YM COLUMN ARCHIVE

July 1, 2009

“Wa” and “Wa” (1)
[“Wa” archaic word meaning Japan and “Wa” meaning harmony]

I visited Hofu city of Suho province for the first time to attend the seminar for leaders of space education. The seminar was held at The Municipal Hall of Science for Youths, which was very successful with many participants. “Hofu” reminded me of a funny story all of sudden.

-----Hofu is a home city of a wife of my friend. The city is officially pronounced as “hofu” but some of local people say it “bofu”. One year, a friend of mine visited the city with his wife. When he was on a jolting bus on a way to his wife’s home, the bus driver made an announcement, “The next stop is ‘boukou koumon mae’ (bladder and anus), passengers getting off here, please press the button”. My friend was so embarassed to have looked at his wife, who whispered in his ear quietly smiling, “It’s the abbreviation of “Front gate of Bofu High School”.

Hofu was a local government of Su-o” province some centuries earlier, to where the feudal lord of Mori family who was previously residing at Yoshida of Hiroshima moved in as the lord of the Choshu domain after having been defeated at the battle of Sekigahara. As the land here was a sandy place not good for having a castle, he built Shizuki castle at Hagi. The huge garden of the lord Mori was as large as over 80,000 square meters with hills, streams and falls, whose undulating landscape accentuated the beauty of the garden. At the corner of the garden conspicuously stands a mansion of Duke Mori of 4,000 square meters, which is now used as Mori Museum in a modern style of Japanese architecture.

When I visited the museum, a representative party of Aki-Takada city (i.e. Yoshida at Aki county of Hiroshima prefecture where the lord Mori resided) in sister-city relationship with Hofu was also to visit there and I happened to meet with Deputy Mayor of Hofu (Mr. Etsuo Yoshimura) who was standing by the front gate of the museum to receive the party. Thanks to this coincidence (also recommended by Section Chief Mr. Masayuki Kimura of Education Board of Hofu city), I took advantage of taking the tour of museum with the party from Aki-Takada who was guided by Mr. Yoshimasa Koyama, chief curator of the museum. Perhaps, you may have a same experience that during your traveling around notable sights you may come across with a tour guide explaining about this and that, to which you join by pretending as if a member of the tour group. This is exactly what I did at the museum.

This really worked an instant effect. I could fully enjoy smart and refined explanation of the curator. Particularly, the painting by Sesshu of “hills and waters landscape of four seasons” (national treasure) was a real sight to see, which is painted on a long scroll of sixteen meters. I was also impressed by Tetsuhoto (national treasure) of Amitabha temple to which I bowed the knee a little before I saw Sesshu’s painting, which however impressed me somewhat in a different way from Tetsuhoto. Thanks to the act as intermediary by section chief Kimura, the chief priest of the temple took trouble of fetching the key of the treasure warehouse to specially show me Tetsuhoto; in treasure house the seated images of Shunjobo Chogen and the retired Emperor Goshirakawa (both important cultural assets) were placed, and next to the images were stored the lovely pagoda made of crystal triangle in which lie in repose the five pieces of Buddha’s ashes. All these precious treasures came back to my memory on a bullet train back home.

The entrance of Amitabha temple is very beautiful. Being covered with arch of hydrangea flowers, the passage of rugged stone steps softly reflecting sunlight leads to the deva gate at the end of steps where stand the statues of Deva King said to be made by Keiha on the both sides. As if in a picture frame, there spreads the world of shining watercolor painting, into which you are tempted to stray off unconsciously.

And now, what attracted my attention at Mori Museum was an expository writing about “Kokin-shu” (A Collection of Ancient Poetry). I suppose it was a duplicate copy in which was written as “Kokin Waka-shu” (Wa written in the character meaning ancient Japan). In the ancient times when our ancestors had no means of communication by letters, they called themselves “wa” meaning “I” which could be understood from the examples to refer oneself by saying “watashi”, “watakushi” and “ware”. It is easily imaginable that they called themselves “wa” probably influenced from their getting acquainted with Chinese dynasty. On the basis of pronouncing “wa”, Chinese people must have phonetically applied the letter “wa” to this country. Chinese character “wa” was to basically imply to “leave things to others” which they might have used as a derogatory term in a sense, while looking at the same thing from this side, it might have been an expression of downgrading ourselves.

At a certain time of our history, someone applied the other Chinese character of “wa” (harmony) in the meaning of Japan; and that in combination of “great” with “wa”. It was a significantly wonderful invention. When we look back at the developing process of Japan, I think “wa” (harmony) represents not only the pronunciation of this country but also characteristic nature of the people living on the archipelago. “Wa” and “Wa”: “Chinese character phonetically applied by them” and “our own invention of 'Wa' meaning harmony". This is my sense of discomfort I felt at Mori Museum, on which I would like to give due considerations next week, for too long might make you bored in reading.

I welcome your opinions on this column to the following E-mail address.
matogawa@planetary.or.jp

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