Japan The Way of Zen : Zen Buddhism Documentary

Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] Japan located off the eastern coast of the Asian continent is an arc shaped string of islands 3,000 kilometers long at the heart of the country lies Honshu the main island which accounts for 60% of Japan's landmass it is home to Kyoto and Tokyo the two most recent capitals three fifths of Japan is mountainous on the coastal plains the population is very dense eighty percent of the Japanese live in cities moreover the mountainous terrain limits the size and output of the farms the percentage of young people in the Japanese population is continually decreasing 20 percent of the Japanese are over the age of 65 the society takes care of the neediest for social cohesion is a fundamental value here in Japan there are raised markings on the sidewalks for example to help guide the blind the omnipresent mountains are an obstacle to expanding habitations to make the most of their reduced living space the Japanese plant crops on any plot of land available no matter how small the traditional architecture has given way to high-rise constructions to this general lack of space they found a vertical solution the traditions are deeply entrenched especially in cuisine where the creative presentation of the dishes is particularly important fresh produce is preferred and the preparation involves a series of meticulous operations the Japanese are very attentive to nature in autumn they follow the maple leaves day by day as they turn red the Japanese like their nature disciplined Zen Buddhism which was introduced into Japan in the 12th century is based on meditation the extremely sober Zen garden is designed to be conducive to meditation and self-awareness the attitudes the gestures and clothing have been handed down through the centuries in often complex rituals full of symbolism the ancient traditions nourish artistic creation they also kept alive by more contemporary forms of expression the cinema for example which owes its success to several renowned directors and it's cartoon heroes and new traditions have appeared a host of charming little characters are catching on quickly these are the kawaii which means cute children are taught to be socially responsible but adults also get caught up in the game the cat maneki-neko brings good luck he has good influence when you take an omikuji from a vending machine on a slip of paper you will find a general forecast for your future it means that the eight will have the better future the amount of farming is constantly decreasing and now accounts for barely 1% of the gross domestic product rice farming is surviving thanks to government subsidies Japanese is the world's second most powerful economy after the United States industry accounts for one-fourth of the country's wealth and employs one-fourth of the workforce the automobile industry is one of the country's economic powerhouses despite the handicap of the mountainous terrain the Japanese have done wonders with their highway system the mountains are not very high but it takes works of art to cross them telecommunications are a way to save a good deal of time in this country whose roads often take roundabout paths the highway tolls in Japan are among the highest in the world [Music] the high speed train the Shinkansen connects the major cities it's a quick reliable way to travel the Shinkansen was inaugurated in 1964 seventeen years before the French TGV both trains run at the same speed around 300 kilometers an hour but the Shinkansen wins out on frequency on some lines there are as many as six trains an hour [Music] [Music] the island of Honshu is widest at the center 250 kilometers across in the heart of the truble region we come upon the city of Takayama despite its modern districts the city has been spared the unchecked urbanization of the 20th century for a modest sum a begging monk administers a purification Rite [Music] the morning market attracts a good crowd right from daybreak the Japanese considered plant proteins as an antidote to agent [Music] the city has conserved its wooden buildings which date back to the 17th century the local craftsmen are renowned throughout all of Japan in the past the town would pay its taxes by sending its best carpenters to the Capitol to work on the temples and palaces the traditional craftsmen of Takayama are highly skilled in a variety of fields even for transporting tourists the traditional ways are still in practice [Music] the rickshaws will be around for some time to come the local craftsman turn out a variety of works from fish kebabs to the preparation of dorayaki but the speciality of Takayama is by far wood carvings [Music] the city is swarming with people here for the autumn festival the event which dates back to the end of the sixteenth century is a celebration to thank the gods for the harvest that Guerra Cory marionette execute a series of intricate movements perched atop a float called a dashi he is the intermediary between the world of humans and that of the divine forces Takayama's mechanical dolls are a very old tradition dating back to the a dough period and it's my duty to carry on this tradition for the next generation and the generations to come it's my duty a group of young people are executing the figures of a Toki recuperate the Karakoram marionettes are protected like precious works of art the machinery is incredibly complex [Music] one of them represents the deity a Basu sama he brushes a character on a sheet of paper that will then be placed at the entrance of a house to bring good luck to the family during the Autumn Festival 11 - er paraded through the streets of the city the does