Sacred Japan
In preparation for a 3-week long photographic tour of Japan, we immersed ourselves in haiku and the Tale of Genji, studied political history, embraced the aesthetic of Japanese garden design, and ate a lot of sushi. Albert packed his two Leica S (typ 006) bodies with the usual array of lenses (24mm, 100mm, 120mm, 180mm and the 30mm-90mm) and Ruth brought her trusty Leica X Vario along with a borrowed Leica Q. Nonetheless, we were not at all ready for the inscrutable complexity of Japanese culture and life. Our trip took us to the temples and shrines of Japan and beyond.
Japan is an island nation, insular, isolated, incredible. What is “sacred”, holy, secret, shrines and Buddhist temples, walk through the cities and get lost in a reverie of gardens, we begin to understand. Shintoism and Buddhism are the two main belief systems in Japanese culture.
Shinto, the older, is less an organized religion, than an ancient faith in holy deities which descend to and are embodied in all natural phenomena – trees, stones, mountains, rivers. The over 81,000 Shinto shrines erected anywhere, are personal and private, or large communal gathering places. They are marked by the distinctive “torii” gate, two vertical posts joined by a horizontal cross-beam at the top, often painted red. Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century, with its complicated cosmology and organized ritual. Among the many Buddhist sects, Zen is perhaps most closely associated with Japan.
Zen Buddhism teaches that the path to enlightenment is found in oneself, in the profound realization that we are each one of us edified souls. Over centuries Shintoism and Buddhism have commingled in the minds and hearts of the Japanese people.
The Senso-ji Buddhist temple, Tokyo’s most splendid and spectacular, first built in the 7th century has been damaged by fire, earthquakes and war but lovingly repaired each time. In the midst of its grandeur we are most impressed by the intensity of the worshipers, by the importance they bestow on burning incense, inhaling and bathing in aromatic smoke, respectfully bowing in a quiet corner before a nearly hidden Buddha.
Pilgrims, Senso-ji Buddhist temple, Tokyo. Leica S006, 30mm-90mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/500 sec
Kamakura, home to 65 Buddhist temples and 19 Shinto shrines, is nestled in hills above the sea, only 50 kilometers South of Tokyo but seemingly centuries away. We have arrived in autumn, when the foliage has turned to dazzling crimsons and crisp persimmon orange.
Children wrapping prayer/fortunes, Hachiman-gu Shinto shrine, Kamakura. Leica S006, 120mm, f/6.8, ISO 400, 1/500 sec.
The highlight of Kamakura is the Great Buddha, the Daibutsu. Approaching on foot, we turn the corner from a crowded street into a large open plaza: here it is, looming large, utterly serene and intensely intimidating, breath-taking. The sheer scale of the Big Buddha is hard to comprehend, 13 meters high, 93 tons and more than 750 years old, this Buddha has been meditating under the open sky in a silent, still lotus seat.
Daibutsu and pilgrim, Kamakura, Japan. Leica S006, 24mm lens, f/8, ISO 400, 1/90 sec.
The red torii gate of the Hakone shrine, so small in the distance, glistens in the rain on the shores of Lake Ashi, standing out majestically against tree covered hills jutting into steel grey water.
Torii gate, Lake Ashi, Hakone. Leica X Vario, 18mm, f/5.6, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec
The Fushimi Inari in the heart of Kyoto, is one of the oldest and most important Shinto shrines in Japan. Its 5,000 red torii gates, lined one next to the other, snake up and around the Inari mountain. This seemingly endless path offers the unique experience of visiting a single shrine or the sense of pilgrimage to many. Climbing, spiraling inside the column of thousands of closely placed gates, we are in a tunnel of vermilion light. In this magical place a photographer captures the spirit of a beautiful young bride on her engagement day.
Fushimi Inari Shinto shrine, Kyoto. Leica S006, 30mm-90mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/500 sec.
Stark simplicity and utter silence mark the Zen Buddhist Mampuku-ji Temple and monastery. We enter our own meditation, beginning to sense what lies beneath the surface. A bare raked gravel garden becomes a vast sea of contemplation. The eye of a monster stares deep into the soul.
Mampuku-ji Buddhist temple, Kyoto. Leica S006, 120mm, f/3.4, ISO 400, 1/500 sec.
Byodo-in temple, Uji. Leica Q116, 28mm, f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/400 sec.
Eyeball, Mampuku-ji Buddhist temple, Kyoto. Leica Q116, 28mm, f/4, ISO 800, 1/10 sec.
Meditation, clearing the mind of all clutter, sitting in stillness, is an essential practice in the Zen path to Enlightenment. We soon return to opulence at the nearby Byodo-in Temple, where the elaborately constructed and flawless Phoenix Hall reflected in its pond stands as a reminder of Japan’s great worldly presence.
Monk in contemplation. Mampuku-ji Buddhist temple, Kyoto. Leica S006, 120mm, f/2.5, ISO 400, 1/350 sec.
Photographing these sacred sites presents technical challenges. Often the light is low, meaning that the S, given its noise-limited effective ISO range, has to be anchored on a tripod for longer exposures and absolutely motionless shooting. Rain and fog are other factors that haunt us on our autumn journey and all cameras are carefully protected – but the closed systems of the X Vario and the Q prove reliable even in damp conditions.
Our first foray to Japan has indeed left us bewildered and bewitched, the sacred in such a special place is subtle and elusive, inviting us to consider another visit.