blastfromthepast
13th March 2006, 11:19 PM
Q. What is the origin to the "kaimyo" ( heavenly name given to a deceased Buddhist person) in Japan. I understand that the cost of making one can go up to fantastic amounts.--Question submitted by Yvette Yamamoto
A. Although most people think that a kaimyo is a name taken by a Buddhist after he or she dies, that is not entirely true. Originally, it was a sacred Buddhist name that one took on when one joined a Buddhist sect. Therefore there are two varieties of Kaimyo, the one given to a practitioner before while he or she is still alive being called a seizen kaimyo (seizen means before death). The word kaimyo comes from the characters kai (a commandment) and myo (name) because it is a name taken when one swears to obey five important Buddhist commandments.
As for the cost, the average price is said to be 100 000 yen (about US$900) per character, and prices range from 300 000 yen to over ten million. Many people believe that names with more Chinese characters are more prestigious and expensive, but this is not always true. According to the book "Tokyo Confidential: Titillating Tales from Japan's Weeklies", there are three titles attached to names: Shinshi, or "True believers", Koji, people who were rich and important, and "Ingo", which is the most prestigious and is for people who contributed to Buddhism and society. Shinshi titles start at 200 000 yen and Ingo titles start at 500 000.
The Japanese Buddhist association has recently been trying to regulate the kaimyo "industry" and curb the ever-increasing prices. Like funeral parlours in the west, who pressure bereaved mourners to buy expensive coffins and funerals, some temples are said to pressure people into buying expensive kaimyo for their departed loved ones. There is also a certain snob value to having an expensive kaimyo and some people purchase them for the same reason that they buy designer handbags or sports cars. The most ironic thing about people buying expensive kaimyo in order to "keep up with the Joneses" is that most people cannot even read the kanji written on gravestones because they are no longer in common use.
http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/
A. Although most people think that a kaimyo is a name taken by a Buddhist after he or she dies, that is not entirely true. Originally, it was a sacred Buddhist name that one took on when one joined a Buddhist sect. Therefore there are two varieties of Kaimyo, the one given to a practitioner before while he or she is still alive being called a seizen kaimyo (seizen means before death). The word kaimyo comes from the characters kai (a commandment) and myo (name) because it is a name taken when one swears to obey five important Buddhist commandments.
As for the cost, the average price is said to be 100 000 yen (about US$900) per character, and prices range from 300 000 yen to over ten million. Many people believe that names with more Chinese characters are more prestigious and expensive, but this is not always true. According to the book "Tokyo Confidential: Titillating Tales from Japan's Weeklies", there are three titles attached to names: Shinshi, or "True believers", Koji, people who were rich and important, and "Ingo", which is the most prestigious and is for people who contributed to Buddhism and society. Shinshi titles start at 200 000 yen and Ingo titles start at 500 000.
The Japanese Buddhist association has recently been trying to regulate the kaimyo "industry" and curb the ever-increasing prices. Like funeral parlours in the west, who pressure bereaved mourners to buy expensive coffins and funerals, some temples are said to pressure people into buying expensive kaimyo for their departed loved ones. There is also a certain snob value to having an expensive kaimyo and some people purchase them for the same reason that they buy designer handbags or sports cars. The most ironic thing about people buying expensive kaimyo in order to "keep up with the Joneses" is that most people cannot even read the kanji written on gravestones because they are no longer in common use.
http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/