she date back to the 17th century they are true masterpieces composed of wood cloth metal and lacquer the festivities are held in honor of the divinity sakura yamaha chi mangu a divinity of Shintoism the original religion of japan during the procession the divinity is carried through the city in a portable shrine [Music] the vendors are out in force doing business with the crowds of visitors for the festival of Takayama is indeed one of the country's finest after nightfall the dance of the shishi the mythical lion dance makes its way through the different parts of the city the - er lit up and moved through the streets following a precise route a crew of several men draws the heavy structures [Music] guiding the float through the narrow streets is quite a feat [Music] [Applause] [Music] at the end of the procession the floats come to a halt before the festival officials [Music] after the customary greetings and exchanges of civilities they receive an offering of several bottles of sake also known as rice wine the offering of sake is to placate the divinities and to ensure a bountiful harvest the festival follows the cycle of the seasons the region of chubu is crossed by the Japanese Alps and in the National Park at kamikochi one can make some surprising encounters with Japanese macaques the volcano of yaki ducky reaches a height of 2,500 meters the clouds drifting by the summit blend with the wisps of smoke and gas coming from the crater [Music] the contour of the land was drastically changed by a violent eruption in 1915 volcanic projections dammed the river draining the valley forming a lake [Music] the beauty of this spot is an inspiration to artists they express their admiration for nature down to the most subtle nuances [Music] it's always possible to enjoy nature in its wild state as long as one respects it the Japanese have a deep respect for their natural heritage the architectural heritage was for the most part designed to be in harmony with nature these thatched roofed houses are characteristic of the village of ogimachi the whole community would take part in the construction of these houses they were designed to stand up to the harsh winters and in particular the heavy snowfalls the roofs are steeply sloped to prevent the snow from piling up no nails no screws the beams are assembled with rope [Music] these houses are in the casual tsukuri style and need regular upkeep oh gosh a live aguar the term gastro sukui comes from the expression Yeshua suru which means to join one's hands in prayer hiya Dave kike historic and as you can see the roof is made of thatch weary thatch the roofs every 30 to 35 years we just finished researching this house two weeks ago and as you can see it is impeccable anakata teeny very much in the region of Kansai Mount Koya at an altitude of 900 meters is covered by a forest in the 9th century the monk Kukai ascended this mountain with a handful of followers they went on to create one of the major centers of Japanese Buddhism here Buddhism was introduced into Japan from Korea in the middle of the 6th century it is composed of different sects like the Shingen School founded in Korea in the Buddhist tradition the term sect doesn't have the pejorative sense it often does in the West it is simply a branch of Buddhism which arose for spiritual or political reasons the rituals may vary but they all follow the teachings of Buddha [Music] the kongobuji temple is the official headquarters of Shingen Buddhism the building in the center is called the Oh Kadena it was placed in such a way that the two dragons facing each other represented by those stones we protect [Applause] [Music] Buddha is honored through the coma fire ritual in which our effli passions and desires are symbolically consumed [Music] the monks chant mantras incantations of mystical formulas [Applause] a path shaded by Japanese Cedars winds through the okunoin cemetery these statues dressed in red bother got diesel protector of deceased children and women who've had miscarriages or abortions cotton there are around 200,000 tombs here center is the tomb of the monk Kobo Daishi Kukai the founder of Shingen the monk Kukai has such prestige that many japanese want to be buried here several major companies have burial vaults reserved for their personnel the decoration of the vault is often inspired by the nature of the business from the coffee producer to the aerospace industry the company spirit lives on into the next life the omikuji that announced bad news are tied to a rope water is sprinkled onto the buddhas to purify oneself before entering the temple rituals like this a part of daily life the Sea of Japan borders the north coast of chubu Kanazawa on the coast is the major city it was once the fourth largest city of Japan but now with its half million inhabitants it's no more than a small provincial city it's vitality however gives it a prominent position the train station is a good example grass and Steel blend with traditional materials for tradition has a strong presence here the entrance to the station evokes a torii the traditional Shinto gateway that marks the entrance to a sacred place clean lines minimalist decor but that doesn't mean the station is cold and impersonal [Music] the Train is part of Japanese culture as is contemporary art which has its own Museum here in Kanazawa the 21st century Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 2004 the visitors are charmed by its light and the playful quality of the works the man who measures the clouds by Yin Farber is a fitting symbol for the museum where does play end and where does art begin with works that are as recreational as they are creative the spectator becomes actor