Re: The Megalithic Far East | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

gorseddphungus Mar 25, 2006 12:51:24

Replying to Littlestone

Congratulations. It will be worth staying sober (just about enough) at your son's ceremony in order to enjoy the occasional drums that punctuate the Shinto marriage, which will include an awful amount of sleep-inducing recitation. Best thing will be the little dish of sake that the couple are given to drink in turns in the cool 'temple' (!). Later on, be prepared for some karaoke just after the meal and for chrissakes don't mention the Ainu! :-)

I would recommend to you, if you are in Asuka, the great megalithic monster of Ishibutai, one of the best things in the area Nara-Kyoto. A long walk around the place will be very fruitful, as there are stones and kohun all over the place. If you can go back to the early posts of the Modern Antiquarian, you will be able to find long threads with descriptions on the place and its stones galore.

Enjoy. And yeah, spring should come soon, it's been a really miserably wet winter. Haven't seen a ray of sunshine in two months of constant 24-hour-rain.

XXX
GP

Littlestone Mar 25, 2006 13:45:29

Replying to gorseddphungus

Thanks GP.

I know the little sake cups well, and remember them with some embarrassment. As I'm sure you know, the sake cups used in a Shinto wedding ceremony are white and generally left unglazed. At my own Shinto wedding, nearly forty years ago, I took the obligatory sip of sake during the ceremony only to find the cup had stuck to my lower lip! Perhaps the gods were trying to tell me something ;-)

Yes, Asuka is one of my favourite places; I first went there on a warm autumn day in 1966 (before the Takamatsu Zuka <i>kofun</i> had been discovered). I can remember coming down from the surrounding hills and looking out onto thatched cottages and trees with bright orange persimmons hanging from their branches. So much has change since then - it becomes more and more difficult to find the 'old' Japan and everything that went with it...

gorseddphungus Mar 25, 2006 15:53:45

Replying to gorseddphungus

Forgot to post this link about Ishibutai earlier on, though I am sure there are other better pictures on the web:
http://www.asukanet.gr.jp/asukahome/ASUKA2/ASUKAKOFUN/isibutaiK.html