The Destination of Nostalgia: Rediscovering One's Hometown

2021/06/08

The Destination of Nostalgia

The Italian film "Cinema Paradiso" (1988), directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, is a work in which the director projects his own childhood and youth onto the small village on the island of Sicily after World War II. Along with the director's deep love for cinema, the film depicts the friendship with an elderly projectionist and the missed connections with his first love. With the music of Ennio Morricone in the background, the film has remained in the memories of many as a masterpiece.

This film became a big hit by touching the hearts of the audience with the theme of nostalgia for those who left their hometowns and now live in cities.

Nostalgia is the feeling of longing for one's hometown where they spent their childhood and youth, mixed with various emotions such as sadness, affection, regret, and indignation. I think that these emotions become even stronger when people who live far away think about their hometown, knowing that they may never return.

After visiting his hometown for the first time in several decades, Director Tornatore transformed his nostalgia into a work of art. By releasing this film, I believe the director was able to come to terms with his relationship with his hometown.

If you were to visit your hometown after a long time has passed, like the director, you might also have various memories and emotions flash back.

Recently, I visited my hometown for the first time in several decades. I refrained from meeting people due to the current situation, but I made some new discoveries that will serve as a good opportunity to reconnect with my hometown and myself. I would like to share some of the things I felt during this short trip.

The "Komo Shrine" is different from Lake Como

About 10 minutes by car from Nakatsu Station, located in the northwest corner of Oita Prefecture, there is the "Komo Shrine"

The unique feature of the Komo Shrine is that the object of worship is the triangular pond called "Misumi Pond" itself. The pond is less than 1 km in circumference and you can take a leisurely stroll around it in about 30 minutes. The pond has a shape similar to spreading your hand and extending three fingers, allowing you to see from one end of the pond to the other.

The name of the Komo Shrine comes from the fact that the plant "makomo" of the sedge family grows in groups in the pond. The name is difficult to remember in kanji characters, so it may be easier to remember it as "Komo Shrine" written in katakana, which reminds you of the famous resort area, Lake Como in northern Italy. This may be an exaggeration, but I visited this shrine.

According to the guide, the following explanation is given about Shrine:

"Komo Shrine is said to be the ancestral shrine of Usa Hachiman Shrine (the head shrine of 40,000 Hachiman Shrines nationwide) located in Usa City, Oita Prefecture. It is said that the shrine harvested the "true Komo" growing in the triangular pond, dried it on an island in the pond, and made it into the "omakura," the sacred object of Usa Hachiman Shrine.

Although the construction of the shrine is said to have taken place in the Shōwa era (834-848), the triangular pond is said to be older than that. At that time, many reservoirs were built on the plateau where water was scarce across the country by immigrants who had the technology of rice cultivation. The triangular pond is considered to be one of these reservoirs."

"The pond is shallow and densely populated with lotuses and a colony of reeds. The pond, which is also a sacred object, is treated with great care for its water, plants, and fish, which has led to the preservation of valuable colonies of reeds and Japanese hackberry forests. The area where the shrine is located is still covered with evergreen broad-leaved forests of kojii and kuroki and giant trees of ichiigashi and kusunoki, creating a sacred forest on the shrine grounds. It is designated as a natural monument of Oita Prefecture."

According to historical books, in the fourth year of the Yōrō era (720), the Yamato Imperial Army led by Ōtomo no Tabito (665-731), who later became the chief administrator of Dazaifu and a Manyō poet, went to suppress the rebellion of the Hayato who had a strong influence in southern Kyushu with the Buzen Army, carrying the Komo pillow made from true Komo at the triangular pond on a portable shrine. This legend has been passed down.

Ecological Richness and Aura

I attended a primary school very close to Komo Shrine when I was a child. At that time, I played around the pond without knowing anything about true Komo, the origin of the shrine, and the historical significance of the true Komo.

Now, standing on the shore of the pond, I spent a very pleasant time surrounded by the rich ecosystem in front of me and the aura that permeated the area while watching the water plants thrive, the fish jump in the middle of the pond, the ducks swim, and the waterfowl dance in the air. I also saw a pair of swallowtail butterflies flying around my feet.

Looking beyond the triangular pond, I could see the local mountain, Hachimen Mountain, and I felt nostalgic for the gently sloping ridgeline I had always admired as a child. This scenery may not be comparable to the Sainte-Victoire mountain, Cézanne's hometown mountain that he repeatedly painted, but it seemed to me to be an original landscape for myself.

It is said that the triangular pond has been the source of water since ancient times, irrigating the fields in the region. People have offered prayers of gratitude to this pond, and the plants, fish, and birds living in it have been carefully protected. Perhaps it is because of these things that this place has an aura that makes it feel like a sacred site.

Rediscovering the shrine I spent time in during my childhood was a delightful revelation. It made me realize that the source of my current sensibilities, preferences, and inclinations might have originated there.

For me, the Komo shrine is not inferior to the lake Como in any way.

Connection between Hakuin and Ikeno Taiga at Jisho-ji Temple in Nakatsu

Have you heard of the Zen master Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768)? Let me introduce him briefly.

Hakuin is a Zen monk from the mid-Edo period, who is called the founder of the Rinzai school revival. He served as the head priest of Shoin-ji Temple in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, his hometown, and founded the Zen dojo, Ryutaku-ji Temple, in Mishima City, where he trained many disciples.

Zen masters often use a famous koan called "sekishu no koe" which asks, "if you clap both hands, you will hear a sound, but what is the sound of one hand?" What do you think the answer to this koan is?