he becomes part of the work of art in the swimming pool a work by the Argentine Leandro Arish the illusion is perfect the explanation is to be found underwater the Train is part of daily life for most Japanese and in certain sushi restaurants it's the Shinkansen itself that serves you your meal quick service guaranteed a touchscreen to order and the meal is delivered in a few seconds when it's time to pay the bill just to count up the plates the color indicates the price of each dish the Oh mature market has been serving the inhabitants of Kanazawa in seafood ever since it was founded at the beginning of the 18th century CE rate is a great favorite in addition to fish the connoisseurs can find a wide variety of vegetables and spices like this root of a plant that comes from Asia ginger [Music] going from one stand to the next you can feast your eyes and delight your taste buds [Music] the kanazawa castle belonged to the Maeda clan from the late 16th century on roofed with its distinctive whitish LED tiles it's a very elegant fortress it was destroyed by fire several times after it had resisted a number of sieges thanks to its perfectly assembled walls [Music] in the middle of the 19th century a lord of the Maeder clan had thus Ison kakou villa built for his mother the villa now houses a collection of dolls that are supposed to keep children safe from evil spirits in the garden the tea ceremony would take place by lantern light in the kenrokuen garden man admires nature gives it support and protects it [Music] the garden was designed by another Lord of the 17th century the garden possesses the six attributes that make a perfect Japanese garden panoramic views spaciousness artificiality antiquity seclusion and of course an abundance of water here before the oldest fountain in Japan one can savor the simple beauty of nature nagamachi is the district where the samurai a warrior caste used to live it is now an active center for the decorative arts and in particular one of Kanazawa specialities Miki the decoration of objects with lacquer and precious metals my Keith are you mano wha we used the lacquer like a glue along with gold dust silver or platinum Qing Dao toka patina in that all when the object is dried we apply another coat of lacquer we brush off the remaining dust we polish and that's the process we follow for the Makemake tenacity objects of such refinement have of course their price this is the most expensive fountain pen in Japan it costs 15 million 15 million yen around 100,000 euros here in the Higashi district aligned with former Geisha houses the young women like to stroll around in the traditional costume I live in Kanazawa and my friend here is visiting we're wearing the kimono to have pleasant memories [Music] a Geisha House a Chaya is traditionally a two-story dwelling built of wood some of them here are still inhabited by geishas the Geisha is a highly trained hostess who thanks to her culture knows how to enliven the dinner party and make conversation with the guests her makeup and costume follow very strict rules the Michael are the apprentice geishas their training which is quite extensive takes several years in any case we teach them everything then they'll choose the discipline that best suits them as there are very few Maiko nowadays they almost all have several specialties [Music] the noto peninsula thrusts northward into the Sea of Japan [Music] the long stretches of sandy beach that line the coast are havens of peace and quiet or maybe not [Music] for the sand here has a particularity when it's wet it packs down so densely that it's as hard as concrete and motor vehicles are allowed to make the most of this phenomenon this is the only beach where you can drive a car we call a cheery hammer beach in other spots the coast is not as accessible at notto Kongo the jagged volcanic rock is continually changing shape due to erosion from the sea [Music] [Music] whether they're spectacular or subtle nature's displays never leave the Japanese indifferent they respect them and enjoy them as a pageant a gift from the heavens the patchwork of farmlands resembles a Zen garden to achieve natural harmony there are no straight lines in a Zen garden and if one places a stone to evoke a mountain one must be sure that nature could have done exactly the same to the west of Honshu in the region of Chugoku a certain city made a brutal entry into the pages of history hiroshima on the morning of August the 6th 1945 the sky was clear over the city the American bomber dropped the atomic bomb from an altitude of 9,500 meters it exploded directly over the Institute of industrial development the only building left standing they've kept it in that state as a testimony and they renamed it the atomic bomb dome [Music] the Americans had chosen other cities as possible targets but on the tragic day they were overcast with clouds the catastrophe took place at Hiroshima because the weather was fine here that morning now the youth of Japan are encouraged to visit the peace memorial park several monuments have been erected here like the children's peace monument there are constant reminders and they explain why the fires from heaven struck here this is a space entirely devoted to the tragedy and shows the suffering that the country endured before it once again was at peace [Music] the Peace Memorial Museum shows us the extent of the disaster there's a scale model of the city as it was before the bomb we see the dome in its original state before the fatal hour the American president Harry Truman launched the operation may need to put an end to a long drawn-out conflict Hiroshima was an ideal target for it had never been bombed thus it would be