by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Aug 9, 2021 | Far East Tidbits, Sometimes I write about...
A major Japanese Buddhist festival takes place in August called Obon. It has beautiful aspects of family reunions, local gatherings, and lantern spectacles. Yet there is a troubling side for Japanese Christians.
Obon is one of the three most important annual festivals in Japan. It speaks powerfully of devotion to family. However, this may include honoring the spirits of the family’s ancestors. The day for reverencing one’s ancestors has a long, long tradition in Japan, existing even before Buddhism arrived in the country in the sixth century A.D. An ancient idea was that the living family members could offer their good deeds on behalf of the dead, who they believed were in agony—hanging upside down in hell. This offering would open hell so their ancestors’ spirits could be released..
Many of these original beliefs have evolved or entirely disappeared, and new traditions have grown up. Now families often light a lantern in front of their house or a candle at their altar to guide their ancestors’ spirits home for a short four-day release. During this time, they may offer food and prayers at gravesites, update the spirits on recent happenings, and attend a temple with the recitation of Buddhist scriptures. The celebrants may also take part in a neighborhood folk dance. At the end of the festival, in order to assist the spirits in their return to the other realms, many families—some of whom are just following traditions rather than beliefs—send small boats carrying lanterns and foodstuff down streams, leading the spirits to the ocean.
Observing Obon is a strong tradition even for those who are not Buddhist, for it speaks of care and respect for one’s elders while providing some interesting activities. For those people who find comfort in the idea of their deceased loved ones’ homecoming, it is an extremely significant festival. The lanterns and boats also offer a wonderful spectacle to everyone. However, Christians understand that the root of the festival’s traditions is contrary to their faith. They believe the spirits do not really visit, could not be helped by material offerings, and should not be prayed to as powerful beings.
The third book in the Dragonfly Trilogy attempts to show the Obon dilemma for the main character. Without giving a spoiler, I can say that early in the story, she does not deal well with her family’s visit to the gravesite.
When I lived in Japan in the 1960’s, I participated in a neighborhood Obon folk dance, having been assured by my Christian friend that it had no religious connotations. I’m not sure even now if that was the case. But this shows how hard it is for a foreigner like me to understand and explain the festival. For this overview, I relied on a little book by Tatsumi Hashimoto for the historical information and additional pastoral insights.[1]
During this year’s festival, may the Lord give wisdom and strength to the Christians as they show love, care, and respect to their families while avoiding the appearance of ancestor worship.
[1] Hashimoto, Tatsumi. Ancestor Worship and Japanese Daily Life. Tokyo, Japan: Word of Life Press, 1962.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 9, 2020 | Far East Tidbits, Sometimes I write about...
In order to share this photo, I did a little research on the “Lucky Bamboo” sitting there on my genuine bamboo stool, which we shipped home from Japan fifty years ago. I found the plant is a fake, not related to genuine bamboo at all! It’s actually dracaena sanderiana, a houseplant that can grow in soil or water. (I wondered why I couldn’t find any dirt under the pebbles and water in my plant’s pot.)
Now, it turns out that it’s lucky I accidentally bought the houseplant because I’ve just learned there’s lots to love about real bamboo and one BIG thing to hate, at least in certain situations.
First, what’s to love? Genuine bamboo, which is actually a species of grass is extremely fast-growing, flexible, and stronger than steel by weight. It can be used to make flooring, fences, giant scaffolds for constructing buildings, hundreds of utensils, even fabric. If a bamboo forest is harvested, the plants grow back in just a few years. Bamboo can be woven into lovely artwork, and the shoots (when treated) are edible, as we know from eating in Asian restaurants. A breeze blowing through bamboo causes a lovely clacking sound. Bamboo is so useful and beautiful, it is sometimes called a “miracle” plant, bringing to mind our Intelligent Designer.
Now, why can bamboo be abhorred? There are two general types of bamboo: runners and clumpers. Runners are the villains in city yards. There’s a saying: “The first year, bamboo sleeps; the second year, it creeps; the third year, it leaps.” The plant appears docile for the first two years, but its devious root system is expanding underground like crazy. The third year, sprouts may pop up several feet away from the original plant and may wreak havoc in neighbors’ yards too. The clumping type is much more manageable, but the runners are often sold in nurseries—buyer beware.