The Zen master's "Zazen wasan" is a song that explains Zen in an easy-to-understand way for the general public and is still chanted in many temples.

Throughout his life, the Zen master created many paintings featuring Daruma, Kannon, and Hotei as subjects and used them as materials for popular education. In recent years, Hakuin's Zen paintings have been highly praised both in Japan and overseas, and many people may have seen his Daruma with its distinctive round eyes.

About 15 years ago, I participated in a one-week zazen retreat called "sesshin" at Ryutaku-ji Temple in Mishima, which was founded by Hakuin Ekaku. Learning about the connection between the Zen master and my hometown of Nakatsu fills me with joy, and I wanted to share this information with others.

The connection between Hakuin and the hometown was through the Jisho-ji temple in Nakatsu.

Jisho-ji is a Zen temple that has been around for nearly 300 years and is the family temple of the successive lords of the Nakatsu domain, the Okudaira family.

The abbot of Jisho-ji asked Shakuin to paint a portrait of the temple's founder, which marked the beginning of their relationship. Later, Hakuin's disciple, Teishu (1720-1780), became the abbot of Jisho-ji, continuing the relationship between the two. Jisho-ji became the first temple in Kyushu under the Hakuin lineage.

Furthermore, Teishu invited IkenoTaiga and his wife, with whom he had a longstanding friendship, to come to Nakatsu. They stayed for a while and enjoyed the place while freely painting. It is said that during this time, the bond between disciples who had studied under Hakuin also deepened.

Currently, visitors can see Taiga's calligraphy and paintings alongside Hakuin's paintings in the temple's study hall due to the relationship between the two as described above.

By the way, Ikeno Taiga (1723-1776) was a mid-Edo period painter and calligrapher, considered one of Japan's greatest literati painters along with Yosa Buson. Many people may be familiar with his work, "Chou Ben."

Knowledge and Pride

Through my visit to Jisho-ji Temple's shoin, I had the opportunity to leisurely admire the paintings of Hakuin and the calligraphy of Taiga. It felt as though I was admiring a precious treasure.

As always, Hakuin's paintings exuded incredible power, but what really struck me was Taiga's free-spirited calligraphy, which I was immediately charmed by upon seeing it for the first time.

The story of the relationship between the master and disciples of Hakuin, Taiga, and Teishu through Jisho-ji Temple, and the precious artworks that remain as a testament to their respect and friendship, were all new discoveries for me. Learning about these things made me feel a new connection to my hometown and a sense of pride. It was yet another delightful discovery of my roots.

120 Years of History of Chikushi-tei

Finally, I would like to close with a story about Chikushi-tei.

As a reward for a short trip, I visited Chikushi-tei, a Japanese restaurant with a Michelin star (2018) located in Nakatsu.

Known for its specialty dish of Hamo (daggertooth pike conger), I was urged by the female owner to visit for lunch as it was cheaper during that time. To cut to the chase, I enjoyed a considerably affordable and blissful lunch with the female owner's guidance.

Chikushi-tei boasts a 120-year history, with many people having visited and enjoyed their Hamo dishes. Among the guests were even members of the Berlin Philharmonic who came from overseas, who appreciated the atmosphere of the building and the food, and even held concerts there in the past.

In the old days, Kyushu was known as "West Hakata, East Nakatsu," and this restaurant is located in the neighborhood that was once a bustling port town of Nakatsu.

According to the female owner, she immediately fell in love with this place, which was run by her husband's family, and felt that this was her stage. She has dedicated her passion to the mission of preserving the value of Chikushi-tei as tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including the building, hanging scrolls, and artwork.

There is a monument of Santoka Taneda at the entrance of the restaurant, and once inside, you can see many precious items without hesitation. I felt an aura of love from those who loved this restaurant through its presence.

Health comes from the food we eat

All the dishes served were organic and without any additives, made with carefully cooked natural, local, and seasonal ingredients. The "Hamo Shabu Shabu," where the Hamo was blanched in hot water, was exquisite and completely overturned my previous impression of Hamo dishes. I felt that many people should try it.

In the story, the female owner talked passionately about the health and food. Recently, she has been giving lectures at universities and publishing essays in local newspapers, spreading the message of how important food is to protect our lives.

I also learned about the richness of nature in Nakatsu through her lecture. While listening to her lecture, I realized again that the basis of my body was created from the sea, rivers, mountains, and fields of this land.

Being wrapped in the space of a historic restaurant, I naturally felt a sense of gratitude for the richness of nature in my hometown and the labor and ingenuity of the people. It was not just a whim that occurred to me while enjoying the delicious blanched Hamo.

Making the future of the town

I feel that the public is finally catching up to the owner's idea that a rich food culture is essential and that the next generation can create the future.

Tsukushi-tei, beyond its status as a high-class restaurant, is a cultural asset that embodies the nature, land, and history of Nakatsu.

Suddenly, I thought that it would be wonderful if not only the small space of this restaurant, but also the entire town of Nakatsu could have the same atmosphere as Tsukushi-tei.

By valuing food, preserving culture and tradition, and appreciating the blessings of nature and learning from the achievements of our predecessors, I believe that the future of our hometown will naturally be opened up. As I left the restaurant, my heart was uplifted and my footsteps were lighter.

So, although it has become quite long, this concludes my report on my journey of discovery of myself and my hometown.

Finally, I look forward to being able to depict childhood memories, which I was unable to touch upon this time, mixed with nostalgia like a scene from a movie. Thank you very much.