Time for another cultural lesson. These snacks are just a normal part of Japanese life, and while the SGI designs are obviously to appeal to SGI members, they are simply souvenirs to take back to your district members, rather than marketed as an enlightened snack or a miracle cure.
Within Japanese society there are lots of social obligations and the most common one is "omiyage" (see “Souvenirs as gifts” section of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omiyage ) . This is a social obligation to bring back souvenirs for your family, friends and co-workers when you have been on holiday or a business trip. This could become very expensive, so the most common way to do this is to bring back a local snack or a popular snack in a box decorated with images of the place you have visited.
All across Japan, shops around the major railway and underground stations sell these cakes, biscuits and other snacks, usually in presentation boxes or packets of 12, 15 or 20. Company workers (factory, retail or office based) travelling within Japan on business, or holiday-makers vacationing within Japan, then buy these snacks as souvenirs for their friends, family and co-workers back home. Some parts of Japan have specialised local flavours or a regional snack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meibutsu) and people particularly look forward to receiving these, and trying flavours from different cities.
With the rise of internet shopping, many local areas now sell their products on-line as well and deliver across Japan so that they can maximise sales. This is especially true of snacks with a limited edition design (such as the Winter Olympics in Nagano, or a town with the same name as the Japanese royal baby about ten years ago) Similarly, if I've heard snacks from Osaka are particularly delicious but have never been (and my friends or co-workers haven’t visited there either) I can order these snacks online and have them delivered.
Obviously marketing departments want the designs to reflect the area you are visiting to maximise sales, and as well as limited editions due to local events and anniversaries, stations near attractions such as Disneyland or Sanrioland, will have packaging with Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty characters on it to optimise their sales.
This is the same with these snacks with SGI designs or packaging which are only sold in shops around the railway stations where the SGI has major HQ buildings, especially Shinanomachi. These are not seen as anything more than souvenirs from a trip to one of these SGI centres, and leaders or members who are visiting these places can take home "omiyage" for other members to enjoy at their next local meeting. The use of online shopping also means that you don't need to travel to these HQ buildings anymore, but can still enjoy the taste of a favourite snack from an SGI district or purchase a limited edition design (which I’m sure there currently is to celebrate the new HQ building).
From my own experience of living in Japan, if I was making a trip into Tokyo, I would usually buy some Tokyo decorated snacks for my work colleagues, but would also pick up some SGI snacks for my district if I had time to visit Shinanomachi.
(1) I'm sure they do make money from these and the other goods they sell in the SGI shops by the main HQs, but is this different to the goods and "wishes" sold at the Kempon Hokke's Myomanji Temple? At least the SGI HQs and culture centres have free admission, unlike Myomanji Temple, which charges for entry to the temple or to see the main garden.
Like most Nichiren schools of Buddhism, to be an SGI member all you NEED is a gohonzon and somewhere to keep it. In the UK some people buy their butsudan from an SGI shop and others have made their own or bought non-SGI shop cabinets to keep them in. Contributions are voluntary. Subscriptions to magazines are voluntary. And whether you choose to buy, or not buy, any books, altar accessories, pens, flags or whatever else they sell, is your own decision.
(2) Voting for the Komeito party must be part of some Japanese people's lives as the number of votes candidates receive is usually much greater than the number of Soka Gakkai members eligible to vote in that electoral region.
If Komeito Party candidates were only voted for by Soka Gakkai members most of them wouldn't even win their elections, so why are non-members voting for them? The voting pattern of Gakkai members, and any perceived or actual benefit they gain is immaterial when it comes to convincing anti-Komeito Party individuals. But ultimately, there are plenty of non-Gakkai voters who feel there is a benefit to their lives (or Japan in general) or they wouldn't bother voting for them.
Kempon Hokke Myomanji, SGI, Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, Honmon Butsuryu Shu, Honmon Hokke, and the other 25 or so other Nichiren sects are dead religions failing to practice the same faith as Nichiren. They are money making scams, not unlike the Catholic Church and televangelists. Voluntary contributions? Not entirely as the receipt of Gohonzon is tied to subscriptions for the SGI publications.
