I don’t know why I never thought to set up our hanami in the family cemetery on the hillside. Fortunately, Tod did because that location has the best view westward.
I appreciate the Kawasaki family graves. The newer ones are overseen by a jizo statue and the old ones are clustered together at the side, respected but unknown. Two cherry trees create a canopy of blossoms.
The family has long ties to Oyama-ji and there are several kinds of trees planted on the property that have uses in Buddhist ritual. Many things like this add to the sacred feeling of this land.
On the profane side of hanami, Tod & I recently learned of a classic Japanese liquor called Toh Toh Shu. Beloved of golfers, apparently, it contains medicinal herbs and mamushi (pit viper) extract. See “What’s in Toh Toh Shu” below for a full list of ingredients. It’s strong and rather nice with a vaguely cherry flavor.
We found it at Odoya in self-contained shot glasses, making it the perfect thing for toasting the beauty of the moment at sunset under the cherry blossoms in our home cemetery.
We left some sake for the Kawasakis and, as always, thanked the ancestors for their effort in creating such a beautiful place. We are grateful to be here now.
Jo & Ashley spent another day with us before returning to Tokyo and we enjoyed the sunny weather and the flowers in the garden. After dropping our friends at the bus, Tod cut the grass and later we took an evening walk where Venus guided us westward down the road.
Spring weather is fickle, but lovely nonetheless.
What’s in Toh Toh Shu
- Mamushi (pit viper) for fatigue relief and cold sensitivity
- Viper protein hydrolysates anti-reactive oxygen species, etc.
- Cinnamon bark induces sweating, relieves pain, strengthens the stomach
- Carrots for fatigue recovery, aphrodisiac effect, and metabolism
- Bu Lian Rong (desert hyacinth) for strength, fatigue
- Goji berries for improving liver and kidney function
- Cucumber seeds are anti-cold, stomachic
- Epimedium (horny goat weed) is an aphrodisiac, tonic
- Licorice for stomach ulcer, antitussive
- Fennel increases gastrointestinal motility
- Japanese parsley for antibacterial, anti-protozoal effect
- Jujube is sedative, diuretic, tonic
- Summer turmeric is sedative, improves menstrual irregularities
- Chenpi (citrus peel) for healthy stomach, antitussive, expectorant
