Sweet Tea and Dragons: Uncovering Japan’s Fascinating Buddha Birthday Traditions
(PERSONAL ESSAY) Arguably one of the most important celebrations for Buddhists across the globe, Buddha’s birthday honors the birth of Siddhartha Guatama. But who knew the birthday takes different formats and traditions in different parts of the world?
Guatama, the founder of Buddhism, was most likely born in the sixth century B.C., in Lumbini, which is now in southern Nepal.
When I celebrated my first Buddha’s birthday last May, it was at a small Korean Zen Temple on the Upper West Side in New York. A golden baby Buddha stood in a bowl, and we poured a spoonful of clear water over him to give him a cool bath. I was thinking about it recently with May not too far away, so I conducted a quick internet search, and a bunch of celebrations around the world popped up. But why were some of these events happening in April when the Buddha’s birthday is celebrated in May?
I realized that those who were celebrating a month early went to Japanese temples. After doing some more research, I discovered that Buddha’s birthday is only celebrated on April 8 in Japan because the country switched to a Gregorian calendar in the 19th century.
It is celebrated as a more quiet holiday in Japan as opposed to other countries, where it tends to be a grander national celebration. Known as Hana Matsuri (flower festival) or Kanbutsu-e (literally “Buddha bathing party”) in Japan, this birthday commemoration for Shakyamuni Buddha became intertwined with traditions from ancient Japanese farmers. Originally, the farmers gathered as a community to observe the new cherry blossoms, believing that the harvest would be more prosperous depending on how long the flowers bloomed.
Once Buddhism spread to Japan during the sixth century A.D., the observation of the blossoms became mixed with Buddhist traditions and Shinto folklore, including the story of the Buddha being born in a garden.
The sweet tea
In Hana Matsuri, the Lumbini garden is represented by the “hanamido,” a special altar decorated with flowers where a pan is placed for the baby Buddha to stand up. Just like at the Korean temple where I partook in Buddha’s birthday last year, the baby Buddha is waiting to be washed over. However, one key difference between the Korean bathing I witnessed with clear water and the Japanese bathing ritual of “kanbutsu” is the liquid that is used.
“Ama-cha” refers to a traditional Japanese sweet tea used during the kanbutsu ritual, and after bathing the baby, worshippers can drink the tea or bring a small bottle back home. However, it’s not quite the sweet tea you might be imagining. Ama-cha is made from the dried leaves of the hydrangea plant and is also said to have insecticide and anti-allergic properties. Just before hydrangeas bloom, the leaves are actually extremely bitter before they are dried and fermented. The fermentation process is how the chemical that causes the initial bitterness is transformed into sweet phyllodulcin. This natural sweetener is a whopping 400-800 times sweeter than sugar! The leaves are brewed into the tea that is poured over the baby Buddha, a reminder that when he was born, “sweet rain” came down from heaven as the flowers bloomed and the birds sang. Depending on the different Japanese versions of this legend, that sweet nectar rain is said to have been sent by eight great dragon kings, or the nine-headed dragon Kuzuryū.
The dragons
A symbol of strength and power, the dragon is a creature that is respected and honored in Japanese society. The existing Shinto tradition in Japan influenced dragons becoming one of the guardians of Buddhism. Many religious buildings have dragon sculptures or paintings as a way to protect the deities residing inside.
In the Lotus Sutra, a Buddhist text, eight dragon kings are mentioned: Nanda, Upananda, Sagara, Vasuki, Takshaka, Anavatapta, Manasvin and Utpalaka. These dragons were to lead the “nagas” — half-human, half-serpentine beings — when it came to protecting and worshipping the Buddha. Kuzuryū can trace his origins back to Vasuki, depicted as the strong yet poisonous cobra coiled around the neck of the Hindu deity Shiva.
With celebrations of the cherry blossoms and dragon mythology stirred into the tea, Buddha’s birthday in Japan is a fascinating blend of cultural lore and religion, despite not being as extravagantly celebrated as in other Buddhist traditions.
Brianna Jacobs is a senior at The King’s College in New York City, majoring in journalism, culture and society. She is also a spring 2023 intern with ReligionUnplugged.com. She’s previously reported and managed social accounts for The Empire State Tribune.