 The Izumo
no Kuni
|
|
I love Japan! Of course I am from the small city of Matsue, which is
located in the northwest of Honshu and in the country.
|
|
It is the most beautiful country that I have ever found, accounting
for the fact that I have lived here for over 30 years. (By the way, I've
spent more than half of my life out of the states. I've lived in places
like, India, Africa, Burma, Nepal, Philippines, Korea, Japan, most of
the states, etc. It's been mostly in Japan, I'm happy to say.)
|
|
The most important feature of this charming area is that it is a cultural
center unmatched anywhere.
|
|
The archeological history dates back to the Jomon Era (12,000 to 300
BC) and this area is mentioned in the first part of both the Kojiki (712
AD) and the Nihongi (720 AD), the most ancient books in Japan. The Izumo
no Kuni Fudoki (733 AD) is the third oldest publication in Japan, and
is completely about the Izumo Kingdom.
|
|
The oldest legends of the Gods start here on Earth with Izanami and
Izanagi, the first gods to come to earth to settle the Great Rice Ear
Land of the Gods. The next to come was Susanoo, Amaterasu's brother. The
Great Shrine, Izumo Taisha, is reputed to have been built to satisfy Okuninushi
no Mikoto (Daikoku), Lord of the Great Land, when he offered his land
to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. The three oldest shrines in Japan are in
my area.
|
|
One is dedicated to the first goddess Izanami, one to the god Susanoo
and his bride, the Princess Inada, and one to the god Daikoku. With a
history second to none, how could a person dislike such a beautiful place,
especially when he has an interest in researching Japan. Tombs in the
area have never been opened--by Imperial Decree --perhaps because they
are afraid of what they will find to change history.
|
|
I firmly believe that this part of Japan was the true birthplace of
the country. Culturally, ethnically, and even religiously, we can build
a real history for this area. The oldest religious artifacts have been
found here, even those related to Buddhism.
|
|
While Izumo Taisha is supposed to be the oldest Taisha architecture,
it isn't. In this part of Japan, there are at least three others that
are older. Kamosu, the oldest shrine in Japan is 1600+ years old; Kumano
Shrine, 1300 years old and, at one time, one of the most important shrines
in Japan; and Yaegaki, 1300 years old. This is the shrine where Susanoo
took his bride, Princess Inada, for safety. This shrine has the oldest
wall mural in the country (1300 years old), a picture of Susanoo and Kushi
Inada, his bride. It's amazing! Wouldn't you wonder why?
|
|
I certainly do. What else can be said about this area to attract the
true scholar of Japan and its culture? There are shrines and temples all
over the area. The three oldest Buddhist Temples are here. Daisen Temple,
Kiyomizu Temple and Gakuenji Temple. They all go back to the earliest
time that Buddhism came to Japan (538 AD). This is easy to understand
since many Korean people and Chinese people came here as immigrants and
refugees from war, bringing their cultures and religions with them.
|
|
The oldest and most advanced stone age culture was here, and this land
has the oldest history of pottery production in the World. Artifacts abound,
and while the culture developed into the lovely art found in other places,
the earliest art has been found here.
|
|
This area became less popular when the later sites of Nara, Kyoto and
Tokyo became political centers. However, this area, in addition to helping
in enthroning at least two emperors, has produced Prime Minister Takeshita,
many politicians, famous authors, artists, poets, and other unique people
such as Miss Izumo Okuni, who invented Kabuki! It is true that I love
this land!
|