That said, the deep admiration people feel for bamboo in Asia, where it grows abundantly, can be seen not only in the evergreen bamboo groves cultivated in parks and temple grounds, but also in paintings, folktales, and proverbs. A Japanese proverb says, “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.” This truth can be seen in martial arts when the master bends with his opponent’s attack and then utilizes the opponent’s strength.
Bamboo figures in my first book in one scene. Sumi, who is irrepressibly curious, hides behind a clump of bamboo to spy out a romantic couple. She is shocked to see lips touch in a Western-style kiss. Before she can discreetly move away, she observes a crude man strolling past with the scholar her grandfather wants her to marry. This discovery causes Sumi to take a big risk—one she later greatly regrets.
Have you owned a “lucky bamboo” houseplant or had a grove of real bamboo in your yard? I’d love for you to share any experiences you’ve had with bamboo.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Oct 21, 2017 | Far East Tidbits
Water is an amazing, wonderful substance, isn’t it? It not only sustains life, but washes away grime and refreshes us, which leads to this post about the Japanese ofuro and waterfalls, cool fountains, and “living water.”
When I lived in Japan, I gained a great appreciation for the steaming hot water of the ofuro, a deep, wooden tub used for daily baths. After the first minutes (aka shock) of adjusting to the temperature, the water always proved a balm for tiredness. Not only that, but the warmth lingered even when I went outside in the winter. A mirror would show me that my face was almost as red as a lobster, but that was a small price to pay for tingling skin and relaxed muscles.
A far less common custom in Japan makes use of icy cold water. One of my friends told about standing under a waterfall for its sensation of cleansing, both physically and spiritually. Although there are many lovely Japanese waterfalls, you might guess that I bypassed t
hat stimulating experience.
If you visit Dallas Baptist University, the sight of ponds and beautiful fountains, like the one in the photo, can make you feel a tiny bit cooler on a hot Texas day, and even more so if a breeze carries a little of the spray. Can you imagine the temporary relief? (Okay, really small and temporary.)
Fountains can also be reminders of the “living water” Jesus spoke about (John 4). Since His “living water” leads to a never-ending relationship with God—the Source of life and everything good, I’m sure we’d agree that nothing else, no matter how refreshing, can come close to that!
Still, the ofuro is part of a splendid custom that our American showers don’t quite match, and I miss it, especially after long days.
Have you experienced any out-of-the-ordinary customs that you sometimes miss? Please share if one comes to mind.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Nov 6, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Visiting the Great Wall
A memory I cherish from traveling in the Far East is my first visit to the Great Wall of China in 2004. I had naively assumed that the section our team planned to visit near Beijing was on level ground. After all, Beijing was level. What a shock to find that it was way up on a mountain, not a huge mountain, but a mountain, nevertheless. Our hosts took us to a less restored, but more authentic, section of the wall, and we had to CLIMB and CLIMB and CLIMB to reach the top. But what a panoramic view! Walking through the watchtowers and along the wall, I felt the wonder of being over a foundation built approximately 1300 years earlier. I pictured the enemy hordes on one side and the villagers on the other, protected by the wall’s defenders.
Visiting tourist attractions and historical landmarks wasn’t the best part about being in Beijing that summer, however. Our Dallas Baptist University team was there to instruct Chinese teachers of English from eleven provinces from all across China in methods of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Sharing our lives for four weeks with our gracious new friends was far better than even the mountain-top experience on the Great Wall. This opportunity was actually the answer to my specific prayer to be able to go to Beijing “sometime before I die.” In fact, I got to go back to the area three more times to teach in English seminars, so God
2004 English Seminar in Beijing
answered above what I could imagine.
Now that I’ve gotten a little too old to travel, I’m thankful that I still have the opportunity to teach international students at DBU. Sometimes when I get tired of grading papers and disappointed by a student’s lack of effort, I need to have my mind renewed by a spirit of thankfulness to the Lord for such an open door of ministry. Great walls crumble, but people’s lives are affected for eternity.
Maybe you would like to share a life’s highlight that you still cherish.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Sep 12, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Note: Chihiro, a Dallas Baptist University student, is the guest writer for this post. I asked students in one of my classes to analyze a favorite secular song and compare its worldview with that of the Christian praise song “Because He Lives” by Bill and Gloria Gaither. Chihiro chose a melodious Japanese song called “Eiko No Kakehashi.” You can listen to it in Japanese with English captions at this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXue70-vLAk To hear “Because He Lives,” click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA
The following is a very condensed version of Chihiro’s essay, used by her permission. (I haven’t figured out how to change the post’s by-line.)
