What is a Yamabushi?

Yamabushi (one who lies in the mountains) are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition, endowed with supernatural powers in traditional Japanese mysticism. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, with Tendai Buddhist, Taoism, and Shinto elements. For the most part solitary, they did form loose confederations, and associations with certain temples, and also participated in battles and skirmishes alongside samurai and sōhei warrior monks on occasion. Their origins can be traced back to the solitary Yama-bito and some hijiri of the eighth and ninth centuries.There has also been cross-teaching with samurai weaponry and Yamabushi’s spiritual approach to life and fighting.

In modern use, the term ubasoku-yamabushi refers to laymen practitioners of shugendō. The religion places a heavy emphasis on asceticism and feats of endurance, and white and saffron-robed yamabushi toting a horagai conch-shell trumpet are still a common sight near the shugendō holy site of Dewa Sanzan and in the sacred mountains of Kumano and Omine.

What is a Tosa?

The Tosa has been bred for hundreds of years in Japan. The country has a long history of dog fighting, beginning in the 14th century. It was developed between the period of 1868 and 1912 by crosses with the Kochi (a local Japanese breed), native Shikoku fighting dogs, with Western breeds such as the German Pointer, Mastiff, Great Dane, Bulldog, St. Bernard and the Bull Terrier. Tosas were often referred to as the “Sumo wrestler of the dog world.” In Japan, the Tosa is considered a national treasure. Although dog fighting is now illegal in Europe, North America, and Japan, secret, illegal pit fights continue in remote rural regions of Japan, where the Tosa, at 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg.)—smaller than those bred in the West—is still used for fighting. The breed excels at Japanese-style dog fighting. Japanese dog-fighting rules in the last century demanded that dogs fight silently, without cowering, and the Tosa fought by these rules—relentlessly and silently. The Tosa is a rare breed, even in its native land and has only recently been introduced to the USA. Unfortunately, this breed is banned in some countries as a dangerous breed. It is definitely unsuitable for beginners, but with the proper socialization, handling and training, it can make a wonderful family companion. This massive dog excels at weight-pulling and makes a great watch and guard dog.

What is a Cherry Blossom?

A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is called Sakura after the Japanese.

Cherry blossom is speculated to be native to the Himalayas. Currently it is widely distributed, especially in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere including Europe, West Siberia, China, Korean Peninsula, Japan, Canada and the United States. In the Western world, the cherry blossom symbolizes Japan.

Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit. Edible cherries generally come from cultivars of the related species Prunus avium and Prunus cerasus. Cherry blossom are also closely related to other Prunus trees such as the almond, peach, plum and apricot and more distantly to apples, pears and roses.

What is a Tengu?

Tengu (“heavenly dog”) are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion and are also considered a type of Shinto god (kami) or yōkai (supernatural beings). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is widely considered the tengu’s defining characteristic in the popular imagination.

What is a Kami?

Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements in nature, animals, creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life. Traditionally, great or charismatic leaders like the Emperor could be kami.

In Shinto, Kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi , the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. Kami are believed to be “hidden” from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own, shinkai [the world of the Kami]. To be in harmony with the awe inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi [the way of the Kami].

Though the word Kami is translated in multiple ways into English, no one English word expresses its full meaning. In this way, the ambiguity of the meaning of Kami is necessary, as it conveys the ambiguous nature of Kami themselves.