Himiko and I

So back in the ancient times of Japan there may or may not of been a shaman queen by the name of Himiko. Himiko is a rather controversial historical figure mostly because while in old Chinese history books she acts as a sort of ambassador of Japan to China, in old Japanese history books she is not really mentioned. It is something I am sure many history nerds argue about nightly, but it all becomes a little more serious when she may have been haunting me this past year.

I am not a superstitious person by nature and I don`t really believe in ghosts, though I am beginning to suspect that is what all superstitious people who believe in ghosts think, but over these past few months my life seems to have had a rather large amount of not really great things happen to me. Nothing life-threatening (though I thought they were, mostly because I can be a big baby), but things that made me take notice and really analyze things in my life. It was then, in a possible irrational response, that I looked upon the magatama hanging on my wall and thought perhaps I should "cast it into Mt. Doom" as it were.

For those people who are unfamiliar, a magatama is a half crescent shape (much like half of a yin-yang) that one can wear as an accessory. They were first discovered on archaeological digs in Japan and usually date back to the ancient Jomon period or earlier. There is some arguments about where and who exactly made them, but they usually have rather shamanic implications and because of that, usually connected to Himiko due to her famous (maybe infamous) place in history.

Last year I found one of these magatama at the Takachiho Gorge, known for its various connections to Japanese legends, and now is mostly legendary for its beauty and its ability to trap tourists. They have a box near the entrance of the gorge full of magatama and I decided that I should get one because of my knowledge of Japanese history. Also I needed more crap to hang on my wall. The box was unmanned and just had a sign that read "one for 100 yen" which I thought was a just a little too expensive for what amounted to a small lump of clay with a purple string attached. I figured that the 100 yen was more of a "suggested price" and put 20 yen into the change bucket next to the box. I had my own cheap keepsake from my first time at the T-gorge. Little did I know THE HORRORS I WOULD BRING UPON MYSELF!

Well, not really. It is not like I died, or had any irreparable damage, it is just as if all my luck had ran out. For example, last winter I had absolutely no problems with my car with snow at all, but then this winter it got so bad that I had to start taking the bus to work. Then there has been just a lot of downers and bummers in my life, nothing horrible, but it was becoming that horrible cliche of "too many straws on one camel." Also, advice for those not in the know, try not to get too involved in the Japanese hospital system unless you know for a fact something is wrong with you. There is an expression in Japanese あり地獄 which translates to "ant hell," which pretty much sums up that experience quite nicely.

As the weeks went by, the magatama became almost like a "tell tale heart," but hung up right beside my bed instead of my floorboard. I am not sure if Mrs. Haneda would`ve liked a magatama on her ceiling anyway. I looked at it every night and the more my troubles gathered, the more I felt guilty about it. Then one day, trying to relax, I picked out a random book at my local school library. I usually don`t do this because most of the books are written in this CRAZY LANGUAGE but I did manage to find a comic book. It just so happened to be Osamu Tezuka`s Phoenix Vol. 1. It is a rather long series of graphic novels that span human history, and it just so happened to start in ancient Japan with good ole` Himiko. I took this as a sign. Though, I suppose that if a spirit did or could haunt this magatama, it really could`ve been any shaman, but I figured that, from reading Mr. Tezuka`s interpretation of Himiko`s character, she was the only one petty enough to haunt me for a lousy 80 yen.

So I had a mission, I had to return the cursed artifact, and pay up the 100 yen, then my life would return to normal. Golden Week came around, and it gave me a weekend and three vacation days to return the magatama. One of my fellow English teachers offered to give me a tour of Takachiho on the Tuesday of that vacation, and I figured we could go to the gorge, go to a party with a few friends, and make a perfect evening. Things didn`t go as planned (of course!) and I ended up not going to the gorge, and having to deal with a uncooperative drunk friend who refused to use certain taxis to go home. I didn`t end up drinking due to not wanting to test my luck, to be completely honest, and it was an interesting experience because I usually find myself being that "drunk friend," but at least I am super cooperative.

Anyway, I found myself in the middle of Takachiho, at 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night. I probably should have just gone home, but I convinced that this would solve all my problems if I could just find that box and return it. Also, I didn`t want to waste gas going back to Takachiho in the morning, so I drove to a close parking lot, and decided to walk the 500 meters to the gorge. Now, Takachiho is not exactly a night town. It has bars open late, but the area next to the gorge is completely shut down, and the walkway there is practically pitch black. I had to use my ipod to have any source of light down the tiny winding road to the gorge. I began to listen to This American Life as I walked down the path to calm my nerves, clutching the cursed magatama, just so it doesn`t escape me before my destination in some misguided attempt at escape. I was only half listening to the NPR podcast when the line "...because I learned that I always can`t be right" flooded my ears. I wasn`t quite sure the context why the radio-man said that, but it began to cast doubt on my whole pilgrimage, but I was already halfway down, and I wasn`t going back unless I exorcised something tonight.

I arrived to a place with light, and I could see the gorge. I looked at the sign, and double checked to make sure I got my kanji right to go to the right place, as I made my descent. Weird humming sounds and sound of pumping water began to make themselves heard as I neared the gorge. I eventually made it right to the railing which the darkened gorge was barely visible under the two or three lights that still shined. I walked around to get a good feel or my surroundings. I memorized the sign and the path that lead back to my car just in case I need to run out of the gorge for any reason. I found a sleeping taxi driver still in his car about 200 meters away, parking in front of a closed gift shop, and from there I started my search. I found the pond across the gorge with its little statue of gods, that during the daytime looked so cute, and now looked rather menacing. I looked around, trying to find the box with where they were selling the magatamas. I almost found myself walking a complete pitch black path, until I realized the truth, the stand where they sold the cursed things was right beside the pond! I found the stand the box and the change can was in, but both the box and the change can were nowhere to be found. I began to think maybe I was mistaken and the box was just somewhere else that I didn`t remember, but then I heard a switch flip somewhere, and the entire park went completely dark.

I stood still for a while, contemplating my decision to come down here, and how incredibly stupid it was. I didn`t really panic though, because my ipod was still playing This American Life, and somehow it had gotten to the part where Joss Whedon was playing a musical number about how film commentaries ruin the creative process, or something, and it wasn`t exactly "panic music." I decided maybe this was the ghost of Himiko giving me a sign to "PUT THE DAMN THING ON THE STAND ALREADY" and I fumbled through my change purse and got a hundred yen piece and put the magatama on the empty stand. I felt a very strange sense of accomplishment and I wondered how the person who found a cheap magatama and 100 yen would react. I hoped that he or she would put the items in their proper place, but I knew that my obligation in the matter had been cleared. I thanked myself for memorizing the way out before the lights went out, and used my rather useful ipod to illuminate the road out.

I was done, and I felt like something had been lifted from my chest. Finally I could live without the inconvenience of a curse from a cranky shaman. That was when I heard the car, and before I knew it, the car was heading straight in my direction. I was now walking up a very small road, and it could barely fit a single car, let alone a car and a pedestrian. I began to realize that this was a perfect opportunity to see if my luck had changed. I stuck to the wall, and I held my breath. All I could see is the headlights, as if the car was just some illusion of a whole body and was secretly just two prankster flashlights. I attempted to give my best "I dunno, sorry" face as the car passed me, with me completely unscathed. I took this as proof that finally my luck had finally turned around, and that I was complete idiot, but an uncursed idiot.

And today, I find myself enjoying this great weather as if I had never seen a summer before and rejoicing in the light and warmth that life can bring. Which goes to show you, sometimes you need an ancient Japanese ghost to show you the true value of being alive.