easier to evaluate the bombs destructive power most of the victims were burned and radiation went on killing for years after the city is now resolutely turned towards the future but conserves the memory of its past Hiroshima is proud of its tramway system it was created in the early 20th century and was completely rebuilt after the atomic explosion at the tramway Museum a few of the venerable old timers are remarkably well conserved spare parts are quite scarce but the streetcars are all kept in working order even though they are now retired streetcar number six five one experienced the bond it was restored and even if it does rock a bit it can still hold its own against today's streetcars [Music] in the late 16th century the head of the most powerful clam decided to build a castle in the city later the castle was torn down except for its four-story heap which was leveled by the blasts from the atomic bomb and then rebuilt about ten years later the kinzig a district is the place to go for lively nightlife [Music] [Music] Friday after work is the time for colleagues to get together and celebrate the end of the week with a drink or two the port of Hiroshima is both wide open on to the Pacific Ocean and well sheltered the koresh shipyards to the south of the city give an idea of japan's maritime power barely 10 years after the end of the Second World War Japan became the world's leading ship builder and remained so for half a century now Japan is in second place after South Korea processing industries play a major role in Japan's economy [Music] as the country has very few natural resources Japan has to import its raw materials before transforming a fact that the automobile industry has taken to heart in 2007 Japan passed the United States to become the world's number one car maker a result that was made possible thanks to the streamlining of production there are very few workers on the assembly lines because just about all the operations are automated the machine is there to serve man and man checks the machines work [Applause] [Music] certain car makers can turn out as many as seven different models from the same assembly line meanwhile the new prototypes are showing the way of tomorrow for the automobile industry the design of cars has radically changed over the last 40 years the need to economize fuel has pushed designers to improve the streamline the sharp edges have been smoothed out and the motors consume less Japan is the world's leading importer of seafood products the country does have its own resources but they don't cover the demand there are a good number of oyster farms off the island of miyajima in the corner of a Cove is nestled a sacred place signaled by the characteristic torii gate it's a vast Shintoist shrine built on piles the entire island of miyajima is considered a divinity which is why it is forbidden to bother the deer that roam freely on the island some tourists want to Ameri lies their visit to the island with the local celebrity if possible the deer needs a little coaxing but the pigeon is more cooperative fortunately the photographer has the last word at low tide you can walk out to the huge torii the Shintoists venerate the spirits that call me in Japanese the sea the sand the wind the seaweed all have a divine soul but that doesn't mean you can't gather shellfish [Music] according to the legend a horse offered to the temple turns white after five years with his black cap and his white robe the Shinto priest officiates in a religion that has no founder no dogma and no Commandments the total pagoda is built in the Japanese style but it has Indian and Chinese features the Chinese influence can also be felt in the ritual Shinto music and extremely refined music played at the imperial court [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] to the east of Hiroshima lies the island of no Sima a traditional Lantern marks the entrance to the port in just a few years the island has made quite a name for itself and yet the architecture of the houses is nothing special life on the island changed the day a publisher launched several ambitious projects for the Arts for example the art house project gave certain artists the opportunity of turning an ordinary building into a work of art the creator wanted the project to integrate art into nature the concept of blending art and nature is quite Zen [Music] how to blend nature with concrete how to give life to raw concrete the Japanese architect Tadao Ando managed to meet this challenge he designed a building that is both hotel and showcase for Contemporary Art outside the beings conjured up by Niki dis a foul set the tone for works of art that have sprouted up everywhere in the grounds art and color transform nature and even the scarecrows become works of art the museum is tucked away on top of a hill with works by Giacometti and Cesare exposed side by side the artists play with vision and illusion [Music] painting or landscape wall or painting the museum is a work of art in itself and when work of art waves in the wind the union with nature is total in the heart of the Kansai region Kyoto was the capital and religious center of the country for more than 1,000 years the patrimony is remarkably well preserved for the city was spared the bombings of the Second World War in the old quarters the houses are made of the traditional wood several houses are grouped around a single entrance for in the old system property taxes were calculated not according to the building's surface area but according to the width of the facade traditional neighborhood traditional encounters my name is aya Kyoto is home to a good number of temples the curved roof is one of the characteristics