Shinano is the new holy place for the Soka Gakkai with actual pilgimages to this corporate office.
The reference to the guarantee of merit [benefit] for voting Komeito WAS a reference to religious and spiritual benefit and most Komeito candidates draw little support from non-SGI voters.
Please also comment on the Nikken propaganda film.
"Receipt of Gohonzon tied to subscriptions" - This must be another SGI-USA thing. SGI-UK members are free to receive Gohonzon without subscribing to the UK magazine or other publications.
"Actual pilgrimages to this corporate office" must also be another SGI-USA thing, because when talking about the new HQ Building, the General Director of SGI-UK said at the end of November "The important thing is that this new building is NOT a place for a pilgrimage. We don't do pilgrimages in the SGI."
I haven't practised in the Unites States, but in the UK, SGI members believe in the mutual possession of the ten worlds and know that we don't have to go to a special place to reveal our Buddhahood. In the past the priesthood encouraged pilgrimages to Taiseki-ji from within Japan and across the world but that era has finished.
The SGI for all of its faults (according to ex SGI USA members) has tried to free itself from some of the old Nichiren Shoshu practices which don't accord with Nichiren Buddhism. Some leaders in their enthusiasm or arrogance may be fans of President Ikeda rather than disciples of our mentors Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin and President Ikeda, but SGI-UK allows members to find their own path in faith, rather than forcing subscriptions, pilgrimages or even President Ikeda onto them. The main qualities of district leaders in the UK are to encourage members warmly with courage, compassion and wisdom, rather than bullying, threats and put-downs.
Time for another cultural lesson. These snacks are just a normal part of Japanese life, and while the SGI designs are obviously to appeal to SGI members, they are simply souvenirs to take back to your district members, rather than marketed as an enlightened snack or a miracle cure.
ReplyDeleteWithin Japanese society there are lots of social obligations and the most common one is "omiyage" (see “Souvenirs as gifts” section of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omiyage ) . This is a social obligation to bring back souvenirs for your family, friends and co-workers when you have been on holiday or a business trip. This could become very expensive, so the most common way to do this is to bring back a local snack or a popular snack in a box decorated with images of the place you have visited.
All across Japan, shops around the major railway and underground stations sell these cakes, biscuits and other snacks, usually in presentation boxes or packets of 12, 15 or 20. Company workers (factory, retail or office based) travelling within Japan on business, or holiday-makers vacationing within Japan, then buy these snacks as souvenirs for their friends, family and co-workers back home. Some parts of Japan have specialised local flavours or a regional snack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meibutsu) and people particularly look forward to receiving these, and trying flavours from different cities.
With the rise of internet shopping, many local areas now sell their products on-line as well and deliver across Japan so that they can maximise sales. This is especially true of snacks with a limited edition design (such as the Winter Olympics in Nagano, or a town with the same name as the Japanese royal baby about ten years ago) Similarly, if I've heard snacks from Osaka are particularly delicious but have never been (and my friends or co-workers haven’t visited there either) I can order these snacks online and have them delivered.
Obviously marketing departments want the designs to reflect the area you are visiting to maximise sales, and as well as limited editions due to local events and anniversaries, stations near attractions such as Disneyland or Sanrioland, will have packaging with Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty characters on it to optimise their sales.
This is the same with these snacks with SGI designs or packaging which are only sold in shops around the railway stations where the SGI has major HQ buildings, especially Shinanomachi. These are not seen as anything more than souvenirs from a trip to one of these SGI centres, and leaders or members who are visiting these places can take home "omiyage" for other members to enjoy at their next local meeting. The use of online shopping also means that you don't need to travel to these HQ buildings anymore, but can still enjoy the taste of a favourite snack from an SGI district or purchase a limited edition design (which I’m sure there currently is to celebrate the new HQ building).
