Japanese history – presented in true Japanese
form – gives dates of events in terms of eras. So I was intrigued when I read
that Dakikaeri Jinja, the modest shrine at the mouth of this Dakigaeri Valley, was
established in the thirteenth year of the Kanbun Era (寛文13年).
My knowledge of historical Japanese eras
mirrors my knowledge of United States Presidents. I am familiar with the first
one, the most recent few, and a handful of the more significant ones in
between. The rest I may have heard of but don’t know anything about.
In other words, just like I have no idea
when Millard Fillmore was president, I had no idea when the Kanbun Era fell in
the annals of Japanese history. It could have been two hundred years ago, it
could have been two thousand. This shrine in the sticks of Akita Prefecture may
have been founded when Jesus was walking the earth or when Lincoln was getting
shot. And quite frankly, I liked the idea of not knowing. The mystery adds to
the allure.
So I was a tad disappointed to find out 寛文13年 was actually 1673 AD. Sure, this means
Dakikaeri Jinja is a century older than the United states. But as old as Japan
is, it’s hard to get excited about a shrine that didn’t even exist when Christopher
Columbus started slaughtering the Indians.
Call me superficial. I’ve been called much
worse.
