her wrists and ankles, conveying a vivid sense of beauty and movement.

Kushiro, or rings made of metal or stone worn on the arm, were also popular among both men and women.

Hairstyles varied over time. Men typically tied their hair into two knots at the sides of the head or a single large knot on top. Women’s styles depended on age: children wore their hair short, young girls wore it long—sometimes parted and falling to the shoulders—and upon reaching marriageable age, it was either arranged up or allowed to grow even longer.

Both sexes wore combs in their hair, with boxwood combs especially valued as ornaments of feminine beauty. The comb case, together with a mirror, formed an essential and intimate part of a woman’s personal belongings.

In full attire, men of rank wore prescribed caps, sometimes decorated with garlands of artificial or fresh flowers and leaves. A charming custom existed in which both men and women adorned themselves with sprigs of flowers or autumn leaves.

As for footwear, the upper classes wore shoes made of leather or cloth. However, since even the famed “beautiful maid of Mama” is described as barefoot, shoes appear to have been uncommon in rural areas. Simpler footwear for common people consisted of sandals made from rice straw.

Food

Turning to food, the main article of diet was, of course, rice—a staple that was destined to shape Japan’s industrial structure for all succeeding ages and even to influence the religious life of the nation.

Millet, kibi (Panicum miliaceum), barley, and hie (Panicum frumentaceum) served as supplements to, or substitutes for, rice.

Subsidiary dishes included both cultivated and wild vegetables such as wild celery, bracken shoots, yam, lettuce and other greens, onion, garlic, and various kinds of seaweed. Fish and seafood were also widely consumed, including bream, bonito, bass, carp, trout, eel, abalone, crab, and mussels.

Birds such as wild goose, duck, pheasant, quail, and snipe were eaten as well. It is noteworthy that neither beef nor horse meat was used, although whale meat was undoubtedly consumed. The main game animals were deer, boar, and rabbit.

These foods were prepared in various ways—raw, boiled, broiled, or pickled. As this list suggests, fishing was a flourishing industry along the coasts. Hunting was also practiced, though it was often undertaken by the aristocracy as a form of sport or knightly exercise.

The Manyoshu specifically mentions hawking and the “medicine hunt,” the latter carried out to obtain the horns of young deer for medicinal purposes.

Fruits included melons, chestnuts, oranges, peaches, and others. The principal beverage of the time was sake, brewed from rice, which was widely consumed and also used as a sacred offering to the gods.

Housing

Thirdly, housing. Buildings varied widely in size, appearance, and methods of construction, ranging from primitive huts to palaces and temples built according to architectural plans and techniques introduced from the continent.

A rural dwelling typically had logs for posts, with grass or wooden boards for roofing. Its earthen floor was covered with rushes or rice straw. Wealthier families lived in larger houses, sometimes two-storied, with wooden floors, and often included barns and stables. Fences could be made of living bushes or constructed from brushwood, reeds, or bamboo.

Alongside these modest homes stood palaces and temples in newer styles. Although timber remained the primary building material, these structures were built on a grand scale, featuring vermilion-painted pillars and beams, as well as tiled roofs. The mansions of nobles and the wealthy followed similar designs.

In harmony with this architectural grandeur, elaborate gardens were created. These included rocks, artificial lakes and islets, pine, willow, and plum trees, as well as clusters of staggerbush and azalea, and flowers for every season. Mandarin ducks were even kept in the lakes.

With the increasing luxury of houses and gardens, traditional ritual feasts associated with the construction of new dwellings were celebrated with even greater enthusiasm.

'26.6.28 中の禰宜道とその近くにて

この日の写真が続きます。行きと違う禰宜道に入ると、ここも雨の潤いがたっぷり。濡れた木々や、いつもは殆ど水が無い場所が小さな滝みたいになってたりと普段と違う景色が嬉しいｗ

’26.6.28 若宮神社、春日大社にて

若宮さんの軒下で撮りつつ雨宿り。そのうち雨が治まってきたので移動。春日さんの境内を二之鳥居方面へと撮り進みます。