From my own experience of living in Japan, if I was making a trip into Tokyo, I would usually buy some Tokyo decorated snacks for my work colleagues, but would also pick up some SGI snacks for my district if I had time to visit Shinanomachi.
How naive you are. Its all about money.
ReplyDeleteOh and the merit [benefit] gained from voting Komeito? Just another part of Japanese life? Hallelujah!
ReplyDelete(1) I'm sure they do make money from these and the other goods they sell in the SGI shops by the main HQs, but is this different to the goods and "wishes" sold at the Kempon Hokke's Myomanji Temple? At least the SGI HQs and culture centres have free admission, unlike Myomanji Temple, which charges for entry to the temple or to see the main garden.
ReplyDeleteLike most Nichiren schools of Buddhism, to be an SGI member all you NEED is a gohonzon and somewhere to keep it. In the UK some people buy their butsudan from an SGI shop and others have made their own or bought non-SGI shop cabinets to keep them in. Contributions are voluntary. Subscriptions to magazines are voluntary. And whether you choose to buy, or not buy, any books, altar accessories, pens, flags or whatever else they sell, is your own decision.
(2) Voting for the Komeito party must be part of some Japanese people's lives as the number of votes candidates receive is usually much greater than the number of Soka Gakkai members eligible to vote in that electoral region.
If Komeito Party candidates were only voted for by Soka Gakkai members most of them wouldn't even win their elections, so why are non-members voting for them? The voting pattern of Gakkai members, and any perceived or actual benefit they gain is immaterial when it comes to convincing anti-Komeito Party individuals. But ultimately, there are plenty of non-Gakkai voters who feel there is a benefit to their lives (or Japan in general) or they wouldn't bother voting for them.
Kempon Hokke Myomanji, SGI, Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, Honmon Butsuryu Shu, Honmon Hokke, and the other 25 or so other Nichiren sects are dead religions failing to practice the same faith as Nichiren. They are money making scams, not unlike the Catholic Church and televangelists. Voluntary contributions? Not entirely as the receipt of Gohonzon is tied to subscriptions for the SGI publications.
ReplyDeleteShinano is the new holy place for the Soka Gakkai with actual pilgimages to this corporate office.
The reference to the guarantee of merit [benefit] for voting Komeito WAS a reference to religious and spiritual benefit and most Komeito candidates draw little support from non-SGI voters.
Please also comment on the Nikken propaganda film.
"Receipt of Gohonzon tied to subscriptions" - This must be another SGI-USA thing. SGI-UK members are free to receive Gohonzon without subscribing to the UK magazine or other publications.
ReplyDelete"Actual pilgrimages to this corporate office" must also be another SGI-USA thing, because when talking about the new HQ Building, the General Director of SGI-UK said at the end of November "The important thing is that this new building is NOT a place for a pilgrimage. We don't do pilgrimages in the SGI."
I haven't practised in the Unites States, but in the UK, SGI members believe in the mutual possession of the ten worlds and know that we don't have to go to a special place to reveal our Buddhahood. In the past the priesthood encouraged pilgrimages to Taiseki-ji from within Japan and across the world but that era has finished.
The SGI for all of its faults (according to ex SGI USA members) has tried to free itself from some of the old Nichiren Shoshu practices which don't accord with Nichiren Buddhism. Some leaders in their enthusiasm or arrogance may be fans of President Ikeda rather than disciples of our mentors Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin and President Ikeda, but SGI-UK allows members to find their own path in faith, rather than forcing subscriptions, pilgrimages or even President Ikeda onto them. The main qualities of district leaders in the UK are to encourage members warmly with courage, compassion and wisdom, rather than bullying, threats and put-downs.
"Just isolated incidences of injustices, all in the past, not a place for pilgrimage, must be an American thing ...." -- "Nichiren Buddhist"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hosshakukempon.com/
http://www.hosshakukempon.com/special-report-on-injustice-faced-by-jay-hou-part-1.html
http://www.hosshakukempon.com/special-report-on-injustice-faced-by-jay-hou-part-2.html