of traditional Japanese architecture both religious and secular the form can be simple or more elaborate [Music] Kyoto's most famous temple is the kinkakuji it's known as the golden pavilion for it is covered in gold leaf built at the end of the 14th century it was originally the home of a general a Shogun a monk burnt it down because he couldn't bear its beauty the temple is surrounded by a garden laid out by a Zen Buddhist monk where there is a stand of giant bamboos the gardener's tried to outdo each other in creativity when they designed the surroundings of the temples to reach some of the temples one must take the path of philosophy which winds through the undergrowth it's called that because the monks would come here to meditate [Music] an imposing torii rises up near the heian jingu shrine the building is a smaller copy of the first Imperial Palace which used to be on this site Kyoto's first emperor reigned at the end of the 8th century and the city remained the capital of Japan until the 19th century the Emperor Kang mu had Kyoto laid out in a grid pattern with wide avenues after the model of the Chinese capitals [Music] in the Old Quarter of Gihon the names of the streets are embedded in the sidewalks many women wear kimonos in Kyoto it's a way of showing their attachment to the traditions and one of those traditions is the tea ceremony which has its origins in Zen Buddhism the stimulants in the tea allowed the monks to stay awake and meditate longer first one has a piece of pastry for the tea is bitter and the guests must rotate the bowl three times before drinking the importance of tea for the Japanese it's part of our daily life like our meals in Japan the boundary between one religion and another is not very strict a person may be born Shintoist and die Buddhist the rituals of the two religions can even mix they buy incense sticks to purify themselves the gestures are the same as if one were washing with water Zen Buddhism is based on meditation and the Zen garden is the ideal atmosphere for it the tenets of Zen Buddhism are surprisingly modern so on the roof of the Kyoto train station we find a Zen space placed above a buzzing hive of activity the building was the subject of heated controversy when it was first opened how to reconcile tradition and progress a question that the city was already asking itself in 1964 when it decided to build this futuristic metallic tower the Japanese have learned that to keep control of the future it is important not to neglect a human dimension [Music] a martial art practiced by women cured or traditional Japanese archery which demands a good deal of self-control away from the society of that Japan because in the Tattaglia be depended so they most of the people are very strong under the pleasure they like to be away from them to plaster kudo and they like they are able to look at themselves are the human beings judo which comes from China uses a bow more than 2 meters long it is painstakingly assembled from strips of bamboo bamboo is the ideal material for the bow but it is very sensitive not your ordinary material the bumble is very special material for ours I think with another point of view they think sometimes the bamboo is a kind of the world but for art for art that need people the bamboo is very special kind of a material that's why for our point of view bamboo is bamboo it's not kind of wood [Music] judo is a Zen discipline because it also teaches self-awareness placement breathing concentration they say that the target is hit even before the arrow is released here they're getting ready for the GED Matsuri one of the three most important festivals of Kyoto it has been taking place every autumn since 1895 [Music] the event was founded to commemorate the 1,100 anniversary of the founding of Kyoto as Japan's Imperial Capital it's also called the festival of Ages the participants don costumes from different periods going back to the eighth century the procession assembles in front of the Emperor's Palace the different periods take their places for the grand parade that is the highlight of the festival a few beauty queens from abroad give the event an international touch and the Japanese always look up to tall people normally blonde hair is extremely rare in Japan but there can be the odd exception the festival also offers a complete panorama of hats and head pieces according to the age the social standing the profession the region and the period [Music] but neither the exotic headpiece nor the hat nor the Kippy can compare to the helmet of the samurai in full dress [Music] reinforce protection but easy on the feet the parade gets underway and it's the history of Japan passing in review [Music] [Music] [Music] in the Western tradition man seeks to impose his will on the forces of nature according to the religious beliefs and aesthetic values in Japan man's life should be in harmony with nature through different means interior decoration music the tea ceremony and the garden man achieves awareness of his place in the natural elements this is the message of the philosophy called Zen [Music] [Music]

Channel: Best Documentary

Views: 734,353

Rating: 4.6889896 out of 5

Keywords: japan, history, documentary, full, kyoto, culture, tokyo, honshu, hiroshima, tradition, tea ceremony, zen, A-bomb dome, geisha, Miyajima, tourism, travel

Id: We2pP1yu960

Length: 51min 53sec (3113 seconds)

Published: Thu May 05 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/RedPillFiend]

Really enjoyed this one. Thank you for posting.

[u/miraoister]

Wow, I wish my country would be more like the Japanese and embody ancient traditions.

[u/aydin_h]

This is a really great documentary, thanks!