One of my favorite songs is “Eiko No Kakehashi,” sung by Yuzu. It came out in 2004 and became popular among all ages in Japan. I chose this song because my homeroom teacher in elementary school selected it for our graduation. I really liked the idea in the song that sadness, fear, and regret could be overcome and lead to the “Bridge to Glory,” which is the title of the song in English. I had nights that I could not sleep because of fear, and there were tears I did not show anyone. However, I was able to move through life with the support from others. This song represented my life at that age and motivated me to move forward.
“Eiko No Kakehashi” encourages people in Japan to cheer up. Many young people are stressed out because of harsh words they hear and low self-esteem, but this song encourages its listeners to have confidence and not give up. It tells us that we have made it up to here, so we can do it from now on, too. It motivates us to look at what we have done well. When people are in darkness, they do not see things objectively. Because this song can help discouraged persons to realize that there are people who care for them, it can give more hope.
Although I like “Eiko No Kakehashi” and its positive message very much, I see a problem in the song. It does not say where people can get the glory. It just tells people to keep going and even mentions an “endless journey” in one of its lines.
There is a significant difference in the worldview of “Eiko No Kakehashi” and “Because He Lives.” “Because He Lives” clearly says that the bridge of glory is to know Jesus and that heaven is a place of eternal glory. It tells us that because of Jesus, life is worth living and that we can face tomorrow and have no fear.
As a Christian, I agree with the worldview of “Because He Lives.” I believe that God exists and that He is good. I can see light and hope even in sadness and pain. Without Jesus, I believe there would not be light at the end of life’s difficulties. Therefore, I seek to live close to God, and that becomes my purpose in life.
Many thanks to Chihiro for sharing her insights!
If you enjoyed listening to “Eiko No Kakehashi,” you might like a Japanese song called “Sakura” (“Cherry Blossom”), sung by Moriyama Naotarou. (It’s not the traditional folksong also called “Sakura.”) I came across the song while searching for “Eiko No Kakehashi.” It’s at this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxUa69laLc Listening to it made me feel like I was in Japan again.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Aug 14, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Poetry, especially the Japanese
haiku, reminds me of interactive games and media.
Haiku can change or reflect our moods. The
haiku forms a framework and allows us to imagine the scene and interpret the meaning from their own experiences.
Bashō, a seventeenth-century Japanese poet, has written some of my favorite haiku. In fact, my Japanese novels feature this one:
Simple pepper pods
Add gossamer wings to them
Behold: dragonflies
(The Japanese original has the expected format of 5 syllables for the first line, seven for the second, and five again for the third, so I modified my translation slightly to fit the format.) What meaning would you give to this poem? A child’s play? A humorous look at dragonflies? According to the experts, Bashō was expressing that all things are one in their essence. But the poems are meant for enjoyment, and we are free to insert our own ideas.
The themes of traditional haiku center on nature and the four seasons. They convey a keen awareness of an emotion and may hint at a philosophy of life. One theme often repeated is the fleeting nature of beautiful things. When you think of beauty, what comes to mind? The gorgeous cherry blossoms, which last for about a week, are beloved symbols to many Japanese people of what is treasured, but too short-lived. Sōchō, another well-known poet, wrote:
Throughout the morning
I watch the cherry blossoms
Growing old.
A little sad, wouldn’t you say? But where did the blossoms’ beauty originate? The wonderful fact is that the cherry tree’s Designer is eternal. Not only flowers, but also rainbows, music, snow-covered mountains, starry skies, brilliant sunsets are just a little taste of true beauty—a gift from the Giver, the eternal Artist. God designed the cherry tree’s first tiny seed with all the information crammed inside: directions for the roots, bark, trunk, leaves (think of the photosynthesis’ complexity), flowers, and delicious fruit. How wonderful that when we seek to know God through Jesus, we can have an everlasting relationship with the Giver of such beauty!
While writing this post, I tried my hand at creating haiku. Obviously, I’m an amateur. Anyway, here’s the one I wrote:
Jagged mountain peaks
Puncture the risk-taking clouds
Snow covers my path
Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of the traveler’s wintry scene and the tongue-in-cheek connection between the peaks and the clouds. Have you written any haiku? If so, I hope you will share one in the comment area below.
Photo of the dragonfly by Shawn Kenessey on Unsplash.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 25, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Many thanks to my good friend, June Jun, for suggesting these proverbs and providing their meanings.
