The judges felt that this description of an outing to a temple in Ohara combined interesting historical background with an intriguing personal encounter. There is a lightness of touch in the way that the narrator enjoys the old man’s commentary, and a dash of humour too in ‘you only get one chance for lunch.’ This contrasts with the dark episode concerning the ‘bloody boards’, which refer to the slaughter of thousands of defenders at Fushimi Castle in 1600. To pacify the souls of the dead, the boards soaked with their blood were later dispersed among a small number of Kyoto temples and used to cover the ceilings, where they can be seen to this day. All in all, the writer has managed to fit in a lot, both in terms of history and character study, into the prescribed 300 words.

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How Many Chances?
by S. Juul

My gift in Japan is attracting the elderly. One word is all it takes: “Arigato” with the last syllable stressed the Kyoto way; or, a quiet, “Sumimasen” with the first “m” dropped. Then I’ll have a friend for life for the next three hours.

Last time was in Hosen-in in Ohara. I didn’t need the wooden sign pointing the way to show me where to go; I’d heard of the bloody ceilings from Fushimi Castle. The trouble was knowing where to look.

Craning my neck between sips of tea, I saw an elderly worker grab a pointer. He hobbled over and tapped a spot on the ceiling. “Ashi,” he said. Foot.

I ‘ooh’ed.

He gestured for me to stand, then spent the next fifteen minutes showing me more. “Hand.” “Feet.” “…Face.” The last one sticks with me. Imagine, having that be what people remember of you.

When I thanked him, he beamed. “Do you… want to know more?”

With a nod, we were off on an adventure through time. He brought to life the tragic circumstances of the few surviving samurai forced to surrender the battle… and their lives.

An hour passed. Other visitors took one look and edged around us so as not to be dragged into the fray. Two others were unsuccessful in escape, an old woman and a young tourist. We listened. And listened.

Two hours passed.

“Do you want to know more?”

“I should eat,” I said. “It’s already three.”

“Sometimes, you only get one chance in life,” he replied.

I hesitated.

“There’s only one chance a day for lunch,” the old woman said. “Excuse us.”

Grateful, the tourist and I followed her. Outside, she wrapped her left arm around my right.

“Tell me dear, where are you from?”

Ah.

No escape, after all.

For an article about the historical background of the bloody boards, see this Japan Times article which also lists the seven temples to which the boards were sent – Genko-an, Shoden-ji, Yogen-in, Myoshin-ji in central Kyoto, Hosen-in in the Ohara area, Jinou-ji in Yawata, and Kosho-ji in Uji.