1. A bird listens to what you are saying at day, and a mouse listens to what you are saying at night.
—We shouldn’t gossip or spill a secret since it can be overheard, and it can be spread even if we don’t want it to be.
2. The day is the funeral.
—There were two good friends. However, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Finally, one friend decided to visit the other one, but that day was his funeral. So the expression means that something regretful or pitiful happened.
3. You can catch the bugs after spinning a web.
—You can get something with preparation.
4. A straight tree is used for timber, and a bent tree is used for firewood.
—Everything (everyone) can be used, based on the inherent talent.
5. When a plowman can’t dig straight furrows in the field, he blames the cow.
—A person who lacks ability may make excuses by blaming something other than himself.
6. A fish cannot live in water that is too clean.
—Demanding too much perfection can cause problems.
7. Frogs forget being tadpoles.
—Once people succeed, they may become prideful and forget their humbler origins.
8. If a tree has many branches, there is always movement.
—A household with many children is never void of movement.
9. Works like a dog and spends like a scholar.
—No matter how a person earns his money, he may still spend it judiciously.
10. Even straw shoes are a pair.
—In Korea, the single woman who is highly educated and has a professional job is called a “gold miss.” This expression about straw shoes is used to encourage an unmarried person, such as a “gold miss,” by implying that if common shoes make a pair, then surely someone exists for that person somewhere.
11. I go to Gangnam (the center of Seoul) just following a friend.
—The person is doing something just because a friend is doing it, without thinking logically or having a good purpose.
12. A sister-in-law stopping a mother-in-law who is beating a daughter-in-law is more hateful than the mother-in-law.
—This describes the situation where the person pretends to help (stepping in to stop a beating), but is actually slandering someone secretly (doing something worse than the one beating her daughter-in-law).
If you know another interesting proverb from Korea, please leave a comment.
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 15, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Who doesn’t like a good proverb? Proverbs try to say a general truth in a concise, interesting manner.
The following are well-known Japanese proverbs friends of ours shared with us.
Even monkeys fall from trees. 
Unless you go inside the cave, you can’t catch the tiger.
Time, like light and shadow, flies like an arrow.
A nail that stands up will be pounded down.
Hardship will tell you who your true friend is.
[Sharing good ideas with the unappreciative is] like putting a gold coin in front of a cat.
[An unexpected blessing is] like a rice cake that falls down from a shelf.
Friends from Japan also explained a series of sentences used to illustrate how to develop a theme:
Osaka main town
Daughters of a textile shop. The older daughter is seventeen. The younger is fifteen.
A daimyo’s samurai kills by a bow. [New information that isn’t obviously connected.]
The daughters kill men by their eyes. [The wrap-up that brings the disparate parts together.]
Here are some additional Japanese proverbs from other sources.
Death and birth happen in the same day—life is like bubbles on a stream. (Voiced by the medieval monk Chōmei in Hōjōki)
Excessive affection turns into a hatred stronger by one hundred. 
Proof is more effective than argument.
Too many captains run the ship up a mountain. (a favorite)
Photo of the monkey by Vishu Gowda on Unsplash
Photo of bubbles on a stream by Ashwini Chaudhary on Unsplash
by Elizabeth Ann Boyles | Jul 1, 2013 | Far East Tidbits
Years ago, I was privileged to lead a team of students from Dallas Baptist University in teaching an English seminar in Beijing, China. One day I asked the seminar’s Chinese participants to share some of their country’s proverbs, and these are the delightful words of wisdom that they shared.
Among the blind, the one-eyed man can be king.
Don’t laugh at people who fled 100 steps away in a war if you just fled 50 steps.
Knowledge can change one’s life.
t’s no use blowing on hot soup in a large vat in order to cool it. It would be better to take away the firewood under the soup. (My guess: Deal with the root of the problem.) 
Among the three, there must be one who can be my teacher.
If three people discuss something together, it is as a wise man.
Modesty will promote you.
The dog you have raised may bite you.
If the mountain exists, you don’t have to worry about the lack of firewood. (The participant explained this to mean that while there is life, there is hope.)
Beat iron while it’s hot. 
When you revise, you gain a new thing.
He who has never visited the Great Wall is not a true man.
You carried a stone and dropped it on your own foot.
Smelly fish and smelly shrimp are found together.
It takes 10 years for a young tree to grow and 100 years to educate a generation.
Photo of pot over fire by Tikkho Maciel on Unsplash
Photo of blacksmith by Jonathan Bean on Unsplash
